When I submitted my latest post to My French Life, the global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French on 11th December, I firmly believed that the fireplace renovation would be finished. We still plan to celebrate New Year in front of the fire – it might just be a few days late!
An earlier article on My French Life™ by Hannah Duke, called Christmas en Français: Festive Vocabulary, included the word réveillon,which set me thinking about New Year because the same word is used for both celebrations.
When I was growing up in Australia, I don’t particularly remember celebrating the New Year and I certainly didn’t stay up until past midnight as implied by the word réveillon, which contains veiller, meaning to stay awake. Read more
I don’t know if displaced tropical Queenslanders are more likely to suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder or Winter Depression) than others but I can’t find any other explanation for having felt so down this week. Already the days are short (it’s only light from 9 am to 5 pm max) but the scaffolding on the balcony cuts out most of what natural light there is and gives artificial neon light from 8 am until 7 pm. The flower seller at the market found me so down on Sunday that he gave me a kitchy little pot of four-leaf clover!
Four-leaf clover to cheer me up
Relationnel was told the scaffolding was moving to the next set of windows today so about 10.30 am, I went downstairs to find some workmen to ask. They reassured me it was D-Day so I raised my arm and said “yey!”. They looked a little surprised so I explained that they were my windows that had been obscured for the last four months.
The scaffolding outside my window
The sun was out, the sky was blue and just going downstairs seemed to cheer me up so I thought I’d go to Rue de Rennes to look after the missing suitcase invoice problem. First stop was a shoe shop called Arcus. I gave them the date and amount. They were very friendly and immediately tracked down the purchase and gave me a receipt.
The scaffolding seen from downstairs
Then I walked down to Boulevard Saint Germain to one of the Au Vieux Campeur shops. Parisians swear by this shop, though I don’t really understand why. It used to be just one shop on rue des Ecoles selling outdoorsey stuff. It is now a series of speciality shops – 29 in the Latin quarter alone – selling everything to do with sport and camping.
My objection, apart from the prices, is that the shops I go to (mainly for walking shoes) are always full of people. I spent a full hour trying on every possible pair of shoes in the shop before we went to Australia in September. I finally bought some ugly looking turquoise and grey shoes that gave me horrendous blisters in Tasmania. And then, when I had finally worn them in, they disappeared with the suitcase!
So I went back to the shop where I bought them, stood in line and asked for a receipt. I was sent to the “main shop”, two streets away. I queued there as well only to be told that I had to go back to the first shop. The lady rang up the guy and told him he had to give me a receipt. I went back and stood in line and gave him the details. He couldn’t find my purchase of course. “What time was it?” You gotta be joking – I’m supposed to remember the time I bought the shoes? I only know I was there for too long.
He finally sats it is not in his cash register. “Is this the only place I could have paid for the shoes I got downstairs?” “No”, he says relunctantly, “there are those two as well”, indicating a couple of computer screens further along the counter. “You mean, these three cash registers are not connected up ?” “Er, no.” “Are you telling me I have to wait until there are two more sales people to check?” “Well, I could turn them on.” Which he eventually did and I queued again while he served another few people.
The bistrot with the awful food – Le Cluny
Not that I blame him, it must have been very annoying for the other customers. Anyway, he still couldn’t find any trace of my purchase so I dispiritedly went out, by which time the rain was absolutely pouring down and I didn’t have an umbrella. I took refuge in the closest brasserie, Le Cluny, and ate an absolutely awful meal of spare ribs and potatoes. The young waiter commisserated and gave me a free coffee.
So, here I am, back home, still waiting for the scaffolding to move and it’s already 4.30, which is terribly close to knock-off time.
Next day’s update: removal of the scaffolding is now postponed to 7th January.
The day we went to Chambord, we really needed the break from our fireplace renovation. What I didn’t realise is that Chambord has over 300 fireplaces, a few of which look remarkably like ours.
Château de Chambord
We had decided to have lunch at the Saint Michel, just opposite the château and as we entered the restaurant, the waitress apologised for the smoke from the fireplace. Well, we know what the problem is, don’t we! Tightly closed windows and insufficient air intake. But it was pleasant to have a fire and our Australian friends appreciated the hunting decor and actually liked the smoke.
