Alexander McQueen 1969 - 2010

au revoir

St-Jean-De-Luz, Cote Basque

I thought I would continue with the theme of the Basque Coast and take you to St-Jean-De-Luz, on the French Atlantic coast,  it's only half an hour over the border from San Sebastian.

Whilst we were living in Paris we decided to take a month out and take a road trip round France. One of the places we visited was St-Jean-De-Luz. Unbeknown to us, we had arrived during the feast of St Jean, the towns patron saint.  The town centre was festooned with bunting, everybody was wearing red and black, (the towns colours), there was partying in the streets, a band playing in the town square, makeshift bars, serving very reasonably priced Champagne. Of course  we had no option but to join in, one of the locals kindly gave us each a red bandanna, so we would not feel left out. We have been regular visitors ever since.

St-Jean-De-Luz, was originally a sea port which specialized in whaling, a practice which started here as early as the 11th century, but now it's a traditional, lively fishing port. The whaling has long gone, now the local catch is sardines, anchovies and tuna.

Photo via St-Jean-de-Luz tourist office

The ambiance in St Jean is lovely, it is a typical Basque town with classic Basque architecture, which is mainly white buildings with predominately red painted wooden framework.  You will find a labyrinth of streets, crammed full of interesting shops, one of the specialties of the Basque country is top quality linen, so look no further for tableware, towels and cushion covers, in distinctive Basque design, usually involving colourful stripes.  There are loads of linen shops in and around St Jean, so if you are a linen lover you will be in heaven.

images via Helena St-Jean-de-Luz

My choice of summer footwear, espadrilles. They originated in the Pyrenees and you will find plenty of places selling them. This is one of my favourite shops, selling the espadrille in every different style you can think of, smart silk evening ones, high heeled wedge ones and classics in every colour under the rainbow.

Image via Nicole Paries

 Following the tradition for the Basque love of gastronomy there are loads of fine eating establishments, like San Sebastian, you will find lots of informal seafood restaurants in the port area. There will be lots of opportunities for sitting at one of the many pavement cafés to people watch and soak up the atmosphere. Oh, and there are also fabulous beaches.

 Some Basque facts: The Pays Basque straddles Spain and France, roughly between Bayonne in South West France and Bilbao in North West Spain.

Although the Basques speak French and Spanish the common language of the Basques is Euskara.
The origin of the Basque people and their language has always been a mystery.
Basque houses are usually east facing.
Pelota is the Basque national sport, it is played against a high coloured orange wall known as a fronton.

There have been many famous Basques, including the fashion designers, Paco Rabanne and Cristobal Balenciaga.

Shhh, San Sebastian

One of the joys of living here, is the close proximity to some amazing places, it takes us three hours to get to the Mediterranean, an hour to get to Spain and two hours to get to the Atlantic coast.

San Sebastian (Donostia) is a firm favorite, this glamorous Basque city sits quietly in north west Spain, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, looking out over the Bay of Biscay, when you visit, one get's the impression that this is where the Spanish come to holiday.

San Sebastian is a mecca for anyone who is into food, shopping, architecture and culture, with the added bonus of fabulous beaches, spectacular scenery and great surfing nearby.  It is said to be the food capital of Spain and possibly Europe, so it is no surprise that it has four restaurants that have been voted into the top fifty best restaurants in the world.  If Michelin starred restaurants are not your thing, head to the old town, which is oozing with character and an abundance of pintxos (tapas) bars/restaurants.  You can't help but bar hop here, so many establishments, specializing in different types of food: seafood, local specialties and patisseries, all washed down with great local wine. And there is the old port area which has excellent rustic, seafood restaurants, all serving freshly caught produce.

San Sebastian comes alive in the evening, the locals all come out in their finery to promenade, shop, eat and hang out, you find yourself dodging large groups of families and friends, all talking animatedly.  The atmosphere is great and it won't take long before you feel part of it.

