The weather played cat and mouse all week and on the day Paris saw the most rainfall in 100 years I jauntily left the house with a little umbrella, congratulating myself on a job well done. 20 metres from the house but running too late to turn back water slowly but surely began to creep onto my shoes until they were absolutely tromping wet and I had cold, sodden feet all day. 4 days later they still haven’t dried and have been relegated to the pile of shoes I will never wear again but keep “just in case” I ever have a garden or perhaps go back to school camp and need a pair that can be further trashed.
The fancy brocante in front of Saint Sulpice caught my eye on the walk home one day and I visited a painting I’d fallen in love with last time the market was there, that is so far out of my price range it’s actually pleasing (rather than close enough to be just out of reach). If you’re in Paris this week it’s on until the 20th October but be warned it’s not the place you’ll find a bargain, but rather the place you’ll find something you can’t afford and think about forever.
On Friday night I decided I’d like to branch out in my writing so started a second Substack as quickly as possible (before I could chicken out or relegate it to the “when I have time” pile). Completely unrelated to Paris it’s focused on the greater experience of womanhood, how it’s sold to us, our expectations, and what we’re told to want vs. what we actually want (plus anything else I feel the need to ramble about). It’s free to subscribe so if you’re interested to know more you can read the first edition above or sign up here.
I’d been looking forward to our outing on Saturday for months - open day at the local fire-station. Welcomed by fire fighters at the entrance through a cloud of artificial smoke (billowing from the realistic obstacle course they’d set up) we immediately set about completing all the activities. We tested out the fire hose, tried on the helmets, sat in the truck, and excitingly climbed the big ladder and bought the t-shirts (bien sûr) before settling in for a demonstration of how they save you from a Parisian apartment building which was both concerning and reassuring at the same time.
The children randomly re-discovered our costume box and insisted on trying absolutely everything on, taking us through Easter, Halloween and Christmas at lightening speed, with a few witches, dinosaurs and superheroes thrown in, and if you passed a woman trailing small children dressed as reindeer and wearing ski goggles in central Paris over the weekend that was me. Halloween is more and more apparent each year so I sent out invitations for a Costumes & Chaos party at the end of the month, realistically smoke signalling to the other parents what to expect.
On Sunday morning we were up and out the door to go cheer my husband in the Paris 20km race, proudly encouraging him as he crossed Pont Royal. I’m certainly not a runner and applaud anyone for moving faster than walking pace but he sure regretted it as his back seized up while he was still wearing his medal in the early afternoon, which seemed a little unfair.
We spent the rest of day quietly at home, glued to the online auction of the contents of our friends’ chateau where we cheered as everything went for much higher than estimated, including the one thing we bid on which went for 6.5 times our limit. As we have no place to actually put it I figured the universe did both me and the sellers a favour (while confirming my excellent taste).
Have a great week,
- Emily
PS Thank you for all your kind words last week and to all new subscribers - as a result $250 will be donated to the Fitzroy Hospice.
Cheese we’re eating this week:
Pont-l'Évêque - apparently named after a pont (bridge) in a small town in Normandy, this rich and creamy cow’s milk is claimed to be the oldest Norman cheese still in production.
Crottin de Chavignol - a goat’s cheese from the Loire valley.
Beaufort - a firm, raw cow's milk cheese produced in the French alps (and commonly used in fondue).
All three cheeses were bought from Manu at Marché Maubert.
Raisin stuffed Quails
Quail seems like such a fancy thing to serve but it’s actually very easy and (in France at least) not too expensive. The recipe below is for each individual quail so just multiply for one quail per person.
1 quail
1 of your favourite sausages
Plump raisins (not the super dry ones)
2 strips of streaky bacon
Squeeze out your sausage filling and mix in a bowl with a handful of raisins. Stuff into the quail.
Layer the streaky bacon over the quail and tuck the ends underneath,
Roast in the oven at 200°C for around 40 minutes (the quail will be cooked you need to watch out that the stuffing is also appropriately cooked). I like to rest on top of thinly sliced potatoes which absorb the juices.
Bon appétit!
Real Life Paris Photo
I’d just like to remind everyone this is filthy subway air.
While visiting the local fire station, did you happen to discuss the red dots on museum windows that identify access points for fire fighters? How’s that working for them?
The day it rained nonstop was the last day of my trip and I wore my damp shoes back to California the next day rather than pack damp shoes in my suitcase.