I celebrated Canada Day this morning with a giant fruit salad drizzled in some patriotic maple syrup.

As I munched through my salad I thought about how it represented Canada.

It was filled with local strawberries, raspberries, exotic pineapple, papaya and coconut, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and of course a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Canada is a young, open-minded country that embraces different cultures but is also very proud of its own roots.

After years of traveling I’ve grown to appreciate this country more and more.

I feel strong, safe and powerful being a woman in this country.

I grew up with friends who all came from different backgrounds and race or religion never set up walls for us.  Instead we felt fortunate to share our cultures, our food and traditions.

I have just accepted another job with the production company I’ve been working for so it looks like my feet will be firmly planted on beautiful British Columbia ground for some time.

I’m embracing it whole heartedly, getting into the West Coast vibe by getting outside to jog along the water, buying local produce and eating lots of healthy, energizing food.

I am happy to be here, to have my love by my side, to have my career blossoming so early and to be celebrating Canada Day in the city I was born in.

There’s something fun about grocery shopping in France.

Most grocery stores at home in Canada make me nauseous.  Poor produce, bad lighting and frozen dinners are mood killers for me.

I usually end up spending my paychecks at gourmet grocery stores and Whole Foods where apples sit in buckets, bushy heads of lettuce lie colorfully beside each other, and samples of chocolate are at my disposal, because I think it’s better for my mental health.

In Paris I usually avoid the grocery stores altogether and do all of my shopping in specialty shops.  But this ain’t Paris.  Down in the South of France we buy plenty from the markets, but we also stock up on necessities weekly at the mother of all grocery stores: E.LEclerc.

L’Eclerc is like a grocery store on steroids.  Whenever my mom or dad say “I’m going to L’Eclerc, want to come?”  I can’t resist.  So when my dad said he needed to pick up a few things today, I threw on my jacket and joined him.

The store is giant, and even if I don’t need anything I like to go to admire the vast selection of the good, the amusing, the bad and the ugly.

The good includes a chocolate and yoghurt section that go further than the eye can see:

As well as a few things you don’t usually see at home, like an excellent selection of pre-maid pie doughs, a wine selection that would please any connoisseur, and milk that doesn’t need to be refrigerated…

And since the French are known for their gourmet attitude towards food, event their frozen food has a certain je ne sais pas quoi…

Even if they might make their local patissier cry with purchases like this…

And believe they can stay forever young with Vichy’s new anti-ageing water…

After trying to figure out what Drainocoach water would  do to my body, we packed up and headed to my true idea of paradise.

While I get my kicks at the supermarket- there’s not a lot to do around here- my favorite place to buy groceries is just down the road.  Behold Vegetarn, the best fruit and vegetable store in town…

I love them because of their fresh fruit and vegetable selection…

And because they actually encouraged me to take photos of their Christmas displays…

After grocery shopping my dad unleashed his own inner French gourmet and whipped up a quiche using pre-made dough, pungent cheese, saucisson and zucchini…

Bon appetit!