France et Moi with author Sue Moorcroft

Welcome to ‘France et Moi’ where this week, as part of the launch for her new novel, Just for the Holidays, I am talking to author Sue Moorcroft about what France means to her.

 

Just for the Holidays by Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft

Best-selling author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. The Christmas Promise was a Christmas 2016 best-seller, rising to #1 in the Amazon Kindle chart; The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is this Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards and Darcie’s Dilemma for Readers’ Best Short Romance. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past vice chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles and writing ‘how to’.

Firstly, I think France is a special place and it is famed for many things including its cheese, wine and diverse holiday locations plus, dare I say it strikes and dog poo littered streets. What do you think makes France so very unique and ‘French’?

Sue: I have to say that I approve of wine and the civilised practice of sitting in the sunshine to drink it. The cakes made a big impression on me, too. There seems a lot of room for the rural idyll in France.

2) Your latest novel, Just for the Holidays, is set in Alsace. When you are researching a novel set in France, do you like to spend time in that area?

 

Just for the Holidays by Sue Moorcroft

Sue: I’d love to say it was the result of careful thought but it was because a friend of mine moved there and was kind enough to say I could visit. Until then, I’d intended to set the book in the Dordogne, which I’d visited a couple of times in recent years.

3) What makes Alsace special enough to be your chosen location?

Sue: It has a personality all of its own, probably from its mixed history with Germany. The names of places and people sound (to my English ear) more German than French. In fact, an Alsatian friend who read the book for me, told me that many of the family names I’d chosen were ‘too French’ and gave me Alsatian substitutes. I met with nothing but friendliness when I was in Alsace.

4) From the title we can guess your characters are on holiday in France, do you have any special memories of a holiday in France?

Sue: A camping holiday over 20 years ago, clear across the country in Brittany, near Carnac. We went over there towing a trailer tent, got lost and almost ran out of petrol. Some tipsy men from a village wedding got the local garage owner out of the celebrations to open his fuel pumps for us and set us back on the right road. It turned out that one of the men spoke good English but had been so entertained listening to my French (which is more Franglais) that he hadn’t wanted to tell me.

5) With plenty of space and lovely scenery France is a great place to explore by bike. If, like Alister in your novel, you were to take off on your bike, where would you like to go?

Sue: Somewhere flat! Cycling is much more an Alister thing than a Sue thing. I like walking, though, and love the beautiful countryside of the Dordogne, where the vineyards march across the sunny slopes.

6) France has some beautiful cities and there are a few that constantly battle to be my favourite, what is your favourite French city and why?

Sue: Strasbourg is fantastic (and I don’t think I saw a single dog poo). The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is so awesome that there are rows of deck chairs outside just so people can sit and look at it. I thoroughly enjoyed my days in Strasbourg, walking through the beautiful city streets and taking a trip up the canal. I may have also visited a patisserie.

Flammenküche

7) Every region in France has it’s own culinary specialty, do you have a favourite regional dish? (Doesn’t have to be from Alsace!)

Sue: It is from Alsace, though – Flammenküche, which is like an incredibly thin pizza. I loved the goat cheese and honey one.

8) France has many different cheeses, a silly question, but which French cheese are you? A hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively goat cheese, the creamy and rich Camembert or maybe the salty and serious Roquefort?

Sue: Definitely goat cheese. Versatile, too!

9) What is your favourite thing to buy in a Boulangerie/Patisserie?

Sue: Pain au chocolat. It makes several appearances in Just for the Holidays!

10) Best French tipple, and yes I know there are many to choose from?

Sue: Cremant d’Alsace. A really lovely fizzy white. I could be seduced away from that with champagne, though …

Finally can you tell us a little bit about Just for the Holidays?

Sue: It’s the story of what happens to Leah when she ends up in France looking after her sister’s husband and children, having gone through life avoiding having a husband and children of her own. She does allow herself to be distracted by grounded helicopter pilot Ronan next door - but then he gets an uninvited guest who changes everything.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about France and you.

Sue: You’re very welcome and thank you for inviting me! It has been a pleasure.

Just for the Holidays is published by Avon Books UK and is available in paperback and ebook format, links to Amazon can be found below. Pop back here on Sunday to read my review.