Inside dining room at Le Saint Michel
We all ordered the 22 euro “bistrot” menu as opposed to the 37 euro gourmet menu. I was amused to see that all the starters on the bistrot menu were Italian (smoked salmon and prawn cannelloni, prosciutto and mozarella bruschetta, beef carpaccio and mini red peppers stuffed with ricotta) while the main courses were traditional dishes (dear stew – no kidding – steamed haddock, three fishes stew and lamb knuckel-end & smashed carrots – also in the original.
Lamb knuckle
Dessert was pear financier, French pain d’épices toast with salted-butter caramel ice-cream and crème brûlée with green lemon – they meant lime of course. The food was tasty and fresh, except for the French toast which had seen better days, and the service was friendly. I learnt afterwards that it’s also a very reasonably priced hotel. I don’t know what the rooms are like but having breakfast with that fabulous view of Chambord might be worth a bad bed!
Double-revolution staircase at Chambord
The first thing we saw when we went into the château was the famous double-revolution staircase where two people can go up or down without ever meeting. Note the lack of people in the photo, perfectly possible in winter and totally unheard-of in summer. We were fascinated with the fireplaces and firebacks of course and loved the beautiful ceilings and other architectural details. One of the fireplaces is exactly the same shape as ours.
Just one of the many sculptural details
We headed for the roof (see my previous post on Chambord) while the light and weather were still good, which were were perfectly right to do because it started raining as we left.
Caisson ceiling with François Ier’s salamander and “F”
After our visit to the rooftops, I then discovered that there is a series of furnished rooms which I have never seen before. It seems that in the mid-nineteenth century, the Count of Chambord decided to open the château to the public and furnish some of the apartments with his own private collection, mainly consisting of royal portraits.
One of the many four-poster beds
When it became State property in 1930, there were 440 pieces, but only seven pieces of furniture. Today, there are 4,500 objects, including tapestries from the 16th to 18th centuries, and a large collection of furniture, particularly four-poster beds and objets d’art.
Molière
I even saw a bust of Molière, which I found surprising, but Louis XIV was also the master of Chambord and came to stay a total of nine times (far more than François Ier!), inviting Molière’s theatre troupe for entertainment.
The fireplace that most resembles ours!
I felt as though I hardly touched on the wealth that Chambord has to offer, so next time we cycle there, I’ll make sure we visit as well. I may have to get a season ticket!
It’s Sunday afternoon. We’ve recovered from our early Christmas celebrations on Saturday night and I want to take some photos of Paris in its end-of-year finery. Our first stop is the Pont des Arts, shiny with lovelocks. It’s nearly 6 pm so we wait, with a number of other people, for the Eiffel Tower to shimmer and shine. I regret not having taken the camera, just the iPhone because the result isn’t quite what I hoped.
Eiffel Tower shimmering and shaking from the Pont des Arts
We then decide to walk to the Champs Elysées along the Left Bank of the river. We walk down to the water’s edge and past the Calife and look back at the bridge with Pont Neuf in the distance. We go up the next lot of steps and past the closing bouquinistes who are all selling lovelocks of every shape and kind. It’s become a real business!
Padlocks for sale at the bouquinistes near the Pont des Arts
As we go past rue de Seine, Relationnel remarks that it’s very rare to see Christmas decorations in the streets of Paris, unlike the provinces. We can now see the Louvre on the right and Big Wheel on its left, having moving from its summer spot near the Louvre. As we get closer, we see a lit-up pencil shape and wonder what it is. We cross over via the Solferino pedestrian bridge and realise that it is a Christmas tree, apparently the largest in Europe.
Big wheel from the Tuileries Garden with the biggest Christmas tree in Europe
We walk down the Tuileries towards the Big Wheel avoiding the enormous puddles and are amazed by how commercial and popular the wheel has become in recent years. I think one of the reasons is that the cabins are closed in now. I’m annoyed about my fear of heights because the view from up there must be amazing.
