Today, I contemplate the sorry state of our front gates and the French obsession with discretion, plus a very green market haul and a recipe for Puy lentils with roast beetroot and Roquefort.
This is so familiar. My father had a house in France, bought in 1989 (circa) and adopted French social customs when he had people round. There was a real demarcation between public and private spaces when he had people round and when we visited his neighbours. His property was surrounded by high brick walls on three sides and fields that he rented out to sheep farmers on the fourth. The gate was enormous. I loved the privacy.
So enjoyed reading this piece. I fell in love with all things French as a young teen on my first language exchange from school. Three weeks in Pau with Catou and her family sealed my fate. Your gates speak such a French story to my eye, wonderful. There is just the smallest tinge of envy as I read. .....living the French life vicariously by ordering homeware from Merci in Paris, drinking Champage and taking my food seriously. The recipe looks delicious. Thank you. À bientôt.♥️
I love entertaining. Being American, I also gladly give the home tour of both our US beach home or my little French chateau. I also love cleaning and organizing, so having company over is the BEST motivator to have a well organized and decorated home! Hope to have you over sometime.
Love this story. I’m American living in Ohio and I thoroughly appreciate the French and for that matter, the English, (I lived in London for 5 years) appréciation and protection of privacy in their homes. I always cringe when someone asks me for a « tour » of my house!
I’ve been rereading your Notes on a Small Kitchen Island. I was going to make the mushrooms on toast recipe tomorrow but today’s salad sounds so tasty. So that is lunch for two days planned.
Here in the sticks of the Dordogne, I have experienced quite the opposite with regards to descretion and respect of privacy! I'm fortunate enough to live in a rented property with some land and I was told by a friend that the folk around our way will respect a locked gate, but not a closed gate. They will go whever they wish until they're told not to. Somewhere along the lines of, "easier to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission". He wasn't wrong...! The worst cases have been committed by chasseurs who seem to rub everyone up the wrong way. The houses with the highest hedges in our little village are houses owned by the Brits! Haha! Great article, Debora and the recipe looks delicious.
Utterly fascinating on etiquette. Monsieur Gilet could clearly see that you’d had the balcony balustrades restored so might well engage the same contractor for the gates, but you must admire his enterprise.
it's the idea of the French 'drinking Australian wine and asking the cat how much she earns' that got me - such a delicious image!
My mouth waters over all those luscious greens. Today I am making the Baked Cheese Cauliflower. Great recipes!
This is so familiar. My father had a house in France, bought in 1989 (circa) and adopted French social customs when he had people round. There was a real demarcation between public and private spaces when he had people round and when we visited his neighbours. His property was surrounded by high brick walls on three sides and fields that he rented out to sheep farmers on the fourth. The gate was enormous. I loved the privacy.
So enjoyed reading this piece. I fell in love with all things French as a young teen on my first language exchange from school. Three weeks in Pau with Catou and her family sealed my fate. Your gates speak such a French story to my eye, wonderful. There is just the smallest tinge of envy as I read. .....living the French life vicariously by ordering homeware from Merci in Paris, drinking Champage and taking my food seriously. The recipe looks delicious. Thank you. À bientôt.♥️
This recipe is a definite keeper.
I love entertaining. Being American, I also gladly give the home tour of both our US beach home or my little French chateau. I also love cleaning and organizing, so having company over is the BEST motivator to have a well organized and decorated home! Hope to have you over sometime.
I would recommend Betina as a guest heartily!
Love this story. I’m American living in Ohio and I thoroughly appreciate the French and for that matter, the English, (I lived in London for 5 years) appréciation and protection of privacy in their homes. I always cringe when someone asks me for a « tour » of my house!
I’ve been rereading your Notes on a Small Kitchen Island. I was going to make the mushrooms on toast recipe tomorrow but today’s salad sounds so tasty. So that is lunch for two days planned.
Here in the sticks of the Dordogne, I have experienced quite the opposite with regards to descretion and respect of privacy! I'm fortunate enough to live in a rented property with some land and I was told by a friend that the folk around our way will respect a locked gate, but not a closed gate. They will go whever they wish until they're told not to. Somewhere along the lines of, "easier to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission". He wasn't wrong...! The worst cases have been committed by chasseurs who seem to rub everyone up the wrong way. The houses with the highest hedges in our little village are houses owned by the Brits! Haha! Great article, Debora and the recipe looks delicious.
13 eggs? Not 12?
Spanish people very rarely entertain at home too. But I don’t know if it’s because they’re private? I’ll have to question them on that one.
Utterly fascinating on etiquette. Monsieur Gilet could clearly see that you’d had the balcony balustrades restored so might well engage the same contractor for the gates, but you must admire his enterprise.