France

Photo Gallery: Beautiful Parc de la Tête d’Or, Lyon, France 1 comment

May 9, 2015, posted by Michelle – The Parc de la Tête d’Or is a 290 acre oasis in the center of Lyon. There’s a lake, several rose gardens, a small zoo, a large greenhouse, a dog park, a multitude of thematic gardens, many different tree species and large expanses of green space. The park is just a 10 minute walk from my apartment and I go there a least once a week to run. At the moment the roses are all starting to bloom and the smell is just amazing. Hope you enjoy this photo mosaic of the park. (Click on any photo to enlarge it)

French Gardens

May 8, 2015, posted by Michelle – I have done a little traveling around France recently and wanted to share some photos of a few gardens I came across. They are all very different but each has its particular beauty and make me wish I had even a little tiny space for a garden. The shot above is of a formal Le Nôtre garden on a rainy April day in Castres, France.

Some lucky homeowner in Bandol, France gets to enjoy this lush garden overlooking the Mediterranean.

A beautiful olive tree and glazed pots on mossy stone steps at the Château de Rochegude, Rochegude, France.

Have you been inspired to recreate elements of gardens you’ve come across in your travels? Where do you get inspiration from – magazines, garden centers, websites and blogs, friends’ gardens, all of the above? Leave us a comment by clicking on the title of this post and the comment form will expand at the end of the post.

Color Inspiration

Hôtel Île Rousse, Bandol, France

May 8, 2015, posted by Michelle – Earlier this spring I was in Bandol on the Côte d’Azur for a few days and, as usual, found myself taking pictures of whatever caught my attention. I really loved the lobby of the Hôtel Île Rousse, especially the chandelier. The blue, white and grey color scheme was modern and fresh and the lime green rectangular planters injected a pop of color and were surprisingly placed on the corner of each coffee table rather than in the center.

The cheery lemon yellow shutters on the otherwise sober façade of this house perched on the coastline made me smile.

Breathtaking color and I’ve never seen a stone wall, tree trunks and a gate incorporated into one entry point!

Do you have certain colors you tend to gravitate towards? Or maybe you like changing accessories and re-painting according to trends? Tell us how you use color in your home, just click on the title of this post and the comment form will expand at the bottom of the post.

French Farmers Market 1 comment

It’s the moment for asparagus and both the green and white varieties are abundant.

April 12, 2015, posted by Michelle – Just about every Sunday morning we go to the farmers market along the Saône river in downtown Lyon. One of the great things about Lyon is that there are farmers markets all over town every day. In my neighborhood there’s a mini farmers market every Tuesday morning just 50 feet from where I live. But with over one hundred vendors nothing compares to the quarter mile of gastronomic paradise that is the Sunday market. The selection is huge, the quality supreme and the setting idyllic, especially on sunny Sundays. There’s plenty of local produce, cheese (oh, the cheese!), pastries, breads, herbs, honey, wine, fruit juices, ciders, seafood, meat, chicken, sausages, nuts, olives and flowers but also Italian, North African, Chinese and Latin American specialties.

Sacred to the Lyonnais, Saucisson Sec, Dry Sausage

We have our favorite vendors to be sure; the lady who drives to Turin, Italy every weekend and returns with fresh pastas and parmesean, the cheese guy who has the disposition of a pitbull but his cheese is so good you gladly put up with him, Chez Carlos, the Chilean food truck that sells divine homemade empanadas with hot sauce, the herb people who sell big bunches of fresh herbs for almost nothing, the chicken producer we visit each week sells the tastiest chicken and we grab a bunch of fresh flowers from a sweet mother and daughter team.

The market is a big social scene as well and the terraces of the two riverside cafés are packed, even in cold weather. Their specialty is fresh oysters and each week the oyster guy is out there shucking them as fast as he can as a steady stream of oysters and white wine make their way to almost every table. From these tables you have the perfect view of the market, the river and the two beautiful cathedrals and Renaissance buildings of Vieux-Lyon on the other side.

Do you have a favorite farmers market? Are there certain foods you’ll only buy from a local farmer? We’d like to hear about your market days so if you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of this post and the comment form will appear at the end of the post.

Flowers for Easter

April 7, 2015, posted by Gina – There is a flower committee of about 14 people at my church. During most of the year we usually operate independently and typically create two arrangements, a large one for the altar and a smaller one in front of a restored 14th century statue of Mary from Northern France. But for Easter and Christmas we work together to transform the church with beautiful flowers that are visual expressions of the importance of the day. As with most floral arrangements, when you see the finished product it looks like it was so easy to create but there was a whole lot of behind the scenes work on these special flowers.

These flowers actually came from a parishioners yard and one of our committee members worked her magic with them.

For years we have used forsythia on this cross. I suggested we change
it up a bit and use a little quince. My wish was granted and the pink was a welcome change.

Normally, we don’t these areas but we dress it up for Easter. These ferns and lilies are
at the entrance of the church and provide such a nice welcome.

A few years ago someone suggested we place a cross outside the church as well. This one is directly across from our doors so when you are leaving it reminds you of Easter joy.

