All posts by Rosemary Kneipp

Cycling, France, French language, Paris, Restaurants

In search of a quincaillerie – Festival du nouveau mot – Bicycling The Burgundy Canal for 100 Euro A Day

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Three very different posts for this Wednesday’s bloggers’ round-up: Abby from Paris Weekender takes us on what seems like a wild goose chase to a large number of Paris quincailleries; LLamalady from Blog in France tells us about a wonderful competition to suggest new words in French; while Experience France by Bike describes one of her favourite cycling itineraries – the Burgundy Canal. Thank you one and all!

In search of a quincaillerie

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

I am in the home stretch of apartment renovations on my new Paris apartment. Last weekend, I had hoped to move in, but due to delays in the completion of the renovations, I found myself with a free weekend in Paris and not much desire to sit in my temporary studio wasting it away.

I thought I would make myself useful and offer to help my interior architect with any job she could give me to make less work for herself (and of course, speed up the process). She asked if I could pick up handles for my cabinets and sent me the specifications and quantities. Read more.

Festival du Nouveau Mot – OR  How to Make Up French!

by Llamalady, an Irish llama and alpaca breeder living in the centre of France, who also runs a carp fishery and a holiday gite

As an expat, I often make up French words. The word I need totally escapes me, generally because of a modicum of stress induced by trying to not appear a bumbling dimwit in front of one of the kids’ teachers or the bank manager or someone equally authoritative. There seems no quick way to find an alternative description so, since all else fails, I shamelessly Frenchify the English one I’m trying to translate. You know the sort of thing – ‘J’ai forgetté’ intead of ‘J’ai oublié’ or ‘Le steering roue’ for steering wheel (le volant). And amazingly, occasionally it actually works! Read more

Bicycling The Burgundy Canal for 100 Euro A Day

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history

If you are looking for the perfect deviation for an upcoming trip to Paris, look no further than Burgundy, specifically the Burgundy Canal.  One of my favorite starting points along the canal is Montbard, just over 1 hour, but light years from busy Paris.  Just a few steps from the train station you can rent a bike and quickly immerse yourself in Burgundian history, enjoy cycling along car-free bike paths, eat local Burgundy specialities, and visit picture-perfect medieval towns all at a fraction of the cost of one day in Paris.  Bicycling along the Burgundy Canal is one of my favorite itineraries in France. Read more 

Architecture, Italy, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Viterbo, Italy

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We chose Viterbo as the centre of Etruscan art which I knew absolutely nothing about. The Etruscans lived in central Italy between the 9th and 2nd centuries BC. Their specialities were life-size figurative terracotta sculpture (on sarcophagi or temples) and cast-bronze wall paintings and metal work (particularly engraved bronze mirrors). We found a wonderful B&B in an 18th century villa called “Villa Farinella” which I can highly recommend, and fanned out. Viterbo itself is quite delightful and has a lovely old mediaeval quarter.

Mediaeval quarter of Viterbo
Another house in the mediaeval quarter
Fountain in the mediaeval quarter
Palazzo dei Priori
Inside the Palazzo di Priori
San Silvestro
Palazzo Farnese
Villa Farinella

 

Asia, Travelling

A Missing Suitcase and a Burglary

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There used to be a time when missing luggage was a regular occurrence and I always thanked my lucky stars if all our bags were on the carrousel. If something was missing, however, it always eventually turned up, creating inconvenience in the meantime, but no actual loss.  For the last few years, we have had no mishaps. So when only one of our two suitcases appeared during our stopover in Hong Kong, I was not unduly concerned. Relationnel was more worried than I was.

Carrousel at Hong Kong Airport

And he was right! Three weeks later, Cathay Pacific has still not found the second suitcase, despite my insistence. We have to fill out a claim form giving a complete list of everything in it, including purchase dates, prices and receipts. I’m having a hard time remembering exactly what was in it, let alone producing proof of purchase! Who seriously keeps dockets for everything they buy? I certainly don’t.

When I packed our cases on leaving Terranora, I put everything I was certain we wouldn’t need in Brisbane or Hong Kong in one bag and the rest in the second. So all our presents, everything we bought to take back to France, our winter clothes and some of our summer clothes have been lost. Frustrating to say the least and there is little chance we’ll be reimbursed much of the 3000 euro  I’ve estimated the contents to be worth.

So our homecoming was somewhat marred.

But it was not as bad as Black Cat’s. When she and the Flying Dutchman arrived back from Australia a week later than us, also via Hong Kong, she phoned from the airport to reassure me that they had retrieved all their luggage despite the fact that they had registered at Central Station.

Three hours later, she phoned again. They had gone back to Black Cat’s flat share in the 18th arrondissement in Paris, left all their baggage, including her laptop and camera with all her photos of Australia, and gone out for a couple of hours. When they got back, the place had been ransacked. The laptops, iPads, cameras and other electronic devices belonging to 5 people were gone, as well as all Black Cat’s jewellery, which she had carefully wrapped up in a vanity case at the top of her wardrobe, not realising it an obvious place for a burglar to search. Their combined losses are estimated at 20,000 euro.

The police eventually came and confirmed that the burglar had got through a small toilet window overlooking a 3-story drop, by jumping across from a landing window. They’re getting the landlord to install bars and put a better lock on their door. One of Black Cat’s flat mates has approximately located his stolen MacBook by using a built-in tracking system but the police say they can’t do anything about it until they have the computer’s IP address. We’re waiting to see what happens next.

Prey, an anti-theft tracking device for electronic devices

Andrea from www.rearviewmirror.tv told me about a (free) App called Prey “that is basically a bit of software which doesn’t do anything until you activate it through their site and then it tracks the location of thieves”. I immediately installed it on my laptop, iPhone and iPad. To find out your IP, go to www.whatismyip.com and make a note of it. I hope you’ll never have to use the tracking system but considering the number of thefts these days, it’s certainly worth downloading! Maybe I could have retrieved my stolen iPhone last year …

Architecture, France, Loire Valley, Sightseeing, Wine

Another Three Reasons to Live in Blois

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It’s Mei Lun and Alain’s last day in Blois. The sun is shining brightly even though it’s four degrees. We decide to go into Blois and visit the Cathedral area. We park on the mail, so-called because of a game called mail, from maillet meaning mallet, that was very popular in the Loire Valley. We cross the road and walk up a little street that leads to a set of stairs called petits degrés because they are shallow, as opposed to the steeper grands degrés near the château. We keep going until we come out behind the cathedral. I’m enjoying myself as I’ve never taken this route before.

Petit degrés steps

We visit the cathedral , which has had a chequered existence. The original sanctuary, built during the reign of the Merovingians (5th to 8th century), was dedicated to Saint Peter. A second church was built there in the 12th century, this time under the patronage of Saint Solenne. In 1678, “a hurricane forced its way inside and lifted the roof” (I love the translation !), destroying the nave. Gothic restorations were carried out between 1680 and 1700 and the new cathedral was dedicated to Saint Louis after Louis XIV presented the church with an organ.

Cathedral of Saint Louis

Like many of the churches in the area, most of the stained-glass windows were destroyed by American bombs in the Second World War. Chartres was an exception, because all the windows were taken down before the bombing started. A new set of 33 windows, inaugurated in 2000, was designed by the Dutch artist Jan Dibbets and made by the French stained-glass artist, Jean Mauret.

Sweeping view of the Loire from the terrace above the rose garden

We turn right as we walk out the church and past the Town Hall. Just opposite is a beautiful, though inaccurate, sun dial, which reminds me that I need to go to Italy again to find one for Closerie Falaiseau! We continue walking until we come out on the terrace overlooking the Loire. The last time I came here, it was freezing cold and difficult to really appreciate the wide-sweeping view. The large urns remind me of my balcony in Paris.

