Destination France 2015: September 2015

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Common Courtesy

It takes a while for me to adjust to the common courtesies that exist in France.

We are a polite bunch in Canada, opening doors and saying "after you", saying please and thank-you, excusing ourselves when passing in front of someone. But we can be very "business-like" in certain circumstances, getting straight to the point and skipping all the chit-chat. We think nothing of asking a question directly without even acknowledging the other person. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" "Am I going in the right direction?" "Do you sell aprons?"

I was looking for some pretzels at the Super U the other day and couldn't find any. I saw one of the tellers who was free at that moment, so I quickly asked her where I could find some. Before responding, she looked at me and quietly said, "Bonjour, Madame". Yes, of course. It is not polite to come straight out and ask questions without first acknowledging the person and giving them a smile.

The same thing happened when we were in Gimel les Cascades. We had just arrived in that town of narrow roads, steep hills and one-way streets. We weren't sure whether we could continue on the road we were on without encountering serious auto restrictions, so I asked a gentleman who had a stand on the corner of the road, fabricating some artisan art, whether a car could continue on that particular road. Even a conversation taking place from a car, with a number of cars waiting in line behind, started with "Bonjour, Madame." Only then did he reply to my question. In Canada we might have worried that the cars behind us would start honking, but in France they will wait patiently until you are finished your conversation and only then carry on. No one seems to be in a rush.

I was reminded of French etiquette again this morning. Monsieur Christian, the gentleman who has been cutting the lawn on this property, knocked at the door. He was actually here to give us a message from some friends who had invited us for dinner but couldn't make it because of illness. We don't answer the phone here since we haven't given out the phone number and calls are usually just salespeople calling. Our friends weren't sure how to get a hold of us. They resorted to the old-fashioned way of asking someone who knew where we lived if they could deliver a message.

I hear this knock at the door and I recognize Christian through the window. I open the door and say "Bonjour", but Christian is not about to jump right into the reason why he's here. He extends his hand and shakes mine. He asks how I am doing and only then relays the message he has been sent to deliver. We then chit-chat a bit about his elderly mother who can no longer pick mushrooms at 84 years of age, so he is bringing her a bowl of "cèpe" mushrooms - porcini. He will then stop at our friends' house to say that the message was delivered. He leaves promising he will be back tomorrow to cut the lawn once more.

I find these small gestures of acknowledgement so profound in inter-relationships. It calms the spirit and lowers stress. After all, everyone wants to know that they exist, that someone sees them, that someone acknowledges their presence. A bonjour and a smile. Such a small gesture making such a huge difference.

When you know someone better, you go beyond a bonjour and a smile and actually graduate to "La Bise", which is a kiss on both cheeks, more often than not just kissing the air rather than the cheek. I love being in a restaurant and watching people greeting their friends that way. Even if another person arrives after the original group has sat down, everyone gets up and exchanges "La Bise". At the market, we see customers greeting sales people that way also, although I suspect they are friends to each other, not new acquaintances.

I've asked around if there is a protocol to kissing the left cheek or the right cheek first. It may well depend on the region of France, and I've even heard it may depend on whether your are Catholic or Protestant. Where I've been, more often than not it is the right cheeks connecting first, then the left, which is to say our head aims towards the left before switching to the right. If you look at the picture of the two women above, they would have already kissed on the right side of their cheeks and they are now finishing off with the kiss to the left cheeks.

After two months in La-Roche-Canillac, we already know quite a few people well enough to exchange "La Bise". It really makes you feel welcome, that you are part of the group and that you belong.

Looks like our Canadian "marmots" have learned how to extend "La Bise" as well! Friendly critters that they are.

***

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Big Brive Market

I have kept fresh cut flowers from the garden on the table during our entire stay. Hydrangea on the coffee table and a rose on the dining table. Today, there were a number of roses that just begged to be included in the champagne glass.

