I thought I would use my guest post on My French Life this month to do a recapitulation of the renovation of our Renaissance fireplace in Closerie Falaiseau, our 400-year old house in Blois. I know that some of you waited with bated breath as we converted it from a “bandy-legged monster” as Barb Hall so aptly called it in a comment, to a straight and dignified fireplace ready to use.
The hearth looks a bit stark at the moment but once the fireback is in and the logs are in place and there’s a roaring fire going, it should look a bit more attractive!
French Renovations in the Loire Valley
posted on My French Life, the global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French
The first time we visited Closerie Falaiseau, a beautifully restored Renaissance home built in 1584 near Blois in the Loire Valley, we didn’t see the upstairs fireplace.It was almost completely covered up with a large wardrobe.
So on the second visit, we asked if the cupboard could be moved. But it was very heavy and we only had a partial view. It was not until we signed the final deed of sale and saw the house empty that we had any real idea of the state of the fireplace and even then, it turned out that a large rattan fan was hiding a gaping hole filled with cement. Read more
When I first started writing this blog in October 2011, I was worried about my university students and possibly my translation clients being able to track down my private life so I came up with the pseudonym of Fraussie. When I created the Facebook fan page for Aussie in France, I discovered that I needed a “real” person behind it. What I didn’t understand was that fan pages and Facebook accounts are kept separate anyway and that someone who joined the fan page did not see the person who was behind it.
Front staircase at Closerie Falaiseau in winter
Anyway, when I set up the account, Fraussie was not enough. I needed a family name as well. We’d just found Closerie Falaiseau which is in the Grouet neighbourhood of Blois, whence the name. It was not until later that we learnt the name of the house or I would have called myself Fraussie Falaiseau and not Fraussie Grouet.
But I have been having more and more trouble keeping my own Facebook account, Rosemary Kneipp, separate from Fraussie Grouet’s. I never remember who I am and I need to keep logging out of one and into the other. It’s good practice for warding off incipient Alzheimer’s of course, but not always convincing. The fan page problem was really quite simple to solve as it turned out: I just had to change administrators!
I’m now no longer teaching at uni and my clients only care about whether my translation is any good or not so I’ve decided to get rid of Fraussie Grouet although I must confess I’ve become somewhat attached to her. Relationnel has also decided he’d like to come out. He’ll now appear as Jean Michel. Without a hyphen.
I’ve often been asked where the name Relationnel comes from. When we first met and I introduced him to my children, then 12 and 15, Leonardo, the oldest (he wanted to be a genius when he grew up and used to read a French comic book series called Léonard hence the pseudonym) was impressed by Jean Michel’s ability to always say the right thing to people, so he started calling him Relationnel and it stuck.
My daughter, Black Cat (explained in another post), would like to keep her pseudonym. It’s bad enough having a mother that writes a blog without it spilling over into your private life as well! I haven’t asked Leonardo because he’s asleep in Sydney at the moment, but I think he rather likes being considered a genius. My kids have a different family name altogether, I might add, which keeps them safe.
Having said all this, I should point out that Kneipp is my father’s name. My married name is Avril, but in France, you always officially keep your maiden name. Using your husband’s name is only a convention, though few people know this. I use Avril when people only know me as Jean Michel’s wife (the concierge, for example) or for friends we meet together. Sometimes Jean Michel gets called Kneipp as well, which further confuses matters.
When asked for your name here, you write KNEIPP Rosemary épouse (spouse of) AVRIL. Family names are always capitalised in this country and in formal circumstances you give them first. My French students would always say DUPONT Marie, for example, whereas the Anglosaxons would say Mary Brown. It can get a bit confusing, but the capitals help if you are not familiar with the person’s given name.
Notice I’m using “family name” and “given name” here as opposed to first name (or Christian name) and surname, since they are no longer politically correct and, above all, can lead to confusion. The terms in French are nom de famille (family name), prénom (given name, which literally means pre-name, which is a bit contradictory considering what I’ve just said) and nom de jeune fille (maiden name).
But, revenons à nos moutons, as my father used to say in his schoolboy French. I shall henceforth be known as Rosemary. However, do keep using your own pseudonyms, such as Maple Leaf, Kiwi, Jane’s cousin and Jane’s cousin’s friend, if you’re happy to keep them!
The posts on my Wednesday Bloggers’ Round-Up today are all by Australians (or people with Australian connections) and all on the subject of Barcelona. Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles has suggestions for both fine dining and casual dining in Barcelona, Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog offers lots of insider tips on things to do while Laurence from Finding the Universe offers us spectacular photos of Gaudi’s monuments that I can’t wait to visit! So let’s go to Barcelona!