Christmas decorations at Rond Point des Champs-Elysées
As we cross Place de la Concorde towards the Champs Elysées, we’re suddenly in a huge throng of people all attracted by the so-called Christmas market. We’ve been there before though and haven’t found anything interesting – no handicrafts, just a lot of cheap food and factory-made items so we walk along behind the stalls until we reach Rond Point des Champs Elysées. The decorations are stunning and there are fewer people.
Arc of Triumph
We keep going until we reach Virgin and decide to go and buy a card for the camera. Despite the number of people, we also buy a couple of DVDs and a CD and don’t even have to wait in line to pay. CDs don’t seem as popular any more! By then, we’ve been walking for an hour and a half and my feet are killing me. We look around for a suitable café but all we can see is Starbucks and other similar places.
We cross the road and I take the typical tourist photo of the Arc of Triumph halfway across and I see Ladurée in front of me. Now, strange as this may seem, I have still never been into Ladurée’s, famous for its macarons. We’re informed that the tearoom is closed (well, it’s nearly 7.30!). We have to choose between the restaurant and the bar.
Art deco wall in the bar at Ladurée Champs Elysées
Well, I’m perfectly happy with the bar. Despite appearances, Ladurée Champs Elysées only opened in 1997 although the original bakery near the Madeleine dates back to 1862. The bar is decorated in what looks like authentic Art Deco and you sit on high stools that keep swinging around. We order a class of Saint Véran and a plate of tapas each.
Bouchées/tapas at Ladurée
They aren’t really tapas, more like bouchées, but they’re delicious. I use my Evernote Food app for the first time and record what we’re eating: crab & mayonnaise puff, foie gras, candied aubergine, Provençales tomatoes and salmon prestige. When we come out, there aren’t nearly so many people, so we take the metro home to spare my feet. It’s good to be back in Paris!
Black Cat left for New York today with the Flying Dutchman for Christmas and New Year, so we celebrated Christmas early his year, on Saturday evening, as both Relationnel’s sons were free as well. Leonardo, of course, was asleep in Sydney. I got back from Blois on Friday night so Relationnel and I spent Saturday rushing around buying the rest of the presents and ingredients for our Christmas feast. All very exhausting!
We started with 3 verrines (avocado, pink grapefruit & prawns; eggplant purée, ricotta & cherry tomatoes; zucchini, basil & fromage blanc purée with parmesan chips & walnuts) and a spoon (pumpkin & spice purée) with a glass of champagne.
After that, we pulled the Christmas crackers and laughed at the silly jokes, followed by the present opening. We dispensed with the traditional shoes under the Christmas tree, which Black Cat had decorated earlier in the evening and Relationnel played Santa instead.
This was followed by (small portions of) spéciale oysters, smoked salmon and foie gras with quincy bought at the wine fair recently (a Loire Valley sauvignon not unlike sancerre) by which time I totally forgot to take any photos, which is a pity because the foie gras was decorated with mini muffins of my making, a few leaves of leafy greens and 15 year old balsamic vinegar. Three of the plates looked very professional.
The main course was côte de bœuf with Darphin potatoes (Black Cat’s choice) and oven-baked eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers, this time accompanied by a 1979 Saint Emilion.
Dessert consisted of two verrines – Columbian coffee panna cotta with Speculoos (Belgian brown sugar & ginger biscuits) and apple crumble & French custard – and the rest of the mini muffins, with another glass of champagne of course! No cake, of course, because I made it too late …
May I wish you all a very happy and joyous Christmas with a special thought for those who have suffered recent losses.
This is not our wedding anniversary, which is in June, but the anniversary of the day we met which we consider far more significant. We used to go back to our first restaurant called Les Deux Chevrons in the 15th in Paris – it had really wonderful pan-fried foie gras – but one day it had the temerity to close so we decided we go to a different place each year. Now that the years have gone by (15!), we have clocked up quite a few different restaurants. I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t remember where we went last year.
