Cultural notes
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Hiking through Brittany, France on the G34 Trail
Brittany is France’s largest peninsula, jetting far out into the Atlantic Ocean. It’s close proximity to the water makes it ideal for sailing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. The G34 trail that winds around the stunning coastline makes Brittany an incredible hiking destination as well. I myself love a good, long hike and have had the great pleasure of spending a fair amount of time on the trail. This summer, for example, I found myself on the trail on four different occasions – in Moelan-sur-Mer, St. Briac, Saint Suliac, and Erquy. I would love to follow the entire route one day, which means covering over 2,000 kms in all (it is…
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French Recipes: Le Broyé du Poitou (in French and English)
This recipe comes from my dear friend Isabelle. It is one of her favorites because has been passed down from her grandmothers. Isabelle has fond memories of making this cake with her family and now she has graciously shared this recette with us. Please let us know in the comments if you make this special treat. Cette recette vient de ma chère amie Isabelle. C’est l’une de ses préférées car elle vient de ses grands-mères. Isabelle a de très bons souvenirs de ce gâteau qu’elle faisait en famille, et elle a gracieusement partagé cette recette avec nous. Faites-nous savoir dans les commentaires si vous faites ce gâteau spécial. “Je suis…
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Spend a Day with Me in Dinan, Brittany
It is the beginning of February, and we are midway through the “grey days of winter”. The days are getting noticeably longer and the promise of spring is within sight. Today, we happen to be blessed with clear, blue skies and plenty of sunshine. While I need to put on several layers on from head to toe just to take a brief walk with my dog, I am happy to breathe in the brisk air and feel the sunshine on my face. As often happens, my mind drifts off to my beloved Brittany, and what I would be doing if I were there today. I imagine that I’m in the…
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Best of 2020
Yes, I know, the title is somewhat …. interesting. Did we have a best of anything in 2020?! Like many of you, I had goals and plans for the year that went, shall we say, a little off course due to a little thing called Covid 19. For one, I planned to spend spring break and the summer holiday in Brittany. I would have taken you along on my many adventures, we would have tasted delicious cuisine, and we would have learned some useful French phrases along the way. Alas, this was not the year for adventure. No, this was a year to just keep going, and some days, even…
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Interview with Christine Todd, Teacher and Entrepreneur (in English and French)
The most important things in life are the connections you make with others. – Tom Ford Les choses les plus importantes dans la vie sont les connexions que vous établissez avec les autres. – Tom Ford I had the immense pleasure recently to meet up with une amie, Christine, who is embarking on a new adventure that brings people together for the purposes of language learning, cultural understanding, cooking, connection, and, most importantly, fun! Christine and I met through the graces of social media at the beginning of 2020, and had plans to meet in person over the summer. While our get together wasn’t quite as we had originally planned…
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Why Brittany?
If Paris is the heart of France, then I dare to say Brittany is its soul. That is a rather bold – and perhaps controversial – statement given Brittany’s history with France, but I’m going to say it anyway. At least that is how Brittany feels to me. While it would take considerably more time and pages than one blog post to say why I believe that to be true, I’ll try to summarize it here in a few paragraphs. The Climate Brittany is green and lush, thanks to its moderate oceanic climate. It just feels good, like you’re wrapped in a warm green blanket. I have visited Brittany at…
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A Dreamy Day in Brittany
Facebook and Instagram love to remind me that for the last several years I’ve spent my summers in France. My “memories” pop up of the places I’ve visited, people I’ve been with, things I’ve eaten. It’s usually a treat to look back on those photos, but this summer it has been both bitter and sweet to do so. I’m sure many others can relate. Today, just before slipping into full-on longing mode, I realized that I can go anywhere, anytime as a mental traveler. I can take snippets from my years of travel and piece together a beautiful day. In fact, since this is a daydream, I can go for…
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A Visit to Saint Suliac, Bretagne, France
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An Interview with Artist Mona Cauret (in French and English)
Today’s post is particularly special for me as I’m going to introduce you to a wonderful woman – and talented artist – named Mona Cauret. As I’ve spent more and more time in Dinan, and know that Brittany will be my forever home, I am thrilled to have made some good connections with people who work in town. Mona is one of the people that I look forward to seeing again, as soon as I can get back. She always has a big and welcoming smile and her artwork just makes me happy. Le poste d’aujourd’hui est particulièrement spécial pour moi car je vais vous présenter une femme merveilleuse –…
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The Many Things I Love About France
There are so many things I love about France: the history, the culture, the people, the language, the food, the art, the music…. I could go on for days. Instead of telling you, I would love to show you some of the little treasures I have found on my daily walks. As we can’t travel to France at the moment, I will take you on a virtual tour of past trips, and share with you just some of the delights to be found in this incredible country. For example, this little bicycle, parked near a post, sporting some beautiful flowers and flags for good measure. In Paris, I found the…
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Les Recettes: Pommes cuites caramel beurre salé Recipes: Cooked apples with salted caramel topping
Pour le dessert, il est très simple mais tellement bon. Today, from Isabelle’s kitchen, comes a dessert that is both simple and delicious. Il vous faut des pommes, les éplucher et les couper en petits morceaux For this dessert, you will need the kind of apples you like best or have on hand. Simply cut them in half then chop them into smaller pieces. Les mettre sur le feu avec un verre d eau, laisser cuire à fau doux. Put them on the stove with a glass of water and leave them cook until soft. Les pommes sont cuites, la cuisson dépend des pommes… Mais quand elles s’écrasent un peu….…