Barcelona: Gastronomic Dining
by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles, an Australian who an ongoing passion for France and the French language just back in Australia after a holiday in Europe
I visited Spain for the first time in 2001 as part of a whirlwind tour around Europe. I couldn’t understand people who raved about Spanish food. The food served to tourists on bus trips is generally lacking flavour and unexciting. All this changed last year when I stayed with Isa and Julio in Andalusia. What a revelation.
In January this year, in addition to tapas, I was fortunate to dine in the Michelin starred Cinc Sentits restaurant in Barcelona. Read more
Things to do in Barcelona
By Australian blogger Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog, who, with Caz, believes that life is about creating great memories and making it a story to tell, and they do that through travel.
Looking for tips on things to do in Barcelona? As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Mariana Calleja from Travel Thirst who has been in Barcelona since January 2010, fell in love with the place, and decided to stay longer. Mariana shares with us her insider tips on the best things to do inBarcelona plus where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore. Why Visit Barcelona? Barcelona is a very rich city in many aspects. The easiest way… Read more
Gaudi’s Barcelona
by Laurence from Finding the Universe, of British origin who, with German-born Vera, are both travellers, into writing and photography, slowly exploring the world.
Gaudí. It’s kind of hard to visit Barcelona without spending your time gaping in awe at the architectural and artistic genius that he left behind all over the city.
A great deal of my week in Barcelona was therefore spent, gaping in awe, at his many truly incredible constructions. As well as gaping, I was also taking the odd photograph, which I’m sharing with you today. I wasn’t able to visit every bit of work he did, but I’d like to think that I took in the serious highlights.
In a future post I’ll be going more into the details of what to see and do in Barcelona. For now though, less detail: more eye candy.
Every Sunday, when we are in Paris, we go to the local market at Sainte Eustache, regardless of the weather. We have an addiction to fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and, of course, oysters on Sunday. When it snowed last week, we wondered how many vendors we would find. As we walked out the front door, I nearly slipped on the ice on the threshold despite my new shoes. After that, I was extra careful!
Motorcycles in the snow
We walked past motorcycles, vélib’s and a Christmas tree covered in snow until we got to the ATM at the bank. I felt very sorry for the bag lady inside the makeshift tent even though it was positioned over a warm air vent. It’s very sad to see the number of homeless people constantly increasing in the streets of Paris and even more noticeable in winter.
Bag lady in her cold tent
When we got to the market, we discovered that most of our regulars stall, including the oyster vendor, were there. But hardly any customers! We buy our fruit & veggies from a serve-yourself stall so I made sure I took the produce that HADN’T been covered in snow and cooked the more perishable vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, capsicum) that evening.
Lonely market in the snow
The people I felt really sorry for were the fishmongers. They have to pick up the fish and weigh it, then clean it. Their hands must be completely numb. Mine were freezing and I was wearing my rabbit-fur-lined leather gloves from Italy. There wasn’t a lot of choice, but that was understandable. The fish monger thanked us for our “fidelity” when we left.
Oysters on Sunday in the rain
By the next Sunday, all the snow had disappeared, but it was very cold and rainy and windy so we took our big rainbrella as Leonardo used to call it. This time, the fruit and vegetables were soaking wet. My hands were completely frozen by the time I had stuffed a kilo of spinach leaves into a plastic bag. Next time, I might just take a pair of rubber gloves along!
Queuing for organic vegetables in front of Jet Lag
What amazed me most was the long queue at the organically grown produce stall, right down as far as the Jet Lag café! The wind was whipping around us and there they all were, stoic as ever. It’s strange they preferred the rain and wind to the snow though.
Early (or late) after work at L’Imprimerie
We went past L’Imprimerieon the way home with its “After Work” sign in English. You wouldn’t really think it was the right time of the day or day of the week, would you?
You can see the gypsies, who have been accosting tourists, dispersing as the machine guns arrive …
Now, the weather has got much warmer – 10°C today – so I was able to go powerwalking in the Tuileries Gardens. Reminder to self: you still need gloves at 10°C.
Baie de la Somme, which is at the mouth of the Somme River in Picardy, is a delightful little town that goes back to Roman times. It still has an abbey church, a sea lock, a stone tower, ramparts and small winding streets. It has a colourful market on Sunday mornings that often extends along the waterfront. It has lovely light and attracted artists such as Sisley and Degas who both had villas there. Baie de Somme is one of our favourite cycling areas and is a good stop on the way down from Boulogne to Dieppe, for example. It’s also an easy weekend trip from Paris.
