When Did You Last See An Anvil?

The Seine was like glass this week and as I headed to work I once again wished there was a rowing club nearby that I could join (the closest is in Boulogne) but you can’t be unreliable on a rowing squad or they’ll replace you quick sticks and early mornings aren’t exactly my forte. But can you imagine taking out a scull on a smooth day and gliding down? Magical.

At the Musee Picasso I finally solved a mystery that’s been lightly bugging me for years (but not enough to remember to google) which is why so many public buildings have big red circular stickers stuck to certain windows. It it an art installation? Turns out it’s to let firefighters know which windows are for access in case of emergency. Another small life mystery solved.

I met up with family friends in town for a visit at Place de la Contrescarpe and enjoyed it in the early morning with just the fountain and delivery trucks breaking the silence. Fuelled on coffee we spun around the Arènes de Lutèce (still blows my mind there is a Roman arena in Paris) before getting lost in some of the back streets on the way to the Pantheon which was glowing in the sunshine.

Saturday morning I was at the market early to stock up big as our cupboards were bare and I’d served plain pasta one too many times in a row. Getting there before the crowds while the sun is making long shadows with a hot coffee and a good playlist in my ears is one of life’s little joys and I often look forward to it all week. The dinner plate dahlias were irresistible, as was the fresh pumpkin that’s coming into season and I nearly broke my little grandma trolley getting it all home.

After quickly unpacking I hustled the family right back out the door as it was honey day in the Jardin du Luxembourg, the one day of the year you can buy the honey produced by local bees and also sign up for their free beekeeping course (competition is fierce and you have to have a good argument as to why you should be selected). Running late I texted my friend already in the queue who reassured me they were sticking to the one pot per person rule and that I’d probably get some. As we approached the counter her baby was firmly rebutted as a person and even though we were sort of joking we then tried a 2 for 1 argument with my smalls which was met with such a stony stare we moved swiftly on, another fun French idiosyncratic story under our belts.

This weekend was the journées européennes du patrimoine and I always think we’re going to go all over town visiting the extraordinary monuments open to the public but the reality is we did the exact same as last year: a little wander through the greenhouses of the Jardin du Luxembourg and a mosey through the mining museum where we saw some emeralds from Napoleon III’s crown (very small if I may say so), the kids were thrilled to touch a rock from Mars and we bought some meteor dust (€5, not going to worry myself too much about the authenticity of that). Maybe next year I’ll finally snag some of the very in demand tickets to visit the Élysée Palace (usually the only place you need to book in advance) but odds are I’ll forget as usual to even try.

On Saturday evening Landen and I rounded up our husbands for the full French dinner party experience at our friend Veronique’s beautiful apartment in the 7th arrondissement. Treated to an array of dishes including hand picked crab, sautéed guinea fowl, truffle brie, raspberry macarons and lashings of drinks it’s easy to see how her cooking classes are the highlight of many people’s visits. Even though I’m a trained chef she still taught me a thing or two, her enthusiasm for food shining though as we chatted in her kitchen while one of my children fell asleep on the sofa and the other was indulged with unlimited ice-cream refills.

Sunday morning I took the children out in the drizzle to a little vide grenier where I spent most of my time photographing things to ask my mum if she wanted them, before getting a great deal on some Lego, committed to a mug which I can’t decide is beautiful or hideous but love all the same and sadly passed on the most gorgeous red Moschino coat and really hope it found a new home. On the way home we happened upon an interactive demonstration outside the Musée de Cluny to introduce people to the beauty of artisanal careers and the children were thrilled to be presented with a wood shaving each, followed by a slate roof tile shaped into a heart. It’s not every day you see someone forging steel on a Wile E. Coyote style anvil, especially in the centre of Paris so we stayed to watch for a while, under the strict supervision of a firefighter who looked both bored and nervous.

I bet you didn’t picture that I’m writing this to you from a cramped airplane tray table somewhere above the Indian Ocean. Living far from ‘home’ is magical until it isn’t and when you have to jump on a plane to be with family the logistics (and emotions) can be tough. Luckily the stars aligned with our favourite babysitter taking two weeks off her summer job on a boat to be available so I cancelled everything and headed to the airport where I ran into my friend Lou (her podcast on all things France is worth your time) who distracted me from my little tears by sneaking me into the lounge where we caught up on her recent retreat she’s just hosted, and by the time you read this I (touch wood) will be safely landed at a Brisbane International. There may or may not be a newsletter next week so if I skip one please forgive me, but you probably won’t miss anything fun.

Have a great week,

- Emily

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Cheese we’re eating this week:

• Brillat-Savarin aux truffes - a soft-ripened triple cream cheese made from pasteurised cow’s milk. It has a very creamy texture and a subtle flavour, complimented by the ribbon of truffle running through the centre.

• Pelardon - an unpasteurized, soft-ripened goats cheese from the Languedoc region, with a thin, wrinkled rind covered in a white mold.

• Morbier - a cow’s milk cheese with a distinctive layer of ash separating it horizontally in the middle, which separates the layer made with morning milk and the layer made with evening milk.

All three cheeses were bought at Fromagerie Laurent Dubois.

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Wine Harvester’s Chicken

Anytime I make this recipe by David Lebovitz for guests they say “grapes with chicken?!” and then rave about. Please give it a chance.

Bon appétit!

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Real Life Paris Photo

No, I definitely don’t run Emily in Paris tours, but they do exist.