You can read more about Sue on her website and blog and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Book review of Curious Histories of Provence by Margo Lestz

Curious Histories of Provence by Margo Lestz

My review today is for Curious Histories of Provence, the new release from Margo Lestz.

This book will teach you interesting facts about Provençal customs, traditions and history as well as give you ideas about what to see and where to go while in Provence. You will meet monsters, dragons and saints, gypsies, bulls and white horses plus learn about kings, Gardians and scholars. And that’s just a selection of what is on offer! 

For a short break in Provence, this is the only guidebook you will need. It is quick and easy to read; so a perfect choice to get you into the mood for your holiday in Provence if you’re lucky enough to have one planned. If not, you will at least feel like you’ve been there. It’s also an entertaining and informative read that will ensure you want to return to Provence to discover all it has to offer.

Curious Histories of Provence is available in paperback and ebook format and links to Amazon can be found below. 

You can read my review of French Holidays and Traditions, Margo’s first book here.

Margo’s blog The CuriousRambler can be found here and is always a good read.

France et Moi with author Janine Marsh

Welcome to ‘France et Moi’ where this week, as part of the publication celebrations for her memoir My Good Life in France, I am talking to author Janine Marsh about what France means to her.

 

Janine Marsh The Good Life France

Janine Marsh is a travel writer and editor of the award winning website  and Magazine The Good life France.

Firstly, I think France is a special place and it is famed for many things including its cheese, wine and diverse holiday locations plus, dare I say it strikes and dog poo littered streets. What do you think makes France so very unique and ‘French’?

Janine: Ooh that’s a tough question – so many things but I’d have to say one of the stand out things for me is bread! I love that there are artisan bakers and beautiful boulangeries where ever you go. The smell of a fresh baked baguette or a buttery golden croissant is so very French (and delicious).

2) What is your first memory of a trip to France?

Janine: I was 14 years old and went on an exchange trip to Antony in the suburbs of Paris. I came from a London council estate and I was absolutely mesmerized by France. Drinking bowls of hot chocolate and dunking our croissants in them, being sent to the boulangerie for a cake after school, a trip to Versailles – it all seemed so exotic! I feel head over heels in love while I was there and I am still in love – with France.

3) When you first arrived in France what was the best thing about being immersed in French life and the scariest thing?

Janine: Best thing? Again a tough one but I found an injured kitten in the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was being attacked by a bigger cat. I rescued it and bought it home, fed it with a pipette as it was so tiny and I never thought it would make it through the night. Winston, as I called him, did survive and he is now the biggest cat in the village. It made me realize I love animals – a lot, I now have more than 60! Dogs, cats, chickens, geese and ducks. It still surprises me as I had never had, nor wanted an animal before!

4) Do you have any embarrassing language mishaps you are happy to share?

Janine: Well I probably make a load of mistakes but happily I am blissfully unaware! I am of the opinion that in France, you have to try however bad you are at it to speak French. It’s doubly hard where I am as my neighbours speak a local patois called Ch’ti. When I first came here I was given a Ch’ti dictionary by one of my neighbours because it’s a different language. For instance chair in French is chaise – here it’s cayelle! I just try my best and chat away as best I can and sometimes my French friends laugh at me but mostly they say they find it cute when non Frenchies try to speak French!

5) As part of your website/online magazine The Good Life France, you have become very well travelled in France; do you have a favourite place to visit in France?

Janine: Blimey Jacqui – that’s such a hard question! I love Lille – it’s a wonderful cultural, vibrant city with a fabulous bright vibe. I love Audresselles, a tiny tiny fishing village on the Opal Coast in the north. Nice, Paris, Provence, Loire, Burgundy, Annecy… I love so many places and I still have a load more to discover so it’s a never ending answer!

6) If money and commitments were no object where in France would you like to own a property and what sort of place would it be?

Janine: I’d love to do up a chateau! We’ve spent 13 years renovating this old farmhouse. It had dirt floors and some of the doors were made of corrugated metal – they used to flap in the wind. We replaced 37 windows and mixed more than 100 tonnes of concrete. There were times when I thought – never ever again. But now we’re nearly done I miss it. I love doing DIY, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and I think I might just be ready to start again! As to where in France… I think I’d stay in the north. We might not have the sunshine but I love the authenticity of this place, the respect for traditions and heritage – and the food!