Shops, did I mention shops? Well, the wide Haussman inspired boulevards are full of shops from big names to small independents and the old town is stuffed full of the interesting and unusual.

Accommodation wise, there is something to suit all budgets from the palatial Hotel Marie Christina to characterful hostels.

for more info on San Sebastian go here .

San Sebastian, Concha Bay

  Old Town

Old town at night

Concha bay at sunset

Night walk at aseo de la concha

Hotel Marie Christina

 

Patch of Sunshine

All creatures like to feel the suns warming rays, Crusoe is no exception, he follows the sun from room to room as it makes it's way round the house.
                                  

Hitchcock pose

Can't you see, I don't want to be disturbed!

A roll before snoozing

And resume the position

La Belle Gabrielle

Gabrielle d'Estrees and one of her sisters, School of Fontainebleau C 1594

A few years ago MG took me for a romantic weekend in the Loire, we stayed at the lovely Chateau de la Bourdaisière,  it was perfect, lovely gardens, beautiful rooms and very romantic, the perfect base for exploring the Loire and visiting it's beautiful chateaux.

Photos via Chateau de la Bourdaisière website

Whilst staying at the Chateau I noticed a copy of the rather cheeky painting above and became intrigued.  The painting is thought to be of Gabrielle d'Estrees and her sister the Duchess de Villars Brancas.

 On further investigation I found out it is believed, Gabrielle was born at the Chateau.  Gabrielle was born into an illustrious family known for producing a long line of fascinating and beautiful ladies, who charmed the Kings of France.  Gabrielle herself became the mistress of King Henry IV of France, he was very much in love with her, she bore him three children whom were all legitimized and he showered her with titles, she had a lot of influence over the King and he was often accused of compromising his victories in order to visit her.  Henry publicly acknowledged Gabrielle as his mistress and he seriously considered marrying her as he already considered her as his wife.  Gabrielle looked upon herself as Queen of France (even though Henry was married to Queen Margaret) sadly she died soon after giving birth to a stillborn son,  before any steps towards marriage could be taken.  Henry was grief-stricken and gave her the funeral of a Queen.

Gabrielle d'Estrees

Whist we were visiting some of the great Chateaux, I noticed that Gabrielle had a bedroom in almost every one, and my imagination started to work overtime, I could almost see Gabrielle drawing up to to the Chateaux, in a cavalcade  of carriages, organising her vast entourage, resplendent in beautiful gowns and jewels.

I have just discovered there is a book about her, available here I will definitely be ordering it on my next Amazon splurge.

Ski Day's

Photo via Audrey Hepburn Library

We have five ski resorts, all within an hours drive, so why did it take six years, to get off our backsides and go skiing.

Probably because I was never really keen on the idea of skiing having had a couple of brushes with it in the past, my father took me to a dry ski slope when I was a wee child and I remember standing at the top, too terrified to ski down, the next episode was going with a friend a few years ago, the said friend made out she could not ski very well so we both had a beginner lesson with Ski de France, I could not understand a word the instructor said, I did enjoy it but could not get the hang of stopping, luckily we were only on the nursery slope, I also had on a very unbecoming white ski outfit, which made feel like Bibendum, whilst I was struggling, the said friend was gliding elegantly by, turned out she was a really good skier who could ski down black runs, I think she was probably trying to encourage me but I just felt really useless and it put me off.
 
 MG can ski but had not been for years, he also has knee problems so he thought his skiing days were over.

Then last year, our friends S & F decided we should all go skiing and have a lesson, S can ski so he went off whilst MG, F and myself all had a lesson, F and I were complete beginners and MG wanted to refresh and build his confidence.

After the first lesson there was no stopping us, overcoming each hurdle was quite amusing, it took me ages to get the hang of the button lifts at first I was clinging on for dear life and when you fall off the button lift it's very embarrassing, flailing around trying to get out of the way and desperately trying to get upright again without sliding down backwards.  The next step for me was the chair lifts, I had a fear of getting on and off, the first time I got off the lift I fell over and again was desperately scrabbling about trying to get up.  When faced with a steep slope, the fear gripped me and I clenched my feet in the ski boots thinking this would help me cling onto the slope.