On our way to Uzèrche we stopped in Brive-la-Gaillarde for lunch. Unbeknownst to us, it was their market day. And what a great, big market they have! Our plans changed and we browsed the market for a couple of hours. It's something we love to do!

There's an inside "halle" and the big outside parking lot next to the Tourism Office dedicated to the market stalls. It's huge!

Cut flowers and potted plants galore.

Wines. Pâtés.

Goat cheese.

Walnuts. When you say "noix", it is assumed that you are referring to walnuts, not the general name for "nuts".

Bright and colourful vegetables.

I knew that geese went through "gavage" to fatten their livers, which makes "foie gras". I didn't realize, however, that it was done to ducks as well. This is a duck breast stuffed with fatty liver, a real delicacy.

These "magrets", or duck breasts, are huge because of the kind of duck, bred especially for big breasts. "Hooters" of the fowl world.

Various ways of serving "foie gras".

Karl didn`t miss his chance this time. He bought a "sanglier" sausage - wild boar.

I recognized the same gentleman who was selling cheese in Aubazine, so we got to talking. I asked if these huge cheeses were real or just for show. He said they were absolutely real and showed me the tag that each cheese gets to note the date, the producer, and the "appellation", which identifies the quality of the cheese.

Now this is an ideal way to go to market with three children: Mom pedals the bike, the two older girls have little seats, and baby can sleep comfortably in her little bed. The groceries get tucked in between legs and wherever there's an inch of room!

More veggies and a variety of squash. We've had a lot of pumpkin and squash soup lately.

The spices! There is an abundance of spices here, coming from the far corners of the world. Karl and I stood there for a very long time, just taking in the aromas and trying to identify them all. There are so many spices that are unfamiliar to us.

With the dried roses, lemon, mint and a dozen other choices, one could make a perfect pot pourri! Notice how they ask you to refrain from touching so that your skin oils will not contaminate the produce.

This is where you enter into an aroma of another kind. The fish!

Three heads for 2 euros - what a deal! Someone may be having fish soup, or bouillabaisse, tonight...

These snails, or "escargots", are still alive.

Squid and octopus.

School's out!

One of these is about to lose its skin...

Can you tell which?

There is a whole section of birds (mostly canaries) and live animals.

The ducks are sold for reproduction.

Some birds lay eggs for consumption.

Anecdote of the Day: When I saw the chinchilla and the guinea pigs, I was wondering why they were there. Were they to be eaten? After all, they eat horses here and I know that guinea pigs are eaten in Peru, although "caya" are bigger, almost the size of a rabbit.

When I asked the sales lady if the chinchilla and guinea pigs were for consumption, she was "horrified"!

"Mais non, mais non", she said. "The canaries are for pets, and the chinchilla and guinea pigs are simply to entertain the children who come to the market."

Well, that's a relief!

***

There are so many people in Brive on market day, all wanting to have lunch, that it took 2.5 hours for us to have our déjeuner. Karl just couldn't wait any longer and took a slice off his sanglier sausage.

"Looks a little tough, mon amour."

"It's not quite what I expected... I think I like the sausage that Joseph makes a lot better!"

***

We made it to Uzèrche in late afternoon. It is an impressive sight: gray slate roofs, turrets, and bell towers rising from a hill above the Vézère river. This prosperous town never capitulated during the conflicts of the Middle Ages. In 732 it withstood a seven-year siege by Moorish forces. The townspeople sent a feast out to their enemy - in fact, the last of their supplies. The Moors, thinking such lavish offerings meant the city had stores to spare, gave up.

Hey, where have I heard a similar story before? Oh yes, that's how Carcassonne got its name!

See my posting from an earlier trip on that story:

http://two-months-in-france.blogspot.fr/2009/10/carcassonne-24vi09.html

***

Friday, September 25, 2015

Salers - Encore

When I don't get around to writing a post, it's usually because the weather is poor and we have a "home day". We usually catch up with laundry and do a bit of grocery shopping. Check out the rain as we drove to Super U.

Press the "Play" button to see how hard it was raining.