7) France has many different cheeses, a silly question, but which French cheese are you? A hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively goat cheese, the creamy and rich Camembert or maybe the salty and serious Roquefort?

Janine: Oh I’m definitely a goat cheese – perhaps with some rose petals on top. One that’s matured for just about a week, fresh – and slightly nutty!

8) Imagine you are sitting outside a French café at 10.00am on a sunny morning watching the world go by, what do you order from the waiter?

Janine: A grand café crème and I’d expect to get an espresso! It’s hard to find a proper American or UK style creamy coffee but I’ve got used to the dark side to a certain extent. Just being able to sit outside a French café on a sunny morning is pleasure enough!

9) Every region in France has it’s own culinary specialty, do you have a favourite regional dish?

Janine: I love flammekeuche! They’re a northern French pizza made with sour cream and cheese and onions with a thin pastry. I could eat one every day of the week (which is why I am permanently on a diet!). I also like Charles Quint’s Finger Cake! No I don’t really but I can’t resist telling you about them. Charles Quint was the Holy Roman Emperor in the 16th century and he had gout. In this part of France there is a cake dedicated to his gouty old fingers – it’s a long sponge with red jam that oozes out. How weird is that?!

 

My Good Life in France

Finally, your memoir My Good Life in France has just been published, can you tell us a bit about it and how you came to write it?

Janine: It’s a dream come true! I love writing. Sometimes when I’m supposed to be cooking dinner and I start writing I just forget everything else. Some people use a timer to alert them to dinner being ready to serve, I have a smoke alarm!

It all started when my Dad got sick. I’d already left for France but when he was diagnosed with cancer I went back to London to help look after him. Some days I’d sit and scribble away – I didn’t have a blog then. My Dad would ask me about what I’d written and said “you’re not bad at that – you should try and write a book”. I didn’t really think anything of it but when I went back to France after he sadly passed away, my other half set me up a blog so that I could keep in touch with friends and family. They used to ring constantly asking us about what was going on – how many more strays had I taken in? Had my neighbor who was in love with a chicken split up with his nubile girlfriend? Had I broken any more bones carrying breeze blocks and building walls? I thought about what my Dad had said and decided to give it a go. The first month my blog went live I had 480 views – I tell you I was amazed and I quickly got hooked on writing every day. Six months later I had 60,000 views a month – now I get more than 1 million page views a month – I’m so humbled by it I can’t tell you. Anyway a publisher who follows me on my blog offered me a book deal – and I grabbed it with both hands and the result is “My Good Life in France”. It’s had some lovely reviews – my favourite is “a warm and uplifting read, effervescent like a glass of your favourite Champagne” and “move over Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence)  - there’s a new girl in town and her name is Janine Marsh” – woohoo!

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about France and you.

My Good Life in France is published by Michael O’Mara Books and is available in paperback and ebook format. You can read my review here. Links to Amazon can be found below.

Book review of My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh

My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh

My review today is for My Good Life in France, the brand new memoir from Janine Marsh, who also writes the excellent website and online magazine The Good Life France.

An accidental house hunt, while on a day trip to France from London, led Janine and husband Mark to the home of their dreams just over The Channel in northern France. With a writing style that is gentle and relaxed, much like how she describes life in the area she lives in, Janine takes us with her as she gets to know the area, the locals and more importantly works hard to turn a run down farmhouse into something quite special.

To begin with, France was still a holiday destination for them, albeit working holidays, and Janine writes openly about the emotional journey to making the move permanent and how difficult it can be to adjust. There may only have been two of them to start with, but when the local animal population realised they had arrived, things began to change. As someone who moved to France with a toddler and two cats and was happy for it to stay that way, but ended up with ducks, chickens, a goose, rabbits and a dog, I loved her tales of the animal antics that have become part of her daily life in rural France.