Dining room at Le Lion d’Or Val de Loire in Candé sur Beuvron
Relationnel was supposed to be arriving in Blois on 7th December but when I realised the 6th was our anniversary, he rescheduled a couple of meetings and came on the 6th (minus his suit, shirt and cuff links for the Loire Connexion Christmas party, but with two hats). I had tracked down and booked a restaurant recommended by a friend: Le Lion d’Or Val de Loire.
It was a country inn, in the little town of Candé sur Beuvron which we knew from cycling this summer, with lots of oak beams and panelling. Only three tables were occupied but it was a weekday in winter, out in the sticks, so it wasn’t surprising. I wonder sometimes how these places manage to keep afloat but it has a terrace and is obviously very popular in the warmer months.
Foie gras
We started with pétillant de Touraine (Susan, are you listening?) because we’ve discovered that the champagne here is horrifically expensive. It was served with a verrine of fromage blanc and spices with granny smith apple on top, little savoury cummin croissants and nut & olive cakes, followed by a beetroot emulsion with spices and prawns.
Foie gras accompaniment
We chose the fixed menu at 42 euro. For starters, Relationnel had lobster ravioli with three types of cabbage and a crustacean and coriander emulsion while I had foie gras, served with mixed leafy greens and candied figs (delicious).
Ris de veau
As a main course, Relationnel chose the braised ris de veau, “forgotten” (as in dug up from the past) vegetables and cream sauce. I had baked monkfish on a saffron mussel nage with mashed Vitelot potatoes with herbs and lemon zests. Unfortunately the fish was either overcooked or deep frozen, which made it very tough and rubbery.
Cheese platter
We then had an excellent cheese platter (even though we certainly didn’t need it!) followed by a “mango-chocolate-praliné” dessert with passionfruit coulis for Relationnel and “French toast” made with pain d’épices, poached pear in spices, caramel and brown sugar biscuit (spéculos) ice-cream for me. The pain d’épices wasn’t brilliant either.
Chocolate dessert
Coffee was served with a chestnut cream and fromage blanc verrine with fruit jelly squares and little biscuits. We had a lovely evening even though the food (and service) were uneven. Perhaps it would be better to go during the weekend or in peak season when there is a greater turnover. It was much better than “Le Rendez Vous du Pêcheur” in any case!
After-dinner verrines
LE LION D’OR 1 Route de Blois – 41120 Candé sur Beuvron Tél. : 02.54.44.04.66 http://www.leliondor-41.com
Relationnel and I have a collection of Australian Akubra and Stetson hats that we wear in winter. When we’re going away and packing the car, we often put two or more on top of each other to carry downstairs.
It’s 1.30 pm and Relationnel’s rushing to get everything in the car as quickly as he can so he can leave Paris straight after work and arrive in Blois in time for our anniversary dinner. When the car’s packed, he leaves it in the street and walks down the street to the office.
On the way, he meets a couple of people he knows and they give him a strange look but he didn’t know why.
When he gets to the office, one of his coworkers says, “That’s an interesting way to wear a hat”, but he still doesn’t understand the problem. “Why, what’s the matter?” “Well, I don’t know. That not the usual way to wear a hat is it.” So he takes it off and discovers he’s wearing two!
Some interesting posts this Wednesday on very different subjects. Stephanie, the Llamalady from Blog in France, interviews English cyclist Adam Ruck, author of France on Two Wheels, about his bike trip across France. Australian blogger Frugal First Class Travel, whom I discovered recently, describes the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. She also has lots of tips for winter travelling. Regina from Petite Paris, the Australian website that has all those wonderful B&Bs in Paris, talks about all the French words that exist in English. Enjoy!
Croc Monsieur: Meet Adam Ruck, The Man Who Cycles in Crocs!
Interview by Stephanie, the Llamalady, from Blog in France
with Adam Ruck, author of France on Two Wheels“… a terrific guide to the culture, history, food, B&Bs and other French delights”. He also blogs on cycling and skiing in Adam’s Blog
It’s amazing who you meet on Twitter. Through my @llamamum account, I happened across Adam Ruck, author of France on Two Wheels. As a keen cyclist, I’m always interested to find out about fellow cyclists so I contacted Adam and asked if he’d write a guest post for me. And here it is.