Abbey church taken in the other directionAbbey church with its checkerboard patternEntrance through the old rempartsEstuaryLovely old schoolTurn-of-the-century steam trainEstuary viewEstuary view showing early 20th century seaside housesYou can see the other side of the estuary
In part 6 of my Croatian itinerary, published way back in June last year, I recounted out stay in the Istria Peninsula. The next day we left Croatia for Slovenia. We stopped at the little mediaeval town of Vodnjan (Dignano) with its somewhat dilapidated Venitian Gothic Renaissance buildings to write our last postcards.
The main square of Vodnjan in Istria
We then worked our way up the coast, skirting round Trieste where we had intended to have lunch, but the traffic was so bad that we headed for Slovenia instead.
Inside the Proteus Restaurant in Postojnska
Our first stop was the town of Postojnska where we had a very cheap three-course meal for ten euro at the Proteus. Inside the restaurant, the people were sitting around tables surrounded by strip curtains. They obviously like their privacy! After Istria, everything seemed very neat and clean.
Philharmonic Hall in Congress Square
Our arrival at Ljubljana at 5 pm was a little traumatic even though the town seemed very pretty. There was nowhere to park near our hotel so we lugged our bags in the rain to Hotel Emonce. It turned out I had made a mistake with the booking and they were not expecting us until the next week! Relationnel, who had been driving all day, was not impressed.
Along the Ljubjanica River
We went to the tourist office where they found us a much classier hotel called the Central Union which was offering a cheap mid-week rate and had underground parking. We dropped our luggage and went in search of an apéritif. We sat down gratefully to a glass of lovely cold Slovenian wine at the Divine along the Ljubjanica River just near the Triple Bridge.
Recycling bins in Ljubljana
I immediately took to Ljubljana, the only large city in Slovenia with a population of about 270,000 people. I found it clean and friendly. I liked the people, the architecture and the atmosphere. There are five different sorts of recycling bins that are emptied into the ground below, electric cars, city cycles and lots of bike paths.
Triple Bridge
It was a little difficult to choose somewhere to eat, but I always find that’s the way when you go to a new country. It takes a while to know how everything works. We settled for al fresco eating at the Abecedarium where we had lamb cutlets and veal medallions with dumplings. Nothing special but pleasant. Afterwards we wandered round the city a bit before walking back to the hotel.
Saint Nicolas Cathedral
Next morning after a good sleep despite the sheet system (the same size as the bed!) and an excellent breakfst we visited the market which was rather sparse and went back to the cathedral with its lovely frescoes outside and beautiful baroque interior.
Dragon Bridge
We visited the famous dragon bridge, which has given the city its emblem. We then hiked up to the castle on the hill overlooking the city and got there just as the rain started pelting down. The mediaeval castle is nothing special but the panoramic view from the top is stunning. You can take the funicular if you don’t feel up to walking.
View from the castle
We then went past the strange façade of the university and into the Krizanke Summer Theatre, once the monastery of the Holy Cross and wandered about Congress Square before buying bureks (a filo pastry sknack wiht a savoury filling) at Dvor and having coffee at Solist.
Krizanke Theatre which houses the Summer Festival
After a little nap, we decided to risk the possibilty of rain and go cycling. You can read all about our adventure in another post. It took a somewhat surprising turn!
Collage above a basement clothing shop
We didn’t get back to the hotel until 9 pm, but after a quick shower, found a restaurant in Juricidece Trg. called the Okrepceurlnioa where we felt we really deserved our tagliata and Slovenian wine ! The next day, we were off on the next leg of our journey – Innsbruck.
Relationnel is on call this week. The reason we live in the Palais Royal is not because he’s a wealthy banker or some such thing. About 4,000 people work in the French reserve bank (Banque de France) that occupies the block of buildings across the road from us. Because of the xxx hectares of gold bullion underground, the technical installations such as the heating, air-conditioning, power generators and IT installations, have to be working at all times, so a team of 8 people (4 for heating & air-conditioning, 4 for power) is on roster during weekends and evenings and need to live close by. Relationnel is one of them.
Snow on the balcony balustrade
So we go to sleep on Monday night around 11 pm, which is early for us, and his beep goes off at 12.09. Fortunately, he is able to deal with the problem remotely from the computer but by the time he comes back to bed, we’re wide awake. We eventually turn off the light.
