Issue No. 13
A fun and festive edition: Provence, Christmas markets, brilliant book nooks in Paris, recipes, expat stories to inspire and a whole lot more - fall in love with France with us.
A fun and festive edition: Provence, Christmas markets, brilliant book nooks in Paris, recipes, expat stories to inspire and a whole lot more - fall in love with France with us.
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16 great prizes<br />
to win<br />
_
Bonjour!<br />
Two years ago I started this magazine as a way to share the France I know and love and,<br />
thanks to so many people sharing it with friends - it's grown beyond my wildest dreams.<br />
So my first message is a huge THANK YOU to every one of you, for reading, subscribing<br />
and sharing this magazine.<br />
To celebrate this milestone birthday, we have a fabulous 12 days of Christmas contest<br />
where we showcase some wonderful French flavour gifts and give them away. From<br />
personalised luggage to designer bags, vines in iconic French vineyards, caviar, language<br />
lessons, goodies from Paris, brilliant books and more...<br />
Talking of books, in this issue you'll find the best book nooks in Paris, places where you<br />
can browse with a little extra something - a café, art gallery or unique ambience - or all<br />
three! And, on the theme of Christmas gifts, take a look at the best places to shop in<br />
Paris plus a very authentic and charming French Christmas market in the north of France.<br />
There are some delicious recipes for you to try including one from Pierre Hermé, one of<br />
France's most renowned bakers, as he shares his chocolate macarons with you.<br />
Meet cheese makers from the Haute-Savoie, discover how to make a toast the French<br />
way and find out what makes Flaine in the French Alps the perfect family ski destination.<br />
Once again there's an enchanting chateau to get to know, Brissac is said to be the most<br />
haunted in France, it's also the poshest B&B ever! There's a new section in this issue<br />
"Your Photos" which has come from our popular "your photos weekend" on Facebook.<br />
There are features from Provence, the French Riviera, Paris, Carcassonne, Aquitaine; and<br />
expat stories to inspire you plus expert advice for those who want to be expats in France.<br />
Curl up, enjoy this latest issue of The Good Life France, and if you like it, I'd love you to<br />
share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too!<br />
Bisous from France,<br />
Janine<br />
Editor
Contributors<br />
Brian Beard is a writer, broadcaster and author of several books,<br />
including The Breedon Book of Premiership Records and Three<br />
Lions. He was ghost writer for George Best and is the longest<br />
serving football reporter for Sky Sports.<br />
J.Christina is the blogger behind www.scribblesandsmiles.net. From<br />
the US, J. Christina and her husband share their trips so others can<br />
travel vicariously through their scribbles and images.<br />
Justine Halifax is a multi award-winning writer who has worked as a<br />
journalist and feature writer for 20 years. She writes for the Birmingham<br />
Mail, Birmingham Post and Sunday Mercury, both in print and online.<br />
Dr Terry Marsh is a regular contributor to The Good Life France. He<br />
has written many books and runs the France travel website – www.<br />
francediscovered.com and www.lovefrenchfood.com.<br />
Barbara Pasquet James is a US lifestyle editor, speaker and urban<br />
explorer who writes about food fashion and culture, from Paris. She<br />
helped launch, write and edit USA Today’s City Guide To Paris and<br />
writes at: FocusOnParis.com.<br />
Mark Pryor is the author of the best-selling Hugo Marston mysteries set<br />
in Paris, London, and Barcelona. He’s also Assistant District Attorney for<br />
Travis County Texas.<br />
Patricia Sands is the best-selling author of the Love In Provence<br />
series, her love letter to France. She writes about and shares her<br />
photography of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regularly at<br />
patriciasandsauthor.com<br />
Editor: Janine Marsh<br />
Deputy Editor: Lucy Pitts<br />
Design Support: Kumiko Chesworth<br />
Advertising: Mark Marsh<br />
Cover photo: Wazim Tagauly, Paris<br />
photographer at Wazim Photos
Page 8<br />
Page 16<br />
Page 34<br />
Contents<br />
Page 22<br />
FEATURES<br />
8 10 Brilliant Book <strong>No</strong>oks in Paris<br />
Janine Marsh and Barbara Pasquet James<br />
seek out cosy, gorgeous book shops with<br />
more than books!<br />
16 Christmas Shopping in Paris<br />
Where to go for the best gifts and festive<br />
fun.<br />
22 Reblochon Cheese Makers<br />
Janine Marsh meets the dedicated cheese<br />
makers of Haute-Savoie.<br />
28 A Very French Christmas<br />
Le Touquet in the north of France is an<br />
especially captivating town at Christmas!<br />
40 Micro Provence<br />
Terry Marsh reveals the beauty and charm<br />
of the Parc Naturel Regional des Alpilles.<br />
46 Fantastic Flaine in the French Alps<br />
Justine Halifax finds Flaine is the pefect<br />
family ski destination.<br />
50 Paris Mon Amour<br />
Author Mark Pryor reveals why he loves the<br />
City of Light...<br />
55 The Belle of the French Riviera<br />
Author Patricia Sands stays at a legendary<br />
hotel with echoes of an extraordinary past.
Page 62<br />
Page 55<br />
Page 84 Page 64<br />
62 Magical Saint-Chapelle Paris<br />
This 800 year old "Holy Chapel" is breathtakingly<br />
beautiful, especially at night with a<br />
concert.<br />
64 Carcassonne Perfect Winter<br />
Destination<br />
Karen Slater reveals why Carcassonne<br />
makes for a great visit even when it's not<br />
hot.<br />
66 French Caviar<br />
How a British family brought Fine French<br />
Caviar to the UK - entente cordiale!<br />
68 Spotlight on Blaye<br />
J Christie visits the beautiful town of Blaye<br />
in Aquitaine.<br />
70 Beginning French<br />
How an American couple lost their heads<br />
to a French house they saw and bought on<br />
the internet!<br />
74 House-sitting in France<br />
Lamia Walker takes time out for a free<br />
holiday in the Ile de France.<br />
REGULAR<br />
34 Enchanting Chateau Series<br />
Chateau de Brissac, the tallest castle in<br />
France; it's the most amazing B&B ever!<br />
84 Your Photos<br />
A new regular feature showcasing the most<br />
popular photos shared on our Facebook<br />
page.<br />
86 5 Minute French Lesson<br />
Géraldine Lepère teaches you how to make<br />
a French toast like a local.<br />
122 My French Life<br />
Life in France is never dull!
Page 98 Page 88<br />
88 The Good Life in Charente-<br />
Maritime<br />
We meet a family who've found a little bit<br />
of heaven in south-west France.<br />
94 The Good Life in Haute-Vienne<br />
Meet the expat couple who've created a<br />
pop up vegetarian restaurant in their home.<br />
98 The Good Life in Dordogne<br />
Brian Beard chats to Jackie and David<br />
Burrows, ex Liverpool footballer who now<br />
lives near Sarlat.<br />
78 Brilliant Christmas Gifts and 16<br />
Fabulous Give-Aways<br />
ASK THE EXPERTS<br />
105 Marketing your rental property<br />
Donna Sloane shares her top tips.<br />
106 Property Guide to France<br />
Tim Sage explains the buying and selling<br />
process.<br />
108 Care for the elderly in France<br />
Jo-Ann Howell looks at state help in France<br />
for those with elderly relatives to care for.<br />
110 Pension Advice for Expats<br />
Jennie Poate examines the options for<br />
expats with UK pensions.<br />
GASTRONOMY<br />
114 Chocolate Macarons, Pierre Hermé<br />
of Paris shares his fabulous recipe.<br />
118 Tartiflette Savoyarde<br />
Made with lush Reblochon cheese, by<br />
Karen Burns booth.<br />
120 Caviar, fettucine and smoked<br />
salmon<br />
121 Home-made Orange liqueur<br />
by Karen Burns Booth.<br />
Page 78
10 Brilliant Book <strong>No</strong>oks in<br />
Paris loves its culture and especially book shops, just think of those green book<br />
boxes that line the River Seine. Known as the bouquinistes de Paris the 217 book<br />
sellers have 900 boxes between them containing 30,000 books! These open air<br />
book stalls that line the walls of the River Seine offer the perfect opportunity for<br />
wandering and flicking through second-hand books and absorbing the history and<br />
culture of the city. But if you're looking for English language books - then Paris has<br />
plenty to keep you happy.<br />
Biblomaniacs Janine Marsh and Barbara Pasquet James browse the book shops of<br />
Paris to bring you ten of the dreamiest book nooks in town...
Shakespeare & Company<br />
One of the most famous and much loved<br />
English language book shops in the city<br />
luring visitors from around the world to<br />
browse amongst the heaving book<br />
shelves. It even made an appearance in<br />
Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris”.<br />
A stone’s throw from <strong>No</strong>tre Dame, a<br />
Wallace Fountain in front, a cute little café<br />
on the corner with fabulous views, I like it<br />
best at night (and it opens really late)<br />
when the fairy lights glow (see left).<br />
Though this is not the original location for<br />
the shop in the days when Ernest<br />
Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald perused<br />
the stock, it continues to win smitten fans<br />
with its mellow, quaint look and feel, it’s<br />
awesome literary connections and<br />
fabulous choice of old and new books.<br />
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 5th Arr;<br />
shakespeareandcompany.com; Metro:<br />
Saint-Michel; Open 10am – 11pm daily.<br />
Abbey Bookshop<br />
Opened in 1989 by expat Canadian Brian<br />
Spence, this gorgeous bookshop in the<br />
Latin Quarter attracts a global audience<br />
thanks to the eclectic collection of over<br />
35,000 titles in English ranging from<br />
scholarly to popular literature. It’s quirky<br />
and utterly photogenic!<br />
29 rue de la Parchminerie, 5th Arr;<br />
Abbeybookshop; Metro: St. Michel/Cluny la<br />
Sorbonne; Open: 10am-11pm Mon-Sat.
La Belle Hortense<br />
Berkeley Books<br />
This is a quite unique book store and it<br />
makes the list though it has almost<br />
entirely French books on the shelves. It’s<br />
the only book shop in Paris, perhaps in<br />
France that opens until 2 o'clock in the<br />
morning - with a wine cellar! It's a great<br />
place to stop off for an aperitif and a<br />
snack or a late night/early morning<br />
coffee or glass of something else. It’s a<br />
literary haven with a cosy, friendly<br />
atmosphere and it’s very French!<br />
La Belle Hortense; 31 rue Vieille du<br />
Temple, Paris 4th Arr; www.cafeine.com;<br />
Métro: Hôtel de Ville, St.Paul, Pont Marie;<br />
Open daily 5pm - 2am.<br />
Berkeley Books of Paris opened for<br />
business in May 2006 when three<br />
Californians who had worked together at<br />
a nearby bookstore decided to team up<br />
and open their own place. Popular<br />
especially with American visitors, it has a<br />
great range of used books (English<br />
language), you can swap, buy, stroke the<br />
shop’s cat and enjoy concerts, readings<br />
and exhibitions that take place here on a<br />
regular basis.<br />
8, rue Casimir Delavigne 6th Arr; Metro:<br />
Odeon; berkeleybooksofparis; Open<br />
12am - 8pm Tues – Sat, 2pm - 8pm<br />
Sunday.
WH Smith<br />
After a 26 year absence, the tea room of<br />
this most English of book shops has reopened<br />
in its prime position on the corner<br />
of Rue de Rivoli and Rue Cambon, a short<br />
distance from the Louvre.<br />
WHSmith & Co. opened here in 1903 and<br />
for expats in France, it’s a true taste of<br />
home, in fact it was like walking into my<br />
local branch in Bromley High Street when I<br />
recently visited! The only things that are<br />
not the same are the prices (it’s more<br />
expensive) and the sales staff have French<br />
accents though they all seem to speak<br />
excellent English. And, there’s a very nice<br />
tea room run by that most British of tea<br />
companies, Twinings! Nip up to the first<br />
floor for a pot of tea, lunch or afternoon tea<br />
with traditional scones and jam. In the past<br />
umpteen celebrities have enjoyed tea here<br />
in this little oasis away from the busy<br />
streets outside. There’s a great selection<br />
of books, newspapers and magazines, and<br />
it’s open 362 days a year!<br />
WH Smith, The English Bookshop, 248 rue<br />
de Rivoli, 1st Arr; whsmith.fr; Metro:<br />
Concorde; Opens 9.30am - 19.30pm Mon<br />
to Sat, 12.30am – 19.30pm Sun.<br />
Merci Le Used Book Café<br />
This place is great for a browse amongst<br />
the 10,000 books in a cosy setting in the<br />
popular fashion and homeware concept<br />
store. Plus you can get breakfast, brunch,<br />
lunch or afternoon tea Monday to<br />
Saturday 10am – 7 pm.<br />
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 3rd Arr;<br />
Metro Saint Sebastien Froissart (line 8;<br />
www.merci-merci.com<br />
Galigniani<br />
The first English language book shop in<br />
Europe outside of Britain and a long<br />
heritage in the book business make this a<br />
standout store. The Galignani family started<br />
printing books in 1520 in Venice. They<br />
moved to London (they printed the books<br />
of Wordsworth, Byron, Thackeray and Scott<br />
amongst many others) and then to Paris<br />
where they opened a book shop and<br />
reading room in 1801 specialising in<br />
English. They moved the shop to rue de<br />
Rivoli in 1856 – they’re still there. Great<br />
selection of Anglo-American books plus an<br />
extensive fine arts department.<br />
224 rue de Rivoli 1st Arr; Metro: Concorde;<br />
www.galignani.fr; Open Mon–Sat 10am –<br />
7pm
American writer in Paris Barbara Pasquet James says "Happily, one-of-a-kind bookshops are<br />
alive, well and thriving in Paris, and everyone seems to have their favorites. More than just<br />
stop-offs to find a good read, these three are slightly off-the-radar and provide just enough<br />
zip and zing to keep me coming back..."<br />
Librarie<br />
Alain<br />
Brieux<br />
It is no accident that Librairie Alain Brieux is located almost around the corner from the<br />
College of Medicine Paris Descartes on rue Jacob. More than a bookshop, the librairie is a<br />
portal to the past that feels like you’ve walked onto a Harry Potter film set. Besides its<br />
formidable selection of antique medical books, it is the cabinets of curiosities and objets<br />
packing their shelves that will grab your attention: stuffed animals, skeletons and skulls,<br />
cringe-worthy scientific, medical and dental instruments, other-era globes, fossilized<br />
eggs, antique maritime brass telescopes, engravings, parlor games... In short, a place<br />
guaranteed to ignite your inner adventurier. More good news is, everything you see - save<br />
for the enormous crocodile hanging from the ceiling in the front room - is for sale.<br />
Browsing is encouraged and one does not have to be in the medical profession to<br />
appreciate this easy-to-walk-past gem.<br />
48 rue Jacob, 6th Arr; www.alainbrieux.com; Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés/ Mabillon
Halle Saint-Pierre<br />
Coffee, art, and seriously funky art books co-mingle in this “concept space” that used<br />
to be an enormous covered market. An unexpected oasis known to induce gasps in<br />
first time visitors, Halle Saint-Pierre is a world away from the nearby tourist hordes at<br />
the foot of Sacre Coeur. On the left as you enter is an inviting café with a healthconscious<br />
array of baked goods, light salads and quiches on the countertop at<br />
lunchtime. If you get lucky as I did one morning you’ll be kept company by macabre<br />
papier-mâché sculptures while nursing a grand crème. Wander behind the black<br />
curtain into the Musée d'Art Naïf where works by heavy hitters such as New York<br />
enfant terrible Warhol protégé Jean-Michel Basquiat might be on exhibit. The can’tmiss<br />
light-flooded bookstore with its fringe art-related titles - many in English - makes<br />
this destination truly exceptional.<br />
2 Rue Ronsard, 18th Arr; www.hallesaintpierre.org; Metro: Anvers
Artazart<br />
Artazart first caught my eye as I walked out of Marcel’s on the Canal Saint-Martin about<br />
a year ago. Its friendly graffiti-feel red façade across the water promised an artsy<br />
experience - and I am all about the experience - and it was. Seventeen years ago the<br />
bookshop started out selling art books only, but later design, photography, architecture,<br />
and a très originale children’s section were added to its repertoire. Their appreciation for<br />
the avant-garde began to attract alternative publishers, which translates into a trove of<br />
some of the most creative content you’ll ever leaf through. While their kids' books are<br />
primarily in French, many feature pop-up cut-outs, which make them coveted by parents<br />
and grand-parents from all language backgrounds. Artazart’s location on the canal,<br />
smack in the middle of many fabuleux places to eat, drink, and hang, will turn a visit to<br />
this intimate librairie into an outing.<br />
85 quai de Valmay, 10th Arr; www.artazart.com; Metro: Jacques Bonsergent (Line 5)<br />
More on Paris Bookshops:<br />
Les Bouquinistes, the second hand book sellers that line the River Seine.<br />
Shakespeare & Co, the full story of the crooked 17th century book shop that's a legend!
Credit Amelie Dupont, Paris Tourist Office
Credit Sarah Sergent, Paris Tourist Office<br />
Credit Amelie Dupont, Paris Tourist Office<br />
Christmas Shopping in Paris – where to go and what to buy<br />
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… goes the song, and in Paris that’s certainly true.<br />
Christmas is when the city of light pulls out all the stops, the streets glitter and the shops<br />
are chock-a-block with gifts and goodies to lure you in!<br />
Many shops go all out festive – even opening on Sundays in December and lots of them<br />
provide a gift-wrapping service which saves you time and always looks fabulous.<br />
Christmas markets<br />
There are more than a dozen Christmas<br />
markets of varying sizes in the capital and<br />
you’ll find something for everyone here. Check<br />
out the mega-market at La Defense aimed at<br />
city workers, or perhaps the small and quirky<br />
market in Montmartre is more your style. Don’t<br />
miss the glitzy market stalls of the premier<br />
shopping Street in Paris, the Avenue des<br />
Champs-Elysées. Whichever Christmas<br />
market you visit, you’re bound to find<br />
Christmas decorations, trinkets, presents and<br />
festive food stuffs galore.<br />
Details for Paris Christmas Markets
Credit Jacques Lebar Paris Tourist Office<br />
Something different and utterly<br />
gorgeous<br />
Two words. Museum boutiques. Paris is awash<br />
with museums and art galleries and most of<br />
them have shops. This is where you’ll find gifts<br />
that are really different and very Parisian. Take<br />
the Comedie Francaise shop, one of my very<br />
favourites in Paris – they have delicious tote<br />
bags and the most chic note pads and other<br />
gifts that I guarantee you will want to keep for<br />
yourself. Surprisingly inexpensive, perfect for<br />
stocking fillers and unique presents that your<br />
loved ones will be over the moon to receive (if<br />
you can bear to let them go).<br />
We have a gorgeous Christian Lacroix<br />
designed tote bag from Comedie Francaise to<br />
give away to a lucky winner – see page 79.<br />
Divine and delicious department stores<br />
Le Bon Marché: If you love Christmas then<br />
don’t miss a trip to this fabulous store which<br />
show cases the best of the best. <strong>No</strong>t just<br />
clothes and accessories but the world famous<br />
La Grande Epicerie food department, plus an<br />
extensive wine cellar and home furnishings<br />
departments. Le Bon Marché is the oldest<br />
department store in Paris and a thoroughly<br />
luxurious shopping experience – think the<br />
French love child of Harrods and Fortnum and<br />
Masons.<br />
It’s not cheap but it is very elegant and<br />
charming.<br />
Credit Amelie Dupont, Paris Tourist Office<br />
Printemps: founded in 1865, the flagship<br />
store in Paris has everything from fashion to<br />
furniture. Plush, luxurious and elegant.<br />
Galeries Lafayette: Founded in 1895, it’s one<br />
of the oldest and most fashionable shopping<br />
centres in France. Famous for its Christmas<br />
displays and show stopping centre piece of a<br />
Christmas tree always decorated in a different<br />
theme each year. From fashion to home ware<br />
and everything in between.