Every area in France has it’s own fêtes, festivals and celebrations of local history and traditions and Janine explains those unique to her area in a way that will make you want to visit somewhere that isn’t often on the main tourist map and experience it for yourself. I remember fondly our day trips to France, stocking up on wine and food, driving our Mini Cooper along twisty back roads, heading away from Calais and searching out the real France, even if just for a few hours. Those happy, carefree days of twenty years ago when we fell in love with France came flooding back as I read this book. Sadly, since moving to France in 2004, Calais and the surrounding area is somewhere we pass through as quickly as possible while making the twelve-hour drive from home to the UK and back again. Janine is a great ambassador for this region and has made me realise how much I am missing, zooming along the autoroutes and passing through, rather than stopping and enjoying.

This book has everything a good memoir should have; an interesting story to tell, the ability to write openly about the ups and downs of life, while also including humorous observations of the French way - their fondness for speech making in particular made me laugh out loud.

If you, like me, enjoy memoirs about life in France, you will love this one and it might even inspire you to seek out the Seven Valleys on your next French adventure.

To read more about her love of France, join me back here on Friday when Janine will be answering my France et Moi questions.

My Good Life in France is published by Michael O’Mara Books and is available in paperback and ebook format. Links to Amazon can be found below.

Victory in Europe 2017

Ed holding the flag at the village memorial service 8th May 2017

Every year on the 8^th May a small ceremony is held in our village to commemorate Victory in Europe Day; a public holiday in France.

Flowers laid at a grave in the village cemetery

This year, just before the official ceremony at the memorial a moment of silent reflection was observed at a simple grave in the village cemetery; the resting place of Fernand Prevost, aged 18, who was shot dead by the SS troops just outside the village in July 1944.

Now we have sadly lost our old soldiers, the holding of the flag has been passed on to the younger generation and Ed did us proud once more. I think he is hoping that photos like the one above will help him with his French nationalisation request in a few years.

The vin d'honneur

As usual, after the ceremony we gathered in the Salle des Fêtes for a vin d’honneur (wine of honour) and aperitifs. It seemed only a few hours since we had been drinking aperitifs with some of the villagers, which if I’m honest it was, in celebration of another victory for Europe, the defeat of Marine Le Pen.

Bureau de vote

I had helped man the bureau de vote on Sunday afternoon, where strict controls and counts are kept on who arrives to vote. I checked their voting cards and date stamped them, initialled a register and sent them off to the voting cubicle. Upon their return I got to open the slot in the ballot box and then we all cried out “A Voté” (voted) as the envelope slipped in. My colleague then requested their signature on another copy of the register and handed their cards back. Despite the seriousness of the event, all this was done with the usual kisses, handshakes and conversation that is normal in a French village and made me feel included even if I had no right to vote.

Awaiting the national results

Our village had a turnout of 190 voters and Macron won with 56% of votes, slightly less than the national average and it was a very close count at one point. With the hope other towns and villages would follow our trend I began to relax a little about our future for the first time in a few weeks. Once the official voting documents had been deposited at the local Gendarmarie, the aperos were served and we all gathered around to await the eight o’clock announcement on French TV as to who was likely to be our president. An hour of light hearted political banter followed before we all made our way home, relieved and happy.

It certainly has been an action-packed couple of days in our quiet village.

You might also like to read my previous VE Day posts from 2013 (here) and 2016 (here).

Cycling to Tarbes and Le RexHotel

The weary cyclist at Le RexHotel, Tarbes

As part of our super cycling holiday to the Pays Basque (see here) Adrian and I escaped the family holiday for a rather special night away. We packed the bikes, the bike panniers and lots of wet weather gear (the clouds had rolled in over the mountains) and set off for a small village on the flat below Cauterets.

Voie Verte Des Gaves, Pierrefitte

The plan (or so I’d been led to believe) was to leave the car in Pierrefitte and hop on the Voie Verte Des Gaves cycle way, another old railway line with little or no incline, now a cycle friendly route that would deposit us with little effort in Tarbes, 56km away. To begin with though, it was a coffee we were looking for and sadly Pierrefitte looked to be lacking, but after a friendly encounter with a local lady, who seemed rather keen to give us a guided tour of the churches and old town (before our caffeine fix), we found ourselves sheltering in the boulangerie. While the rain poured outside we cheered ourselves up with a chocolate patisserie and a cup of coffee.