By the end of last season I was skiing down blue runs reasonably OK, It all started to come together, the skiing lark, it is very exhilarating, standing at the top of  a mountain looking at breathtaking scenery, being able to ski down, stopping off at bars and restaurants en route, to meet friends, for lunch, a glass of  vin chaud or a steaming cup of coffee.

MG and I went skiing for the first time this season, on Sunday, we were determined to get out of the house.  Conditions were not ideal, the forecast for the chosen ski resort was cloudy with snow showers, we both woke up not feeling particularly brilliant, but decided to go for it.  We both now possess all our own equipment and we were eager to try out our new skis, I must admit I was a little apprehensive, thinking that I had forgotten everything I learnt last year.

We started off on the nursery slope, just to get our ski legs back, I was amazed to find that I still remembered  most things although I am very snow ploughy and go far too slowly, MG on the other hand was looking very stylish and parallel skiing with confidence.  Unfortunately the weather closed in on us and it was a white out, so we were only up there for an hour.

We will now aim to go at least once a week, I am going to have a couple more lessons to help me get out of the snow plough habit and build up my confidence.  Who knows by the end of this season I might even be able to ski with a modicum of style and go down red runs.

Winter Warmer, Tomato, Chorizo and lentil soup

The cold weather has descended upon us again, so here is a recipe for a delicious and nourishing soup.

Serves 4 to 6, depending on how many helpings you have.

You will need:

A generous drizzle of olive oil

Two red onions, chopped

Two cloves of garlic, crushed

Half a chorizo sliced and quartered

Two tins of chopped tomatoes

1 litre of chicken stock (homemade or stock cubes)

A couple of handfuls of puy lentils

salt and pepper.

drizzle the olive oil into a pan on a medium heat, when the oil is hot add the chopped onions and garlic and sweat for ten minutes.

Add the chorizo and cook for five minutes, letting all the flavours and juices ooze into the mixture.

Add the tomatoes, and cook for a further two minutes

Add the stock, lentils and salt and pepper, bring to the boil and then put the lid on the saucepan and simmer for twenty minutes.

You should end up with something like this:

Serve with warm crusty bread or if your feeling really hungry, garlic bread, It's really filling, so should keep you going for hours......enjoy.

The grass is always greener, in January

God, I feel just awful, I still have not shaken this cold, every morning I wake up feeling like I need to use a plunger on my face, although I am not sure if this is my dust allergy playing up or just cold aftermath, coupled with that I still have cabin fever (Still, have not managed to go skiing, but hopefully will ski on Sunday)  I am also feeling the need to travel somewhere, anywhere, I just fancy a change of scene, but this is all due to the fact that it is January and I believe last Tuesday was officially the most depressing day of the year.

I have also been feeling nostalgic for Blighty, I am sure this has something to do with the fact that I have recently been watching an unhealthy amount of British TV and have become hooked on programs like Escape to the country, Bargain hunt, and various others which are too embarrassing to mention......sad.

In my nostalgic mood I have been thinking about the things I miss most about Britain, this is a question I am frequently asked by visiting friends and family, so here is a list of the top five:



 1.  Country Pubs.  I love to go for a slap up meal in a lovely country pub, followed by a long walk in the British countryside, returning to the pub for coffee and a sundowner.

Photograph's from The Blue Lion at East Witton Website (A particular favourite).

2.   Food.  Yep, fish and chips, a really good curry, Thai and Chinese. They do have Indian, Chinese and Thai food in France but sadly not in our region. Indian and Thai don't have the same flavours, as most French palettes cannot take hot, spicy food.

