an autumn weekend in normandy

Come rain come sun I was out and about this weekend, visiting new addresses in Normandy.

Here are a few snapshots from the weekend, places I bought at ... and ate at .... and gazed at ...

the delights of a french country weekend ...

getting educated at a french market

When I first lived in France as a young student, in a tiny flat in Nice, every day felt like an adventure.   I had a bicycle and would get all over the town, discovering what French living really meant.


Of course some learning just happens to us without even realising it.  We observe, we pick up as we go along. 

Sometimes however we need A Teacher!

I liked to shop at the little street market close to my flat.  You know how it is buying for a girl living alone, you don't really need that much, but you enjoy the detail.  I used to spend hours at the market, observing how the French bought their food, how interested they were in the quality and liked to know where it came from.

Nowhere was this more true than on the cheese stand!  To begin with I hurried past, hardly daring to stop and try because I knew so little about the cheeses.  One day I finally dared to stop at a stand and timidly asked for a goats cheese.

 

Little did I know that this first purchase would be the start of a gastronomical tour de France!

The cheese monger was charming, and maybe also a little bit charmed by a young foreign girl who had everything to learn!

Over the next few months he taught me about the flavours and textures of french cheese, carefully choosing which cheese I would try each week, and never failing to ask what I thought of last week's selection!

Via the amazing cheeses in his store I took a virtual tour; to the east of Paris to try Brie, down the centre of France to discover Cantal; along the Swiss border to explore the Gruyeres and Emmenthals, or slightly higher the Munsters.    In the centre and south of France he helped me discover the various goat's cheeses, including some of my favourite from Corsica.  The back up the south west via the sheep's cheeses of the Pyrenees, the wonderful flavours of the Auvergne, blue Roquefort and of course all the cheeses from Normandy that I now know so well.

And today, if I buy cheese at the farmer's market, I often remember my kind 'teacher', and how he gave me the confidence to discover so much more of France.

dreamy living in the south of france

Here is the story of a most remarkable 18th century château saved from dereliction by a young couple with loads of energy and great ideas.

The Château Margüi in the South of France was discovered by its present owners, Philippe and Marie: it had been abandoned for half a century and was without heating, without mains water and with ceilings collapsing while the grounds were disappearing behind a  forest of unkempt undergrowth.

Over ten years they have not only renovated the château to create a stunning family home,  but they have also renovated the extensive vineyards, and today produce an outstanding, organic wine.

On the ground floor of the chateau, they ripped out walls and inserted huge windows to create a large, kitchen, dining, living area with a very contemporary feel.

Elsewhere on the ground floor they have created another large space dedicated to music.

Upstairs, there are large, sparsely furnished rooms for the whole family, (they have five young children) that remain beautifully in keeping with the spirit of the Provençal château.

  It would be many people's dream to raise a young family on a property like this, and I love the way they have kept the interior very down to earth and approachable , rather than filling the chateau with priceless antiques.

This view over the rooftops of the property give a feel for the typical south french forest or maquis, that surrounds the château Margüi

If you would like to try their wines you can find all the information here

Photos thanks to Art & Decoration magazine

a château in normandy

Today I am taking you to dream of living in the heart of Normandy, to a beautiful château with nothing but fields and private woodlands all around.   This beauty is further west from us, in a part of normandy known for its grand homes and rolling countryside.  Can't say that there's a lot to do once you're there but, hey!  in a place that looks this good, does that matter?!

 No need for too many words, these stunning pictures do the work for me.  Just know that it was built over the 16th 17th and 18th century, and comes with its own 32 hectares or 80 acres of land.

I so love these double sides steps down into the lower garden ...

 

and if you'd like to find the details of this beauty, and several others!, you are welcome to check out the real estate site here

a favourite french snack

A French lady I know ( beautiful, slim, lively and fun) once talked to me about growing up on the Cote d'Azur as a little girl in the 40's.  A magical moment to be sure.

We talked about school and friends, and clothes, and family life.   So many details to enjoy, but one that made me smile was her description of her favourite mid afternoon snack, when she came home from school.    "Pain au chocolat?"  I asked, already imagining her at the baker's counter.   "Non, non" she frowned,  "too sweet, way too sweet".

That little girl's idea of heaven was a slice of bread, a clove of garlic opened up and rubbed on the bread, then a trickle of olive oil.

France and the French never cease to delight!   

Wishing you all a fragrant weekend!

Photo by Ella

french summer dining

A last minute decision to invite friends for supper

warm enough to eat outside

one friend brings wine, another turns up with delicious patisserie

a few flowers, a few candles, a rising moon

chatting, laughing,

teenagers mixing with adults and nobody in a hurry to leave the table

summer evenings as they should be  ...  simple.

simple pleasures in everyday French life

If you read my blog now and again, you'll have understood that for me the best pleasures in life are the simple ones.  I'm not big on bling bling.  To me the greatest luxuries are the simple moments.

Buying at the market in France is not about ticking off from a shopping list, it is a sensual and sensory experience.  The produce is displayed beautifully to seduce the client, and the vendors make full use of their natural charms.

It was my husband who taught me how to shop at market.  Simple rules that work well.     Never go with a list,but to  be inspired by what is on offer;  walk around the market once before buying, remembering where are the ripest peaches, the sweetest melons, the best fish and cheese and to take the time .... buying food is important work, never to be rushed!

It's like I said, taking pleasure in the simple things.

 I invariably return from market with food I had no intention of purchasing, simply because it looks and smells so wonderful and because the inspiration for meals comes once I see the food.

and if I buy too much? .... no matter, there are always baskets for sale!

authentic french chairs

I have always had a soft spot for a soft chair!  And my favourite French chairs have such delicious names too!    The pretty chair above, dressed in what looks like a beautiful printed linen, is called a 'crapaud'', which literally means toad!

The crapaud is fairly low to the  ground, with a gently reclining back and low arm rests.  A similar design, but without the arm support is called a 'chauffeuse'.

These chairs often have black wooden legs, usually pear wood, and typical of the Napoleon III period, late 19th century.

Chair design is a fairly accurate reflection of social customs.  Today we have large deep armchairs and sofas, designed to give us space to sprawl.  Our seating no longer encourages the user to sit in demure fashion, back straight, legs crossed at the ankles, it is acceptable to put comfort first.

In the 19th century, they liked their chairs to be purpose designed.

The chair below is a fumeuse, or smoking chair.

and this one is a gaming chair, designed for a man to sit on either in a traditional direction or astride with arms leaning on the padded back while facing the card table.

Of course the 18th century Louis XV period also produced some great classics, that are now reproduced worldwide.

This is a bergère cabriolet, a pretty combination of wooden frame and upholstered back and seat.  The reverse of the back support is often upholstered in a contrasting fabric, to great effect.

These old designs look just as good in a traditional brocade or silk as in a humble grain sack or even today in their underwear!!

How about you?   Do you like a chair to sprawl in, or to perch upon?!