Some time later, “Are you sleep?” he says, which immediately wakes me up. “Your phone keeps making noises. Can’t you hear it?” I listen for a while and eventually hear a sort of little ding-a-ling. I go and have a look. I make sure my landline is firmly on its base and go back to bed. By then, I can detect a powerful smell of gas. Relationnel goes downstairs to see where it’s coming from (we don’t have a gas connection so it can’t be us) and comes back to tell me he’s opened the window on the landing and that it’s disappearing.
Snow on the cars in our street
By then, the entire bedroom is invaded but it’s pointless opening the window because it’s worse outside. I lie there resisting sleep just in case I die from gas poisoning which is something that happens in this country, mainly due to faulty gas installations. Relationnel starts snoring lightly. Then the ding-a-ling starts again.
I dash into my office and frantically dismantle the phone. The ring continues. I go and wrap the phone in the throw-on rug in the living room and close the door. I go back to bed. The ding-a-ling continues. I realise it must be the other landline, the one the firemen at the bank use to ring Relationnel when there’s an emergency. So I can’t do anything about it and I can’t close the door either in case the phone rings.
Snowing on the Palais Royal (it’s very hard to take a photo of snow falling)
I go back to bed. Fortunately the smell seems to have disappeared (or maybe I’ve got used to it, which is even more worrying). I read my Kindle for a while using the little clip-on light and eventually drift off. I don’t hear Relationnel get up at 6.45 but at 8 am, on the dot, I’m wrenched from sleep by a loud pumping noise in the normally quiet street below. I can’t believe it. Once a year, they deliver heating oil to the bank for three hours and this is the day.
It turns out that the smell came all the way up the Seine from Rouen due to a leak at a chemical plant that makes lubricants and paints and is classified dangerous for the environment. It was mercaptan gas which has an odour of sweat, garlic and rotten eggs and is said to be harmless. I’m glad I’m not in Rouen. We know the plant, actually, from spending several Christmases in the area. We could often smell fumes. The gas was also blown over the Channel to England! It seems that the poor firemen spent all night reassuring frightened Parisians and Brits. None of us died in our sleep however and the mysterious ding-a-ling has stopped.
The stunning cameo on one of my friend’s doors
Oh, and I’ve only lost half a kilo this week, due to an excessively rich meal at a French friend’s house, particularly the tiramisu at the end which was so good that I had an unnecessary second helping. Sigh. It’s much easier to control what you eat in a restaurant.
My Wednesday’s bloggers’ round-up this week starts with fellow Australian Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles who’s been having a holiday from blogging but after a recent trip to France, she’s fortunately back on the job. So I’m starting with her authentic experience of Christmas in France with a French family. Next Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike lists resources to plan a bike trip in France, including my beloved Loire Valley. Jill from Gigi’s French window, also Australian, compares cellar doors in France and Australia. Nothing could be more different! Enjoy!
Celebrating Christmas in France
by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles, an Australian who an ongoing passion for France and the French language just back in Australia from two months in France
My love for La France is intrinsically linked with my passion for food. I have been extremely spoilt in staying with Valérie who is a generous and wonderful cook. In France the main meal at Christmas time is usually on Christmas Eve. Valérie’s son Grego offered to prepare this meal. Having lost weight for a film role he had been dreaming about an extra special Christmas Eve dinner. He devised the dishes, bought the ingredients and then he and Valérie worked as a team to create the dishes.
We started with champagne, foie gras on toast, radishes, carrot, foie gras and fig macarons from Pierre Hermé. I was rather sceptical about the foie gras and fig macarons as I have only ever known macarons as a sweet rather than something savoury. They however worked very well. I even bought some for New Year’s Eve. Read more
Great Resources To Help Plan Your Bike Trip to France
by Maggie LaCoste fromExperience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history
Cyclotourism is getting to be big business in Europe, worth somewhere around 45+ billion Euros per year to the European economy. This is great for you and me because countries like France, (and Germany, Austria and Switzerland) want our business. Their improving their marketing efforts and they are rapidly stepping up efforts to provide better information on major routes. Don’t get too excited, this doesn’t mean that you will have an easy time finding information on all major itineraries. But it does mean that access to better information is improving, more of it’s offered in English, and the result is easier trip planning. To kick off the new year and bike trip planning season, let’s take a look at several major websites to see how they can help you decide where to go and where to bike. Read more
Wineries/les vignobles
by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life
This year I have decided to search out and enjoy all sorts of ‘french experiences’ right here in the land down under…
I made a start last weekend by visiting a local winery…well it was an hours’ drive away, but I didn’t have to take a 2 day trip across the world!
