En-RHAP-tured!

Definition enrapture- to give intense pleasure or joy

I've been watching the Last Night of the Proms, since I was about 6 [sitting in front of my parents' tiny b&w tv) but I think Saturday night's programme was the best I've ever seen. 

• The stunning, enthusiastic conducting by Elim Chan
• Soprano Louise Alder's enthusiastic performance
• Witty, talented Bill Bailey on typewriter [and organ]
• Trumpeter Alison Balsom's retirement appearance
• ...and best of all, Bohemian Rhapsody, now 50 years old 

The whole evening was a glorious riot of exuberant joy, thoughtful interpretation, gifted musicians and singers - and cheerful promenaders. Bob and I enjoyed it immensely.

It was the second time this weekend that I'd enjoyed a celebration of Queen's wonderful song, now half a century old. 

There was a superb flashmob in Paris, led by pianist Julien Cohen, singer Mickey Callisto, and guitar prodigy Olly Pearson, who is just 11 years old.

You can catch up with the fun from the Albert Hall on BBC I-player. The Parisian entertainment is here...

Dud you see either of these?

Will you do  the Fandango?

Just Like That!

Today, the first Sunday after Easter, is traditionally called "Low Sunday" in some parts of the Christian Church. Low because Easter was one of the high Sundays of the year, so this would definitely feel like an anticlimax. Others believe it is a corruption of the Latin laudes or praise,  from the opening words of the Sarum Rite [The form of Latin Rites used in England before the Reformation]
Many new Christians were traditionally baptised at Easter, in white robes, and on this subsequent Sunday, they laid aside these garments. On this Sunday, they were encouraged to follow the words in the first Epistle of Peter - 'like newborn babes desire pure spiritual milk', which, in Latin is translated  "Quasi modo geniti infantes, rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite"  So sometimes this is actually called Quasimodo Sunday. 

The protagonist of Victor Hugo's book was thus named, because he was left on the steps of Notre Dame on the first Sunday after Easter. Quasi Modo  means 'in the manner of' or 'just like that' How have I got to be this old without learning that?
I have looked back at my Lenten Pauses, six Sundays entitled
Reflection, Rooted, Repair, Relationships, Readiness, Release
Last Sunday, obviously was Resurrection
So maybe this Sunday, when many of my Catholic friends may be understandably feeling a little low, we should remember in our prayers all those who are bereft, and the Latin Phrase
Requiescat In Pace

Bonne Maman

 I saw this definition in a shop in Paris - printed on a small zipped bag

Mother - a woman who voluntarily carries out a set of tasks which should normally be carried out by around twenty people. [see also magician, superheroine]

If they had not been quite so expensive, I would definitely bought a pair, for Liz and Steph. To all you Mums out there - thanks for all you do, keeping your families together [and doing loads more besides]. 

Well done, keep going, you are amazing women!

Flash Sounds So Boring In Comparison...

 We were in a B&Q type store in Paris and saw these in the household cleaning products section

Terre de diatomee is 'diatomacious earth' - an insect repellant [like ant powder.]

Terre de sommieres is Fullers Earth - a type of clay with all sorts of cleansing properties. [see Malachi 3;12 in the Bible]

Such interesting names, in comparison to Flash, Vanish, Method and Mr Muscle. And such gloriously retro labels. 

I'm not sure I'd want this one on the shelf though - not with grandchildren learning to read

I remember an embarrassing moment years ago, in a car park lift with much graffiti on the walls. Our daughter, at five already an enthusiastic reader, started "sounding out" the word in front of her "S...S... SH... SHI..." Everybody held their breath and I said quickly "What are we going to have for lunch today?" Diverting her with thoughts of food seemed a wise course of action. 

Maybe the French are more relaxed about such language. 

I wonder what they call Cillit Bang!  ? 

The Measure Of Love...

 ...Is To Love Without Measure

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

I found this lovely fridge magnet in Sacre Coeur in Paris last month

The Ship Of The Church

Two logos - one for the local grouping of Churches Together, the other for the World Council of Churches.
Oikoumene means inhabited world
Both include the image of a ship on the sea. Traditionally a symbol for the church throughout the ages. Jesus' first disciples were fisherman - and he calmed the storm - the winds and the waves obeyed him.
When we were in Paris we visited the church of St Etienne Du Mont [St Stephen of the Mountain] which is situated just behind The Pantheon.] This is a fascinating church - there has been a place of worship here since the 6th Century. 

Clovis, King of the Franks, and his wife Clothilde were buried nearby, and St Genevieve, Patron Saint of Paris. Mathematician Blaise Playwright Racine, and Politician Marat all found their final resting place here.
When we visited, on a sunny afternoon, we found - as in every other church we entered- there were many people sitting alone, at prayer. Some lit candles, or wrote their prayer in a book or on a noticeboard, others merely sat or knelt, hands clasped, heads bowed. Old ladies, smartly dressed businessmen, fashionable young women on their lunchbreak, scruffy students with backpacks...it is quite usual for people to pop into a place of worship for a few moments [or longer] to find a quiet place to speak to God about the things on their hearts. I love the fact that they can do that - that others respect their activity and do not bother them with chatter. We were both appreciative of the opportunity to stop, and remember friends and family at home in the UK, difficult world situations - and the impending election. 
St Etienne has an amazing display of stained glass windows in the cloisters - rescued from other churches during the first world war. This one particularly caught my eye.

