YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY EITHER?
I'M SO DISAPPOINTED!
I have learned living here in France that, just like in the US, the main conversation around the dinner table (let’s be real. Also the breakfast table, the lunch table, the snack bar, the opened bottle of wine, the afternoon beers…) while we’re eating are the same. Goes something to the tune of “So? What should we have tomorrow night? (or In the morning? For lunch? As an aperitif? etc).”
ALL we talk about is food here in Ponthoile – and rightfully so. Because everything is fresh, everything is local, everything is here, and everything is PERFECTION. Including the kitchen view – grazing cows, singing birds, the occasional downpour, white flowers pearing through the green grass etc.
We pulled in at 4:30pm on Saturday afternoon – a two hour train ride from rainy Paris to a cloudy and cozy Ponthoil. Simon and I always bet on who will be the one to pick us up at the station. And yet we’ve never lost. Both bet on his sweet papa, Jean Claude. Always – standing in the same spot, smiling the same smile, and waving us down to ensure we have spotted him. We’re home!
We arrive at the house and almost instantly – after we consulted with the Professor (Simon’s father, the doctor) and they learn of ALL the medication my doctor has me on (breathing treatments 3xs daily, nose spray 2xs daily, a steroid (I almost boycotted this one… but my beau-père is a Professor of Medicine and insisted that it’s a must), another box of something for 15 days, a neti pot 3xs daily, and snooooooozes) they tucked me in tight and set me in the sun to bake. It was BLISS. I drifted in and out of sleep and kept catching Simon checking on me from inside. Popping out if we caught eyes to smooch my head and ensure I had enough layers on. He’s been the best nurse.
Sidebar: When I told my pops about the breathing treatments I’m on AGAIN – this was something of the norm for every night of my childhood – he sent me this precious photo. Simon and I aimed to replicate it for his amusement … and ours!
Some 20 (who am I kidding? 30) years later and I’m still sucking down the misty medicine tasting vapor while receiving smooches through a rubber mask.
Jean Claude and Daniel, my beau-père and belle-mère, and Simon’s parents, were en route out of town for a long hike with their friends on Sunday. Therefore, this is one of the reasons Simon and I decided to come out. One, to “take care of MinMing” the cat (can you all handle? I’m actually sweet with her. No petting yet and no purring allowed. But we’re making eyes. Big step.) Two. to I meannnnn take care of US. It’s medicine for the rainy-Paris soul.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
FIRST DAY / For our first meal we decided on “Jean Luke Lobster.” Jean Luke is Simon’s old colleague who we visited over New Years and who made us a feast for KINGS and QUEENS. Any chance Simon gets he tries to replicate what we had. I’m glad I’m the recipient. It’s always DELICIOUS! We had this dish on NYE. It involves fresh blue lobster, cognac, creme fresh, fire (!!!), an oven, attention, and taste tests.
For our second meal – a little obsessed at the moment (again) with Chef’s Table. Simon took a cue from Francis Mallmann, where he wrapped fish tight with parchment paper, then foil. He tossed on the open flames – yet away from the fire - to steam for almost an hour. Perfection!
SECOND DAY / First meal – Well, first thing’s first actually. We made a run by the Butcher to ensure he had meat for us for the next few days. This is a holiday week after all so we all know what that means – NO WORK for anyone in France. Unlike the workaholic Americans – They take holidays seriously!!! We bought côte de boeuf and lamb.
While driving home we made a pit stop by my beau-fère’s house, and Simon’s brother, Martin. He and his wife Fanny have the MOST beautiful home in all of Ponthoile. It’s lush, closed off by an incredible brick fence, manicured, old, loved, and ordained with baby lambs! That’s right! Martin’s yard is probably half a football field wide so it requires a lot of grass cutting… I mean, eating! He has worked it out with a neighbor farmer to “host” the lambs in his yard (football field) until they are ready for eeeeek, close your eyes for this part – slaughter. Win win! The lambs eat the grass, he doesn’t have to cut, and the farmers have full bellied lambs for nice eating.
As we pulled up he was baking out on his tractor – he had a day of work ahead of him and we were in perfect timing to interrupt, stay for a long cafe, and visit. I think he was happy to see us at that exact time. Country life. Impromptu visit life. It’s a dream!
We learned that Simon’s godson’s first communion will be on the very weekend that we had rescheduled our trip to Napoli – so, I worked my magic (again) and got us in for another weekend on the heels of me returning back to France from the USA – more on that later!
Back to the meals…
We had the laziest, coziest day on Monday – it was full of clouds and rain showers – so the perfect weather to nestle down for some doctor prescribed Zzzzz’s. When we woke up from a nap we decided to go for a ride. We went to Saint Valery – the first town Simon brought me to way back last summer. We roamed around on foot, dream-talked about our future and what we would do if we had all the money in the world – we decided we would 100% buy the restaurant on that side beach, fix it perfectly, recruit our favorite waitress from Sur Mer restaurant to be our maître d, sit down all of our chef friends and beg them to give us their recipes so we become famous… and then, of course, set Parisian prices. We decided that little tidbit because ummmm when we stopped for a beer before we headed back home we were charged €20 for TWO beers. n'importe quoi! We could make a fortune! Who’s in for buying us a lotto tickets?
That morning, before we had our day out, Simon had woken up very early to start the lamb – it was my top dish that he made (that day at least!). So, en route back to the house we pulled off for some friterie to go with our lunch. His “best”! And something I haven’t tried yet. They were everything you can imagine. Hot. salty. Crispy. And served straight out of an oversized vehicle on the side of the road operating solely by a … wait for it… generator.