Full on glamour and Bobo treats<br />
This is Paris. Pretty much everywhere you<br />
go fits the bill! From the rue du Fauborg-st-<br />
Honore, one of the oldest shopping streets<br />
in the city to the Champs-Elysées, the<br />
Oxford street of Paris, to tiny side streets<br />
and exquisite Belle Epoque covered<br />
shopping galleries, like Gallerie Vivienne<br />
(2nd Arr, near the Louvre).<br />
Try Lubin for lovely perfumes and you can<br />
tell the person you give the gift to that it<br />
came from the store were Josephine<br />
Bonaparte shopped for her seductive<br />
scents.<br />
At Buly 1803 you’ll find fabulous soaps,<br />
candles, luxury hair brushes, creams and<br />
even scented matches with real wow factor<br />
wrapping. Or how about an adorable<br />
umbrella, you’ll find them in shops and<br />
department stores and Paris has a<br />
reputation for beautiful parapluies (did you<br />
know that the folding umbrella was<br />
invented in France?).<br />
For a spot of bohemian chic, head to the<br />
Pigalle area, not the rather seedy bit but<br />
So-Pi as the locals call it, south Pigalle. It’s<br />
an upcoming area for shopping with a<br />
village-vibe, bobo (bohemian bourgeois)<br />
spirit and vintage boutiques to suit the<br />
most discerning shopper. It's also home to<br />
one of the best sweet shops in France (see<br />
next page).<br />
Above: Gallerie Vivienne<br />
sheer luxury; below<br />
Ladurée for macarons!<br />
The popular rue des Martyrs links the 9th<br />
arrondissement and Montmartre and is<br />
packed with vintage and traditional shops<br />
and cafés. This half mile long street has<br />
old-fashioned charm and a long history. It’s<br />
here that Saint Denis, the first bishop of<br />
Paris, was decapitated under the Roman<br />
Empire. Legend says he picked up his head<br />
to travel the length of this famous street,<br />
dying a few kilometres north of where the<br />
Basilica of Saint-Denis was later founded<br />
and inspiring the name Montmartre.<br />
Credit: Lynn Healy Brunneau
Credit Benh Lieu Song, Wikipedia<br />
Totally fabulous Foodie treats<br />
More-ish Christmas grub with a French<br />
feel, what could be more delicious?!<br />
If you head to department store Le Bon<br />
Marché don’t miss La Grande Epicerie, to<br />
call this a food hall is like saying the<br />
Chateau de Versailles is a house. Stunning<br />
food displays that leave you drooling.<br />
Damman Frères – tea lovers will adore<br />
the blends from this ancient tea store in<br />
Paris. Louis XIV granted the company a<br />
licence to thrill with its tea in 1692. They<br />
have several stores and concessions in<br />
Paris (and 62 countries around the world).<br />
Macarons – France is famous for them<br />
and you can buy them everywhere but<br />
head to Ladurée's pretty stores where<br />
they’ve been making them since 1862, they<br />
have several shops in Paris but the one at<br />
16 rue Royale was the first and is quite<br />
beautiful. Don't miss Pierre Hermé for<br />
beautifully made, sensational tasting,<br />
magnificent boxed macarons in every<br />
colour and flavour. The famous French chef<br />
has shared his recipe for scrumptious<br />
chocolate macarons with us – see page 114.<br />
Bonbons and chocolate – where to start?<br />
Paris has hundreds of chocolate shops but<br />
for a real treat aim for l’Etoile d’or (30 Rue<br />
Pierre Fontaine, near Pigalle/Montmartre).<br />
Owner Denise Acabo is a local legend, a<br />
lady of immense charm and fabulous<br />
pigtails, who has been selling the best of<br />
chocolate and bonbons from all over<br />
France from her Paris-only store for more<br />
than 40 years. (Click here for more<br />
chocolate shops).<br />
Can’t get enough of shopping in Paris?<br />
Head to the Winter Sales which start 11<br />
January and end 21 February 2017
A captivating Corner of Paradise<br />
Haute-Savoie<br />
Janine Marsh visits a farm where Reblochon cheese is<br />
made and finds a little bit of heaven in the hills...<br />
"This is a little corner of Paradise" says the<br />
old lady throwing her arms wide and<br />
indicating at the window of her farmhouse<br />
in the mountains of Haute-Savoie, not far<br />
from the lovely city of Annecy.<br />
We are sitting in her kitchen on a July<br />
afternoon, the cloud is low and the mist is<br />
thick, a rarity for this month she says.<br />
I had started to hike to this little farm from<br />
the village of Manigod with my friend<br />
Gaëlle, but she, a local, decided we should<br />
drive when a shower of rain threatened to<br />
drench us. <strong>No</strong>rmally, summer offers a<br />
lovely, sunny stroll through fields of<br />
meadow flowers and cows, their metal<br />
bells chiming and creating an orchestra of<br />
sound, a magical wind chime effect.
The gentle walk takes about 45 minutes,<br />
past pretty chalets with stunning views<br />
over the surrounding mountains, their<br />
summer greenery forming a palette of<br />
colour that makes you stop and stare at the<br />
intense beauty of this place where the air is<br />
sweet and pure and the world feels tranquil.<br />
At the top is the Ferme de Lorette, a farm<br />
that's famous for its fromage.<br />
The family Bibollet live here and make the<br />
famous cheeses Reblochon and Tomme.<br />
They have a café and shop with an outdoor<br />
terrace from which the sight of the utterly<br />
ravishing scenery takes your breath away.<br />
The day I visited, the dull weather had kept<br />
visitors away, Gaëlle and I were the only<br />
ones there.
A young woman came out of the house<br />
opposite the café and seeing we were<br />
alone asked if we would like a warming<br />
drink as by now it was raining and a slight<br />
chill was settling, high at the top of this<br />
mountain. We followed her into the farm<br />
kitchen where an old lady sat by a wood<br />
fire over which washing hung, a light steam<br />
hissed from shorts and T shirts, the<br />
previous days had been sunny and hot.<br />
Pans gleamed on a traditional dresser and<br />
in front of the window through which the<br />
mountains looked like a particularly lush<br />
and verdant painting, was a large cage with<br />
several canaries cheeping away.<br />
The old lady is Alexia Bibollet, at 89 years<br />
young she has a permanent smile and a<br />
twinkle in her eyes. The young woman who<br />
invited us in, is Rafaëlle, her granddaughter.<br />
She makes us hot chocolate with freshly<br />
pulled milk from her cows, it’s delicious and<br />
for the first time that day I’m happy the sun<br />
has gone in.<br />
"Would you like to see how we make the<br />
cheese" asks Rafaëlle, and grandmère adds<br />
"then come back and try some!"<br />
I don't have to be asked twice, this farm is<br />
very well-known for its delicious cheeses<br />
and we traipse out across the wet courtyard<br />
and into a barn.<br />
They make the cheese by hand -<br />
grandmother and granddaughter, together<br />
with several family members.<br />
"I try to make my grandmother slow down"<br />
says Rafaëlle "but she won't".
The family's 75 cows have already been<br />
milked by the time I get there. It takes 2<br />
litres of milk to make a small Reblochon, 5<br />
litres for a large "Rond".<br />
The curds from fresh cows milk are poured<br />
into moulds to drain and Rafaëlle pats<br />
them lovingly, this is Reblochon in the<br />
making and passion is certainly an<br />
ingredient. Within minutes the drained milk<br />
forms a round shape that wobbles like a<br />
jelly but holds together. The round cheeses<br />
to be, are put into boxes and taken into a<br />
chilled room ready to be turned and sent to<br />
a cave to mature for three weeks. They are<br />
stamped with a green label of authenticity<br />
and unique farm number 420. The cheese<br />
makers do this twice a day, 7 days a week.<br />
“Every day, Christmas Day too” says<br />
Rafaëlle when I ask if she gets at least that<br />
special day off.<br />
DID YOU KNOW<br />
Reblochon derives from the word<br />
'reblocher' which literally translated<br />
means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'.<br />
During the 14th century, landowners<br />
would tax the mountain farmers<br />
according to the amount of milk their<br />
herds produced. So the canny farmers<br />
didn’t fully milk the cows until after the<br />
landowner had measured the yield. The<br />
milk that remains is much richer and<br />
makes for the creamy taste of<br />
Reblochon.<br />
In the 16th century Reblochon became<br />
known as "fromage de dévotion<br />
(devotional cheese) because it was<br />
offered to the Carthusian monks of the<br />
Thônes Valley by the farmers, in return for<br />
having their homesteads blessed.
In the summer the cows go higher up the<br />
mountain for the fresh pastures and cool<br />
air, they’re accompanied by locals and it’s<br />
a festive atmosphere, a transhumance,<br />
like a carnival of cows and humans. The<br />
animals are moved lower down where it's<br />
warmer in the winter, again accompanied<br />
by festivities. Here they feed on the hay<br />
that the family also grow.<br />
The seasonal cheeses taste different says<br />
Rafaëlle because what the cows eat is<br />
different according to the seasons.<br />
She tells me that she started learning to<br />
make cheese when she was three years<br />
old "as soon as I was old enough to<br />
respect the rules" she smiles at the<br />
memory.<br />
A typical day for these hard working<br />
cheese makers starts at 5.00 am and<br />
ends at 6.30 pm, they are usually ready to<br />
sleep by 8.00 pm. It's hard work but<br />
grandmère and Rafaëlle say they love<br />
what they do.<br />
There are <strong>13</strong>5 farms making Reblochon in<br />
the Thones area of Haute-Savoie. The<br />
cheese has AOC status; this is the only<br />
place in the world where it can be made<br />
and called Reblochon. Here at the Ferme<br />
de Lorette, the Bibolelt family have been<br />
making it since 1919.<br />
We return to the cosy kitchen and a plate<br />
of three cheeses is placed before us, I<br />
savour a wedge of the nutty, unctuous<br />
Reblochon and grandmère urges me to try<br />
a little red wine with it. Rafaëlle and I clink<br />
glasses. The cheese is delicious, the<br />
kitchen is warm and friendly, the cows<br />
wander past the window and their bells<br />
are ringing like a fairy tale orchestra.<br />
A beam of sunlight bursts through the<br />
clouds and lights up a distant village on<br />
the mountain opposite - the colours are<br />
jewel like.<br />
"We live a simple life" says grandmère "we<br />
are not modern", as she offers me a knife to<br />
cut the rind off a piece of Tomme de<br />
Beauregard but I've already nibbled inside<br />
the wedge avoiding the rind "you look like a<br />
beaver" she laughs.<br />
I can't help asking how at almost 90 years<br />
old, she looks so young and keeps so fit.<br />
"The cheese" she says looking serious and<br />
then she laughs. "That and respect. Respect<br />
for the food you eat, respect for how you live<br />
your life... And good morals, you must have<br />
good morals.”<br />
She tells me she had 11 children and making<br />
cheese has been her life.<br />
I tell her my neighbour in the north of France<br />
is almost the same age and looks wonderful<br />
and is healthy as a donkey. "She says it is<br />
because she eats a slice of pork belly with a<br />
glass of cider every morning".
Grandmère looks astonished, her eyebrows lift<br />
into her snowy hair and she says "perhaps" in<br />
a way that makes me think she doesn't believe<br />
a word of it, her granddaughter grins.<br />
I've known these people for such a short while<br />
but they've welcomed me like a friend, made<br />
me feel at home, fed and watered me, praised<br />
my not brilliant French.<br />
It is a very special place, representative of the<br />
ethos of the mountain people and, as for the<br />
cheese – it is sublime, especially when you<br />
taste it in its natural surroundings.<br />
La Ferme de Lorette<br />
Manigod Tourist Office<br />
Tourism: thones-valsulens.com<br />
Reblochon is perfect for making tartiflette,<br />
a tasty, warming speciality of Haute-Savoie,<br />
see our fab recipe on page 118.<br />
Where to try and buy Reblochon<br />
Coopérative du reblochon “Le Farto” -<br />
Rte d’Annecy, 74230 Thônes, cheese<br />
making from Monday to Friday www.<br />
reblochon-thones.com<br />
You'll find a full range of cheeses at<br />
Fromagerie Hubert Thuet – 2 rue des<br />
vernaies – 7423 Thônes www.<br />
fromageriehubertthuet.fr<br />
Farmers cheeses and regional products<br />
at Crèmerie Perrissin-Fabert, 21 place<br />
Avet, Thônes<br />
Organic cheeses at Biomonde<br />
L’Edelweiss, 8 rue Louis Haase,Thônes<br />
www.edelweiss-biomonde-thones.fr
In a seaside resort with<br />
an English vibe in<br />
northern France
Le Touquet is a small seaside town with around<br />
5000 inhabitants, though in summer months,<br />
that number swells to a whopping 100,000 as<br />
this place is hugely popular with Parisians. Hence<br />
it’s full name Le Touquet Paris-Plage, the Paris<br />
beach. An all year-round resort, at Christmas<br />
visitors flock to enjoy the lights, the market and<br />
the special ambience of Le Touquet which is<br />
known as the “pearl of the Opal Coast”. Le<br />
Touquet has bags of charm and is quite unique<br />
amongst the many charming seaside towns of<br />
France. For one thing it has a certain English je<br />
ne sais quoi.<br />
A unique “English” seaside resort in<br />
France<br />
That’s because the town was developed by an<br />
Englishman to have appeal for Brits at the<br />
beginning of the 20th century. You’ll spot<br />
Cotswold style cottages, thatched roofs, tudor<br />
style manor houses and coiffed English style<br />
gardens – not quite what you’d expect to see in a<br />
northern French seaside resort. But it works.<br />
Somehow, the Englishness wedded to the<br />
Frenchness in the shape of an abundant café<br />
lifestyle, restaurants galore, a wonderful street<br />
market and fabulous French shops – is a<br />
marriage made in heaven.<br />
Sporting Paradise<br />
The Le Touquet resort was designed with sports<br />
in mind. At a time when people were just starting<br />
to see sport as a recreational hobby, the creators<br />
of Le Touquet were way ahead of their time.<br />
Tennis courts, a horse race course, swimming<br />
pools, polo, horse riding, golf – everything<br />
designed to please the the wealthy of the day. It’s<br />
rumoured that Queen Elizabeth II learned to sand<br />
yacht here as a teenager! It still is a sporting<br />
paradise and hosts major tennis matches, has a<br />
65 acre equestrian centre, three fantastic golf<br />
courses and water sports galore. It also is where<br />
Enduropale takes place - a legend in France.<br />
Around 1000 professional and amateur bikers<br />
and 800 quad bikers take part in a beach race at<br />
the start of the year in an event that kick starts<br />
the global motorsport season.
Historic and very very chic<br />
Le Touquet attracted wealthy visitors right<br />
from the get-go. It was the place where jetsetters<br />
went to see and be seen. Hollywood<br />
celebrities, millionaires, politicians, anyone<br />
who was anyone came here to play.<br />
Author Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale<br />
based on Le Touquet’s casino, where<br />
coincidentally Cole Porter wrote the music<br />
for “Anything Goes” on the casino piano.<br />
Sean Connery came here to sign his first<br />
James Bond contract. Serge Gainsbourg got<br />
his big break singing in a restaurant here.<br />
Winston Churchill spent summers in Le<br />
Touquet and once claimed that so many<br />
members of Parliament were there on<br />
holiday that he might as well move the<br />
business of Government there. Writer HG<br />
Wells eloped to Le Touquet and the Dolly<br />
sisters, vaudeville performers who captured<br />
the hearts of men around the world strolled<br />
along the front with their pet tortoises set<br />
with a pair of four-carat blue diamonds by<br />
Cartier, given to them by millionaire Harry<br />
Selfridge, of London Selfridges fame when<br />
he took them there on holiday.<br />
Of course all these people needed places to<br />
stay and Le Touquet in the early 1900s<br />
boasted the biggest hotel in the world. Le<br />
Royal Picardy had 500 bedrooms and every<br />
one of them had a private bathroom. In 1930<br />
when it opened – that was unheard of. There<br />
were 120 lounges. And, 50 apartments that<br />
were so large that each one of them had its<br />
own swimming pool as well as a kitchen,<br />
and 10 more rooms including for one’s<br />
butler. If you was disgustingly rich in those<br />
days – you stayed at this hotel.<br />
Sadly it is no more but another famous hotel<br />
of the day survived - The Westminster<br />
whose art deco halls are lined with signed<br />
photographs of past guests from Marlene<br />
Dietrich to Roger Moore and Charles de<br />
Gaulle.
Le Touquet’s restaurant scene<br />
Well, there’s plenty of choice here but there<br />
are two truly standout places that really<br />
shouldn’t be missed. The Westminster<br />
Hotel has two great restaurants – the<br />
Michelin Star Le Pavillon with a fabulous<br />
menu created by chef William Elliot (sounds<br />
English but he is French!), and brasserie<br />
Les Cimaisses. I have to tell you, I tried the<br />
“tasting menu” at Le Pavillon and at 95<br />
Euros it isn’t cheap, but, I have never ever<br />
had a meal quite like it, memorably divine.<br />
A little down the road in the rue de Metz<br />
you’ll find restaurant Perard. Those<br />
millionaires of the 1940s and 50s may well<br />
have known of it since Serge Perard the<br />
founder was making soup from 1940<br />
onwards to sell at the market. It rapidly<br />
became famous from Le Touquet to Paris<br />
and beyond and was such a success that<br />
by 1963 Perard was able to open a<br />
restaurant in Le Touquet. The soup, whose<br />
menu he had refined by then, was adored<br />
by customers – it still is. So much so that<br />
Perard soup is now exported worldwide.<br />
Order the soup starter in the restaurant and<br />
you'll be offered a free top up, beware - it's<br />
filling and you'll want to leave room for the<br />
lush main courses and delicious desserts!<br />
Above: Perard;<br />
right: serving<br />
the famous<br />
soup!<br />
Head to Perard today and you can buy two<br />
different soups, the Perard that’s in jars and<br />
sold worldwide, and the home-made soup<br />
that you can only buy at the restaurant<br />
shop. At 5 euros a litre, this delicious fish<br />
soup is a steal. It keeps for a couple of<br />
weeks in the fridge so take some home,<br />
just as those early customers did! Perard<br />
smoke their own salmon here (delicious<br />
and perfect for any time not just Christmas)<br />
and you can see the chefs cooking in the<br />
state of the art kitchens.<br />
Enjoy a glass of wine and fresh oysters,<br />
sushi or soup at the swanky oyster bar or<br />
head into the brasserie for a fabulous lunch<br />
or dinner with locals who love this place.<br />
There's a la carte or choose from set<br />
menus, there’s a very reasonable “Perard<br />
menu” at 20 Euros. You can also get real<br />
bouillabaisse, the only place outside<br />
Marseille that I know where they get it spot<br />
on! And the shop is terrific, the freshest fish<br />
and ready made fish meals to take home.