Voie Verte Des Gaves

As our mood brightened, so did the weather and we were soon gliding along the voie verte at almost 30km an hour and I was sure I had found my mountain cycling nirvana. There were a few dog walkers, runners and cyclists using the path and everyone smiled and ‘bonjoured’ each other. It was happy cycling and I was a happy cyclist.

Climbing up to Arrodets-ez-Angles

Just before Lourdes we turned off the voie verte and took the road to St Créac, following a river and rather alarming looking like it was to be all up hill for a while. As Adrian got further and further in front of me I took to muttering to myself. I couldn’t quite believe anyone in their right mind would actively search out a hilly route when there was a flat voie verte offering easy passage to our destination. I feared for my husband’s sanity. Up and up we climbed, but the road was free of traffic, the verge alive with wild flowers and the only sounds were the cattle bells; a soft and gentle sound in the distance. I now understood why he had been so keen for me to join him climbing the Col d’Ispeguy the day before. I was a real climber now.

Lunch in Arrodets-ez-Angles

By lunchtime we were on top of the world in Arrodets-ez-Angles, looking across to huge snow capped peaks and greedily scoffing down baguettes filled with tinned fish. Adrian assured me it was all downhill from here to Tarbes, but as the rain arrived I began to fret about safely manoeuvring my bike downhill on wet roads. At least the rain would help to stop my brakes overheating as I can be a little heavy on them (think gripping them tightly as though my life depended on them).

Le RexHotel, Tarbes

Slowly and steadily I made my way downhill and the rooftops of Tarbes came into view, before disappearing as I rounded another bend. By following the river we arrived in the city having encountered very little traffic and although tired, I was pleased to have made it and couldn’t wait to discover our special four star hotel, Le RexHotel. The red carpet was out, in our honour I’m sure and the bikes were welcomed into reception and locked safely away for the night.

Public seating area at Le RexHotel, Tarbes

You can read my full review of The RexHotel on Freewheeling France here, but it was a real wow experience. A huge bed, a glass bathroom, bath big enough for two, outside terrace and the king of all breakfast buffets the following morning. I would have liked to explore more of Tarbes, but almost as soon as we arrived the rain did too and it poured all evening. We dashed out to grab an apero and got wet, dashed out to dinner and got wet and then decided enough was enough for what had been a great day out. Even I had to admit, had we stuck to the cycle path we would have missed some lovely scenery and mountain vistas. Maybe climbing mountains isn’t total madness after all.

This post has been linked to Paulita's Dreaming of France blog link up. Click here to read more.

France et Moi with Deborah L. Jacobs

Welcome to ‘France et Moi,’ where this week I am talking to journalist and author Deborah Jacobs about what France means to her.

Deborah L Jacobs

Deborah L. Jacobs is a lawyer, entrepreneur and award-winning journalist who has covered everything from travel to taxes. She is the author of Estate Planning Smarts, a bestselling guide for consumers, and the new book, Four Seasons in a Day: Travel, Transitions and Letting Go ofthe Place We Call Home, about how she quit the job from hell and planned to Airbnb her way through France. You can read my review here.

Firstly, I think France is a special place and it is famed for many things including its cheese, wine and diverse holiday locations plus, dare I say it strikes and dog poo littered streets. What do you think makes France so very unique and “French”?

Deborah: The less frenzied, more gracious lifestyle. Every conversation starts with bonjour and ends with bonne journée (have a good day), and on Fridays, bon weekend. Outside of Paris most stores, including the boulangerie, close for at least two hours at lunchtime. It’s customary to linger at a café for as long as one wants over one cup of coffee or a glass of wine. If you get a pastry to take out from a boulangerie/patisserie, chances are the clerk will wrap it like a gift – either in a tiny box or put it on a silver-foil square plate and fold paper over it in the shape of a pyramid. And the merchants don’t scowl (or seem to care) if you ask for a small quantity of something – whether it is a chunk of cheese, a slice of ham or a single piece of fruit – at the market.

