It’s Supposed To Be Open
I’m going to be honest - not a lot happened this week. I’ll stretch it out as best I can but most days were spent swinging between entertaining the kids, thinking about food, cooking said food, cleaning up after the food, gym, a little work, walking the dog and laundry. It was a near perfect week where everything toddled along, I barely had to speak to anyone, problems were easily solved (or ignored) and I was in bed early each evening, which would have my 22 year old self raging but was extremely satisfactory now I’m 40.
Paris was blissfully quiet with just the occasional tourists wandering past looking confused by all the closures, couples typing furiously on their smartphones while muttering “it’s supposed to be open” passive aggressively at each other as they felt another instagram moment slipping away. The closures can be frustrating, especially if you’re unprepared for them, but also wow to live in a country where holidays are revered.
I popped in for a haircut at my local salon (Easy Cut on rue Dupuytren: basic name, lovely salon) with the plan to chop my locks off to send to Fake Hair Don’t Care, a non-profit that uses donated hair to make wigs for those who need them (and most importantly will take hair that’s been coloured, as I’m no longer a natural blonde). They require a minimum of 10cm so we made our calculations and included a little margin of error, which means I’ve got the shortest hair I’ve had since I was a teenager which is taking a minute for everyone to get used to except my husband, who failed to notice.
Dinner with a friend was the perfect excuse for a stroll along the river and we ended up by the Tuileries where the hot air balloon is still in place ready to float into the air again for the Paralympics this Wednesday. The city was really turning it on with pink fluffy clouds and then the Eiffel Tower begin to shimmer her hourly display of fairy lights, which even after all these years still gives me a little thrill.
While I was at home most of the week Noisette was living her best life (she waits all day for me to finally sit down and within seconds is on my lap), even getting a snooze next to me while I tackled the back to school admin. Unfortunately it all came to an abrupt end on Saturday when my brother arrived to dog-sit her and he’s now texting me things like “are you sure she only eats twice a day” and “does she normally get hangry” so I’m stoically awaiting my punishment upon our return.
On the weekend we threw our swimsuits into a bag and jumped on the train to Cassis, a colourful fishing village in the shade of le cap Canaille where we’ve settled in for the final week of school holidays. First stop was ice-creams in the port followed by some light groceries, each item carefully analysed before it was approved for the steep walk back up the hill.
It’s just as wonderful here as I remembered and we took a boat out to see the magnificent Calanques in the late Sunday sun, once again blown away by the combination of limestone cliffs and the shades of blue, so magical it almost feels like you’re on a Disney ride with fish jumping on command and a salty sea captain gruffly cracking a smile.
Have a great week,
- Emily
Cheese we’re eating this week:
Saint-Félicien - a cow's milk cheese produced in the Rhône-Alpes region, a close cousin of a similar looking cheese, Saint-Marcellin.
Port Salut - a very mild, semi-soft pasteurised cow's milk cheese with a distinctive orange rind that was originally made by Trappist monks after they returned to France following the French revolution.
Camembert de Normandie - a raw cow's milk cheese with a soft bloomy rind. It’s protected in France by an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) which means it must come from a specific area.
All three cheeses were bought at the local supermarket.
Peach, mozarella and cured ham salad
The easiest salad to throw together that hits on all the right notes for a perfect mouthful - salty, sweet, creamy and a little texture.
Peaches (I like the flat mountain peaches), peeled or unpeeled
Cured ham
Mozarella or burrata
Shallot, finely chopped
Olive oil
Balsamic glaze or even better a thick raspberry vinaigrette if you have it
Salt & pepper
Salad leaves (I use mâche which I think is called corn salad or lamb’s lettuce)
Toss the salad and shallots in a bowl with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Chop or tear the ham, cheese and peaches into bite size pieces and layer onto the leaves. Drizzle with balsamic or raspberry dressing. Toss and serve.
Bon appétit!
Real Life Paris Photo
Road block.
Love your hair, and I laughed at the comment about your husband not noticing!🤣🤣
Mache in Germany is called lamb's tongue. Perfect.