Left: Le Touquet at Christmas;<br />
above: the emblem of Le<br />
Touquet; below: One of the<br />
many great cake shops in the<br />
town<br />
Christmas in Le Touquet<br />
This place positively sparkles for the festive<br />
season when the Parc des Pins transforms<br />
into an enchanted forest lit by thousands of<br />
twinkling fairy lights and the bandstand<br />
makes for the perfect Christmas selfie to<br />
share with your friends! There are Christmas<br />
chalets here where you can pick up a gift or<br />
useful things like a winter scarf and hat to<br />
keep the chill out! Take a horse-drawn<br />
carriage ride round the town to enjoy the<br />
lights and Christmas decorations that<br />
festoon the streets ( via the tourist office).<br />
In mid-December the listed art deco market<br />
place holds a weekend Christmas Market<br />
that attracts thousands. There's music, a<br />
very festive ambience and stalls groaning<br />
with festive fare and gifts.<br />
There’s also an ice skating rink, pony rides<br />
and the shops pull out all the stops with<br />
lovely window displays – great for<br />
chocolate, macarons, marshmallow, cakes<br />
and bread, fish, charcuterie as well as high<br />
end gifts and clothes (think Paris style).<br />
Details:<br />
Christmas Lights: They're turned on at 17.30<br />
Friday 25 <strong>No</strong>v until 1 Jan 2017.<br />
Santa arrives Saturday 26 <strong>No</strong>v at 17.30 with<br />
a firework display!<br />
Christmas Market 10-11 December<br />
Jazz a <strong>No</strong>el 10-29 December at the Palais de<br />
Congres<br />
Tourist office Le Touquet - for full details.
Chateau de brissac<br />
Janine Marsh visits a fairy tale castle in the Loire Valley that's<br />
been lived in by the same family since 1502
The Chateau de Brissac is a privately owned home that had been in the same family<br />
since 1502 – May 26th to be precise! It was bought by a French lord by the name of<br />
Brissac and it’s lived in today by his descendants. Set in gorgeous grounds in the town of<br />
Brissac-Quincé, located in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Loire Valley, this chateau<br />
is the tallest in France at a whopping seven stories - a folly of towers and chocolate box<br />
pretty. Janine Marsh visits and chats to home owner the Duke de Brissac…<br />
Chateau Life<br />
The current incumbent of this enormously<br />
tall chateau that's been handed down a<br />
long line of an illustrious family is the<br />
Marquis du Brissac, a charming man who<br />
often comes from his apartment on the<br />
upper floors to greet visitors and tell them<br />
a bit about the castle.<br />
"My parents did most of the hard work<br />
here, restoring and renovating" he says<br />
modestly. He takes his responsibility to<br />
this big house seriously and constantly<br />
stresses what an absolute joy it is to be<br />
able to live in the chateau.<br />
His generation, he and his wife have four<br />
children, is the first to live there full time.<br />
Previous family members lived there only<br />
part of the year. In days gone by the Dukes<br />
of Brissac would follow the French royal<br />
family or live in other homes around France<br />
and especially in Paris.<br />
"There are many good things about living<br />
here" says this amicable Duke, "one of<br />
them being that the town is on the<br />
doorstep and it’s a lovely town where you<br />
can find a friendly bar with great beer!"
The chateau is undoubtedly imposing and<br />
grand. History oozes from its thick stone,<br />
tapestry covered walls but it's also very<br />
much lived in and not just by this likeable<br />
family'; here you'll find what must be one of<br />
the most prestigious B&Bs in the world. If<br />
you've ever hankered to feel like a king or<br />
queen then here's your chance to try it out!<br />
In the castle there are two enormous suites<br />
with stunning four poster beds and ancient<br />
wooden flooring walked on for centuries.<br />
They're furnished with antiques, tapestries<br />
and sensational paintings – and they’re set<br />
aside for paying guests.<br />
Breakfast is supplied by the Duke who nips<br />
to the local boulangerie to buy fresh<br />
croissants and pastries. But, the best part is<br />
that you're able to wander at will through<br />
the chateau and enjoy it in all its glory.<br />
From the grand salon to the private theatre<br />
and many other rooms to the garden with<br />
its vineyards and views, guests are able to<br />
appreciate this place in a way that’s unique<br />
and a true privilege.<br />
A Very Grand Home<br />
"It's not easy to say how many rooms there<br />
are" muses the Duke "some are very small<br />
some are very large... 200, maybe more<br />
depending on how you look at it".<br />
"What's your favourite room in the house?"<br />
I ask and he laughs as I try to rephrase it,<br />
house is not exactly the term you would<br />
apply to this enormous palace. He can't<br />
choose but shows me around and you can<br />
tell that he loves every bit of it.<br />
"I like the staircase a lot, it keeps me fit" he<br />
confides. A seven storey castle will do that I<br />
think to myself as I admire the steps that<br />
have been trod for centuries. We linger in<br />
the private theatre, a rarity in France and he<br />
recalls family fun on the petite stage.
Clockwise from top left: Sitting<br />
kitchen 1, dining room, theatre,<br />
It would be hard not to love the chateau -<br />
from the windows of the ground floor<br />
grand salon with its comfy sofas and grand<br />
piano you can see the chateau vineyards.<br />
Family photos line the piano and there's<br />
one of the late British Queen Mutoo. I tell<br />
him they have a photo of her at the<br />
Chateau du Lude not too far away. "She<br />
certainly seems to have got around" I say<br />
and he tells me she loved France and made<br />
many private visits.<br />
Another photo is of the Duke's wife, a<br />
former ballet dancer with the Vienna ballet,<br />
in it she is being held aloft by a male<br />
dancer in tights "not me" the Duke says<br />
hastily. In the chapel is his wife's wedding<br />
dress and press cuttings showing their fairy<br />
tale wedding. It's an intimate view of the life<br />
of an historic chateau that you don't often<br />
get.<br />
En route to the wine cellar for a tasting of<br />
the wine that the Duke produces from his<br />
vineyards, we spot a dog looking longingly<br />
at us through a door. The Duke lets him out<br />
and the friendly dog is exuberant, panting<br />
with pleasure to meet new people.<br />
"19" says the Duke "behave".
oom,<br />
kitchen 2<br />
When one time owner Jacques de<br />
Brézé caught his wife with her<br />
lover, he murdered them both.<br />
Legend has it that the adulterous<br />
couple still haunt the chateau<br />
He explains the dog was a stray, it turned<br />
up at the chateau running through rooms<br />
causing mayhem. <strong>No</strong>body knew where it<br />
came from, the Duke tried to find the owner<br />
but couldn't and his four children begged to<br />
keep the little dog. It was the 19th<br />
December muses the Duke, he couldn't<br />
resist, the dog stayed and they called it 19.<br />
Christmas is a special time here at the<br />
Chateau, which hosts one of the oldest<br />
Christmas markets in the west of France<br />
and certainly one of the most original. The<br />
castle is decorated, artisans and food<br />
producers tempt with delicious gifts, food<br />
and wine, a unique event and very festive.<br />
The chateau has a lovely cafe and cellar<br />
where you can taste and buy delicious wine.<br />
I'd recommend you allow at least two hours<br />
to appreciate everything and extra for the<br />
gorgeous gardens. It's a glorious castle,<br />
uniquely tall among the many Loire Valley<br />
Chateaux and well worth a visit.<br />
Details and opening hours:<br />
Chateau de Brissac.<br />
Information for local area:<br />
Angers Loire Tourism
Micro Provence:<br />
Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles<br />
Provence is the perfect antidote to stress, renowned not only for the startling<br />
luminosity that brought artists like Paul Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso, Mistral, Camus,<br />
Pétrarque and Vincent van Gogh – who, incidentally, new research now reveals really<br />
did cut off his ear rather than just a bit of it – but as much for a tranquillity and scented<br />
hinterland that has a very calming effect.<br />
Terry Marsh explores Provence...
there is every bit as much to relax body<br />
and mind across the wider area, the exact<br />
boundaries of which are in some corners<br />
no more than a vague notion.<br />
Roman Legacy<br />
The Roman bridge at Vaison-la-<br />
Romaine<br />
Provence extends from the left bank of the<br />
lower Rhône River in the west to the Italian<br />
border in the east. It is bordered by the<br />
Mediterranean Sea to the south, and<br />
largely corresponds with the modern<br />
administrative region of Provence-Alpes-<br />
Côte d'Azur. It includes the departments of<br />
Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-<br />
Provence and parts of Alpes-Maritimes and<br />
Vaucluse. The largest city of the region is<br />
Marseille, and while this centre of the<br />
bouillabaisse hierarchy may be top dog,<br />
The Romans made the region into the first<br />
Roman province beyond the Alps. They<br />
called it Provincia Romana, which evolved<br />
into the present name. It was ruled by the<br />
Counts of Provence from their capital in<br />
Aix-en-Provence until 1481, when it<br />
became a province of the Kings of France.<br />
While it has been part of France for more<br />
than five hundred years, it still retains a<br />
distinct cultural and linguistic identity,<br />
particularly in the interior of the region. It<br />
is this individuality that is most appealing;<br />
that and the landscapes of the Camargue<br />
in the south, north through Les Alpilles to<br />
the papal city of Avignon. There is, too, the<br />
sort of independence that in 2016 had the<br />
residents of Saint-Romain-en-Viennois,<br />
not far from the historic and picturesque<br />
Vaison-la-Romaine, up in arms at the<br />
news that McDonald’s are to open a<br />
branch in town. Ironically, the French eat<br />
more Big Macs than any nation outside<br />
the US, but, for some, there are limits to<br />
this form of assault on culinary heritage;<br />
Mac-domination is not welcome<br />
everywhere.<br />
Discovering Authentic Provence<br />
But the danger of trying to ‘do’ Provence,<br />
is that it all becomes too much, with too<br />
little time, and you end up charging hither<br />
and thither like the proverbial bluethingied<br />
fly. That analogy applies equally<br />
well wherever you go, of course, but any<br />
exploration of Provence benefits from a<br />
micro-tourism approach: base yourself in<br />
one place, and explore everywhere within<br />
half an hour; okay, by car if you must. But<br />
go no farther. That way you really do get<br />
to the nitty-gritty of the region, village by<br />
village, wine by wine, cheese by cheese.
Les Alpilles<br />
So it is with Les Alpilles, a limestone extension<br />
of the Luberon range whose ragged<br />
white peaks from afar boast the outlines of<br />
a great mountain chain though few rise<br />
above 400 metres…arid limestone crenulations<br />
set against a brilliant blue sky. Olive<br />
and almond trees spread across the lower,<br />
south-facing slopes, pinned in place by the<br />
occasional line of dark, slender cypress.<br />
Higher up, slopes are planted with kermes<br />
oak (Quercus coccifera) and pine, but just as<br />
likely the rocky landscape is dotted with<br />
ragged bushes covered by maquis, a poor<br />
pastureland suitable only for sheep.<br />
The Alpilles are roughly divided in two,<br />
between the Alpilles des Baux in the west<br />
and the Alpilles d’Eygalières in the east, with<br />
the town of St-Rémy de Provence in the<br />
middle. St-Rémy, birthplace of scientist and<br />
astrologist <strong>No</strong>stradamus (rue Hoche), very<br />
much epitomises Provence with its<br />
boulevards and squares shaded by plane<br />
trees, its tangled labyrinth of narrow streets<br />
and festive atmosphere especially so on<br />
market day (Wednesday) and when they<br />
hold the bull running festivals.<br />
Couple Walking among Olive Trees in a<br />
Mountainous Landscape with Crescent Moon<br />
May 1890, Van Gogh<br />
Princess Caroline of Monaco and her<br />
children lived in St-Rémy following the<br />
death of her husband, Stefano Casiraghi,<br />
which could be interpreted as this being a<br />
place imbued with healing powers. Maybe it<br />
is; Vincent van Gogh was treated here in the<br />
psychiatric centre a few minutes south of<br />
St-Rémy, at Monastery Saint-Paul de<br />
Mausole after he relieved himself of one of<br />
his ears, and it was here that he painted The<br />
Starry Night, one of his best loved works.<br />
Personally, I just find it very unwinding,<br />
which takes me back to my original point<br />
about this being a great counter-balance to<br />
a stress-filled life, should you need one.
South of St-Rémy lie the magnificent ruins of<br />
Glanum and Les Antiques, the latter a<br />
cenotaph rather than a sepulchre, as originally<br />
thought, and standing next to a fine triumphal<br />
arch, giving access to the city of Glanum, built<br />
over 2,000 years ago, and still a worthwhile<br />
and well-interpreted diversion…look for the<br />
fossilised shells in the limestone pavements.
Les Baux de Provence<br />
Continuing south, the road wriggling<br />
between limestone crests to get there, Les<br />
Baux de Provence is justly one of the most<br />
beautiful villages in France. In fact, the<br />
‘village’ as such sits below the great<br />
limestone plateau on which the lords of<br />
Baux built their chateau. Separated a little<br />
from Les Alpilles, Les Baux, which gave its<br />
name to the mineral bauxite, is perfectly<br />
summed up in the words of a song by<br />
Italian folk rock singer-songwriter Angelo<br />
Branduardi: ‘Dans son château le Seigneur<br />
des Baux prend la pluie au visage’ – In his<br />
chateau, the Lord of Baux takes the rain in<br />
his face. Climb to the highest point of this<br />
limestone ridge, and you’ll see why that<br />
might be; it must have been a desolate<br />
spot in winter when there was only wine,<br />
wenching and throwing the odd malcontent<br />
from the battlements to alleviate the gloom.<br />
Today, the village and its diverse architectural<br />
heritage is a charming mix of<br />
narrow streets, gift and craft shops, and<br />
restaurants, all determined to delay you.<br />
Above, for a modest fee, you can head up<br />
onto the plateau itself and the ruins of the<br />
chateau wherein are displayed modern<br />
interpretations of the siege engines of war<br />
used during medieval times. For all its<br />
popularity, it’s easy to fashion a quiet tour<br />
of the citadel that will give you a remarkably<br />
valid impression – well, almost – of<br />
what life might have been like living on this<br />
mountain ridge. There’s plenty of parking,<br />
for a fee, but arriving early is always a good<br />
idea.<br />
Elsewhere, Maussane-les-Alpilles is a<br />
serene, unspoiled village centred on a large<br />
square below the church, used in season as<br />
overflow seating for nearby bistrots and<br />
cafés. Come back mid-afternoon and sit in<br />
the shade with a glass of chilled wine or<br />
panaché and let the world pass you by.
It's amazing how the waiters have taken<br />
to the new French law about traffic having<br />
to stop to allow you to cross the road<br />
once you have shown your intention of<br />
doing so byplacing your foot on the<br />
carriageway. I’m surprised they survive<br />
the week… maybe they don’t!<br />
In the east, Eygalières is a small town of<br />
winding, narrow streets, an authentic and<br />
charming village made vibrant by its<br />
Thursday market, in much the same way<br />
that Fontvieille in the opposite direction,<br />
towards Arles, assumes no pretensions to<br />
grandeur, just exudes a laissez-faire<br />
atmosphere so typical of many small<br />
Provencal villages. In fact, it’s so relaxing,<br />
there isn’t time to be stressed, and who<br />
wants to drive hundreds of miles each<br />
day? Stay put, and make the most of<br />
Micro-Provence.
It may be a hidden gem in the French Alps, but<br />
Flaine’s fantastic pistes are proving perfect for<br />
family fun as Justine Halifax discovers...<br />
It's in the impressive shadow of the snow<br />
capped Mont Blanc, the highest mountain<br />
in the beautiful, French Alps, that you’ll find<br />
the ski resort of Flaine.<br />
Located in the Haute-Savoie region and<br />
part of the Grand Massif ski-ing area,<br />
Flaine has earned itself the nickname of<br />
“big snowy bowl”, as it boasts one of the<br />
best snow records (in the French Alps).<br />
My family and I were fortunate enough to<br />
spend a great week here and we can<br />
certainly confirm that it delivered excellent<br />
snow conditions.<br />
For, despite being close to the end of the<br />
ski season, we enjoyed two snowfalls, and,<br />
with the days in between topped up by 110<br />
snow canons, we had no issues at all with<br />
ice on the resort’s very well maintained<br />
pistes.<br />
And for those travelling with children in<br />
tow, Flaine is a perfect spot for families.<br />
Just one of several reasons for this is that<br />
it’s actually possible to ski purely blue runs<br />
if wanted here, and yet still take in the best<br />
views of the Grand Massif area – which has<br />
70 lifts taking you to no less than 148 runs.<br />
This makes for a perfect afternoon treat for<br />
children still honing their skills in ski school<br />
to be able to enjoy showing off their new<br />
found talents with their parents, without<br />
having to tackle taxing pistes with tired<br />
legs. There’s also a nursery school for<br />
newcomers - with a magic carpet.
Flaine is great for more experienced<br />
families too, there’s no chance of getting<br />
bored of the pistes here. As well as the<br />
resort of Flaine, which boasts 64 runs<br />
reaching an altitude of up to 2500metres,<br />
the Grand Massif ski-ing area also includes<br />
the interconnected areas of Les Carroz,<br />
Sixt, Morillon and Samoens.<br />
Overall you’ll find 8 green runs, 26 blues,<br />
25 reds and 5 blacks at your ski tips in<br />
Flaine and across the Grand Massif area a<br />
total of 20 greens, 65 blues, 50 reds and <strong>13</strong><br />
blacks.<br />
And if that’s not enough to keep you<br />
entertained there’s something for the more<br />
daring too as there are also <strong>13</strong> fun spaces,<br />
including three in Flaine, as well as a<br />
slalom area.<br />
My family’s home for a luxurious week, was<br />
in one of the five star, self-catering<br />
apartments that can be found at Les<br />
Terraces des Helios, run by Pierre and<br />
Vacances, part of the Centre Parcs group,<br />
at Flaine’s Mont Soleil level.<br />
A ski in, ski out venue, located at an<br />
altitude of 1600m, it proved to be a perfect<br />
base for my family for a host of reasons.<br />
Our fabulous apartment featured a large<br />
open plan kitchenette, dining room and a<br />
lounge, which led out onto a spacious<br />
balcony with table and chairs overlooking<br />
the green piste that led back to the venue.<br />
There was also a cloakroom for storing ski<br />
attire/coats, and at slope level we also had<br />
free access to a heated ski room.
