Sunday Links

No, it wasn't the Magic Unicorn of Luck or the Charmed Life Fairy that placed us in our adopted homes. (but where were they when we needed them?!)

Almost 1000 years old, the Tapisserie de Bayeux is worth the trip.

All you need to know about the cemeteries in Paris. 
Or if that subject is a bit too melancholy, how about some of the mouthwatering sweets you can find in Paris.

Love reading about these, yet I have a serious conflict of interest... 
these...
and these.

La fondue - une recette très facile.

All you need to clean your home without chemicals and toxins.

Bon dimanche!

Light

I love peeking inside old village churches.
On a sunny day the light streaming through the windows is magical.



 

Calvados

It's so exciting when a place exceeds all of your (already high) expectations. Calvados, one of the three  departments in Basse Normandie, did just that.
And then some!

Postcard from Normandy

Beautiful Bayeux

Postcard from Normandy

Looking up at the cathedral in Bayeux.

Postcard from Normandy

Les Halles, a photo by chez loulou on Flickr.

The daily fish market in Port en Bessin.
It's Coquilles St. Jacques season!

Postcard from Normandy

What a Face!, a photo by chez loulou on Flickr.

There are cows everywhere!

Postcard from Normandy

Port en Bessin Huppain, a photo by chez loulou on Flickr.

Port en Bessin Huppain

Les Fromages de Normandie

What's the first thing you think of when you think of Normandy?

Is it the apples? Mont Saint Michel? The D-Day beaches? The Calvados? The cream? Honfleur? The charming half timbered houses? The seafood? The gardens of Giverny?

I think of cheese.

The Brillat Savarin, the Crémeux du Mont-St-Michel, the Neufchâtel, the Livarot, the Pônt l'Evêque, the Camembert!

We're up heading to Normandy next week for a little vacation. It's going to be a delicious trip.

La Fête du Fromage - La Chèvrine

This frumpy cheese may look a mess, but behind that rustic, naturally moldy exterior (the cracks in the rind are from poor handling on my part - it got jostled around in my market bag), lies an even textured, rich and refined fromage de chèvre.

La Chèvrine is no shrinking violet and it stole my heart from the first bite.

Photo du Jour - Color Pop!

A little color for the weekend.

10 Ways We Save Money in France

France can be expensive.
The price of fuel alone makes me want to cry tears of frustration every time I fill up our very economical VW New Beetle.
€1,35 a liter? Seriously?

Fortunately there are some things that don't cost and arm and a leg.

Tarte au Citron

If I had to choose just one dessert to eat for the rest of my life, Tarte au Citron would be it. I think it is the most sublime of all French desserts.

My first introduction to the Lemon Tart came in 1994, when I was given a copy of Sheila Lukins' All Around the World Cookbook. This is the first recipe I cooked from the book and once I tried it, I was hooked. And so is everyone who has ever tasted it.

This version is perfect in its simplicity. It is tart and tangy and very, very lemony. The way a real Tarte au Citron should be.