But first some ‘pics’ to compare….
Last May, the ‘travelling bridesmaids’ and I went for a beautiful Sunday stroll along the tiny winding roads of Cassis, southern France. We thought we would try a wine tasting, have lunch..you know how it goes….well the walk was fabulous, the scenery amazing…but none were open to the public! It seems that tourism doesn’t come into play with french vineyards..(these ones anyway) .I think it must be all too serious a business for that! Read more(and don’t forget to read the comments as well)
On Friday, Relationnel and I went to the sales to replace some of the clothing that disappeared with our missing suitcase. We left our sports shoes until last and I was a bit reluctant to make the effort. Fortunately, Relationnel overcame my reticence and we went to Au Vieux Campeur. This time, I was eventually helped by a young man who was keen to practise his English and talk about Australia. The shoes I bought are actually much better (and cheaper) than the last ones. Thanks to Aurelia (see comment), I managed to get a receipt for the ones in the suitcase.
Palais Royal Gardens
So when I woke up on Saturday and saw that the snow was still on the ground, I was able to go power walking for the first time in months. At about 10.30, I headed for the Tuileries where I was certain I’d find a good depth of snow.
Night Revellers Kiosk on Place Colette
Next to the Night Revellers’ Kiosk on Place Colette, greatly improved in my opinion by its layer of snow, the waiter from Le Nemours was sweeping a path across the Place, doing what all retailers and caretakers should do: remove the snow from the pavement to avoid accidents, particularly when the temperature drops and it becomes icy.
Ducks on the first pond in the Tuileries
In the Tuileries, there were no sailing boats on the first pond – just the ducks swimming busily around the unfrozen section.
Looking towards the Louvre Museum
Neither was there anyone sitting on the green chairs facing the Louvre and piled high with snow.
Pond behind Café Diane
I checked out the pond next to Café Diane, one of my five favourite lunch venues near the Louvre, but the tables were deserted there too.
Big Wheel at Concorde
In the distance, the Big Wheel was just a haze and the whole scene looked as though it were in black and white!
Pond near Place de la Concorde
Closer up, I could see the seagulls on the pond near the Big Wheel with the Orangerie and Place de la Concorde in the distance.
Rodin’s “Kiss”
There were still two people kissing further down, though, undeterred by the cold snow.
Henry Moore’s “Reclining Figure”
As I made my way back, Henry Moore’s Reclining figure seemed to be making the most of the snowfall.
Family having a snow fight in the Tuileries Gardens
Further on, a family was having a joyous snowfight, and aimed a snowball at me when they saw me taking photos. But I ducked just in time!
In front of the first pond in the Tuileries
When I reached the last pond, I asked a photographer with his tripod if he wouldn’t mind taking a photo of me with my iPhone. I figured he’d know how to take a good photo first off. And he did! I’m wearing my new headband which is the warmest thing I’ve had in a long time – much more comfortable than a woolly hat and wonderful protection for my ears, not to mention my rabbit-lined leather gloves. It was about 1°C after all.
Africans selling hats and gloves in the Tuileries Gardens
As I walked back to the Triumphal Arch, I saw that the itinerant sellers were spreading their wares – hats and gloves – to the relief of unprepared tourists.
Caroussel Triumphal Arch
By the time I got back to the Palais Royal, there were people galore!
It doesn’t snow a lot in Paris – probably once or twice a year – and the snow doesn’t stay on the ground for long. This year, however, there has a been a decent fall, enough for the more adventurous to get out their skis and sleds! We stayed within our neighbourhood because it snowed most of the day and it was pretty cold after a couple of hours walking around.
View from our balcony in the Palais RoyalVélib’ and Blanca NievesThe Calife river restaurantAn outdoor Christmas treeA snowbear climbing a tree in the Palais Royal gardensA long snowman in the Palais Royal gardens – the scarf is one of the safety tapes around the fountain!A miniature snowman in front of Miss Bibi’sA bike cart not discouraged by the snowThe Louvre pyramid with the water iced overRiver boat carrying tourists on the Seine
The first time we visited Closerie Falaiseau, a beautifully restored Renaissance home built in 1584 near Blois in the Loire Valley, we didn’t see the upstairs fireplace. It was almost completely covered up with a large wardrobe.