So much work went into transforming our church for Easter. Somehow, when the whole flower committee comes together, it truly does not seem like work. We all love working with flowers and help each other with all the aspects of creating these arrangements.

Cooking Class 1 comment

April 2, 2015, posted by Michelle – Today I had the pleasure of doing one of my favorite things here in Lyon, the French capital of gastronomy, and that is cooking. I have attended some cooking classes at a small place downtown and have learned some pretty useful tips and techniques while adding a few great meals to my repertoire. Their focus is not on classical French cuisine, though they do offer classes based on French cooking, but you’re as likely to find Asian, Latin American, Italian, etc. inspired courses.

Today we made Pavé de Boeuf poêlé with Avocat et Salsa de Mangue et Tomates / Seared Sirloin with Avocado and Mango-Tomato Salsa. It was delicious, the beef was tender and the salsa’s light, citrusy flavors married well with it. Along with the recipe I’ll share some of the tips and advice the chef gave to us.

Seared Sirloin with Avocado and Mango-Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

Sirloin, eight 6oz pieces
4 avocados, peeled and mashed
2 shallots, minced
2 small red onions, minced
2 mangos, peeled and diced
4 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 limes, zest and juice
½ cup chopped basil
½ cup chopped chives
3 pinches piment d’espelette or cayenne pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Sauté pan that can go from stove-top to oven

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

For the salsa: Mix the tomato, mango, red onions, basil and chives. Add piment d’espelette or cayenne, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste.

For the avocado: Peel and mash the avocado with a fork. Zest the limes and then add the zest and juice of the limes to the avocado and mix. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and balsamic vinegar and sauté one minute on medium heat. Add the avocado to the pan and gently mix with the shallots and balsamic vinegar. Do not overmix. Remove from heat after one minute. You can shape the avocado mixture into a “quenelle” which is basically an oval shape achieved by passing the mixture back and forth a few times between two tablespoons.

The Chef forming the avocado mixture into a quenelle shape.

For the sirloin: Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a hot sauté pan then put in the beef and brown on all sides ( 2 minutes per side). Remove the pan from the heat and transfer it to the oven. Continue cooking the beef in the oven for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with two spoonfuls of the avocado mixture and the salsa. Serves 8.

Chef’s Tips and Tools:

Use a ceramic knife to chop herbs and fruits. They do not impart any flavor and unlike metal knives they do not lead to browning. He specifically referred to using a ceramic knife to chop basil which is fragile and can turn black when cut with a metal blade.

Add freshly ground pepper to the meat only after it is cooked as the pepper will burn during cooking.

After zesting the limes, roll them back and forth on a hard surface to get more juice out of them.

We garnished these plates with a little Cream of Balsamic

He removed the pit from the mango using a mango pitter, makes dealing with dicing so much easier.

Mango pitter – worth it if you regularly use mango or are bothered by that pesky pit!

Ushering In Spring 1 comment

The primrose sign says, “I am produced in the Mont d’Or countryside”. The Monts d’Or is a mountain chain northeast of Lyon, France.: The primrose sign says, “I am produced in the Mont d’Or countryside”. The Monts d’Or is a mountain chain northeast of Lyon, France.

March 10, 2015, posted by Michelle – In contrast to the icy weather the Southern United States has experienced the past few weeks, here in my part of France (Lyon) it’s been fairly mild lately. The past couple of weeks have been sunny and sidewalk cafés are full of people enjoying lunch while soaking up the sun. Daffodils have started to pop out and the small flower kiosks and markets all over the city are starting to look bright and cheery again.

Great Idea: Use an old ladder to display flower pots and plants. We loved the miniature clawfoot tub planters.: Great Idea: Use an old ladder to display flower pots and plants. We loved the miniature clawfoot tub planters.

One Word: Happy…. AND we found another creative idea – An old wooden cable spool is a great place to showcase flowers and plants in pretty planters.: One Word: Happy…. AND we found another creative idea – An old wooden cable spool is a great place to showcase flowers and plants in pretty planters.

Have you seen signs of Spring yet where you live? Do you have great ideas for displaying plants and flowers? We’d love to hear from you, so if you’d like to leave a comment just click on the title of this post and the comment form will appear at the end of the post.

French Silk Market 3 comments

February 14, 2015 – The 10th annual Silk Market was recently held in Lyon, France. Vendors were selling everything from pocket squares to bolts of gorgeous silk fabrics. We spent a morning there talking to designers and manufacturers and swooning over the large variety of beautiful silk fabrics and goods. We purchased yards and yards of fabulous ribbon from Julien Faure and can’t wait for next year’s market.

A little background about Lyonnais Silk: Lyon was the capital of the European silk market for centuries. By the mid-1800s there were 60,000 looms in operation and the silk trade employed an estimated 90,000 people. The luxurious silks found throughout the Palace of Versailles were created in Lyon. Though only a few silk manufactures exist in Lyon today, the silk industry left an indelible mark on the city which proudly preserves this part of its rich history.