Weather is fickle and the following day was perfect to go on another outing. Since we've talked about Salers the cattle, Salers the cheese and Salers the drink, it's time to visit Salers the town! One interesting point is that they don't pronounce the last "s" here. It must just be someone who has an Occitan background who pronounces that last "s". In the town that carries the name, it is simply "Sal-air".

On our way there, a stop in St. Privat.

It's a long drive to get to Salers, passed the Medieval Farms. We just HAD to stop somewhere for lunch. (As if we need an excuse...) St. Privat has a number of restaurants and they all look good. We chose "La Belle Epoque".

The owner was very friendly and we chatted quite a while. She gets Australians, but we were the first Canadians to grace her restaurant. She said that yesterday her husband the chef had made "tête de veau". How unfortunate that we missed it by one day! Whew...

The entrée was a duck quiche with a tossed salad.

The main course was Basque chicken with rice. (Think Spanish influence.) The chicken had cooked in a broth with green and red peppers and lots of tomatoes.

Karl drank beer and I had a 1/4 pichet of rosé wine.

Dessert was a "chocolat moëlleux" with Chantilly and a strawberry coulis.

Food for thought as we left the restaurant.

A quick tour of the town brought us to the church. I don't ever remember visiting a French town without a church.

Peering into some gardens, I was struck by the juxtaposition of pumpkins which herald Fall, and beautiful pink flowers that seem to be harbingers of Spring!

Somewhere along the way, we stopped at a "Tabac" and bought a lotto ticket. It's a big amount this week, 40 million euros, and apparently there are no laws stating that a foreigner can't win. Hey, you never know!

Back in the car for our final segment of travel to Salers.

A solid, handsome town of gray lava houses and 15th-century ramparts, Salers sits atop a steep escarpment at the edge of the Cantal mountains. It is one of few virtually intact Renaissance villages in the region. Karl really enjoyed this town and felt quite at home here. He seemed to like everything about it!

St. Matthew Church. The tower was built in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 19th century. The neogothic porch was carved in the 19th century. The gothic nave is from the 16th century.

An amazing chandelier, larger and more detailed than any we've seen so far.

The church has an admirable polychrome mise en tombeau (entombment) dated 1495, and five elaborate 17th-centural Aubusson tapestries (which we didn't photograph).

The Last Supper

Please note the rooster above the arch.

There's no such thing as streets and avenues all organized in quarters. Rather, many little streets meandering here and there with interesting shops, boutiques and restaurants along the way.

Once I read the name of this restaurant, I hummed the song "La Petite Diligence" for the rest of the afternoon.*

Druid beer.

Cheese cave, literally built underground.

Salers cookies and sweets.

We made our way to the centre square called "Place Tyssandier d'Escous".

These beautiful buildings have turrets from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.

The bust on this pillar is of Ernest Tyssandier d'Escous who was born in Salers and was instrumental in developing the Salers cattle and having it officially recognized. The statue at the foot of the pillar with the bust is "moi", aka "the lizard" according to Karl! I love soaking up the sun when I can.

Tourism Office and Town Hall with the central fountain in front. Building from the 19th century rebuilt on the ruins of the Lords of Salers' home in the 17th and 18th centuries.

We sat here at "Chez la Préfète", in the Place Tyssandier d'Escous, to have our afternoon tea and beer.

Librairie Barbe-Bleue. (Bluebeard bookstore.) I, as a young French-Canadian girl, remember the horrible monster that Barbe-Bleue was! That fairy tale wasn't written down in any books we had at home but told to me by Mémère, my Mom and my aunts.

Could this be a Cathar cross?

Karl seems to zoom in on anything "sanglier", whether sausage, statue or painting!

Beautiful triple-lamp standard.

Streets lead up to the Esplanade de Barrouze, a park planted with trees and surrounded by ramparts. At the cliff edge, one can appreciate the spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding valleys, with the ever-present sound of cowbells in the distance.