<strong>No</strong>t only was the ski in, ski out a much needed<br />
plus for our family, we also had access to every<br />
single thing we need for our week’s stay<br />
literally at our fingertips. For also at slope level,<br />
and in the same complex building, was Ski<br />
Shop Helios to hire ski equipment; a<br />
supermarket to stock up on supplies (if you<br />
want freshly baked croissants and pain au<br />
chocolat without leaving the apartments you<br />
can opt for them to be delivered to reception at<br />
8 am every morning); a cafe; and a restaurant.<br />
And as if that wasn’t enough, the French Ski<br />
School ESF (Escole Ski Francais) even has an<br />
office on slope level to book lessons/ The<br />
instructors pick up children right outside the<br />
building at 9.30am and return them three<br />
hours later each day!<br />
What more could a parent ask for?<br />
Well, perhaps a bit more since the Helios<br />
Apartments also boasts a nice pool, separate<br />
toddler area, sauna, steam room and outside<br />
hot tub where you can bask in the beauty of<br />
the surrounding snow covered mountains, as<br />
well as a spa offering a range of treatments.<br />
And if you still want to enjoy the great outdoors<br />
after the pistes have closed then the<br />
apartments also loan out a range of sledges<br />
without any extra charge.<br />
There are several levels at different altitudes in<br />
Flaine, they are the Forum, Foret and Mont<br />
Soleil.<br />
But while other levels were more of a concrete<br />
block-style, Mont Soleil, where Helios is based,<br />
was, for me, definitely the more aesthetically<br />
appealing, as it’s more alpine, with a more<br />
pleasing wood and natural stone look.<br />
My family and I enjoyed a thoroughly<br />
comfortable stay here, and a week of fabulous<br />
ski-ing so I’ve no hesitation in recommending<br />
other families to follow in our snowy foot<br />
prints...
GETTING THERE<br />
Justine travelled with www.poferries.com. Nearest<br />
airport is Geneva with flights to/from a number of<br />
international airports.<br />
Ski train to the French Alps with SNCF UK<br />
HOLIDAY TIPS<br />
The hotel offers covered parking directly<br />
underneath the apartments which are accessible<br />
via lifts - so no lugging luggage up steps.<br />
DETAILS<br />
Pierre & Vacances 5* Les Terrasses d’Helios<br />
Residence is in a ski, in ski out position with 119<br />
apartments which all have balconies and terraces<br />
for guests to enjoy the views. Apartments sleep<br />
4-8 people and some also feature a fireplace.<br />
There is a Deep Nature Spa relaxation area<br />
(treatment rooms, sauna, steam room and<br />
relaxation room) and indoor heated swimming<br />
pool.<br />
A Grand Massif Lift Pass for 6 days is €242.40 for<br />
adults and €181.8 for children.<br />
Equipment Rental can be booked in advance on<br />
reservation of an apartment with savings of up to<br />
40% off shop prices. Visit: pierreetvacances<br />
For more info about Flaine visit: www.flaine.com
Paris Mon Amour<br />
Author Mark Pryor who's best selling Hugo Marston<br />
series is set in Paris, including The Paris Librarian<br />
and The Book Seller reveals the Paris he loves...<br />
Credit Doug Crawford<br />
True story: a year ago I ran into my friend<br />
David at the courthouse where I work in<br />
Austin and as we talked, he shook his<br />
head ruefully. “I bought my wife The<br />
Bookseller,” he said, “and now she wants<br />
to go to Paris. Insists on it.”<br />
I shrugged. “So take her to Paris.”<br />
“Yeah, that’s cheap. Plus I don’t have a<br />
passport and I don’t speak French. And I<br />
hear they hate Americans.”<br />
I sighed. “Take her to Paris.”<br />
Six months went by and I didn’t see David<br />
until I ran into him in the courthouse again.<br />
“Oh, my goodness,” he gushed. “We went<br />
to Paris and now we’re doing everything we<br />
possibly can to move there. We’re in love!”<br />
I was happy, am always happy, to share my<br />
favorite city in the world, but I wasn’t<br />
surprised. The city of light, of love, has that<br />
effect on people.<br />
That’s why I always smile when readers ask<br />
me why Paris, what the city means to me,<br />
why I set my books there. And it’s certainly<br />
true that I get asked those questions more<br />
than any other. In truth, and as corny as it<br />
may be, it comes down to that one word:<br />
love.<br />
Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables, “If<br />
you ask the great city, ‘Who is this person?,’<br />
she will answer, ‘He is my child.’” Yes. As<br />
soon as I land or step off the train, Paris<br />
wraps herself around me, sometimes like a<br />
parent and sometimes like a lover,<br />
enveloping me with the sights, sounds, and<br />
smells that are its own.
© Paris Tourist Office David Lefranc<br />
The sullen, sexy Seine nudging its barges<br />
against the bank, the commanding palace of<br />
the Louvre with its leisurely gardens, the<br />
wide boulevards overseen by elegant stone<br />
buildings with their petite balconies and redblooming<br />
window boxes. It’s the oddest and<br />
most wonderful combination of relief that<br />
I’m home, and exhilaration that I’m back to<br />
explore.<br />
And think about this for a reason to love<br />
Paris and Parisians: the Cathedral of <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame was saved by the author I just quoted.<br />
Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame when he found out it was to be torn<br />
down, wrote it to raise awareness and<br />
money, and now look at it. A humble book<br />
inspired lasting love for a beautiful building.<br />
Where else could that happen?
Credit Doug Crawford<br />
In every sense, Paris is a perfect fit for me. I<br />
love to eat, I love to watch people, and I love<br />
to walk. On our last trip, researching The<br />
Paris Librarian, my wife and I averaged<br />
seven miles a day, our longest stroll was<br />
from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre and<br />
back. And the thing is, it’s no struggle. Every<br />
step is a pleasure because Paris unfurls<br />
before you like a seductive woman, casually<br />
spilling a gaudy, touristy layer to reveal<br />
sleek, cream-stone buildings in more<br />
residential areas, before turning up the heat<br />
with her lithe, winding streets that lead you<br />
to the ultimate view of Paris at the Sacré<br />
Coeur.<br />
Credit Barbara Pasquet James<br />
And the reward for all that walking is the<br />
food. We ate at New Jawad one evening, on<br />
Avenue Rapp, finding for ourselves better<br />
Indian food than we’ve ever eaten in<br />
England or America. And the service was<br />
the opposite of that which my friend David<br />
would have expected: full of smiles and<br />
jokes, a free drink when I told them I was a<br />
writer, and one for my wife, too.
The secret garden of the Hotel de<br />
Sens, a medieval palace where a<br />
Queen once lived. The palace is<br />
now home to a library and art<br />
gallery - Bibliotheque Forney. it's<br />
undergoing renovation and reopens<br />
February 2017. You'll find<br />
it not far from <strong>No</strong>tre Dame, at 1<br />
rue du Figuier<br />
WIN A COPY OF<br />
THE PARIS<br />
LIBRIARIAN BY<br />
MARK PRYOR -<br />
SEE PAGE 78<br />
But the ultimate meal, and it was good<br />
enough for me to send my characters<br />
Hugo and Claudia there on a date, was at Il<br />
Vino on Boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg.<br />
The best because the vegetarian meal they<br />
prepared for my wife was as good as, if not<br />
better, than my own fabulous four courses.<br />
And again, fun service with the waiter<br />
taking great delight in making us guess<br />
each of the different wines he served us<br />
with each course.<br />
Paris is more than food and the famous<br />
sights we all know about (and the wonder<br />
of them all being so close, so walkable!)<br />
The thing about Paris is that you can find<br />
havens of peace amid the pomp and<br />
glamor.<br />
Step one way and be in the mix, eyeing the<br />
stunning Louvre before walking five<br />
minutes to a place of peace and quiet like<br />
the Jardin de l’Hôtel de Sens, where you<br />
can sit on a park bench and watch the<br />
pigeons, and the clouds.<br />
Even places like the American Library in<br />
Paris can surprise. An unassuming<br />
frontage, yes, the usual rows of book<br />
shelves, of course, but did you know, the<br />
place has a secret door? Oh yes, and it’s to<br />
be found in the basement, a place that has<br />
its own delightfully eerie ambience.<br />
There is one secret magnet in Paris for me,<br />
though, the place my wife and I know to<br />
meet if phones are lost and rendez-vous<br />
missed. It’s a spot that gives us a choice of<br />
two cafés, a place where three beautiful<br />
streets come together, funneling tourists<br />
and locals past as you watch and sip<br />
coffee. I won’t tell you where exactly, except<br />
that it’s in the Sixth Arrondissment, I can’t<br />
because it’s mine. Ours.<br />
Well, maybe I will if you ask nicely.<br />
After all, Paris is love, and love is for<br />
sharing...
The Belle of the<br />
French<br />
Author Patricia Sands whisks you away to the<br />
Hotel Belles Rives to discover it's legendary past...
There's something wild about you child<br />
That's so contagious<br />
Let's be outrageous<br />
Let's misbehave!!!<br />
Those frivolous lyrics from Cole Porter’s<br />
Let’s Misbehave might very well have<br />
epitomized the mood on the Côte d’Azur<br />
when the song was published in 1927.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t only was he penning the song, but<br />
quite possibly Porter was working<br />
through it while he hung out with Zelda<br />
and F. Scott Fitzgerald at their rented<br />
Villa Saint-Louis on the shore of a scenic<br />
cove on the west side of the iconic Cap<br />
d’Antibes.<br />
The Fitzgeralds loved partying with their<br />
Jazz Age friends. The semi-Bohemian<br />
crowd included wealthy Americans and<br />
visiting artists, writers and hangers-on.<br />
Picasso, Hemingway, Cocteau, John Dos<br />
Passos, Gertrude Stein and Dorothy<br />
Parker were just a few of the regulars.<br />
Porter was a fixture at the piano in the<br />
music room of Villa Saint-Louis,<br />
overlooking the shimmering<br />
Mediterranean.<br />
From all accounts, notably captured in<br />
Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night, along<br />
with letters, journal entries and recorded<br />
memories by others in the Roaring<br />
Twenties, the French Riviera was rather a<br />
wild place to be. It was also, and<br />
continues to be, a fabled coastline of<br />
incomparable beauty and light that<br />
inspires artists to settle there and create.<br />
Since 1929 the privately-owned Villa<br />
Saint-Louis has been known as Hôtel<br />
Belles Rives. At the time it was the only<br />
hotel on the water along the Côte d’Azur.<br />
And since 2001, the gracious thirdgeneration<br />
owner, Marianne Estène-<br />
Chauvin has guided her beloved 5-star,<br />
43-room gem with a clear desire to keep<br />
the best of the Fitzgerald years alive.<br />
Credit Hotel Belles Rives<br />
The atmosphere becomes electric the instant<br />
one steps into the elegant and welcoming<br />
lobby of this gracious Art Deco mansion with<br />
its unique ornate elevator.<br />
Black and white photos of Fitzgerald, his<br />
tormented wife Zelda, and their daughter<br />
Scottie, holidaying here, hang on the walls. A<br />
predominately placed marble plaque quotes<br />
a letter he wrote to Hemingway:<br />
“With our being back in a nice villa on my beloved<br />
Riviera (between Nice and Cannes) I’m happier than<br />
I’ve been for years. It’s one of those strange precious<br />
and all too transitory moments when everything in<br />
one’s life seems to be going well.”
One imagines the author peering out<br />
over the sun-kissed bay, “the fairy<br />
blue sea” as he described. His gaze<br />
would continue across to the hills of<br />
the Massif de l’Estérel to the west of<br />
Cannes, perhaps searching for his<br />
muse. He penned much of Tender is<br />
the Night during his stay of almost<br />
two years and drew inspiration for<br />
his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby.<br />
Credit Hotel Belles Rives<br />
It’s no surprise that room number 50,<br />
the Fitzgerald room, must be booked<br />
well in advance. However, each room<br />
in the Belles Rives offers a level of<br />
comfort and tasteful decorating that<br />
befits a member of the Small Luxury<br />
Hotels Of The World group. The<br />
blue-striped awnings are one of<br />
many details that have remained<br />
consistent through almost a century.<br />
The Fitzgerald Bar off the lobby<br />
entices the visitor. The stunning art,<br />
grand piano, and authentic Art Deco<br />
styling … leather bar, mirrored<br />
tabletops, leopard-patterned<br />
upholstery … offer an intimate and<br />
elegant invitation to linger. The<br />
panoramic view across Golfe-Juan<br />
and the Baie de Cannes creates its<br />
magic no matter what the hour.<br />
Sunsets, it must be said, are often<br />
unforgettable.<br />
Step through the French doors to the<br />
terrace and into what might justly be<br />
described as Riviera bliss.<br />
A broad patio beckons with lush<br />
potted palms, umbrella-shaded<br />
tables topped with crisp white linen<br />
and Art Deco light fixtures. The<br />
electric blue accent color mimics<br />
shades of the azure sea. Another<br />
flight of steps leads to the water and<br />
other elegant dining areas, carrying<br />
on the blue and white theme so<br />
complimentary to the Mediterranean<br />
setting.
Credit Hotel Belles Rives<br />
An elaborate, stunning chandelier hangs over the table de commandant/<br />
captain’s table. Before one consults the menu, art is the main course here:<br />
substantial Leger-inspired sculptures frame the room, Egyptian sculptures,<br />
ceramique flamé in primary colors, la terre rouge, hand-painted Bernardaud<br />
porcelain plates with white background, la terre blanche, hand-blown glass<br />
from the skilled verriers of nearby Biot.<br />
Fun and relaxation are found in equal<br />
measure on the sandy private beach, small<br />
as it is, and along the private jetty. Swimming,<br />
sunbathing plus a variety of water<br />
sports are all indulged. And here we find<br />
another story, the Belles Rives Ski<br />
Nautique: one of the most prestigious<br />
waterskiing clubs in the world.<br />
Just as the Fitzgerald legacy takes us back<br />
to a nostalgic time, so does this story of<br />
Léo Roman. In 1931, the off-duty ski<br />
instructor was inspired by the calm waters<br />
of Golfe-Juan to test a dynamic new sport.<br />
Visitors and locals were excited by the<br />
thrill of gliding across the bay. Today the<br />
club remains very active and open to all.<br />
In the lobby, the artwork of ships on the<br />
wall and subtle furniture create the illusion<br />
of preparing for a voyage. There is a sense<br />
of being on an ocean liner during the grand<br />
days of transatlantic crossings. One enters<br />
the Michelin-starred dining room, La<br />
Passagère. The cuisine focuses on local<br />
seafood and superior desserts under the<br />
direction of some of the finest chefs in<br />
France.<br />
Bold Temple of Luxor-style columns<br />
covered in marble mosaic create a dramatic<br />
sense of structure. The geometric<br />
frescos on the walls were discovered when<br />
wall paper, applied after WW2, was stripped<br />
in 2001 to install air conditioning. They<br />
offer an effective backdrop to the stunning<br />
exhibit of ceramic and glass art created by<br />
local artisans that compliments the<br />
collection of 1930’s art.
Of all the narratives that make up the<br />
foundation of the Hôtel Belles Rives,<br />
possibly the best is that of Madame<br />
Marianne Estène-Chauvin.<br />
Her memories begin with cherished<br />
childhood holidays at this resort owned by<br />
her Russian emigré grandfather and French<br />
grandmother. The original villa was<br />
expanded with two upper floors and a west<br />
wing. Lovingly restored, the hotel played a<br />
major role throughout her life as each<br />
generation of the Estène family carried on<br />
their dedication to being hoteliers of<br />
distinction.<br />
When she first expressed interest in<br />
becoming the owner, she was not taken<br />
seriously. “After all, I am a woman. And<br />
there are many other roles within the<br />
business it was thought would be more<br />
suitable. I became involved with decoration<br />
and public relations… women’s work.”<br />
Perseverance paid off. Ironically, the week<br />
she was to take charge, the uncle who<br />
would help ease her into her new role,<br />
suffered a major heart attack.<br />
Suddenly she was immersed in the<br />
business. Soon she had a plan. She<br />
changed the seasonal schedule to being<br />
open year round, fixed the beach, and<br />
began her dream to establish fine dining.<br />
The name, La Passagère, evokes not only a<br />
passenger on a ship but also a philosophy<br />
that we are passengers in time.<br />
I’ve left the Library, originally the Music<br />
Room, to the last. Here Madame Estène-<br />
Chauvin brought to life intimate stories of<br />
the Fitzgerald’s time at Villa Saint-Louis.<br />
In this room, Cole Porter played the piano.<br />
Fitzgerald’s wealthy American friend,<br />
Gerald Murphy (who along with his wife,<br />
Sarah, had first of this group discovered the<br />
Riviera) had brought a portable<br />
phonograph from the United States, the<br />
first one on the coast.<br />
Madame Chauvin<br />
The music of the Jazz Age frequently filled<br />
this room. Other musicians would filter in<br />
at times. Raucous parties were the norm.<br />
Today the room also displays portraits and<br />
trophies of the winners of the literary Prix<br />
Fitzgerald. Begun by Madame Chauvin in<br />
2010, the submissions are juried by a<br />
distinguished panel of writers and critics.<br />
The recipient is an author working in a<br />
style or addressing themes that interested<br />
Fitzgerald. The prestigious prize is awarded<br />
in early June.<br />
On the 50th anniversary of Zelda’s 1948<br />
death, the two Fitzgerald granddaughters<br />
were guests at the hotel, when the plaque<br />
was mounted in the lobby. They recalled<br />
memories their family had passed along<br />
through the years. There is an excellent<br />
recounting of that visit in this New York<br />
Times article.
Terrace of the Belles Rives with its stunning views<br />
over the bay of Antibes<br />
She described with great pleasure, the<br />
Gatsby-like parties that have become an<br />
institution at the Belles Rives. “It’s<br />
tradition,” she says, indicating vintage<br />
photos showing her grandparents<br />
entertaining in the same way. And parties<br />
were de rigeur for the Fitzgeralds and<br />
friends, often en costume.<br />
Thus was born, the Villa Belles Rives ~<br />
informal-themed Thursday night parties,<br />
open to the public, eating, drinking,<br />
dancing on the beach. “There might be<br />
600 people all dressed in white … or some<br />
other idea. All having fun.”<br />
She is also the owner of the luxurious Hôtel<br />
Juana adjacent to the Belles Rives and has<br />
blended the two “sister” hotels into perfect<br />
complements to each other.<br />
When asked what might be one word that<br />
sums up the reason why her hotels have<br />
achieved such well-deserved reputations,<br />
her thoughtful response again demonstrated<br />
her commitment to excellence.<br />
“Here you will find an experience with a true<br />
difference”, she said, gesturing around us<br />
with her hand. Her explanation revolved<br />
around the French term “compagnonnage”.<br />
She described it as something that went<br />
back to the Middle Ages, a dedication to<br />
passing on skills, crafts, feelings. You work<br />
half the time passing this on to your staff,<br />
mentoring, sharing, teaching. The other half<br />
you give to your customers. “It’s very vieille<br />
Europe … maybe too much.” She ended that<br />
comment with a smile, but it was obvious<br />
this meant a great deal to her.<br />
A true Renaissance woman.<br />
For more information, visit the website of<br />
the Hôtel Belles Rives.