That night, after we BOTH had snoozed for hours (I mean… the friterie had us in a coma) we woke up to the beef we were determined to make. (Simon and I are very similar – we believe in buying and eating what we get that day. Who am I kidding? I’ll definitely keep it for days (plural) but Simon believes in eating his fare day-of. So we do. We buy, we prepare, we stuff ourselves, and we repeat… all the livelong day.)
When we were having a beer – after I caught him in the same stance he takes every evening to look over the pasture and talk to the cows (the herd received 10 new ones while we have been here. It’s been sweet and a little aggressive actually to watch them all get on with one another. Oh! And learn where the electric fences are. Eeeeeek. Two have gotten shocked in front of us) – Simon said “I’m so disappointed! I’m not hungry at all!” Best quote of the week! I wasn’t either. But…
Don’t worry – in true Simon form. We had bought, so we prepared, we fed ourselves silly until the couch was calling our names, and we snuggled down for the first film of the week – Oppenheimer. Do yourselves a favor and watch this NOW if you haven’t already.
LOVE ALL
Tennis match was set for 1:30pm a few towns away the next day. Simon had arranged to play with one of his best friend’s (Alexis) brother’s, Frederick at his tennis club. We packed his portable bike for moi. While they hit – I rode. I went to the beach, then through the forest, and then to the airport. I saw the same mini plane take off and land 4 or 5 times. Took me back to when I would go “practice landings” with my pops. Take off… circle about… and land. Over and over.
After the match we enjoyed a beer together at the courts and then (my decision) decided not to eat there but to find seafood. We took a few wrong turns and a few wrong towns but finally ended up in Miami… Oooop... I mean a beach club on the beach, where we didn’t have seafood but had a seaview. Sand on our feet, jackets and scarfs tied tight. A little hangry. Yet, BLISS.
I drove us back so that Simon could take a work call. He teased that I needed to have gone as fast as I was going on the country roads on the HIGHWAY. Story of my life. But as you all know me, those who have had the pleasure of being my passengers, I am a bonafide SLOW POKE when on big roads. Show me a single lane and it’s pedal to the medal.
We came back ready to prepare ANOTHER MEAL, and a great night hosting his brother, and his two little boys for the soccer match. Paris vs. Dortmund. Paris lost. Disaster. But similarly to moi, Martin confessed that he neither is much on televised games. So instead, as the other boys were glued to the tele. He and I shared a few skinny cigarettes as he did his very best to understand my French, and I did my very best to make sense. We managed and I feel so grateful! I love moments like these. Feels like I’m getting closer and closer to Smion’s dear family. And they are wonderful!
This night, Simon whipped up another Jean Luke recipe: poulet aux écrevisses (by Paul Bocuse), and I made cookies. Actually, that night we had two desserts. My cookies and Martin’s french specialty – flan. It was DIVINE. Lazard, Simon’s godson / nephew, and I were the lucky ones. We chose first and took the only two crème caramel flan.
As the match went on, I snuck off to have the best phone date with Melissa – My one and only every-Sunday-morning-breakfast-date the entire 6ish years I lived in Charlston. It did my soul good to lay eyes on her via FaceTime! She won’t be there when I’m Charleston bound next month. But has offered her place for me to stay – so that I can have some of her – her bed anyway!
TRAINS PLANES and AUTOMOBILES
Yesterday was a rest day – or rather a planning day. While I “rested” I booked everything for my US tour. Paris to Myrtle, Myrtle to Conway, Conway to Columbia, Columbia to Florence, Florence to Conway, Conway to Charleston, Charleston to Conway, Conway to Litchfield, Litfield to Richmond, Richmond to NYC, and then… NYC to Paris. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!
We also have arranged our date weekend in Napoli for the weekend I return back on France soil. This is not like me at all. I usually plan to have a buffer day after I return. But c'est la vie. Life is one big change at the moment so I decided this should be in the mix too! I have decided to stay until the very last minute I can in NYC before I head back to Paris. I bought a nonrefundable ticket (that is very like me! Makes me DO IT.) From there, I will have 24 hours to rid myself of the jetlag and wash clothes before we board EasyJet for Italy.
After that incredible reunion weekend it will be off to the summer races with a wonderful mess of birthday parties, weddings, weekends away for pleasure. DREAM!
GARDEN PARTY
Today, Simon took me to Les Jardins de Valloires – to show me the grand gardens. (Martin and Fanny wed here 12 years ago. It’s magnificent!) We had a ball. We arrived and immediately found the first bench that overlooked it all. We sat for 20 minutes taking it in, Simon explaining who Gilles Clement is to me (creator of this particular garden design), and then we started to roam. I love days like this! When Simon and I are solo, when we are wild about one another, when we can’t stop photographing each other because we think every moment needs to be captured. I am so grateful. We smile nonstop. What a gift we both have!
We both think it has a LOT to do with seeing the sun. It came out in full force today! Each night before we go to sleep, as we’re walking back to our bedroom – separated from the main house – Simon and I look up at the sky. And each night, when we see the stars clearly, Simon says the same thing “Wow! Looks like tomorrow will be gorgeous!” Last night, he was right! Today was GORGEOUS and so was our time together.
We returned to fresh sole (his best yet!) and more oreilles de cochon (my best!). Afterwards, I promptly followed my “doctor’s orders” for a nap outside. (Last day I can say that, I think. It has officially been 7 days that I have been on this regiment. And, no! My ear is not fully better. But we are thinking “tomorrow… looks like it will be a gorgeous day.” So, hoping for a better ear!)
Simon has just finished cutting back the bushes for his father’s delight and I have just finished writing En Route. Now, we are waiting for his parent’s arrival, where we will serve fresh mules (all of our best!) as a welcome home.
Tomorrow we have another tour to a garden close by before we are en route to visit his best friend’s vacation home (same Alexis from above) for a night before we are Paris bound and back to real life (for Simon anyway!).
Until next time..
Xxo ac