One Saturday, in the Bayonne market, after I had already paid for my purchase, the vegetable vendor asked me, “Vous ne prenez pas de persil?" (Don’t you want to take some parsley?) I shook my head. He reached into a plastic crate and, with two hands, presented me with a bunch of parsley, as if it were a bouquet of flowers. I’m sure he has long since forgotten this flirtatious gesture, but I will remember it forever.

Four Seasons in a Day

2) Your travel memoir, Four Seasons in a Day, has recently been published. Can you tell us how the idea for this book came about?

Deborah: During the year that my husband and I spent planning our first lengthy French sojourn, I envisioned writing a book about the forces that cause baby boomers to leave the workplace sooner than expected – something that had happened to both of us. While living in France, I was going to focus on that project.

But, as so often occurs with foreign travel (and life), nothing went according to plan. And when that happened, I began to write about it. At least a few times a week, I turned my notes into e-mails to friends and family whom I thought they would interest. Soon I became so occupied with this correspondence that I put aside the other book idea and started this one.

By the time we returned to New York, I had produced some 60 e-mails, totaling about 70,000 words, and organized them into a draft table of contents. It took another year of writing, editing and rewriting to finish Four Seasons in a Day. But, unlike other memoirists and travel writers, I didn’t have to rely purely on recollections. I believe in the adage, “The worst pencil is better than the best memory.”

3) France has some beautiful cities, and there are a few that constantly battle to be my favourite. What is your favourite French city, and why?

Deborah: Of course I adore Paris and visit it every time I am in France, but since I come from a big city (New York), I seek out smaller, less frenetic cities, and there are many wonderful ones in France. Both Nice and Avignon, in the south – we recently rented an apartment for a week in each place – would be on my short list. So would Rennes (in the east of Brittany in northwestern France), where we spent just one night, went to the fabulous Saturday market and vowed to return for a longer stay.

While living at the foot of the Pyrenees in French Basque Country (Le Pays Basque), near the Atlantic seaboard in southwest France, I discovered the city of Bayonne and fell in love with it. Built at the confluence of the Adour and Nive rivers, Bayonne was for several centuries a major commercial centre. Today artisans’ studios line the cobblestone streets of the old city. Of all the markets I have been to in the world, the setting of the Saturday morning market in Bayonne, where we became regulars, is among the most beautiful. Vendors set up their stands along the river, creating an explosion of colours. While waiting to be served, shoppers have a view not only of the produce but also of the river and half-timbered four- and five-story Basque city houses on the opposite bank. There’s a photo of that scene on the cover of Four Seasons in a Day.

Bayonne is also a vibrant academic city that attracts people of many nationalities. I sometimes fantasize about spending a semester teaching writing in France. If I ever did that, Bayonne is where I would like to teach.

4) You have spent quite a bit of time traveling around France. If money and commitments were no object, where in France would you like to own a property, and what sort of place would it be?

Deborah: Again, it would be in French Basque Country. I would live a 20-minute drive south and west of Bayonne, in the town of St. Jean-de-Luz. There I would own one of the Art Nouveau houses on the promenade that runs along the Grande Plage. It would have a view of the mountains and the sea. After a morning swim in the ocean, just steps from my front door, I would walk to the port, with its crayon-coloured fishing boats reflecting in the water, and buy the latest catch directly from the fishermen. (Sigh!)

5) Every region in France has its own culinary specialty. Was there one regional dish you fell in love with on your trip?

Deborah: In Le Pays Basque our favourite regional dish was axoa. The pronunciation (AH-tcho-a) roughly approximates the sound of a sneeze. To the American palate, it is reminiscent of chile but without the beans, and there are probably as many renditions of it as there are varieties of chile in the U.S. Axoa can be made with either roughly chopped veal or beef, and an ingredient in many recipes for it is Espelette pepper – either whole or in powdered form.

Though we prepared most of our own meals while living in France, with so many delicious versions of axoa available – in restaurants; as takeout from butcher shops; and even factory-bottled, at supermarkets – we saw no reason to cook this dish ourselves. Why do all the chopping, pepper peeling and simmering when so many other people had already perfected the recipe?

6) What is your favourite thing to buy in a boulangerie/patisserie?