Magical Musical Moments at Saint-Chappelle<br />
The secret Claissical music venue<br />
in Paris that's simply sublime<br />
Janine Marsh follows in the footsteps of the Kings of<br />
France for a magical nightly concert<br />
Earnest faced angels with pale pink and<br />
blue wings and voluminous frocks hover,<br />
and solemn faced saints look down from<br />
their lofty perches over the musicians who<br />
stand beneath jewel coloured windows.<br />
Shadows flicker across the sculpted walls<br />
that have stood for centuries. The sweet<br />
sound of classical music fills the air. An<br />
enrapt audience breaks into spontaneous<br />
applause as the musicians finish.<br />
of the culture of Paris inside one of the<br />
most ancient of churches where Kings and<br />
Queens prayed and religious relics that<br />
cost immense fortunes were once housed.<br />
Sainte-Chappelle is a legendary building,<br />
almost 800 years old. It is now also an<br />
incredible night time venue where Vivaldi,<br />
Bach, Mozart and other masters of music<br />
have their greatest pieces played.<br />
This is a concert like no other… A true taste
The history<br />
It is quite extraordinary to be sitting in this<br />
building known as the "Holy Chapel" on the<br />
Ile de la Cité where the medieval Kings of<br />
France once lived. It’s a short walk from<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre-Dame Cathedral which was begun<br />
before the creation of Sainte-Chappelle but<br />
completed afterwards.<br />
It’s said that Sainte-Chappelle took just<br />
seven years to build and was consecrated<br />
on April 26th, 1248. Its purpose was to<br />
house relics which King Louis IX (1214-<br />
1270), also known as Saint Louis, had<br />
bought. They were said to include<br />
fragments of the Crown of Thorns (now at<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre-Dame) and of the Holy Cross.<br />
Sainte-Chappelle is bijoux and quite<br />
stunningly beautiful. There are 15 windows,<br />
each 15 metres high, the stained glass<br />
panes depict 1,1<strong>13</strong> scenes from the Old and<br />
New Testaments recounting the history of<br />
the world until the arrival of the relics in<br />
Paris. An astonishing work of art that must<br />
have been one of the wonders of its time –<br />
it still is.<br />
Music at Sainte-Chappelle<br />
You can visit Sainte-Chappelle during the<br />
day and, when the sun shines through<br />
those awesome windows, it’s like standing<br />
in a diamond encrusted jewel box.<br />
But, for a really magical experience, there<br />
are almost nightly classical music concerts<br />
held in this ancient place. As you sit here, in<br />
one of the most beautiful, historic buildings<br />
of Paris it is incredible to know that Kings<br />
and Queens have sat here before you.<br />
Listening to great classical music played by<br />
the passionate musicians is quite simply an<br />
encounter to cherish. The accoustics are<br />
magnificent, sending shivers up your spine,<br />
an incredible, inspiring and precious<br />
experience. There are two concerts each<br />
night, and, I highly recommend dinner<br />
afterwards at the Deux Palais brasserie<br />
across the road to completely round out<br />
your experience.<br />
Tickets are available for the concerts<br />
from less than 30 Euros. You can also<br />
book dinner at the same time via:<br />
classictic.com
Carcassonne, the p<br />
Karen Slater, French Holiday expert,<br />
shares one of her favourite winter<br />
playgrounds...<br />
© Julien Roche City Hall Carcassonne<br />
France is an all year round destination<br />
offering something for everyone, though<br />
when we think of winter in France, it's<br />
generally for skiing holidays. But, there is<br />
so much more to this fascinating country<br />
at this time of the year. If you are a lover of<br />
myths and enchanting stories then a great<br />
place to visit in winter is Carcassonne in<br />
the Languedoc region.<br />
The world famous medieval citadel can be<br />
seen for miles around. Some say that<br />
Carcassonne was Walt Disney’s inspiration<br />
for the film Sleeping Beauty! From a<br />
distance it is breath-taking, but once there,<br />
inside the Citadel, your spirits will be lifted<br />
by the magic of this magnificent place. It<br />
was also the inspiration for Kate Mosse’s<br />
best-selling book “Labyrinth” – a story<br />
revolving around an ancient grail.<br />
From early December until early January<br />
Carcassonne’s magic is at its best as it<br />
comes alive with Christmas festivities. With<br />
twinkling lights everywhere, concerts, street<br />
entertainment, an ice rink, Christmas<br />
market and a jolly atmosphere.<br />
Hiring a car is a must as not too far from<br />
Carcassonne are two other enchanting<br />
towns, both have inspired books!<br />
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is about a two<br />
hour drive from Carcassonne. It was once a<br />
fishing village built on an island in the heart<br />
of the beautiful Camargue region of France.<br />
Here you will see stunning white horses<br />
running wild! According to local legend,<br />
after the resurrection of Christ, Mary<br />
Magdalene and several disciples were<br />
forced to flee the holy land in 45 AD. They<br />
arrived in Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer and it is<br />
said Mary Magdalene remained here until<br />
her death many years later. It is now a holy<br />
place and referred to in books as ‘The Holy<br />
Blood and the Holy Grail’ from which Dan<br />
Brown used information and references for<br />
his book The Da Vinci Code.
erfect winter destination<br />
Aigues-Morte, very close to Saintes-Mariesde-la-Mer<br />
is a city marked by crusades and<br />
the Knights Templar. It is a tourist site today<br />
but with an intriguing history and it’s a<br />
wonderful place to relax and chill enjoying<br />
the French lifestyle.<br />
In December the Cathar Castles and<br />
heritage sites are open and many appreciate<br />
that there are no crowds of tourists. The<br />
weather is generally sunny but cold, around<br />
10 degrees. And, if you’re a wine lover now is<br />
a good time to visit as vignerons have a lot<br />
more time to spend with wine enthusiasts.
French Caviar a la Carte<br />
Caviar is one of the most expensive foods<br />
in the world. Most think of it as a Russian<br />
delicacy but it’s also been produced in<br />
France for more than a century…<br />
Mike and Wendy McDowell from the UK<br />
have loved France since spending<br />
childhood holidays there and actually met<br />
in the Loire Valley. When the opportunity<br />
rose for them to start a business, working<br />
with one of the finest French caviar<br />
producers – they leapt at the chance.<br />
History of Caviar in France<br />
In the late 1800s, Russian immigrants<br />
who settled in the Gironde area noticed<br />
that local fishermen catching Siberian<br />
sturgeon in the rivers would eat the meat<br />
and discard the roe. This changed when<br />
the Russians showed the French how to<br />
create caviar and it became a popular<br />
delicacy. Following overfishing of wild<br />
sturgeon, the Government banned fishing<br />
for it and set up a partner farm to raise<br />
and protect the fish. There are now five<br />
caviar farms in France. Wendy and Mike<br />
work with Caviar de France, the oldest<br />
working caviar farm, based at Moulin de la<br />
Cassadotte, in the Gironde department.<br />
Entente Cordiale<br />
Thie partnership was formed when Wendy<br />
was made redundant from her job in 2011<br />
with a trainer manufacturer. “We used the<br />
redundancy money to set up Fine French<br />
Caviar in the UK” says Mike as he recalls<br />
the stress of their new venture, just as<br />
their baby was born. “We spent countless<br />
nights lying awake worrying. I remember<br />
Wendy putting on lots of makeup to hide<br />
her baggy eyes so that she looked ready<br />
for meetings with customers! She set up a<br />
website and was taking orders whilst<br />
trying to feed the baby”.<br />
But they knew that they had a great<br />
product and it inspired them to keep<br />
going. They have two types of caviar –<br />
both exclusive in the UK. Diva is a smooth,<br />
creamy caviar for the more amateur palate,<br />
made using the "malossol" method,<br />
meaning that only fish roe and natural salt<br />
is used to make it, without any<br />
preservatives. It has an authentic, light<br />
buttery taste, with a hint of warmth and<br />
hazelnut. Ebène is perfect for the<br />
connoisseur’s palate, tender, subtle and<br />
well-balanced with a hint of oyster, sea<br />
urchin, butter and hazelnut.
There are a number of 'do's & dont's' when it<br />
comes to caviar. Never use a silver metallic<br />
based spoon to serve or eat it. The silver oxidises<br />
the eggs and kills the flavour. The proper way to<br />
do it: off the back of the hand, off a mother of<br />
pearl or horn spoon. Wood, plastic and porcelain<br />
are all fit to serve caviar too. You can also serve<br />
off a GOLD spoon, if you have one!<br />
Once they drove 560 miles in a day to do a<br />
taste session for their caviar with a top<br />
chef and his team. It was worth it. Wendy<br />
presented Ebène in a blind taste test and it<br />
won hands down “Pound for Pound Ebène<br />
caviar is the best caviar we have ever<br />
tasted” declared the chef.<br />
In fact their caviar is so popular it’s<br />
appeared on the BBC foodie show Great<br />
British Menu no less than three times. It<br />
was even used in a dish prepared by<br />
Britain’s youngest Michelin star chef Aiden<br />
Byrne, scoring a perfect 10 from the 2*<br />
Michelin Chef Judge.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w Wendy and Mike import the caviar to<br />
the UK, delivering not just to loads of top<br />
chefs but to consumers by post in chilled<br />
packaging that ensures it arrives in perfect<br />
condition. “It’s not just for celebrities, the<br />
rich and top chefs, it’s an accessible<br />
product that everyone can enjoy” says<br />
Wendy.<br />
Their website has lots of recommendations<br />
for how to eat it and pair it with<br />
other food, Champagne, perhaps vodka,<br />
but some of Mike’s favourite ways to<br />
indulge include simple blinis and a dollop<br />
of crème fraiche, or even with a little<br />
scrambled egg, or mashed potato.<br />
“Great French caviar and great British<br />
produce – it’s entente cordiale on a plate”<br />
quips Mike.<br />
Fine French Caviar<br />
Enter the draw<br />
to win Fine<br />
French Caviar in<br />
time for<br />
Christmas, see
SPotligHt on BLAYE<br />
spotlight on blaye<br />
Aquitaine<br />
J Christina visits the historic town of<br />
Blaye, it might be small but it packs a<br />
mighty historic punch<br />
The Aquitaine region straddles a<br />
prominent position in southwest France. It<br />
stretches long and lean against the French<br />
Atlantic coastline, reaching up to the<br />
Pyrénées mountain range and<br />
transcending to the Spanish border. Here<br />
in the Gironde department, intrepid<br />
travellers can scamper to the summit of<br />
storybook castles, cycle through vineyardlaced<br />
countryside, walk through ancient<br />
villages and sip world-renowned wines.<br />
And it’s here that curious visitors will<br />
discover the douceur de vivre in a tiny onekilometer<br />
long settlement, once named<br />
Blaye-et-Sainte-Luce…<br />
Let me introduce you to Blaye, a petite but<br />
mighty hamlet, sitting at the southern tip of<br />
the Gironde estuary formed by the<br />
confluences of the nearby Dordogne and<br />
Garonne rivers. Blaye is an ancient and<br />
powerful settlement from medieval times,<br />
where the Citadel of Blaye and its military<br />
fortifications sit majestically over the<br />
waters of western Europe’s largest estuary.<br />
La Citadelle De Blaye, a medieval fortress,<br />
along with Fort Médoc and Fort Paté,<br />
formed a military defence system during<br />
the 18th and 19th centuries to protect the<br />
downstream port of Bordeaux from sea<br />
invasions and wars. It is a legendary<br />
example of engineering genius and<br />
Romanesque architecture designed and<br />
built by Vauban, the engineer of Louis XIV<br />
who left his mark throughout France. It’s a<br />
picture postcard town, with scarred<br />
ramparts that bear witness to battles and<br />
conflict through this historic maritime<br />
route.<br />
<strong>No</strong>wadays, we find the citadel is a living<br />
monument, where inside the bastion, a<br />
maze of cobblestone streets, stone houses,<br />
artisan shops, cafes and wine shops, still<br />
thrive.
From atop the medieval walls of photogenic<br />
Blaye Citadel there are stunning panoramic<br />
views of the estuary and across to the<br />
famed Médoc.<br />
It is free to enter the UNESCO listed citadel<br />
and its ramparts, but within its walled city<br />
visitors pay for guided tours of Abbey Saint<br />
Romain or Musee d’Archéologie et Histoire<br />
de Blaye, via the Tourist Office.<br />
Walking the main street of Blaye, there is a<br />
feeling of authenticity. Vibrant street<br />
markets are held every Wednesday and<br />
Saturday in front of the Citadel, rich and<br />
colourful with tented stalls, filled with local<br />
produce and seafood. The soil in Blaye is<br />
rich and varied, and the area boasts 240<br />
days of sunshine. This results in prized<br />
asparagus, figs, and celebrated Côtes de<br />
Blaye red wines from vineyards in the<br />
Gironde. A must visit is the Maison du Vin<br />
on the Cours Vauban to taste the famous<br />
wine of this enchanting region.<br />
A visit to Blaye is a like a step-back in time.<br />
a place where the locals are warm and<br />
welcoming making your time in the Gironde<br />
a captivating experience.
Beginning French...<br />
by Les Americains<br />
Marty and Eileen Neumeier from California reveal how they fell in love with a house<br />
and life in the Dordogne even though they live thousands of miles away. They and<br />
their daughter Sara say it’s worth every minute of the effort to get there each year<br />
and they’ve even written a truly inspiring book about it...<br />
The couple unlocks the French doors and walk<br />
onto the stone terrace. Their bodies are stiff,<br />
achy, jetlagged. They’ve just endured the 27-<br />
hour ritual in which they drag heavy bags from<br />
house to car, car to shuttle, shuttle to plane,<br />
plane to plane, plane to taxi, taxi to train, train to<br />
car, and car to old stone house—the house that<br />
waits patiently all autumn, winter, and spring.<br />
They collapse on wicker chairs and stare into<br />
the distance. The air is warm. The first stars<br />
make their shy appearance.<br />
The woman gets up, her chair creaking. She<br />
disappears into the house and returns with a<br />
bottle of pale rosé, sets one glass here, one<br />
there.<br />
After a long pause, she says: “I’m not sure I can<br />
do this anymore.”
The man nods. “It’s impossible.”<br />
They sit, taking small sips as the stars<br />
grow bolder and more numerous. A bat<br />
zigzags through wooden columns that<br />
strain to support a roof heavy with old tiles.<br />
The breeze carries the scent of burning<br />
vines.<br />
“Of course,” the woman says, “I always say<br />
that. Then we get here, we come out onto<br />
the terrace, and I remember why.”<br />
The man turns his head.<br />
“You know—why we do it,” she says. “Why<br />
we pack up our clothes, our computers, the<br />
dogs, everything. Why we close up our<br />
house in California and hire strangers to<br />
watch over it.”<br />
“Why do we?”<br />
“Because of this,” she says, with an<br />
inclusive gesture. “This landscape. This<br />
fragrance. This view. As soon as we get<br />
here I start to forget all the effort and pain.<br />
And then I never want to leave.”<br />
The man raises his eyebrows.<br />
“I think we should write a book about this,”<br />
she says. “I think we should write a book<br />
about this part of France, about our<br />
friends, our neighbors, about Sara, this<br />
house, about learning French.<br />
About this.”<br />
The woman drains her glass and places it<br />
on the table.<br />
“Same way we do everything,” she says,<br />
her smile a miniature Milky Way. “You’ll<br />
drive and I’ll navigate.”<br />
He reaches for her hand. They laugh. They<br />
walk into the house, where the jetlag and<br />
the wine and the fragrance of the night<br />
overtake them.<br />
For the record, my name is Marty and my<br />
wife is Eileen. We’re Americans. But here’s<br />
the thing: if we could introduce ourselves<br />
to all of our 320 million neighbors in all of<br />
our 50 states, no one would call us<br />
Americans. We would simply be Marty and<br />
Eileen. Yet in this part of France, no one<br />
would call us anything but les Américains.<br />
Why? Because there are no others. We’ve<br />
looked.<br />
Aside from the French, we see quite a few<br />
English. In the summer we hear a<br />
smattering of Dutch. While the Dutch may<br />
simply be taking advantage of the cheap<br />
flights out of Rotterdam, the Brits have a<br />
historic claim on the place. They lost it in<br />
the Hundred Years’ War. And now, six<br />
hundred years later, it’s as if they’re quietly<br />
buying it back, bit by bit, hoping no one will<br />
notice.<br />
They gaze across the field. A light goes on<br />
in the next hamlet over. The sky has become<br />
a sea of stars. The Milky Way is the<br />
heavenly wake of some huge ocean liner,<br />
passing silently millions of miles overhead.<br />
“Both of us?” says the man.<br />
“Why not?”<br />
“How can two people write a book?”
But that doesn’t explain why we’re here, les<br />
Américains. Or why we traded our life<br />
savings for a second house in a part of the<br />
world we’d never heard of. We have no<br />
historic ties to France, no family members<br />
living in the “old country,” no vivid<br />
memories of cycling through the ripening<br />
vines during our gap year. More to the point,<br />
we can’t just “pop down” like our British<br />
friends. We have to slog 7,000 miles<br />
through nine time zones and five types of<br />
transportation to get here.<br />
<strong>No</strong>. The reason we ended up in France is<br />
much less obvious. We came by mistake.<br />
We thought if we bought a house in France,<br />
we would—as night follows day—become<br />
French.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w I know what you’re thinking: Wow,<br />
these people must be loaded. Who buys a<br />
house in France on such a whim?<br />
It wasn’t like that. There were no silver<br />
spoons in the kitchen drawer. We started<br />
our marriage as mere children, barely<br />
twenty, already raising a child of our own.<br />
To pay the rent I peddled handmade<br />
greeting cards from the back of an old<br />
Volvo. Eileen fed our little family with food<br />
stamps. When the greeting card business<br />
failed, I set up shop as a freelance designer.<br />
Little by little we built a life - I, designing ads<br />
and logos, she, keeping the books and<br />
running the house.<br />
For the next twenty years, travel was out of<br />
the question. But we kept the idea alive—the<br />
idea that someday we might visit a few<br />
foreign countries, even learn another<br />
language. And maybe, just maybe, if we<br />
worked hard enough and spent next to<br />
nothing on clothes and cars and meals in<br />
restaurants, we could afford to live in a<br />
foreign country. Why not? It doesn’t cost a<br />
cent to dream...<br />
Read the whole story by Les Americains,<br />
Beginning French, available from Amazon.
