Insights into the French way of life and European travels by an Australian living in the Loire Valley
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Loire Valley Accommodation!
Stay in our beautiful 400-year old Renaissance house in the Loire Valley. Click on Gîte Loire Valley above. Accommodates 2 to 4 adults. 3-night minimum stay.-
Live like a local and improve your French!
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Recent Posts
- Why it’s so great to cycle in France – Experience France by Bike
- Getting to NYC from Blois
- Eurovélo 3 – Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois – Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine – Maillé : goats cheese, dolmens & massacres
- Friday’s French – Globalisation, mondialisation, global, overall
- Secret Blois #2 – Wars Wounds and Fountains
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Category Archives: Cooking
Our Foie Gras Atelier
There was a time when we used to eat quite a lot of foie gras. In the winter, we would often rent a gîte for a long weekend somewhere in the country within a couple of hours from Paris and … Continue reading
Posted in Closerie Falaiseau, Cooking
Tagged foie gras, foie gras au sel, making your own foie gras
7 Comments
From Bridge to Bridge
It’s Sunday, the sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue and it’s 8°C. We can hardly believe it after the awful weather we have been having since November. We begin with pruning the roses. We have ten climbing roses … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Country living, Flowers & gardens, Food, French customs, Life in France, Retirement
Tagged brocante in Blois, retirement in France
13 Comments
Mulled Wine and Chestnuts with the Locals
It’s one of those dull and dreary rainy days in December with little motivation to venture much further than the fireside but our local association, Les Amis des Grouets, is having its annual mulled wine and chestnut evening just down … Continue reading
Friday’s French – marmelade, confiture & jam
I was recently told a very plausible and fascinating story about the origin of the word marmelade. The future Mary Queen of Scots was brought up in France, mostly in the Castle of Amboise just down the road from us. She was … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Food, French language
Tagged confiture in English, Friday's French, jam in French, origin of confiture, origin of jam, préservatif
8 Comments
Cycling to the Rendez-vous du Chocolat at Château de Villesavin
We can’t believe that it’s mid-October and the temperature is going to be 25°C in the afternoon! Absolutely unheard-of. We can’t wait to get out on our bikes. It’s also the 9th Rendez-vous du Chocolat at Château de Villesavin so … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Food, Loire Valley châteaux, Mushrooms
Tagged rendez-vous du chocolat villesavin
9 Comments
Bread Baking Day in Les Grouets
The sky is overcast and we’re hoping it’s not going to rain because we’re about to attend the 8th annual bread-making day in our neighbourhood, Les Grouets. It’s all happening at a bread-oven I’ve already photographed in the past. We … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Food, Loire Valley, Wine
Tagged bread baking day in France, les amis des grouets, Les Grouets
7 Comments
The Saffron Fair in Preuilly sur Claise
It’s our second day in Blois and Susan and Simon from Days on the Claise have invited us to their local saffron fair. I know next to nothing about saffron except that it comes from the pistils ofcrocuses. Even that’s … Continue reading
Melt-in-the-mouth foie gras au sel
I love foie gras. But not just any foie gras. The best foie gras I had ever eaten until recently was at Jean Michel’s parents’ place about 15 years ago. It must have been an important birthday because there were … Continue reading
Fried Onion Rings on a 5:2 fast diet feast day
Apparently fried onion rings are an important part of Thanksgiving in America but most people buy them in cans which I can’t even begin to imagine. It would be like buying tinned battered fish surely. But I checked it out … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Food, Uncategorized
Tagged baked vegetables, côte de boeuf, fried onion rings
4 Comments
