France is still France in the EU

 

Being in a Union does not destroy individuality, After 300 years Scotland is still Scotland and Scots know that they are Scots and I know when I am in Scotland.  It is the same for Wales which survived the Welsh Knot.  As to the English?  I suggest you read Jeremy Paxman’s book – The English: A portrait of a People and Exotic England: The Making of a Curious Nation – by Yasmin Alibhai Brown.

Last week we travelled to France on Brittany Ferry and, at at the dreadful hour of six, tinkles on the public address system woke us to a view of St Malo through the porthole.

St Malo from Porthole

Friday we had a delightful French evening which started by having dinner with our son and daughter-in-law and a Dutch couple who are good friends.  It was a pizzeria so I had my favourite with capers, olives, anchovies, oregano on the bed of tomato and cheese.  We then went to a small community theatre where a friend was performing singing typically French songs.

The excellent singer, ambience, audience,  glasses of rosé cider, the intensity of the performer and audience was vraiment Francais.  ( I cannot find the cedilla).

There is the wonderful oven-roasted beetroot in Leclerc (my favourite supermarket)

Beautiful beetroot baked that has been baked in an oven, on display in Leclerc
Beautiful beetroot baked that has been baked in an oven, on display in Leclerc
and delicious asparagus bought in the Market at Mauzé sur le Mignon.

One tent supported a society for the protection of “Itinerant Singers” modern day troubadours I suppose,

Itinerant Chanteuse

and there were squares and impasses as well as a very French Café.

Where else but France can I have a plate of whelks, clams, mussels, cucumber salad and hard-boiled egg in a transport café ( Les Pyramids) ?  Well Napoleon was an Egyptian buff,  his soldiers used the Sphinx as target practice.

The shellfish came from a magnificent buffet and it was followed by delicious poached cod.  (The bread was great which is unusual in France nowadays)

Before

So back to Epron and an English rose in a French garden alongside a French river.  The French do rivers very well.

Oops! I almost forgot. France makes toilet paper par éxcellence!

Lotus Just 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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