At the top, Noah's ark, as he rescues all the animals from the Great Flood. Below, "The Church As A Ship" Jesus at the prow [in totally inappropriate sailing gard] and behind him, Kings, Saints, Noblemen, and "those who paid for the window" all in their finery - behind them the ordinary people in simpler monochrome clothing.

A reminder that God cares for those he has created, and will be with them in the rough storms of life.

The animals were great - notice the Unicorn - and also Noah's big stick [is he conducting their singing?]

I spotted the Dive representing the Holy Spirit instead of a Crow's Nest - but I don't know why Jesus is apparently steering the ship with a floor mop through the hole in the side! I suspect that these are all good Catholic Saints - the poor Baptists are below decks, in the galley making lunch. But I am grateful for all my sisters and brothers, who sail with me in the ship.

May the breezes be soft on your back, and the waves gentle for you today...

Time On My Hands

In the heart of the city is a shop called Samaritaine. It is the fashion store, and has been for decades

Bob decided we really ought to visit. Apart from anything else, my watch broke recently, and I was wondering about a new one. One with hands to tell the time - no fancy step counting, heart rate monitoring etc. I went up to the floor where the watches were. A very kind lady discussed my choices, and whether I wanted a leather strap or a metal bracelet. Having encouraged Bob and me to sit down at the lower counter, she put a pair of black silk gloves, unlocked the case, and laid two wristwatches on a green baize tray.

She helped me try on the one on the left. The right hand one cost a little more, but came with a second, gold bracelet, so you could change it up for special events. The left hand one was just under €2000. But with the discount [Mother's Day Weekend] and the refund of VAT for foreign tourists, it would only be €1475. That's around £1250. I thanked her, and said they were both attractive, but we would go and have a coffee and think about it.

I didn't have to think too hard - do I look like a woman who wears a €2000 watch? In 1974, Samaritaine had an award winning ad campaign featuring King Kong. 

They are celebrating the 50th anniversary with a replica of KK's hand. You can pose in its terrifying grip. So I did

And what about getting a replacement watch? I now have a lovely Sekonda, with a metal bracelet, proper hands, a sweep second hand, and the date. Bob spotted it in the RSPCA CS on Friday. So I guess you could say it has a second-hand second hand.
It cost 1% of the French watch - just £12.50

And it ticks [and tocks] all the boxes. I am utterly delighted with it!

[Thanks for spotting it at the top of the glass cabinet, Bob]

Allo! Allo!

I freely admit we are a little bit eccentric at times. Whilst many people visit Paris and go to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc etc, we prefer [having done all those in the past] to seek out strange and quirky museums, unusual shops, and off-the-tourist-track destinations. Bob had researched and found there was a Police Museum, close to Notre Dame - so we went to find it. 

It is situated in Rue de la Montaigne St Genevieve**, on the upper floor of a working Police Station! Free to enter, and quite fascinating. The Paris Police Force began in 1667, almost a century before London's Bow Street Runners. The collection of artefacts is diverse and intriguing, from the 17thC to the present day,

Kepis - the iconic cap, in different styles.

Early uniforms [oh the embroidery...]

Whistles of metal and ivory

Heavy clothes for dog training - and different guillotines [used 1792 till 1977]

There are sections on famous murder cases - in fact, Georges Simenon [who created Maigret] came here to research, and based some stories on actual cases. He signed the Visitors' Book [so did I  before I left!]

Public info posters...

Cultivons Notre Potager [let's cultivate our vegetable garden]  a WW2 Poster akin to the British "Dig for Victory".

There was also a 1970s recruitment poster, seeking to attract more women into the force [I would have been too short to sign up!]

It was light, bright and very pleasant to look round, things were well laid out. But the glass and lighting made it hard to photograph things.

It has not always been easy for French Policemen. During revolutionary periods, they were often executed without trial.

The Museum pays tribute to some amazing acts of bravery - and unexpected aspects of Police life. For instance, they had Police Dogs who not only helped intercept criminals [and in recent years, sniff out drugs] but also were trained to rescue people who fell into the Seine.

The motto of the Paris Police for 350 years has been  netteté, clarté, sûreté, which means sharpness, clarity, safety

We spent a good hour there, then crossed the road where Bob bought a pack of tea.

La Route Du The was a lovely shop, and his first holiday souvenir was some "Genghis Khan" which is a type of Russian Caravan Tea.

Then we had lunch in the adjacent restaurant La Pie Noir, which serves Breton style cuisine. But that will get another mention later!

**This street is in the Latin Quarter, and Ernest Hemingway lived there a century ago, and wrote about it 

Bon Appetit!