View of Joan of Arc’s equestrian statue

We go back in the other direction and wander down the hill until we come to the Denis Papin steps. At the bottom we turn right and keep following the little streets in the general direction of the château, eventually arriving at Place Louis XII. Alain is keen to find some vouvray moelleux and has noticed a wine shop called Chez Laurent on one side of the Place.

Chez Laurent wine store in Blois

As we walk in, who do I see? Virginie, the sommelier, from Vinomania, with whom Kathy Standford and I did our wine tasting in June. I knew that she was going to another location because she wanted to be more involved in the wine-buying and tasting process, but hadn’t been able to locate her. She welcomes us in and although she doesn’t have the wine Alain is looking for, she suggests we try two other vouvrays. We prefer the 2005 tendre from Domaine du Viking so Alain buys a couple that she puts in an attractive carry box. They’re only sorry they won’t have time to have a Loire Valley wine historical tasting – it’s a good incentive for next time.

Chez Laurent with Virginie

Our last stop is L’Appart’thé, where Mei Lun and Alain want to sample a café/thé gourmand, as I’ve told them it’s one of the best in Blois. We ask if we can just have a tea or coffee, but the owner explains that it’s lunch time, so we decide to have an early lunch. Alain and I have the goat’s cheese and zucchini tart while Mei Lun has the spinach and salmon. Both are delicious.

Inside L’Appart’thé

The thé/café gourmand lives up to expectations with a lovely selection of baked goods, including a mini cannelé, a moelleux au chocolat, a panna cotta and a chocolate and vanilla sponge cake. In the car on the way home, we all agree that Blois is a great place to live!

Café Gourmand at L’Appart’thé
Italy, Loire Valley, Mushrooms, Sightseeing, Travelling

Tips for visiting Venice during Acqua Alta (“high waters”) – Fungi Foray in the Foret de Loches – Toll Booth vs Vignette

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This Wednesday’s blogger round-up starts with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, giving us tips for visiting Venice during the high waters that regularly flood the city (I’ll let you discover her other posts on the same subject); Susan from Days on the Claise shares a more scientific approach to mushroom collecting while Andrea from Rear View Mirror gives an excellent rundown on motorway tolls in the different countries of Europe.

Tips for visiting Venice during Acqua Alta (“high waters”)

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Now that my feet are dry and I have access to a reliable internet connection, I’ve thought of a couple of tips in case you’re ever on holiday in Venice during acqua alta (“high waters”).

Fashion: Whether you’re a hairstylist working in a flooded salon or a couple of hipsters, Wellies are a must-have item when water from the Adriatic Sea flows into the streets of Venice. This new trend has reportedly spread to France because alert fashionistas spotted a large number of people wearing rubber boots as they disembarked from an EasyJet flight arriving at Paris Orly Airport late last night. Read more

Fungi Foray in the Forêt de Loches

by Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history

This is Part II of an account of an outing to the Foret de Loches by the Association de botanique et mycologie de Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. Part I is here.

According to Jean-Pierre, we may be in for a very good fungi season. In the autumn following a hard winter or a prolonged period of dry, the mushrooms are often abundant. Since we have had both this year, perhaps we should expect to be overwhelmed by fungal fecundity! Read more

 

Toll Booth vs Vignette

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

If you plan on driving on major highways around Europe be prepared for the added cost that often comes with it. Many countries charge a toll for their use and this is either paid at a toll booth or with a vignette/sticker which you stick on your windscreen.

Toll Booths

Toll booths are surprisingly quick to pass through, provided you aren’t driving during peak time like when the August summer holidays are on. There are a few options when it comes to which lane to choose:

  • Manual – Paying the booth attendant directly is usually the slowest alternative but if you want to pay by cash or if you’re worried about using your foreign credit card this is the way to go. These lanes are usually marked with the image of a man leaning out of the toll booth Read more

 

Food, France, Mushrooms

The First Mushrooms in our Wood

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When Relationnel arrived in Blois on Thursday evening, he immediately went up into the little wood behind the house which is part of our property and reported that there were some white mushrooms that he wanted to check out next day when it was light. So next morning, I put on my thick walking shoes and we went up to explore. We were delighted to find a whole basketful of what looked like wood mushrooms (agaricus silvicola).