Many travel books start as a publishing or fundrasing idea, and most travel articles start as that ghastly word, an angle. Others develop out of a real holiday or journey, and my book, France on Two Wheels, falls into that category.
A friend rang me to say he was looking for someone with whom to ‘bicycle’ (he does hate the word ‘cycle’ unless applied to washing machines or the economy) to or from Switzerland. I agreed to the return trip. Read more
One man’s faith – a visit to Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a FirstClass trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
I’m not a religious person. In fact I’m a card carrying atheist. But I couldn’t help but be so moved when I recently visited the Sagrada Familia – the Gaudi designed Basilica in Barcelona. Building has been underway for over 100 years now, and there are plans (hopes?) to complete the works in time for the centenary of Gaudi’s death in 2026.
Gaudi was a very religious man apparently, and it was this faith that drove him to spend the bulk of his life (and indeed until the end of his life) dedicated to this project. But the Sagrada Familia is not just a testament to religious faith. Regardless of your own spiritual beliefs, consider this:
Gaudi knew the church would never be completed in his own lifetime, but he did it anyway. Read more
English French Words
by Petite Paris, an Australian-based service for Australian travellers and fellow Francophiles
It’s incredible (“uncreaaabl”) how many English words are actually French!! And every single one of them sounds so chic (oops there’s one) and glamorous!! Décor, couture, décolletage, negligee, deja vu, rendezvous, fiancé, boutique, bric-a-brac, encore…
At this moment I am listening to my Michel Thomas audio – learning to speak French without any memorizing, writing, homework or even trying for that matter. It’s brilliant! No pressure to learn, just listening and ‘hearing’ what your listening to. Its amazing how it flows in and stays there – the next thing you know your constructing sentences in your head with so much ease it couldn’t possibly be normal. Its a practical and modern method of teaching. I highly recommend it!! [AND SO DO I – Fraussie] Read more
The fireplace is not finished. Relationnel has gone back to Paris without me because the balcony in the Palais Royal is not finished either. We will not be welcoming in the New Year with a glass of champagne and homemade foie gras in front of a blazing fire. Unless we postpone New Year until the fireplace is finished. Which is what I think we might do. It might be less depressing.
Back of the fireplace with chicken wire over a very uneven surface
You may remember that the last time Relationnel left Closerie Falaiseau, the back of the fireplace was lined with chicken wire, waiting to be covered with refractory mortar. Given the slow progress up until then, he decided to take a week’s holiday so that he could finish it completely. I was so pleased to have him back again after 10 days that I immediately offered to help with the mortar.
I got dressed in my coveralls, shoe covers and surgeon’s gloves while Relationnel got the mortar ready. None of this measuring bit. He just tipped the powder into a trough and then added water au pif, as the French say (pif is slang for nose). He mixed it round and it eventually had the right consistency. It looked deceptively easy.
Trowel and smoothing rectangle
Then he demonstrated how you hold up a large trowel at right angles to the wall, then with your other hand, you use a smaller trowel to somehow push the mortar onto the wall and flatten it on over the chicken wire. Ten minutes of that had me in tears. Not only didn’t my mortar stick but my whole body was hurting.
My gardening stool for time out
I put my trowel down and went over to have some time out on my gardening stool for a while. I watched Relationnel and tried to learn his technique. The first thing I realised was that he had shown me the technique for right handers. Which I’m not (although I later discovered that my relative ambidextrousness was very handy). I went back and tried again, this time using a large plastic rectangle with a handle on the back instead of the trowel. It made a big difference, I can tell you. By some miracle, the mortar then started to stick. Well, some of it anyway, but it seems that professionals drop a lot along the way as well. You just scoop it up and put it back again.
Mortar 2/3 finished
We worked steadily on and I started to feel more on top of things, particularly as we got past kneeling level and I could sit on my gardening stool which relieved my back and hands no end. Relationnel suggested I try mixing up the next batch of mortar. The bag was so heavy I couldn’t lift it so he tipped it in then added some water. I couldn’t even stir the mixture with the trowel it was so stiff so I set to with my hands.