House Sitting in the Ile de France<br />
- how to have your cake and eat<br />
it<br />
Over the years I have visited various parts<br />
of the French coast, mountains and cities<br />
for holidays, work and pleasure. But I've<br />
seldom had the luxury of time to simply live<br />
in one place and take in my surroundings<br />
without the deadlines of a timed holiday or<br />
tours crammed between business<br />
meetings and a return flight.<br />
Housesitting in Ile de France gave me that<br />
privilege; time to enjoy the country and<br />
savour the character of the heart of la<br />
France Profonde.<br />
Discovering the Ile de France<br />
In the heart of the French countryside just<br />
one hour from Paris lives a British expat<br />
long established in a tiny hamlet near the<br />
town of Coulommiers, with her family of<br />
dogs and hens. Susan occasionally travels<br />
away from her country idyll finding<br />
housesitters to take care of her pets and<br />
home. On the Housesit Match website she<br />
describes her French home as ‘a peaceful<br />
retreat nestled in the heart of the country’.<br />
Driving along the Route National at<br />
Ermenonville I passed the famous Parc<br />
Asterix and noticed scenic road side areas<br />
signposted as bon coins de pique-nique,<br />
and covoiturage. How organised to set<br />
aside land for outdoor lunch and ride<br />
sharing meeting places. It was hard to<br />
visualise anything like this off motorways<br />
elsewhere. When I arrived, nothing had<br />
prepared me for this charming corner of the<br />
world. Susan's home is a characterful gated<br />
property not visible from the road, with<br />
expansive views from the rear facing<br />
veranda.<br />
Land of Brie and Champagne<br />
Before long Susan introduced me to my<br />
charges for the housesit assignment, four<br />
dogs - all different sizes and ages and each<br />
with a unique personality, and 12 chickens.<br />
Their routines were straightforward and her<br />
explanations and briefing document was<br />
clear. I was all set. And she was ready for<br />
her holiday.<br />
Barring downpours of rain in the first two<br />
days the rest of the time at the housesit<br />
was peaceful, warm and sunny. I visited<br />
Coulommiers the nearest town, and the first<br />
place in France to produce what we now<br />
know as Brie cheese.
I also visited nearby Saint Simeon and the<br />
Fromagère de la brie where you can<br />
organise visits to see the cheese being<br />
made, and naturally there are dégustations<br />
à la Laiterie.<br />
This region is close to the home of<br />
Champagne. It's easy to get to and try a<br />
little tasting (or two) and take some bottles<br />
of bubbles home with you.<br />
<strong>No</strong> matter where you house sit in France,<br />
there’s always something wonderful close<br />
by and in this case, one of the many great<br />
places to visit was Fontainebleau. Both the<br />
gardens and chateau were exquisite, really<br />
easy to negotiate and not at all crowded,<br />
not like Versailles which has been plagued<br />
by long queues whenever I have visited.<br />
Originally a fortified castle dating from the<br />
12th Century, this chateau has weathered<br />
more than 800 years of history, 36<br />
monarchs and an Emperor.<br />
Above left: the mountains of Reims,<br />
Champagne, above right: Chateau de<br />
Fontainebleau; right: Susan's chickens!
Housesitting and pet sitting Joys and<br />
Responsibilities<br />
Living like a local as a guest of the home<br />
owner yielded insights I couldn’t have<br />
uncovered in such a short space of time on<br />
a normal holiday. It’s this local knowledge<br />
that can enrich a new experience and that’s<br />
one of the reasons I love housesitting. Ile de<br />
France came to life for me through Susan’s<br />
insider’s tips in a way no guide book could<br />
have managed at such a local level.<br />
And what of my petsitting charges, I hear<br />
you asking? All this eating and drinking and<br />
enjoying the scenery doesn’t get the dogs<br />
walked or the chickens fed and watered!<br />
Well once we were in a routine the dogs and<br />
hens were straightforward and easy to care<br />
for.<br />
The hens were let out of their coop early in<br />
the morning, fed grain and given fresh<br />
water. And because their paddock was well<br />
fenced and they were safely enclosed the<br />
next time I had to worry about them was at<br />
sunset when I needed to ensure they had all<br />
returned and they were safely put away in<br />
their hen house at night.<br />
The dogs on the other hand were far more<br />
entertaining. They loved going for a<br />
country walk first thing. In the large<br />
garden they chased each other, got<br />
excited at the sound of Paris commuters<br />
driving past the gate, or rabbits spotted in<br />
the surroungind fields. It left me free to do<br />
as I wished for the rest of the day!<br />
My trip to Ile de France was brilliant and I<br />
know that I was only able to scratch the<br />
surface of all that was on offer. I hope to<br />
return to this wonderful region and to<br />
uncover more treasures, more produits de<br />
terroir, and through housesitting meet<br />
more wonderful friends and locals in a<br />
way that a classic tourist visit might not<br />
discover.<br />
By offering my services as a house and<br />
pet sitter I was able to live comfortably,<br />
care for pets which made me feel more at<br />
home and I didn’t have to pay for any<br />
accommodation for a wonderful holiday in<br />
a new part of France full of authentic<br />
experiences.
Above left: Susans's home in Ile de<br />
France; centre: Dogs Barry and Flea;<br />
right: laptop with a view!
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Y O U R<br />
P H O T O S<br />
Every weekend, we invite you to share your photos on Facebook - it's a great way for<br />
everyone to see "real" France and be inspired by real travellers snapping pics as they<br />
go. Every week there are utterly gorgeous photos being shared and we've decided to<br />
post the most popular of each month here. Share your favourite photos with us on<br />
Facebook - the most liked will appear in the next issue of The Good Life France<br />
Magazine...<br />
AUGUST - Monet's Garden, <strong>No</strong>rmandy<br />
By Helen Dodge Loved on Facebook by 10,462 people<br />
By Helen Dodge loved on Facebook by 10,564 people<br />
Octobe<br />
By A Caine
september - mont st michel<br />
By Daniela Perria Rickey loved on Facebook by 4,338 people<br />
Join us on<br />
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r - Wine store Saint Emilion<br />
Loved on Facebook by 4<strong>13</strong>7 people
Géraldine Lepère of Comme Une Francaise French Language and<br />
Lifestyle shares her top tips to help you sound more French. In this<br />
lesson she demonstrates how to make a toast in France - at this time<br />
of the year it's a very timely lesson!<br />
Toasting in all countries is full of customs and superstitions. It’s a tradition that goes<br />
back to the Middle Ages and probably beyond. And still now, it’s always a ritual. How to<br />
make a toast in France, what to do, what to say? The fun video below will help you toast<br />
in French like a local!<br />
And, there's a saying in France that you when you make a toast, you must look in the<br />
eye of the person you are toasting with or suffer 7 years of bad sex!<br />
Click on the video for your free lesson! It will open full screen then click<br />
on the X in the right hand corner to return to the magazine!
Expat in France Susan Hays shares the excitement of searching, and<br />
finding, your dream home in France, in this case, the charming<br />
Charente-Maritime area, Poitou-Charentes
Our dream of moving to France grew dimmer and dimmer, we couldn't find<br />
The phone burst into life with a sudden jolt<br />
of energy, and picking it up, I heard a voice,<br />
"Susan? Susan? Is that you? I think I may<br />
have found something...". My heart gave a<br />
lurch of excitement, the dread I had been<br />
feeling for a week lifting off my chest. There<br />
were more words on the other end of the<br />
line, but I was already gone, drifting back to<br />
France and the sound of cicadas.<br />
With five children at school and a house to<br />
pack, we'd decided it was my husband’s<br />
turn to go house-hunting. We’d lived in<br />
France before, we knew what we wanted<br />
this time, going back to a country we loved<br />
so much, and we'd drawn up a check-list of<br />
things that were vital to the purchase, along<br />
with a second list of things that would be<br />
'nice'. We'd already chosen the area, the<br />
Charente Maritime, for the prospect of<br />
living in France's second sunniest region<br />
appealed to us greatly. The seaside, figs,<br />
lemons, olives, grapes and melons all<br />
drifted in and out of our conversation, as<br />
did mutterings of beach life and coastal<br />
marshlands. So, he packed a small bag one<br />
late June morning and I drove him to the<br />
airport as we discussed gardens, rooms,<br />
schools and resources. We were confident<br />
enough he would find something from the<br />
list of properties we had booked to see.<br />
Except he didn't.<br />
For five days, he drove his little hire-car<br />
back and forth across the corn-studded<br />
hinterland of the region, and down dusty<br />
little coastal roads by the sea. He sent<br />
nightly reports from a remote chambres<br />
d'hôtes via intermittent internet, and he<br />
slowly whittled down the list of appointments<br />
till they had finished. There was<br />
nothing that matched our list of requirements;<br />
certainly not for the budget we had<br />
in mind, anyway. Each house he visited had<br />
a problem with it, lack of schools, distance<br />
to a town or distance from the coast; there<br />
was always something out of kilter. The one<br />
house that had seemed ideal was signed<br />
away the day before he was due to view. We<br />
talked late into the night as our dreams<br />
grew dimmer and dimmer.
our dream house... and then I got the message "Found something possible"<br />
The morning before he was due to leave, in<br />
desperation he parked his car by the Place<br />
Colbert in Rochefort and went round estate<br />
agents collecting magazines in the rack<br />
outside each door. Settling into a chair at a<br />
café with a coffee he set to work. It took an<br />
hour to cull through the properties and by<br />
the time he finished it was nearly lunchtime<br />
and he still had nothing to show for<br />
his efforts. Looking up, he saw an agency<br />
on the far side of the square he had<br />
missed. He paid for his coffee and set off<br />
across the cobbles.<br />
The estate agent gathered some particulars<br />
of properties that fitted our requirements.<br />
Two of them, my husband had already<br />
visited, and his heart sank as he scanned<br />
the rest. As he did so, the agent fussed with<br />
a notepad, and looked up; "I have something<br />
else, but I don't have any particulars<br />
for it, I'm afraid. It came on the market two<br />
days ago and we already had someone to<br />
see it. Would you like to have a look, maybe<br />
next week? It is within your price-range,<br />
and it is in a village..."<br />
"Yes," laughed my husband, "but it will have<br />
to be today!”<br />
The man across the table scowled at the<br />
difficulties this was going to present, but he<br />
picked up the phone and made a call, and<br />
then asked, "This afternoon, after lunch?"<br />
That was when I received the message I<br />
had been hoping for, a simple text which<br />
read<br />
"FOUND SOMETHING POSSIBLE WILL<br />
CALL LATER XXX"<br />
It was in a village, it had a large garden,<br />
outbuildings, grapevines and a fig tree and<br />
the village had a school and a bakery. It met<br />
just about all of our requirements. It<br />
belonged to a very old lady, and his heart<br />
quailed at the thought of finding something<br />
in a perfect situation, but in complete<br />
disrepair as the asking price would leave<br />
little change from the budget for much<br />
more than a new coat of paint.
Piling into the agent's car at the appointed<br />
hour, the pair of them sped across the<br />
ancient salt marsh towards a church tower<br />
far away on the horizon. Fifteen minutes<br />
later they rolled down a dusty sunny street<br />
into a village, and came to a stop at a huge<br />
pair of gates, covered in ancient peeling<br />
paint. Beyond the gates lay a driveway<br />
bordered with hedges, and a garden that<br />
stretched as far as the eye could see. My<br />
husband told me later that he'd known<br />
instantly this was to be our home.<br />
The house belonged to a family that had<br />
been there for generations. The old woman<br />
had gone to a nursing home near Paris, the<br />
interior was a time warp. In one room,<br />
upstairs, a shelf groaned under the weight<br />
of every Paris Match ever printed, books<br />
stood in stacks, covered in dust. In the attic,<br />
boxes of scientific journals going back a<br />
hundred years lay ready for serious study,<br />
and each room seemed to live on a<br />
different level, steps leading up and down<br />
like a rabbit's warren of dark and shuttered<br />
spaces. The outbuilding turned out to be<br />
the old farm manager's cottage, complete<br />
with a kitchen and bathroom untouched for<br />
decades. But despite the long grass and<br />
unkempt appearance, he knew this would<br />
be a good home for a large family. The<br />
garden even came with a sun-dappled set<br />
of childrens' swings - a proper set, proud<br />
and tall with room for three siblings.<br />
After a frantic night of phone calls and<br />
photos, I put it all in his hands, and told him<br />
it was his decision. The next morning he<br />
rang the agent made his offer, and agreed<br />
to sign the papers at lunchtime. At half-past<br />
two, as he sat at a desk in the agent’s office,<br />
scrawling his signature across the contract,<br />
the phone on the table rang. It was the<br />
people who had seen the house first,<br />
wanting to put in an offer; but they were too<br />
late, the ink had already dried.<br />
Two hours later, he drove back to his<br />
chambres d'hôtes in a daze, a copy of a<br />
power of attorney in one hand, the sale<br />
papers in the other, and two weeks to pay<br />
the deposit. When he rang me, the children<br />
whooped with excitement and my eyes<br />
grew moist with elation. We were going to<br />
France.<br />
Find out how life is in France for Susan and<br />
family at her blog: Our French Oasis
Find your dream home in La Rochelle<br />
La Rochelle is a great place to live, it's<br />
known as the sunniest town of the South<br />
West of France says local property agent<br />
Elinor Murless.<br />
The historical old port of La Rochelle is a<br />
lovely place to sit and relax watching the<br />
world go by with lots of great restaurants<br />
and bars. There's plenty to do all year<br />
round. The different architectural styles of<br />
La Rochelle give it a really special feel, it’s<br />
very atmospheric and picturesque.<br />
For nature fans, living around La Rochelle<br />
is ideal because of its proximity with the<br />
Atlantic coast, the Marais Poitevin and the<br />
Vendée. You can even island hop here as<br />
the Iles de Ré, Aix and Oléron are just a<br />
short ride away.<br />
To sum up, the living is good, there are<br />
lots of brilliant beaches, traditional<br />
villages, the benefits of city life plus nature<br />
reserves on your doorstep. Plus the people<br />
are really friendly!<br />
I would say to that by living close to La<br />
Rochelle, you really have so much choice<br />
for your French lifestyle – there’s<br />
something here to suit every dream…<br />
Large family home with 4 bedrooms on<br />
a big wooded garden with a small pond.<br />
€304,950<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Beautiful farmhouse with 6 bedrooms in a<br />
quiet hamlet, on beautiful garden, spa and<br />
sauna 20km from La Rochelle center.<br />
€ 478,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Splendid Manoir style house with<br />
tennis court, swimming pool and guest<br />
house, large garden with streams.<br />
€880,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Elinor's Property Portfolio, Leggett<br />
Immobillier
We chat to expats Louise Elsom and Dave Pegram who are finding<br />
success with a pop-up vegetarian and vegan restaurant in their home<br />
in Haute-Vienne and find out their top tips for creating a catering<br />
business in France
How did you come to be in France?<br />
I'm originally from East Yorkshire, England,<br />
UK. There seem to be a lot of us "Yorkshire<br />
Folk" out here. Either I'm being followed or<br />
we all have the same great idea to move to<br />
the Limousin region! Back in 2008, I<br />
finished University and wasn’t really sure<br />
what I wanted to do. My family had<br />
holidayed in Southern France throughout<br />
my childhood and my late dad had always<br />
dreamed of retiring here. Sadly he never<br />
got to live out that wish, but my Mum and I<br />
(after a lot of dithering), decided to go for it<br />
and move to France. We moved to<br />
Carcassonne and I had six happy years<br />
there. I met my Fiancée Dave two years ago<br />
and we've just bought our first home in the<br />
lovely Haute-Vienne region. My mum has<br />
moved to this area too.<br />
I bought a lovely, but unloved, two<br />
bedroomed house with a barn, a little<br />
stable and a bit of land – I just fell in love<br />
with it. Dave wasn’t quite so impressed<br />
when he saw it but I convinced him of the<br />
potential. It had been left abandoned for 15<br />
years but Dave is a builder so we’ve done<br />
all the renovation work ourselves. It's in a<br />
great area just outside the village of Saint<br />
Laurent sur Gorre. It's very peaceful with<br />
lots of lovely lakes and great for walking<br />
our two dogs. But if we want a bit of city life,<br />
Limoges is just 30 minutes away. I can<br />
spend hours walking around the cobbled<br />
streets, visiting the churches and dragging<br />
poor Dave into the many shops. Other<br />
highlights in the area include Saint Junien,<br />
Rochechouart, Chalus, Segur le Chateau.<br />
The list is endless...<br />
What it inspired you to create a pop up<br />
restaurant?<br />
Well I must admit to being a hopeless cook<br />
for many years. I had lived through my<br />
university years on takeaways and had<br />
never bothered cooking. But then I met<br />
Dave and found that he was a vegetarian,<br />
so I couldn't get away with shoving chicken<br />
Kiev and chips in the oven, I had to learn to<br />
cook!
