An everyday Paradise. We’re surrounded by fields and woods, sky and space. There is a house next door and we can put out a hand and touch their barn, but we hardly ever see them. We hear their cockerel crowing, and see their sheep grazing. But there is nothing to intrude upon our feeling of being little lords of the manor. We are here to … Continue reading Still in a French Country Idyll.
We’ve only left the house to eat. We are in a tiny village. A handful of houses, the prettiest of Maries, and a twelfth-century church. Old stones, salmon pink and pale cream, mottled with grey and brown. Green leaves protrude from minute square windows. I think of them as wide arrow slits. Shutters, beams, towers and porticos.We can see all of this glory from the … Continue reading A French Country Idyll.
Every day we did one. The extraordinary ordinary Jim called it. It was low-key and lovely. First we drove out to the starting point in Le Wally. A little grey Renault. Single track roads. Almost no traffic. ‘It could not get more French’, said Jim. A very new driver, I gritted my teeth, gripped Wally’s wheel, and preyed I would meet nothing coming the other … Continue reading Doing A Boucle.
It rained for a lot of the month we stayed near Castelnaudary. It was too wet for Cathar castles, but luckily the weather never interferes with foodie plans. We were in cassoulet country. Even being mostly vegetarian couldn’t stop me. I was on a quest to find the bestest bean-and-meat-laden stew in the region of Castelnaudary – one of the towns that claim to be … Continue reading Cassoulet, not Cathars.
Before you get the wrong idea, I’m talking about the kind encased in pastry… Everyone’s heard of the Bakewell tart. Shortcrust pastry, filled with strawberry jam and a sweet almond, eggy mixture. Firm on the outside, crumbly on the inside, topped with thick white icing (I love the satisfying crack as you bite into it) and half a glace cherry. Lovely. The stuff of my … Continue reading A Famous Tart.
Wondering Woman 