Paint blender
It was worse than mixing the Christmas cake. The cement and water eventually penetrated the surgeon’s gloves and became cold and sticky so Relationnel came to the rescue. It seemed a bit ludicrous not to have some sort of beater to make the process easier. When I mentioned this to Relationnel, he suddenly remembered that he had an attachment for mixing paint. He had to buy some mason’s pails first and use a really big drill, but the attachment didn’t break and it reduced the mixing time amazingly.
To cut a long story short, we finished the first section, using a large ruler to make sure it was even and smoothing it all out with my plastic rectangle. I have to confess that I thought the whole operation was pretty dicey considering the unevenness of the walls. I was pretty amazed at the result.
Mortar almost finished
However, when we started the next section the following day, I found the mortar very stiff and had a lot of trouble getting it to stick on the wall. In the end I managed to get it on and when we finished the first layer of the second section, Relationnel came over to smooth my side down as I didn’t have enough strength in my wrists. As soon as he touched it, it all just peeled off, like marzipan on a cake. I was devastated.
That set off another flood of tears. I was particularly worried that what I had done the day before was going to peel off at some future point in time but Relationnel reassured me. In fact, after mixing up the next batch of mortar, he realised that it needed to be more liquid. I tried again with the new mortar, getting him to check that it was OK all the time, but in fact, it was fine.
After completing the visible part of the back of the fireplace in a total of three sections, I then looked after the last smoothing and evening operation, which fortunately was very successful so I was slightly mollified. Relationnel was was very proud of me.
Mortar completely finished and smoothed
That night I practically cut the tip off of my small finger cutting up pumpkin which put paid to any further contribution and seriously disabled me for 48 hours as I could no longer touch type correctly. I’m sure you want to know what happened next, but I am going to keep it for the next episode!
Great news for Aussie in France which has been awarded the Honourable Mention Award for Best Expat Blog in France!
Thank you to everyone who sent in a review (and to those whose busy lives prevented them from doing so but who expressed their appreciation of the blog in private). I was very touched and encouraged by all your comments. The greatest joy I get out of writing my blog is knowing that someone out there in cyberspace is having a little chuckle or learning a new fact about French life or following up a suggestion of something to do or see when they are visiting this wonderful country or one of my holiday destinations.
The second greatest joy is reading your comments. It’s always surprising to see which posts attract the most reaction from readers! The other great joy is making new friends across the world, some of whom I have been able to meet up with either in France or Australia.
I would, of course, like to extend a big thank you to Expats Blog for hosting the awards.
You can see all the reviews on http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/526/aussie-in-france. And do take a look at the other blogs as well if you haven’t already done so. There are 89 in all! Congratulations to the other award winners.The Gold award goes to Little Pieces of Light, Silver to From Paris to Pureza and Bronze to Sara in Le Petit Village. The other blogs who also received Honourable Mentions are Tales from the Chambre de Bonne, Oui in France, Lost in Cheeseland, Paris in Four Months and Peter’s Paris. You’ll find them all on http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/france.
I also thought you might be interested to know who my readers are. In the past twelve months, 14,600 people have visited the blog, including 67% new visitors and 33% returning visitors, with an average of 2 pages per visit. A little over one third are from France (5700), with Australia next in line (4900), followed by the US (3900) and UK (1600). After that we have Canada, Germany, Italy, India and Spain, while the remainder is shared among an astounding 136 countries! My most popular post by far is Five Places to Lunch Near the Louvre in Paris!
For those who have subscribed but don’t receive posts in their email in-box, I suggest that you subscribe again. You will then receive an email requesting you to confirm your subscription. If you don’t carry out this last step, the subscription doesn’t work. I can see that this has happened to several people.
So I’m looking forward to many more hours of blogging and interacting with you, my readers!
An earlier article on My French Life™ by Hannah Duke, called Christmas en Français: Festive Vocabulary, included the word réveillon,which set me thinking about New Year because the same word is used for both celebrations.