Agaricus

However,  since there is a risk of confusion with other agarics, he naturally wanted to make sure they were edible, particularly as they had turned a slight yellowish colour when picked. We had already been careful to pull them out completely to check there was no volva on the end.  The volva is a ruptured, sack-like covering at the base of the mushroom’s stem which is mainly present in poisonous mushrooms.

Checking for the aniseed smell

Relationnel got out his reference books to check. The most distinctive thing about agaricus silvicola is its aniseed smell, which our mushrooms were lacking. Although he was not able to identify the species, he sensibly said we would throw them away. That is one of the first rules of wild mushroom picking as some are deadly.

Parasol mushroom

However, it made me want to go mushroom picking so after lunch, we set out with Mei Lun to search the forest where we found quite a lot of summer ceps this year. We put on our “mushroom eyes” and the first ones we came across were parasol mushrooms (coulmelle in French) from the Lepiota family.

Cep hidden under the autumn leaves

Relationnel spied the first cep and called Mei Lun over to look. Even knowing it was there, she found it hard to see it among the autumn leaves. Once the leaves were removed, she could see it clearly.

Cep after leaves have been removed

We kept searching and Relationnel and I found quite a very reasonable number of large ceps, including a double one!

Double cep

Mei Lun got increasingly frustrated, regretting that she hadn’t brought her other glasses! She saw lots of other mushrooms, but each time, they were inedible. I reassured her that she was already well on the way to finding a cep herself. Whenever I found one, I called her over so that she could see them in-situ and memorise the vegetation. Imagine her delight when at last she found one herself!

Mei Lun finds a cep!

That night, Alain cooked up a lovely fresh line-caught bass which went perfectly with the parasol mushrooms and ceps.

Architecture, Italy, Sightseeing, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Paestum

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Paestum, which is about 85 K southeast of Naples, is the home of three major Greek temples dating from the first half of the 6th century B.C., two dedicated to Hera and one to Athena. We were there in early June 2010 and it was one of the highlights of our trip. It’s also known for its painted tombs and the museum near the temples contains frescoes, statues and earthware taken from the tombs. We also had an unforgettable meal in a somewhat non-descript restaurant nearby.

Temple of Hera
Temple of Athena
Temple of Athena
Second Temple of Hera
Arena at Paestum

Ceiling diver from painted tomb

 

Food, France, French customs, Loire Valley

Chariots and Pâté in Blois

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Miraculously, the sun has come out so I suggest to my Australian friend Mei Lun, who’s staying with me for a few days, that we go into Blois for coffee and maybe find some ginger tea. It’s warm for late October – 15°C – and the sky is bright blue, certainly not time to be working!

Half-timbered houses in Blois

We park on the “Mail” along the Loire River and walk into the centre of town admiring the half-timbered houses in the sun. Mei Lun remarks on how clean everything looks. It’s almost 12 so most of the shops are shutting up. We’re in the provinces after all. We go past the most amazing collection of shopping trolleys. There’s a black one that says Le Chariot de Maman. “Are they really called chariots?” says Mei Lun. And I suddenly realise how funny the name is!

Chariots in Ambiancestyle.com

We arrive at the tea shop in time. The man behind the counter is very welcoming and finds us the tea we are looking for. We wander around looking at all the wonderful things connected with tea and coffee in the shop, including some Chambord biscuits, which are the local speciality.