Deborah: I like to drive into a French village shortly before lunchtime, look for a busy boulangerie/patisserie, and watch what the locals are buying. Before I make my choice, I ask the person behind the counter what the specialty of the house is. Offerings can vary from day to day; the selection tends to be best on Fridays and on Sunday mornings, as people get ready for weekend get-togethers. 

The most memorable item I discovered this way was a light, fluffy macaron – this one red-tinged and filled with ganache caramel and Espelette pepper, bought at the Boulangerie Patisserie Berterreix in the village of Espelette (home of the famous chile pepper). Produced only from May until late October, these ethereal cookies cost 0.90€ apiece, and dissolve in the mouth in a sweet and spicy blend of chocolate, caramel and pepper.

7) What is your first memory of a trip to France?

Deborah: My family lived in post-war Germany when I was a preschooler, courtesy of the U.S. Army, and during that time we visited Paris on a couple of occasions.

As we prepared for the first trip, my mother read me Kay Thompson’s classic story of Eloise in Paris, illustrated by Hilary Knight. Like Eloise, I got a special “Paris dress” as a souvenir. Though I don’t know for certain, I think it’s safe to assume that my Paris dress, unlike the one that was custom-made for Eloise, was not designed by Christian Dior. Also, unlike Eloise, I was not allowed to sit at Fouquet’s restaurant and spray my toes with a seltzer bottle; plunge in the fountains; or give my pet turtle a bath in the hotel bidet. (In fact, I didn’t even have a pet turtle.) But I found my own fun in Paris when I ate a double ice cream cone for the first time – in the Tuileries Garden. The idea of a double cone made such a big impression on me at age 4 that, when my grandmother came to visit us overseas and we talked about going to Paris together, I reportedly said, “We must go for ice cream in the Tuileries Garden.” She told that story for the rest of her life.

8) Do you have a favourite French tipple?

Deborah: My “house wine” in France is La Cave d’Augustin Florent Bourgueil, produced from the cabernet franc grape. While living in Le Puy-Notre-Dame – a tiny Loire Valley village surrounded by vineyards –  I discovered this particular wine the way I always shop for wine in Europe: by shadowing residents through supermarket wine aisles and watching what they buy.

I have served this complex, very fruity red with hints of raspberry to a couple of wine connoisseurs. Only after they praise my selection (€4 per bottle) do I reveal my secret source, along with my belated discovery: La Cave d’Augustin Florent is the house brand for the Carrefour chain of supermarkets.

9) France has many different cheeses, a silly question, but which French cheese are you? A hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively goat cheese, the creamy and rich Camembert or maybe the salty and serious Roquefort?

Deborah: The French cheese with which I most strongly identify is Mont d’Or, or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. It is a seasonal delicacy available from late October until March, and since autumn is my favourite time to visit France, I look forward to its arrival in the markets. Mont d’Or comes from the Jura Mountains, and apparently the French and Swiss both took credit for it until the Swiss finally conceded.

This cheese has a washed rind, a butter-coloured pâte and a hardened brown crust. Made with rennet, its centre looks like pudding, and at room temperature it is so soft that I eat it with a spoon for breakfast. Recognizable by the spruce wood around its crust that holds the cheese together, it is cured on spruce wood boards and packed in spruce wood boxes. It is ideally eaten within a month of ripening, but the more time it is in contact with the wood, the more pleasantly it tastes – and smells – like the forest.

All these features make Mont d’Or a whimsical cheese that is not only filled with surprises but also takes on the best of its surroundings. I would like to think that these are traits I share.

10) Do you have any plans to visit France again soon?

Deborah: Yes, we plan to rent our house again in the fall of 2017 and return to France for three months. As we have done in the past, we will start in the north and head south, chasing the autumn harvest, before winding up in Paris once the weather gets cold. On past trips this agenda has taken us to the grape harvest in the Loire Valley, the chile pepper harvest in Basque Country and the walnut harvest in the Périgord. This year we want to spend the grape harvest (the vendange) in Alsace-Lorraine, near the German border. I plan to post updates on my travels, writing and speaking engagements on my Facebook author’s page.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about France and you.