To my surprise, I found that I loved it and I<br />
was really good at it. So much so, that I<br />
started a vegetarian recipes blog and, from<br />
there, decided to start a little vegetarian<br />
and vegan restaurant. And The Hidden<br />
Veggie Kitchen was born.<br />
The Hidden Veggie Kitchen is in our home<br />
and people can come and eat homemade<br />
vegetarian and vegan food and meet new<br />
people. It’s very sociable, people sit<br />
together at our two long tables and they<br />
love it. We’ve had so many interesting<br />
people visit, from as far as Holland and<br />
America. Many of our customers aren't<br />
vegetarian, they just want to eat a bit less<br />
meat on a weekly basis and enjoy simple,<br />
home cooked meals.<br />
How has it been to start a business in<br />
France?<br />
It’s rather overwhelming to set up a<br />
business in a foreign country so I got<br />
professional help with the Administration<br />
as I didn't want to make any mistakes! Jo-<br />
Ann Howell from French Admin Solutions<br />
helped me fill in the paperwork to become<br />
a Micro Enterprise and got me signed up<br />
for a 5 day Business course in Limoges. It<br />
is definitely reassuring to have someone<br />
that you can go to with any questions as,<br />
even with reasonable French; it is still easy<br />
to make mistakes!<br />
What top tips would you give to anyone<br />
wanting to set up a catering business in<br />
France?<br />
Well I would definitely say that you should<br />
do your research. I asked around and made<br />
sure that I would have enough potential<br />
customers in the area to make my<br />
business worthwhile. Customers travel<br />
from far and wide now so they obviously<br />
feel it's worthwhile for good food!<br />
I’ve found it easier to set up a business in<br />
my own home rather than on dedicated<br />
business premises. I’ve started small and<br />
grown gradually, rather than jumping in,<br />
renting a building, then finding I can't cover<br />
my monthly expenses. We’re still growing<br />
and we have the potential to extend the<br />
dining space into the barn.<br />
How easy has it been to make friends in<br />
France?<br />
In our little hamlet everyone is French, with<br />
the exception of one British owned holiday<br />
home. Our French neighbours have been<br />
extremely welcoming. When we first moved<br />
in, we had no running water for several<br />
weeks and everyone offered us the use of<br />
their outdoor taps and even showers! I<br />
started a Facebook group, "Get Togethers<br />
in the Limousin", and I've hosted several<br />
events which has been a big help in making<br />
friends.<br />
I know that it can be very hard for a lot of<br />
people to make friends when they move to<br />
France, especially if they haven’t mastered<br />
French. I’ve found that if you make the<br />
effort and join French classes, local social<br />
groups, yoga classes etc, you will soon<br />
meet people.<br />
After eight years in France, I've definitely<br />
adapted. When I return to the UK to visit<br />
friends I often feel overwhelmed at first by<br />
the amount of people. I’ve certainly become<br />
used to life in rural France where<br />
sometimes, the only traffic I see is a tractor<br />
passing by. I’m lucky to have my Mum just<br />
45 minutes away in the Charente and<br />
Dave's mum and stepdad live in the<br />
Dordogne, so we always have people to<br />
turn to if we need help or support.<br />
When we have children, we will make sure<br />
that they fully adapt to life in France and<br />
are bilingual, as that is such a huge<br />
advantage. Perhaps they will help me to<br />
gradually improve my French too!<br />
The Hidden Veggie Kitchen Website
FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN HAUTE-VIENNE<br />
The picturesque villages of the regional park of the Perigord-Limousin offer tranquil<br />
countryside living close to Limoges and its International airport. Rich with culture,<br />
fantastic restaurants, leisure lakes, outdoor activities, and the relaxed pace of living<br />
make this a truly beautiful place to live. When purchasing a property in this region you<br />
still get good value, lovely stone houses, exposed beams and a lot of space for your<br />
money.<br />
This is a region of outstanding natural beauty, perfect for those who enjoy outdoor<br />
living and activities and Limoges city offers city culture and life on the doorstep.<br />
Fiona Marsh, local property agent shares her top picks:<br />
Stunning property with 4 bedrooms set in<br />
private grounds of 2845m² with a swimming<br />
pool. A short drive to the town with facilities<br />
make this a perfect country home.<br />
Guide Price: €288,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
3 bedroom stone hamlet house, beautifully<br />
restored. Gorgeous garden, 2 courtyards and<br />
close to faciities<br />
Guide Price: €77,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Fabulous country house with 12 hectares<br />
of land, it's own Napoleonic lake,<br />
separate farm house and cottage with<br />
priviate gardens, 4 barns and 2 pools!<br />
Endless possibilities here!<br />
Guide Price: €689,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Fiona's Property Portfolio<br />
Leggett Immobillier
From Dudley to the Dordogne... Brian Beard meets the Burrows family who<br />
live in rural bliss in south west France<br />
In 2003 David Burrows and his family<br />
decided on a new life in France. The name<br />
may be familiar to you if you are a football<br />
fan because David played for some of the<br />
top English Premier League clubs,<br />
including Liverpool and Everton. He was<br />
part of the last Liverpool team to win the<br />
top flight league title, in 1990, before the<br />
revamp of English football saw the<br />
introduction of the Premier League. A little<br />
known football fact is that he still holds the<br />
record for the second fastest goal in<br />
Merseyside derby history, just 48 seconds<br />
from kick-off, for Liverpool against Everton,<br />
on 31st August 1991, second only to Anfield<br />
legend Kenny Dalglish, who actually signed<br />
the 19 year old left back from West<br />
Bromwich Albion, in 1989.<br />
So why and how did a died-in-the- wool<br />
Black Country lad up sticks and create a<br />
new life for himself and his family.<br />
"Why not" is the answer, accompanied with<br />
a typical Gallic shrug of the shoulders, with<br />
a Midland accent of course.
'Bugsy' as he is nicknamed continues. "We<br />
spent a lot of family holidays in France and<br />
as I was coming to the end of my career I<br />
had a few injuries and there was a lot about<br />
football I didn`t like so we thought, why not<br />
make a new life."<br />
David was in a fortunate position,<br />
financially, after a career in professional<br />
football totalling more than 400 games. A<br />
career which saw him win the Football<br />
League, the FA Cup and two FA Charity<br />
Shields.<br />
He says: "I had my pension from football as<br />
well as other business interests so I didn`t<br />
have to worry about that side of things and<br />
looking after the family."<br />
David met his wife Jackie when they were<br />
16 and 14 respectively. They married in 1990<br />
and she of course followed him around<br />
England as he stopped off to play for; West<br />
Brom, Liverpool, West Ham, Everton,<br />
Coventry, Birmingham City and Sheffield<br />
Wednesday, his last club.<br />
Indeed it was the move to Yorkshire for<br />
'Bugsy' that proved the catalyst for the<br />
move to France. Jackie recalls.<br />
"It was probably me more than David who<br />
wanted the move to France. When he<br />
signed for Sheffield Wednesday it was the<br />
first time he ever had to commute to work<br />
as we usually moved to the new area when<br />
he changed clubs. It was the first time he<br />
ever had to travel to a club and that was<br />
something neither of us liked."<br />
So the family packed up and headed for a<br />
new life in France. A beautiful 17th century<br />
farmhouse of yellow Dordogne stone,<br />
typical of the area, became home for the<br />
couple and their three children, David,<br />
Sophie and Alexandra, `Alex`.<br />
David never harboured any plans to coach<br />
or manage in England and that didn`t<br />
change when they relocated. But in order to<br />
enjoy their new life to the full 'Bugsy' was<br />
determined to keep fit.
David, top left (red) playing for Liverpool at the<br />
25th Anniversary of Hillsborough Match<br />
"I wanted to integrate into the community<br />
and I had already decided a good way of<br />
doing that would be to go along to the local<br />
football club and learn more. I didn`t want<br />
to breeze in and say to people 'look at me<br />
I`m an ex-pro' and 'piggy-back' on that. I'm<br />
a private person and didn`t want that kind<br />
of privileged start. I just wanted to train and<br />
keep fit".<br />
But the local team, Olympique Coux et<br />
Bigaroque beat him to it and after being<br />
invited to train with them he ended up in<br />
the side but was unable to prevent their<br />
relegation. The following season, with, as<br />
David puts it, `"professional organisation,<br />
training and a few new, good, players, we<br />
won the championship of the Dordogne."<br />
Meanwhile the family settled well and<br />
fortunately there weren`t too many<br />
obstacles to the acclimatisation process.<br />
"I think most people who start a new life<br />
abroad encounter situations that lead them<br />
to think 'what are we doing here'" says<br />
Jackie. "But we had no such problems.<br />
David had his football, the children were at<br />
school and meeting up with and talking to<br />
local parents helped immensely in us<br />
settling in to the local community."<br />
The process was helped by the continual<br />
work schedule they had to carry out on<br />
their farmhouse because David and Jackie<br />
put something back into the community, a<br />
tangible contribution to the local economy,<br />
as Jackie explained:<br />
"Rather than use English tradesmen we<br />
made a point of employing local French
Above and left: The<br />
Burrows rental<br />
properties, typically<br />
Dordogne<br />
artisans, and that helped the immersion<br />
into the area. If we needed help or an<br />
opinion there was always someone we<br />
could turn to or someone who knew<br />
someone."<br />
To those who have not changed their lives<br />
in the way the Burrows family have there is<br />
a common misconception that long days<br />
are spent in the sun, on the terrace, sipping<br />
a glass of wine, or several, and winding<br />
down the 'clock of life'. Unfortunately, or<br />
fortunately perhaps, that is neither<br />
sustainable or realistic. Although they had<br />
a solid financial background on which to<br />
build their new life in France Jackie and<br />
David were practical.<br />
"We were financially ok but it wasn`t bulletproof.<br />
" says Jackie. "There has been<br />
economic volatility for some years now and<br />
if you sat on your pension it would go, very<br />
quickly. So we went into property and<br />
bought two beautiful holiday homes that<br />
we rent out as an income stream. I spend<br />
something like 20 hours a week on<br />
everything from bookings to change-overs<br />
while David takes care of the<br />
maintenance."
Living the dream, Hautefort Dordogne, one<br />
of several of the beautiful villages in the<br />
area.<br />
Life in France for many is about variety and<br />
maintaining a balance. Work-life balance is<br />
something the French have turned into a<br />
fine art and, as David added, there is more<br />
to renting out property than simply being<br />
an income stream.<br />
"We find that a lot of the people who rent<br />
our properties come back year after year<br />
and many become friends so it has other<br />
benefits as well as being a source of<br />
income. We put everything into trying to<br />
integrate into the community. That is<br />
crucial for anyone moving to a new<br />
country, a new culture. Football obviously<br />
helped but it was only one part of settling<br />
in."<br />
David only recently called time on his<br />
playing career in France, hanging up his<br />
boots on medical advice as the ravages of<br />
playing the game for four decades took its<br />
toll. But, he still plays the occasional game.<br />
The whole family have really embraced life<br />
in France. David, the couple`s son, works as<br />
an ambulance driver; Sophie works in<br />
Import and Export in Bordeaux; and Alex is<br />
at 6th Form College.<br />
David and Jackie are united in their<br />
evaluation of that life changing decision<br />
made <strong>13</strong> years ago. They say they have<br />
absolutely no regrets.<br />
"Moving here to France is the best decision<br />
we have ever made. The children love it and<br />
we love it. The people are so generous, in<br />
every respect. Life has been, and is,<br />
wonderful. C`est magnifique.<br />
SEE TOP TIPS FOR MARKETING HOLIDAY<br />
LETS - page 104
FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN DORDOGNE<br />
The Dordogne is a popular department for foreign buyers due to great weather, lots to<br />
do, fantastic gastronomy, numerous picturesque villages and 4,000 chateaux! The<br />
department has four distinct territories. The ‘Green Périgord' in the north derives its<br />
name from its green valleys and woodland. In the centre of the department is 'White<br />
Périgord', so called because of its limestone plateaux. The 'Purple Périgord', in the<br />
South West of the department, is named from the area's grapes.<br />
In the south-east you'll find 'Black Périgord', with deep valleys and ancient forests. It<br />
contains the towns of Saint-Cyprien and Sarlat-la-Caneda, classic yellow stone<br />
buildings, prehistoric caves and some of the most beautiful villages in France.<br />
Nearest international airports are Limoges, Bergerac and Bordeaux.<br />
Local property agent Antonella reveals three of her top picks in the area:<br />
This charming house has 2 bedrooms<br />
and a converted barn with 2 bedrooms.<br />
A swimming pool, outdoor dining area<br />
and studio make this an absolute mustsee<br />
Guide Price: €318,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Gorgeous stone property with 5<br />
bedrooms, swimming pool and short walk<br />
to Bastide de Beaumont with shops and<br />
restaurants. Also a great investment<br />
property, achievin E50,000 for 12 weeks<br />
this summer<br />
Guide Price: €449,000<br />
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS<br />
Beautiful old presbytery with loads<br />
of character, 5 bedrooms and a<br />
swimming pool. With fabulous views<br />
over the countryside this is a really<br />
charming home.<br />
Guide price: €461,100<br />
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
Renting holiday properties are one of the most popular forms of income in France<br />
for expats and so it's really important to make the most of your opportunities.<br />
Successful marketing means being pro-active with a clear strategy and budget<br />
says Donna Sloane of French Connections.<br />
Here are her top marketing tips:<br />
WHERE TO ADVERTISE<br />
Look online at listing websites and maybe choose more than one. Some are<br />
international, others specialise in France. Some charge a set annual fee, others take<br />
commission. Check out special offers, especially at this time of year.<br />
choose customer service<br />
Will staff help create your presentation and do they answer helpline calls and emails<br />
quickly and effectively? Does the company promote owners through advertising,<br />
blogging and a PR programme?<br />
budget<br />
Allow for hosting of your listing over the long term plus costs like photography and<br />
contingencies like special offers and ‘featured property’ slots on the listing site.<br />
create a great online listing<br />
Use the host site template to display stunning photos and an alluring but honest<br />
description. Aim to show what a holiday at your place offers and make it stand out from<br />
the rest. Holidaymakers want to see what to expect, imagine themselves there and feel<br />
safe to book.<br />
monitor enquiries<br />
Be easy to contact and reply to enquiries within 24 hours maximum. Often it’s good<br />
business to phone for a chat to clinch the booking. Make sure you also get text alerts<br />
and see enquiries in the host site’s owner’s area.<br />
French Connections is at www.frenchconnections.co.uk 01580 819303<br />
The online listing specialist currently has a unique six months free<br />
or money back offer with no commission.
Says Tim Sage, property expe<br />
Buying and selling a property in France –<br />
The Paperwork!<br />
Once you’ve found your dream home in<br />
France and agreed a price, it's almost time<br />
for those Champagne corks to start<br />
popping! But before that, there’s a bit more<br />
to do – the legal transfer of the property<br />
from the seller to the buyer which involves<br />
paying a deposit (usually at least 10%) and<br />
(usually) two sets of paperwork:<br />
1. THE COMPROMIS DE VENTE<br />
The compromis, as the name suggests, is a<br />
legally binding promise between the buyer<br />
and seller, generally known in the UK as<br />
the Initial Contract. It will contain almost all<br />
of the information that will be in the later<br />
Acte de Vente (in the UK known as the<br />
Deed of Sale or Final Contract). The<br />
information will include at the very least:<br />
- The details of the status of both buyer<br />
and seller – full names, dates and places of<br />
birth, marriage and divorce if applicable.<br />
- A description of the property including<br />
plot references (called cadastrales in<br />
France), land area including the buildings<br />
and a map showing the land and buildings.<br />
- The agreed price, the agency fee, the<br />
estimated legal fees (they’ll be confirmed<br />
later), duties and the amount of deposit to<br />
be paid.<br />
- The reasons for which the deposit could<br />
be forfeited and the obligations and<br />
declarations by the seller and buyer.<br />
- Copies of the diagnostic tests and results.<br />
- Any suspensive clauses (special<br />
conditions) both standard and any others<br />
that have been mutually agreed.<br />
- An estimated date for the completion –<br />
this is not fixed and can be changed at a<br />
later stage, either earlier or later but is<br />
always set at a minimum of two months<br />
ahead to allow for the notaire “searches”<br />
which have a maximum of two months for a<br />
reply.<br />
- An inventory of any furniture that is to be<br />
included in the sale - with values if<br />
applicable.<br />
The Compromis, which is in French, is<br />
signed by all parties involved. A good<br />
English speaking agency will supply a<br />
“generic” translation (not including the<br />
specific terms of the contract) but this is<br />
not for signing, only for guidance.
t and agent<br />
The signing is followed by a 10 day<br />
“Cooling Off” period. This period starts at<br />
midnight on the first day after the signing<br />
(unless that is a Sunday) and includes<br />
weekends and Bank holidays. During this<br />
time the buyer can withdraw from the sale<br />
without loss of the deposit.<br />
<strong>No</strong>tice of withdrawal must be made in<br />
writing and sent by recorded delivery to<br />
either the notaire or the agency depending<br />
on who drew up the compromis. This is a<br />
rare occurrence.<br />
2. THE ACTE DE VENTE<br />
This is it! The big day!<br />
All parties meet in the <strong>No</strong>taire's office. The<br />
balance of the money must have been<br />
transferred to the <strong>No</strong>taire account 48 hours<br />
beforehand so all will go according to plan.<br />
You will need to supply an “Attestation<br />
d'Origine des Fonds” to comply with<br />
French anti-money laundering laws and<br />
this can be obtained from your bank or<br />
currency provider (it doesn’t matter which<br />
country they ‘re based in – they will all be<br />
able to do this).<br />
The <strong>No</strong>taire will read through the Acte de<br />
Vente adding in the results of his searches<br />
made during the delay after the compromis<br />
and the names of previous owners – the<br />
paper trail that makes buying property in<br />
France so safe. The Acte itself is in two<br />
parts; the first is a confirmation of the<br />
parties and property while the second is the<br />
“Annexes” or standard clauses. Until<br />
recently, at this stage the paper shuffling<br />
started with all parties signing or initialling<br />
every page as required. Most <strong>No</strong>taires<br />
these days use an “electronic signature”<br />
with a computer screen and electronic pad<br />
that is signed twice by each person and the<br />
results electronically printed on to the<br />
document in the right places. <strong>No</strong> more<br />
writer's cramp!<br />
The notaire will give an “Attestation” to the<br />
buyer and seller. For the seller it allows<br />
them to cancel their insurances etc. and for<br />
the buyer it is proof of ownership while the<br />
<strong>No</strong>taire registers the transfer with the land<br />
registry. During the next three to six months<br />
the new owner will receive a certified copy<br />
of the Acte.<br />
Signing done - the keys are handed over.<br />
The proud new owner can now “live the<br />
dream” and it really is time for those<br />
Champagne corks to pop.<br />
As always comments and questions can be<br />
passed through the team at The Good Life<br />
France or directly to me: tsage@leggett.fr
Looking after elderly relatives in France<br />
Jo-Ann Howell explains what assistance is available for expats…<br />
First of all, did you know that in France,<br />
children (where finances permit) can be<br />
obliged by the courts to support their<br />
parents and grandparents?<br />
Putting this obligation aside, having family<br />
to stay brings much joy, but having them<br />
move in also brings costs – not only food<br />
and lodging, but you might also need to<br />
undertake home improvements and<br />
organize for extra help to care for them.<br />
In France, it’s possible to get support for<br />
some additional costs for those caring for<br />
elderly relatives; we take a look at what’s<br />
available and how to apply<br />
Home Improvements<br />
When you need to make necessary<br />
improvements to your primary residence to<br />
accommodate the elderly and persons of<br />
reduced mobility, a tax credit is granted for<br />
the installation and replacement of<br />
equipment specially designed to assist<br />
your new residents.<br />
It is a very specific list of works covered,<br />
and they must be carried out by a<br />
professional, however you may be eligible<br />
for 25% of the cost to be reimbursed<br />
against your tax bill.<br />
How to claim: Declare the full amount<br />
spent, including VAT, in box 7WJ of your<br />
‘déclaration de revenues’. The cost of works<br />
is capped at 5.000€ for a single person<br />
household, and 10.000€ for a couple, with<br />
an extra 400€ for every dependent.<br />
Tip: Keep the invoice for the home<br />
improvements in case you are asked for it.
