Gâteaux Entrées

It is the midweek church meeting (ok it's Friday) and as we are in France, that means food.

They asked me to bring "gâteaux entrées". I had never heard of this but I said ok and consulted Google.

I did not like the examples in the local shop so I decided to try the recipe I found on-line. The first try on Wednesday was flat and not enough of them. I bought the topping on the way home on Thursday and tried again but with bicarbonate of soda in the flour.

Much lighter.

The Wednesday ones are in the small box for a laugh. Hopefully they will appreciate the home made efforts.

Gâteaux Entrées, by the way, are little savory starters. In this case flour, butter and cheese topped with confit de tomate.

And yes, with a little rising agent.

Snow

This morning started with rain. Quite heavy, steady, and my phone warned me it was only 4 degrees. Once on the train, at the first stop I began to notice the "rain" had taken on a white aspect and appeared lighter. The ground was still wet, but umbrellas started to go white.

By the time we passed the airport, the snow was heavy. Usually I can see the control tower and some planes behind the fields. Today it was a white-out. I knew the airport was there, but there was no evidence to confirm it.

The snow eased, and came back heavily as we journeyed. Then on the bus, everyone was packed on, cold and wet. You can see the bus in one of the photos. The other photo is the car park where I work.

Those who come by car are complaining of the time it took. All traffic going very slowly. "It was hell" one said. "It couldn't have been!" I replied and he saw the joke (too cold).

Well I will be traveling later this week and I am glad to have left several hours slack in my plans. But the forecast is warmer than today so the worst I should expect is rain.

Normal for this time of year.

The Senate

A grand palace now housing the workings of government. It is on one edge of the Luxembourg Gardens and is usually so well guarded by armed men and women that you even look at it with caution. 

So to be able to go inside today, and at no cost, was an invitation difficult to refuse. 

We went toward the queue, but the normal path was fenced off. To gain access you needed to exit the gardens and rejoin them further round. 

First the armed check on your bags. Then a half hour wait in the queue (not too bad on a nice day). 

Blocks of queuing people were released along the fenced path to the entrance. Once inside, all accessories went through the x-Ray machine and us through the metal detector. 

If anyone used to own this place before the French government did, they have been completely forgotten. Everything here is French government, even down to the amazingly painted ceilings, and at times, the walls. 

Here are some phone pictures. The library, the reception hall and central dome, and the senate meeting room itself. I have often seen this in the news, it looks just the same in reality but the high half dome is out of shot. 

We walked round it all and retired home well walked out. 

The Senate. 

Sent from Terence's iPhone

How to Luxembourg Garden

Luxembourg Gardens. 

And there are lots of events on to celebrate world heritage day. Our first stop is the Orangery. 

Here are exhibits and explanations about the planting in the gardens. There are outside displays too. 

The photos show the pot plants, and how they have to be repotted every 10 years (if I remember correctly). Looking at the roots here, this tree is due for a new pot, but it is huge! There is a gantry system just to put it in this place. 

Then they explain how to graft and train fruit trees, and why. But more exotically, and very Frenchly, they show how to mask the fruit so that it grows with the producer's badge coloured on its skin. 

Next stop is the Senate, France's seat of government. 

Sent from Terence's iPhone

Do it yourself lunch

You can see some lovely food being cooked in some tiny frying pans. This is our lunch date and our French host quipped "you can blog your friends that you were invited to lunch and had to cook it yourselves!"  So I have. 

In fact there is a lot of preparation involved before we arrived and started cooking. The meat is beef but is quite red from the delicious marinade. There are peppers and vegetables cut up and marinaded too; and with some rice on the side. 

And we have 2 sets of chopsticks each. A short pair to select and place food in our pan(s), and a long pair to eat with. 

And so we spent a happy lunchtime with our French host and his Filipino wife. But the food is Taiwanese. 

The cooker on the table is an electrically heated hot stone where you can fry on top or grill below. It is for cheese dishes but our hosts did not find that to their taste. So here it is adapted to their Asian menu, and very nice it was too, as you can tell from the smiles on our faces!

Sent from Terence's iPhone

Sent from Terence's iPhone

Cup final

I am ready for bed but the cup final between France and Portugal has no score after normal time. I came intro the bar at 8pm to watch it but here it starts at 9pm. I forgot about the time difference. 

I was 36 centigrade outside today. It felt like walking through an oven. So the air conditioned bar is a pleasant change. As I wait for the match to start, I am given a piece of cake. It's the owner lady's birthday today. There is a little party celebrating but she is also serving. I wish her a happy birthday. 

In the second half, the ex-owner (the lady owner's father) offers me a brandy. I chose the 1886 special and pour a little in the warmed glass. It changes as it sits in my mouth becoming light and oily and quite delicious. 

The match is even. Most of the Spanish, but not all, appear to support Portugal. I elect to be among them which is clearly a pleasing decision. I can't lose, if Portugal win, I am among friends. If not, I can return to Paris and celebrate there. But so far it is even. Whatever the number of chances, it will be the one who puts it in the net in the end; and as I write, no one had done that yet. 

The brandy is refreshed for extra time (or is it to celebrate the birthday?). I should sleep well tonight. 

Terence Westoby

terrywestoby@gmail.com

+33 6 75 91 87 71

Sent from Samsung tablet

For the record, Portugal 1,France 0 after extra time.
The statistics had France on top. 

2 o'clock and the world is still

Or at least it is here in Spain. Earlier in the day there were people everywhere, some, like me, relaxing in the shade of a tree. And as I was reading, moving slightly to stay in the shade, I became aware that fewer and fewer people were passing. As you can see from the photo below, the promenade is now empty. 

The children's play park is empty. 

The paths are empty.
The fountains have been turned off. 

The traffic has all but stopped.

But the noise is still there! 

Because just below this park area are the cafes and bars that offer tapas and fast food; and the noisy sound can still be heard coming from there. As a Spanish lady told me on Friday, "Spanish people are noisy". Before you consider this description too badly, remember that she was speaking her second language,  and know that she was contrasting the English on holiday who she found noisier still.

That said, the voices from down below suggest that the eating places are doing a roaring trade!

And here on the promenade all is still.  

Terence Westoby

terrywestoby@gmail.com

+33 6 75 91 87 71

Sent from Samsung tablet