Aah, finally, a bit of outdoor time. Yesterday we went into the forest with kynan’s dog Sam.
Sam loved it out there, we saw frogs, and even an edible snail like slug without a shell (and plus, it was longer).
After that it was basically Sam leaping around and trying to kill frogs. Technically I didn’t see the frogs because they were practically microscopic, but I saw the splashes. Later on we came to a quarry which had a railway track to take stones to Paris.
Ah, now for the wonderful cheeses of Francais.
For an appetizer we had bread and pate.
For dinner we had roast beef and beans ( both types).
For cheeses we had three different types of goat cheeses and four different types of cow’s milk cheese.
For pudding/dessert we had an apple tart.
Yum! Great post, Tom. Your experiences so far, and the photo, remind me of when I first went to France too, when I was 5. I’m curious to know what two types of beans you had – green beans and another kind? I remember when we lived in a place called Die, in 1990, for tea one night we had nothing but green beans. A massive pot came out brimming with the things! I’d never seen anything like it, but they were good, and I have loved green beans ever since.
Oh yes, I crave those French French beans too. I remember them in Die when they were plentiful in the fields and so that was what we ate every day at our friends’ place. In France the best meals are always made up of produce which is seasonal, meaning that it is fresh at the time. I agree with Susie. Those beans were dee-licous!
All of which reminds me that the 1st of May coming up is a very special day in France. It’s called May Day and it’s the day when people give little sprigs of lily of the valley to the people they love so as to bring luck. Lily of the valley is a beautiful little grouping of bell-shaped white flowers with tight, elegant green leaves around them, called le muguet in French (sounds like myou-gay). I remember when we were in Manosque in Provence way back in 1975 when your Mum was little I bought a little sprig for Grandma which she just loved. Perhaps if you go to a market on May Day or just watch out when you are travelling in the Loire, you might find a sprig to give Mummy. It won’t cost you much and Daddy might even help you buy it . Or you may get lucky and just spot some in a field or by the side of the road. We loved reading your account of foods you have bean enjoying. Keep telling us all about the new special foods you eat.