Health Cover<br />
If your family member is not already in the<br />
French health system, but has a CEAM<br />
(Carte Européene d'Assurance Maladie )<br />
you can add them to your own health cover<br />
as a dependent.<br />
How: Use form cerfa 14411*01 and send it<br />
on to the French organisation which<br />
oversees your own cover (CPAM, RSI,…).<br />
Home Help<br />
You need to apply for an Allocation<br />
Personalisée d’Autonomie or APA (at the<br />
local Mairie). A home visit will be made by<br />
a doctor and social worker. They will<br />
establish the needs of your relative and<br />
assess your involvement in their day-today<br />
life. You may be remunerated for your<br />
assistance, or get support for home help.<br />
<strong>No</strong>te: 1 month after you receive confirmation<br />
APA is approved, you must declare if<br />
you have engaged help. (cerfa 10544*02).<br />
The amount of support you get depends on<br />
the revenues of the person you are caring<br />
for as well as how much help they need.<br />
Tax implications & reductions<br />
As far as the French taxman is concerned<br />
your family member is now one of your<br />
household for tax purposes; even if their<br />
pension or disability income is taxed at<br />
source it should be declared on your<br />
household tax return. If not it should be<br />
added as the income of a dependent. If<br />
your dependent has no income, then you<br />
should reduce your total household<br />
revenue by 3.407€ per dependent, per<br />
annum. Your annual taxe d’habitation may<br />
also be reduced if your dependent is over<br />
the age of 70, lives with you and in the<br />
previous year had a declared taxable<br />
income below 10.697€ (16.409€ for two<br />
people).<br />
The list of de-taxed installations is a long<br />
one, so get in touch to check if your<br />
planned works are eligible –<br />
info@frenchadminsolutions.com
What to do with your UK Pension when you<br />
move to France<br />
Financial expert Jennie Poate examines a real life case study...<br />
I met with John and Jane at their lovely<br />
house in the Dordogne, they had bought it<br />
outright with cash raised from the sale of<br />
their UK property and had a sum of money<br />
set aside for renovation and living costs.<br />
At 53, Jane is unable to take her pension<br />
just yet. She has a pension pot worth<br />
£100,000 with a UK provider and she will<br />
need advice in 2 years’ time when she can<br />
access her pension early if she wishes to.<br />
John will be 55 this year and therefore can<br />
access his pension. He too has a pension<br />
pot worth £100,000 with a UK provider.<br />
John told me that he wants to take his<br />
pension now so that the couple have<br />
money to live on while they’re renovating<br />
their house and settling into their new life.<br />
Though they understood that the UK<br />
pension rules changed in 2015, they had<br />
struggled to find an advisor in the UK to<br />
explain what their options are now they’re<br />
living in France.<br />
As a qualified adviser in both UK and<br />
French financial matters, I asked them<br />
questions about their financial needs and<br />
requirements and then took them through<br />
the options available to them.<br />
1. Annuity<br />
This is where, in exchange for your pension<br />
fund, an insurance company will provide a<br />
monthly income until death (some products<br />
additionally offer a pension to a surviving<br />
spouse). I explained that with this option,<br />
he could draw down 25% of the fund tax<br />
free, known as a Pension Commencement<br />
Lump Sum (PCLS) and a fixed amount of<br />
income for life. Annuity rates have been<br />
particularly poor of late as they are based<br />
on interest rates. If John took this option in<br />
the UK, the PCLS would be tax free.<br />
However as he is a French resident, he<br />
would have to pay tax.<br />
John asked if he could take the whole fund<br />
as cash.
2. Take your Pension in Cash<br />
Well, yes, I told him. But, there are tax<br />
implications that need to be considered,<br />
both with the UK and French tax<br />
authorities. In the UK the first 25% is tax<br />
free, then the rest is taxed at 20% or 40%<br />
(depending upon your UK tax rate). In<br />
France it would be taxed at a set 7.5%. The<br />
pension may well be taxed in both<br />
countries and he would have to apply for a<br />
refund from the UK. John will need to<br />
decide whether he would want all the cash<br />
with a tax charge, or the ability to draw on<br />
the funds as and when required. The latter<br />
is taxed at his marginal rate of tax in<br />
France, but as they would be taxed as a<br />
couple, the first €9790 each would be<br />
added together and no tax would be taken.<br />
3. Drawdown funds<br />
John could move his pension pot to a<br />
different structure altogether. For many UK<br />
pension pots, this is certainly an option.<br />
BUT only if it is in your best interest to do<br />
so, you need to check carefully that you<br />
won’t lose certain benefits with your<br />
existing policies when you move it. A<br />
‘drawdown’ fund may be a great option and<br />
there are several types available including<br />
‘QROPS’ (Qualifying Recognised Overseas<br />
Pension Scheme) and ‘SIPPs’ (Self-Invested<br />
Personal Pension). With some of these<br />
products you can stop and start for income,<br />
and take cash depending on need. This can<br />
suit your circumstances when you may<br />
need more or less income or a cash<br />
injection, and the fund is still yours - you<br />
haven’t relinquished control.<br />
One benefit of a QROPS is that you may<br />
have a higher tax free Pension<br />
Commencement Lump Sum (PCLS ) than<br />
under a UK scheme – 30% as opposed to<br />
25%.<br />
Pension Income in France<br />
John and Jane were worried about how<br />
much tax they would have to pay on their<br />
pension income as well as inheritance tax<br />
which they heard was high in France.<br />
Pension income in France is taxable but is<br />
not subject to the dreaded CSG or ‘social<br />
charges’.<br />
The amount remaining in the fund after<br />
death is not subject to inheritance tax.<br />
Our meeting over, I studied John and Jane’s<br />
requirements carefully, and as with all<br />
clients, recommendations undergo several<br />
stages including rigorous compliance<br />
checks to ensure that their best interests<br />
were considered. It can take a while to do<br />
this but it’s really important that as an<br />
advisor I have all the facts, and as clients<br />
John and Jane know that they’re getting the<br />
best advice and recommendations for their<br />
circumstances and future.<br />
John and Jill are living their dream life in<br />
Dordogne and we wish them much<br />
happiness.<br />
If you’d like obligation free pensions advice,<br />
please contact me at:<br />
jennie@bgwealthmanagement.net<br />
www.bgwealth.eu<br />
The information on this page is intended only as an introduction only and is not designed to offer<br />
solutions or advice. Beacon Global Wealth Management can accept no responsibility whatsoever for<br />
losses incurred by acting on the information on this page.<br />
The financial advisers trading under Beacon Wealth Management are members of Nexus Global (IFA<br />
Network). Nexus Global is a division within Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited<br />
(BFMI). All approved individual members of Nexus Global are Appointed Representatives of BFMI. BFMI<br />
is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and bound by their rules under<br />
licence number FSC00805B.
© Sergio Coimbra, from Pierre Hermé: Chocolate (Flammarion, 2016).<br />
Macaron Infiniment Chocolat<br />
Infiniment Chocolat Macaron
By Pierre Hermé, Paris
Perfect for parties, these gorgeous little more-ish<br />
macarons from the master in Paris are from his<br />
new book "Chocolate" and classified as "easy.<br />
Nicknamed the ‘Picasso of Pastry’ by Jeffrey<br />
Steingarten in Vogue, Pierre Hermé is to the<br />
macaron what Louis Vuitton is to the handbag.<br />
Name the World’s Best Pastry Chef 2016 by the<br />
World’s Best 50 Restaurants Academy, Hermé<br />
revolutionized traditional pastry-making. He has<br />
invented a unique universe of tastes, sensations<br />
and pleasures and his empire of pastry boutiques<br />
now spans the globe: from France and the UK to<br />
Japan, Hong Kong and to South Korea.<br />
The book is available from Amazon.<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
Makes about 72 macarons<br />
Macaron Shell:<br />
1 cup (7 2/3 oz./220 g) (or about 8)<br />
“liquefied” egg whites, divided (see note)<br />
3 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz./300 g) ground<br />
almonds<br />
2 cups + 5 tablespoons (10 1/2 oz./300 g)<br />
confectioners’ sugar<br />
4 1/4 oz. (120 g) pure cocoa paste or dark<br />
chocolate, 100% cocoa<br />
3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) carmine red food<br />
coloring<br />
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz./300 g) superfine<br />
sugar<br />
1/3 cup (2 2/3 oz./75 g) mineral water<br />
Cocoa powder Infiniment Chocolat<br />
Ganache:<br />
2/3 cup (5 oz./140 g) butter at room<br />
temperature<br />
12 3/4 oz. (360 g) Guanaja 70% dark<br />
chocolate (Valrhona)<br />
1 1/3 oz. (40 g) pure cocoa paste (or dark<br />
chocolate 100% cocoa)<br />
1 2/3 cups (14 oz./400 g) liquid cream<br />
Finishing:<br />
Cocoa powder<br />
PREPARATION<br />
Five days in advance, place the egg whites for the macaron shells in a bowl, cover tightly<br />
with plastic film, pierce a few holes in the film and refrigerate to liquefy.<br />
One day in advance, prepare the macaron shells:<br />
Sift the ground almonds and the confectioners’ sugar together in a bowl. Chop the cocoa<br />
paste and place in a bowl over a bain-marie of simmering water to melt to 122°F (50°C).<br />
Combine 1/2 cup (110 g) of liquefied egg whites with the food coloring. Pour onto the<br />
sifted almond powder–sugar mixture without mixing.
TO MAKE<br />
Combine the sugar and water in a<br />
saucepan and bring to a boil, monitoring<br />
the temperature with a thermometer.<br />
Meanwhile place the remaining 1/2 cup<br />
(110 g) of liquefied egg whites in the bowl<br />
of a mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Once<br />
the sugar syrup has reached 239°F (115°C),<br />
begin beating the egg whites on high<br />
speed. Once the syrup has reached 244°F<br />
(118°C), reduce the mixer speed to medium<br />
and begin pouring the syrup in a steady<br />
stream into the beaten egg whites.<br />
Continue beating until the mixture cools to<br />
122°F (50°C).<br />
Using a spatula, fold the meringue mixture<br />
into the almond–sugar–egg white mixture.<br />
Add the melted cocoa paste, mixing until<br />
the batter loses a little volume. Spoon the<br />
batter into a pastry bag fitted with a <strong>No</strong>. 11<br />
plain tip (1/2 in. diameter). Line baking<br />
sheets with cooking parchment and pipe<br />
out rounds of batter about 1 1/2 in. (3.5 cm)<br />
in diameter, spaced about 3/4 in. apart.<br />
Tap the baking sheets gently on a work<br />
surface covered with a kitchen towel to<br />
smooth the surface. Place the cocoa<br />
powder in a sifter and sprinkle lightly over<br />
the macaron shells. Set aside at room<br />
temperature for at least thirty minutes to<br />
allow a “skin” to form.<br />
cocoa paste, stirring from the center out in<br />
small, then progressively larger concentric<br />
circles. When the temperature of the<br />
chocolate cools to 95°F–104°F (35°C–40°<br />
C), incorporate, little by little, the butter.<br />
Whisk until the ganache is smooth. Pour<br />
into a shallow dish. Press a sheet of plastic<br />
film directly onto the surface of the<br />
chocolate cream and refrigerate until the<br />
texture is creamy.<br />
Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted<br />
with a <strong>No</strong>. 11 plain pastry tip. Turn half of the<br />
macaron shells over, flat side up, on the<br />
work surface and pipe the ganache<br />
generously onto each shell. Cover each<br />
with a second macaron shell. Refrigerate<br />
for twenty-four hours.<br />
The following day, remove the macarons<br />
from the refrigerator two hours before<br />
serving.<br />
Preheat the oven on convection setting to<br />
355°F (180°C/Gas Mark 6). Place the<br />
baking sheets in the oven and bake for<br />
twelve minutes, opening and closing the<br />
oven door quickly twice during the baking<br />
to release steam. Remove from the oven<br />
and slide the macaron shells onto the work<br />
surface.<br />
Prepare the Infiniment Chocolat ganache:<br />
Cut the butter into pieces. Chop the<br />
chocolate and cocoa paste with a serrated<br />
knife, and place them in a bowl. Bring the<br />
cream to a boil in a saucepan and pour it,<br />
one-third at a time, over the chocolate and<br />
<strong>No</strong>te: “Liquefied” egg whites are egg<br />
whites that have been allowed to rest for<br />
several days to lose their elasticity. Simply<br />
place the egg whites in a bowl, cover with<br />
plastic film, pierce a few holes in the film<br />
and refrigerate for five to seven days.
Tartiflette<br />
Savoyarde<br />
with<br />
Reblochon<br />
Cheese<br />
by<br />
Karen Burns Booth<br />
Tartiflette is a baked gratin of potatoes,<br />
onions (or shallots), lardons (bacon), wine,<br />
cream and cheese. It's a staple of ski<br />
lodge or chalet suppers. The dish<br />
originates from the Savoy (Savoie) region<br />
of France, famous for its skiing resorts,<br />
cheese and charcuterie.<br />
This is an adaption of the classic regional<br />
dish, made with Reblochon (see page 22)<br />
which melts like a dream creating an<br />
unctuous and creamy cheese sauce.<br />
There really isn’t another dish that is as<br />
comforting as Tartiflette on a cold winter’s<br />
day; the combination of soft potatoes,<br />
crisp lardons, golden onions all bound in a<br />
silky cheese sauce with a tasty, crunchy<br />
golden-brown topping is heaven in a bowl.<br />
It’s well worth the effort hunting out a<br />
large Reblochon cheese too, although Brie<br />
or Camembert will work if the cheese hunt<br />
proves fruitless. Enjoy it with a large bowl<br />
of salad, cornichons and an acre or two of<br />
crusty bread.<br />
Vegetarians can omit the lardons and add<br />
fried mushrooms. The dish can be partcooked<br />
(as in the potatoes boiled and the<br />
onions and bacon fried) and assembled,<br />
and it can then be popped in the fridge<br />
until you need to bake it – just remember<br />
to take it out half an hour beforehand to<br />
bring it to room temperature, which makes<br />
it a fabulous recipe to have prepared for<br />
any family supper, especially handy for<br />
after work or over the weekend.
Ingredients (for 4 people)<br />
1.2kg potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters<br />
200g smoked lardons (or smoked streaky<br />
bacon cut into small pieces)<br />
2 large pink or red onions, peeled and diced<br />
(or 10 pink shallots)<br />
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced<br />
150mls dry white wine<br />
1 x 500g Reblochon cheese<br />
6 tablespoons crème fraiche<br />
butter<br />
salt and pepper<br />
Directions<br />
Step 1 Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas<br />
mark 6 and butter an oven-proof gratin dish or<br />
shallow casserole dish.<br />
Step 2 Boil the potatoes until just soft. Drain them<br />
and allow them to cool before cutting them into<br />
slices.<br />
Step 3 Meanwhile, fry the lardons (or bacon<br />
pieces), onions and garlic until the lardons are crisp<br />
and the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.<br />
Step 4 Add half of the wine to the lardons and<br />
onion mixture, turn the heat up and de-glaze the wine<br />
for 2 to 3 minutes until half of it has cooked down<br />
with the other ingredients.<br />
Step 5 Add the cooked potatoes to the lardon and<br />
onion mixture and gently mix together. Spoon half of<br />
the mixture into the prepared dish.<br />
Step 6 Cut the Reblochon cheese in half through<br />
the centre, and the cut the two halves into cubes.<br />
Step 7 Scatter half of the Reblochon cheese<br />
cubes over the lardon and onion mixture, crust side<br />
up, then spoon the remaining lardon and onion<br />
mixture over the top. Pour over the remaining wine<br />
and spoon the crème fraiche over the top. Season<br />
with salt (not too much as the lardons are salty) and<br />
pepper.<br />
Step 8 Scatter the rest of the Reblochon cheese<br />
cubes over the top, crust side up again, and bake for<br />
20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the<br />
tartiflette is golden brown and bubbling.<br />
Step 9 Serve hot from the oven with salad,<br />
cornichons (gherkins), pickled onions, charcuterie
See Page 66<br />
to find out more<br />
about caviar<br />
farming in<br />
France<br />
Ebène Caviar,<br />
Fettuccine &<br />
Scottish Smoked<br />
Salmon<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
Salt<br />
1/2 pound dry taglierini or fettuccine<br />
pasta<br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
1 shallot, minced<br />
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche<br />
or sour cream<br />
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf<br />
parsley<br />
1 teaspoon chopped chives<br />
Freshly ground pepper<br />
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon,<br />
cut into 1/2-inch ribbons (1/2 cup)<br />
30g tin of Ebène caviar<br />
METHOD<br />
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a large pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook<br />
until al dente. Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.<br />
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add<br />
the minced shallot and cook over moderately low heat for 2 minutes, stirring.<br />
Add the crème fraîche, parsley and chives.<br />
Stir in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and season with pepper. Add<br />
the pasta and smoked salmon ribbons and toss well. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of<br />
the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems too dry. Remove from the heat.<br />
Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with as much Ebène caviar as one likes.
Home-made<br />
Orange Liqueur<br />
By Karen Burns-Booth<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
600ml dark rum<br />
1 bottle dry white wine<br />
300g (100ozs) golden caster sugar<br />
8 oranges, unwaxed<br />
Peel large strips of zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler. Divide the orange zest<br />
between two sterilised jars or wide necked bottles.<br />
Add sugar, rum and wine - again, dividing it equally. I use two 500ml Kilner jars. Seal the<br />
jars and give them a good shake. Store in a cool, dark place for six weeks before<br />
decanting the liqueur through a sieve into sterilised decorative bottles; discard the<br />
orange peel, or use it in poached or stewed fruits.<br />
I sometimes dry the orange peel in a cool oven overnight and add it to sugar to be used<br />
for cakes and pies, or add it to stews and daubes etc.<br />
Whilst the liqueur is maturing, give the jars/bottles a good shake once or twice a week.<br />
This vibrant orange liqueur is wonderful served over ice, ice cream, with soda water or<br />
lemonade or when splashed into or onto festive fare. It looks stunning when decanted<br />
into pretty bottles with all the decorative trimmings like bows, tags, labels, dried flowers<br />
etc.
My<br />
Good<br />
Life<br />
France<br />
As I sit here writing, Hank Marvin He's<br />
Always Starvin' the little stray cat I took in a<br />
couple of years ago is sat on my lap,<br />
purring with happiness. Loulou the<br />
tortoiseshell cat we got at a boot fair (she<br />
thinks she's a princess) and Shadow, her<br />
partner in crime are curled up on a chair<br />
next to me. 'Enry Cooper, the boss cat, is in<br />
my shopping basket and Winston, the<br />
biggest cat in the village is sitting on the<br />
window sill watching Pierre the farmer go<br />
by in his tractor. Sadly Ginger Roger the<br />
deaf stray I took in got ill and didn't recover.<br />
Down by my feet on their giant cushions<br />
are Frank Bruno, Ella Fitzgerald and<br />
Churchill my three dogs. At the bottom of<br />
the garden in their new shelter are my 25<br />
chickens, 4 geese and 40 ducks. It's been a<br />
good year for ducks chez moi - or a bad<br />
year, depending on how you look at it. I<br />
really didn't want any more but they hide<br />
under hedges and sit on their eggs and<br />
then just turn up at the back door, proudly<br />
leading their new babies. I can't resist.<br />
As we head towards the end of one year<br />
and the start of another, my little brood are<br />
all preparing for winter in France and I'm<br />
ready too. The wood is cut for the fire, the<br />
apples from my trees are stored in<br />
newspaper in the pantry alongside nuts,<br />
jams and bottled fruit given to me by my<br />
neighbours. I am not good at cooking but it<br />
doesn't matter, in rural France it's all about<br />
sharing. <strong>No</strong>t just at Christmas but all year<br />
round. I always have too many apples and<br />
way too many eggs so I give them away. If a<br />
neighbour needs a hand with something<br />
Mark, my husband, is always generous with<br />
his time. In return neighbours share their<br />
excess fruit and vegetables, make cakes<br />
and freely give advice to the only Brits in<br />
the village.<br />
At this time of the year, sharing in rural<br />
communities is especially important. I<br />
remember one Christmas, Bernadette who<br />
lives down the road, slipped in the snow<br />
and broke her leg. Everyone in the village<br />
rallied round, picking up her shopping,<br />
chopping wood, making her soup and<br />
generally helping out.<br />
It's one of the many things that make me<br />
realise that living in the middle-of-nowhere<br />
France is the best thing I've ever done. That<br />
and the markets, the wine, the cheese and<br />
the bread!<br />
I wish you a happy winter, a merry<br />
Christmas and a very Happy New Year.<br />
Janine xx