Tea shop in Blois

We walk towards Place Louis 12 where “The Clipper” has great lounge chairs but awful coffee, so I discovered a few days ago. Much better for an apéritif which is accompanied by some great tapas. There are a few market stalls. A lady calls us over, vaunting her wares. She has various sorts of pâté, local honey and Cheverny wine. She suggests we taste the wild boar and prune pâté, explaining it comes from Sologne, which is the big hunting area around Chambord castle which you may remember from my bike ride with Jane in the summer.

Our slice of wild boar and prune pâté

It’s delicious so we ask for a slice. She then suggests that we try another one – duck foie gras and truffle pâté (not to be confused with foie gras), saying she only has two left and that she’s willing to cut it in half if a whole one is too much. I remark on her excellent sales technique which makes her laugh. We try the pâté and it’s divine but I’m thinking about those extra holiday kilos so I check that it will keep until Relationnel arrives on Thursday. It will, so we buy half. It turns out she’s there every Tuesday and Thursday so I promise to come back another time.

Le Marignan on Place du Château in Blois

We climb the many steps up to Blois castle and come out on the esplanade. I had planned to go to Les Forges du Château which opened at the beginning of the summer, but it’s closed, so we go down to Le Marignan, which is near the Maison de la Magie. We order our coffees, which are not too bad and enjoy the sun, with the beautiful façade of the castle as a backdrop. And I’m so glad that we found our beautiful Renaissance home in Blois!

Food, French customs

Verrines – another French culinary speciality

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You may remember my post on Café Gourmand last month in My French Life, the global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French . In this month’s post, I’ve talked about another wonderful French culninary speciality – the verrine.

Verrines – another French culinary speciality

At about the same time that the café gourmand became popular in France, another wonderful speciality appeared – the verrine. You may already know the word terrine which is a recipient made of terre, or clay; it has also come to mean the contents, usually a pâté.

Well, the verrine is both a glass recipient and its contents, generally about the size of a shot glass. Read more

 

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Using an iPhone in Paris- woohoo! – Learning French … an ongoing love affair – Expats Blog Award 2012

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It’s Wednesday again, and I have two blogs by fellow Australians to present and an award to announce. Teena Hughes from A Night in Paris, explains how to use your iPhone in Paris while Jill from Gigi’s French Window, a brand new blog,  shares her love of all things French and gives tips on learning French. I am also delighted to announce that I have been nominated for the 2012 Expats Blog Award by expatblogs.com which is a wonderful way to discover new blogs by expats across the globe.

Using an iPhone in Paris- woohoo!

by Teena Hughes from A Night in Paris, a Francophile who shares her week-long adventures in Paris in summer, taking readers off the beaten track to meet with locals, laugh & enjoy

A wonderful thought, but if you’re bringing your iPhone on holidays (from outside France, like the Optus network in Australia) you need to be aware of a few things. Here is a small section of the map of Paris showing the City of Paris WIFI hotspots (more info further down the page). Read more.

Learning French … an ongoing love affair

by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life

Where did my love of all things french come from……..? well, learning the french language at High school (many universes ago!) must have had something to do with it..my poor poor teacher..most of the students showed no interest whatsoever in her class..but moi? … well I sat at the very front..’ecoutez..ing and repetez …ing ‘ as I was told..I was sold on it at 13. Read more

Expats Blog Award 2012

Expats Blog, a “home for all expats abroad”, unites expat bloggers with their latest blog posts, blog reviews, expat interviews & contests. Their news team presents daily topical news items from around the globe. Every year, they “trawl the net dishing out awards to the very best expat bloggers” they can find for each country. They have gold, silver, bronze & runner up awards to the top 5 blogs in each country.

This year, Aussie in France has been included in their nominations. One judging criterion will be the reviews left on the listing on the Expats Blog website. It isn’t the only judging method, but it indicates that the blog has loyal readers and shows their feedback.

Some of you have already left your comments (and I am very touched by the lovely things you have said). If you have not already done so and would like to support Aussie in France, just click on the Expats Blog Award logo on the right and scroll down or click on http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/526/aussie-in-france. Many thanks for your wonderful support.

 

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