back on planet home

August in Paris. all food shops closed but for the mini supermarket.Charentais melons dripping with nectar, rose wine on ice, hot winds, quiet streets, surrealist clouds,modern neighborhoods,romantic ballads,bizarre S&M Japanese movie from the 70"s, tea with George Whitman,giant orange silicone thumb sculpture,sagging jeans French style, refreshing crunch of the Radish, back of the ear scratch on the beautiful and sad donkeys of my childhood, all in all, a sweet dream.

ode to my (french) breakfast

I cannot believe that I still delight in the same breakfast. In France, breakfast are a subdued affair, even on the week end, where you might find yourself running to the bakery for a warm croissant and running back to slip into the warm bed, cradling a big bowl of cafe au lait as you wipe a few buttery crumbs from your lover's chin..... ( no Sunday paper to interfere ). during the week, a quick coffee and a tartine, sometimes a baguette, a raisin loaf, a slice of poilane bread,smeared with rich Normandy butter "a la motte"( a big rounded pyramid of yellow goodness as it was shaped after churning) with some good jam. Ahhhhh...
Never have I had a cereal breakfast.I have been found to indulge in a warm oatmeal porridge in the winter once in a great while, but then , I come to miss my toasted tartine ( preferably dark brown), and with it, my two mugs of burning hot tea. That first sip is something that I sight over,pain of the hot liquid on my tongue with the pleasure of my night thirst being finally quenched.summer bounty of berries,I made some raspberry jam to round up the delicious moment.

harvest

August 1 is National Swiss day.This tiny country has been free and democratic for over.. 8oo years or so.With long summers of pine forest, mushrooms hunting and swims in lake Geneva, August 1 was a special day that we would look forward to: Children would parade at night with candle lit paper lanterns of suns, red Swiss flags with a white cross,etc..Fires would be lit everywhere over the mountains and flicker like stars on earth. We would play with colored matches and be happy with doing little figure 8 that would last a few seconds.
A aunt and uncle would have a few fireworks, and we would eat some local cabbage sausages with boiled potatoes.simple, traditional, old fashioned,magical.
Even if I do not live in the country, I manage to grow a few fruits and vegetables and herbs.I nudge them a bit,encourage them with tender caresses and words, and what pay back.....
this is what I received yesterday: