Friday 1 April 2011

A Touch of France: My French Kitchen

Entrez!
When will I be  savouring my next crème brûlée en France or whipping up un coq au vin in my French kitchen, circa 1750? To save words, below are some photographs of the current state of ma cuisine française ... ... il ya un évier de cuisine et de l'eau froide. C'est tout! Mon dieu, je suis une idiote. Unfortunately there is no photograph of the bathroom, because that room doesn't exist, but the woven willow hand rail on the stairs is quite beautiful......and rare!

I am currently waiting to receive the plans for the renovations to My French Folly. Contemplating the extent and price of the repairs - which may surpass the GNP of Bhutan - gives me a prolonged mid life glow and a palpatating heart.  Well at least ma folie française is in the Champagne Ardenne region, parce que il faut que je boirai plus de champagne française to deaden my self-inflicted pain.

Despite my anguish, doubt and paltry bank balance, ma maison ancienne has given me renewed vigour and purpose.  Since our children morphed into adults and my hormones became schizophrenic, I had been feeling directionless and as if I have had "one foot in the grave". My career had also hit a hiatus and my body appeared to be slipping into an age-related decline, with various bits migrating south. (Apologies mother, I know it is not good form to mention these things.) Sadly, the only aspect of my life in which gains were being made was my weight. A masochistic tendency of the bored and anxious.
Did perpetual happiness in the Garden of Eden maybe get so boring that eating the apple was justified? Palahniuk                                                                 I fantasize about our little piece of France looking like photographs from French Country Living, but will be happy settling for shabby chic and sharing a meal of local cheese and wine with our French neighbours, who don't speak any English. So now it is off to my French books followed by an evening stroll and then a supper of homemade tart tatin.  A new day waits...............



Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience.     Paul Cezanne

Flagstones and a vaulted ceiling
C'est tout!
Hand woven willow stair rail

* Photos by  Didier Laurent  Ian McKuster. I have yet to see My French Folly!

1 comment:

French Basketeer.com said...

Travaux, oh yes! Sending you another email later tonight when I get home.