3.  The British Sense of Humour and Public Spirit.  I think most British ex pats living in France will know what I mean.

4.  Less Bureaucracy.  Everything is so much easier in the UK from setting up a business to registering your car.

5.  Boots the Chemist.  Strange I know, but I really miss going to Boots for a tube of toothpaste and emerging with twenty things that I had not intended to buy and fifty quid lighter.

Please don't get me wrong there are lots of things I love about France, but I am saving that for another post, in the meantime if there are any ex pats from anywhere,  living anywhere, reading this post, please tell me about the things you miss from your country of origin.

A January Walk Around Bagnères-De-Bigorre

I am suffering from cabin fever, after New Year, MG and I had very nasty colds which we are still recovering from, we have not been out much, we were supposed to go skiing today, but MG had too much work on,  I did not want to spend this beautiful day in the house, so, I decided to go to Bagnères-de-Bigorre for a mooch round.

Bagnères-de-Bigorre is around a twenty minute drive from our house, It's a picturesque spa town in which much Pyreneean folklore is centred, and was the home of a well known 19C literary society, specialising in works inspired by the mountains.  When we first visited around eight years ago it was rather run down and had a sense of faded grandeur rather like a grand old British seaside resort, but recently new people have arrived and slowly but surely the town is coming back to life.

I took my camera with me as there is a real mix of architecure in the town including very elegant, ancient, quirky and completely run down, so come for a walk with me........

It's the custom here to paint your house in a bright colour

And another!

They have really made an effort with this one, tea and chambre d'hotes!

This has potential

Oh dear, French spa town or the back streets of Naples

This one is really pretty

Heading into the posh side of town

 Very elegant

Have you noticed how quiet it is?  Everybody is having lunch!

Say it with flowers!

The leaning tower of BDB, No, Tours des Jacobins all that remains of a 15C monastry destroyed during the revolution

A 15C half timbered house

When the weather gets warmer, the cafes put out tables and chairs, under the trees for al fresco dining

With a prescription, here, you can have treatment for respiratory, rheumatic and psychosomatic disorders, 

You don't need a prescription to go here, the new spa, for relaxation and beauty treatments

You need a few people to hug this ancient tree

Lady Fortescue, A Woman Ahead Of Her Time

Every so often I get hold of a book that captivates me and takes me over, this recently occurred with "There's Rosemary There's Rue".

It's the autobiography of Winifred Fortescue (nee Beech), first published in 1939.  Born in 1888 the third child of a country rector, she went on to become an actress, interior decorator and fashion designer under the name of CINTRA, writer, and just after the second world war, a philanthropist.  All this in the early part of the twentieth century, she was an amazing woman and way ahead of her time.

In 1914 she married John Fortescue the Kings librarian and archivist, he was 28 years her senior but despite the age difference it was a very happy marriage and he supported her in all her ventures.

She wrote seven books in total and the first one of these was "Perfume from Provence" (published in 1935) about her experiences of moving, renovating a house and living in Provence, she was probably the first writer of this genre.

Sadly most of her books are currently out of print, but still available via Amazon through specialist booksellers.

If you want to know more about Lady Fortescue go here I found this website to be a true companion when reading TRTR. as it has lots of photographs of Lady Fortescue at different ages and photographs of all the existing properties she lived in, it really brought her book to life.

I cannot resist including this rondeau which John Fortescue wrote for CINTRA'S Invitations for her Autumn season fashion show, held in her garden, in Hampstead on a midsummers night.


"In Cintra's garden sweet the roses blow,
And rest is there and peace; while far below,
Like droning of five million human flies,
The hum of distant London swells and dies
And dies and swells, in ceaseless ebb and flow-
The hum of men who hurry to and fro
And seek and seek-for what they hardly know,
But there is calm 'neath silent summer skies
In Cintra's garden.

"There lanterns dim, 'mid music soft and low,
Shall guide the living flowers as they go
Arrayed in Cintra's lovliest draperies,
Till dazzling light reveal them to your eyes.
Come, gentles, see what one fair night can show
In Cintra's garden"