The displays of food in the shops were amazing -the fruit and veg looked so fresh and so beautifully set out.The boulangeries and patisseries windows were equally mouthwatering! Below left is our picnic lunch, baguette, eclair, can of sparkling water, laid out on napkins on the bed at the hotel- we brought it back, as the rain was too heavy to eat outside 

We enjoyed some excellent food and drink, served by cheerful, helpful staff. Here is Bob eating inside and out.

The middle picture is the rest of our family who were in Holland together for a half term break. The cousins had a great time! 

We packed our small case with a carefully curated wardrobe . Bob had a few plain black teeshirts and I had four Breton striped tops.

It is a myth that all French women are slim and stylish. But I did see some pretty chic looking ladies. And whenever I looked round on the bus or metro carriage, there was always at least one other striped top! I resisted the urge to buy a beret!
Blogger is a proving a real pain. I was setting up this post for tomorrow, and the picture of us in our tee shirts would not load in the right place, and then I somehow clicked and published today. Plus favourite blogs keep dropping off my notifications list...I hope it settles down soon, I know I'm not alone in this

French Flora And Felt Fauna

On our first morning in Paris, we both wanted to go to Notre Dame. It was an easy journey on the Metro, and a brief walk from the station to the Cathedral. But on the way we stopped at the flower market. This beautiful little trading street has been here for over 150 years, the painting dates from 1880.[by Victor Gabriel Gilbert, famous for his Parisian scenes] But just ten years ago, when our late Queen was visiting France for the 70th D-Day Anniversary, the flower market was renamed. In honour of the esteem in which the French nation held her, the market became "Queen Elizabeth ll Flower Market. Here she is in June  2014 with Francoise Hollande.

On a sunny Thursday morning the sights were stunning, the perfume amazing. And the quality and colours of the blooms exquisite. We wandered slowly through, marvelling at the foliage and flowers. And 19thC light fixtures and fountains added to the beauty.

At the very end was a little shop selling tiny hanging decorations. Not all specifically Christmassy - but all delicately made, with wood, metal, beads and fabric. I was particularly taken with the little felt animals. 

I sketched some in my journal. I quite fancy the idea of making some little mice! It makes a change from birds.

I came back to Norfolk, and on Friday afternoon, I found this inspiring book in Dereham Library. A project for the autumn perhaps?

More Fish, Fewer Chips

The good news is that I returned from the Paris exactly the same weight as when I went. That's despite the massive Iles Flottantes, and the baguettes and croissants etc. [and the fact that we travelled mostly by bus or Metro, because Bob was not really up to walking]

The bad news is that my weight is still higher than I want it to be. 

I have really enjoyed the food we have eaten in Paris - especially that most of it was freshly made, non UPF stuff.

Bob, being Type 2 Diabetic, wants to make sure he eats wisely too.

I listened to an interesting programme on Radio 4, about Universities which are transitioning to entirely plant-based catering over the next 5 years. They are ditching animal products to help tackle the climate crisis.

Like all these programmes, the contributors were carefully chosen to present a 'balanced viewpoint'. It didn't help that I found the arguments of one of the vegan speakers unconvincing, and he didn't seem willing to listen to the other guys!

I heard it whilst driving home from Sainsburys, where I'd just done a major foodshop [all fresh food having been eaten up prior to the holiday]

I am not altogether sure that removing all non plant based foods from Campus is altogether helpful. That is basically taking away people's freedom of choice. And if you are not eating any animal protein, you need to eat a balance of complementary proteins to ensure a truly healthy diet. Would students bother? And if there are 'meat substitutes' [with names like What the Cluck, Tofurkey, FakinBacon etc] are not many of these produced in factories, and end up being the UPFs that we are supposed to be avoiding? 

I learned that I am now a reducetarian. Along with about 40% of the population. I have reduced the amount of meat products which I consume. Apparently we are also called flexitarians. The King is one of us, having two days a week without meat or fish, and one day without dairy. 

But whilst I am happy to up the quantity of veggies I eat [especially when I have grown them myself] I am aware that I need to maintain a reasonable protein intake. I cannot just fill up with salads and carb-laden potatoes. And a  piece of fruit is less fattening than an apple pie, or a rhubarb crumble. 

Furthermore, I am aware that in many ways, it is better for me [and the planet] to eat fish than red meat.

My Sainsburys trolley [I managed to save 10% on the final bill with various carefully managed Nectar offers] contained lots of seafood - kippers, smoked salmon [I love the trimmings snipped onto scrambled eggs] tuna, and mussels. I already have white fish fillets in the freezer. 

I still enjoy my dairy stuff - 'proper' milk in tea and coffee, and homemade yogurts [although my cheese intake is very limited] I do like eggs - and yes, I know, technically they are not 'dairy'. But we will definitely be having a Chippy Tea less frequently in future!

How can we balance a responsible attitude to climate change, and to eating sensibly - and especially, how can we do this when we have very busy lives, and small children with us at the meal table who are frequently quite fussy about what they eat?

Years ago, my daughters pointed out that when I eat a meal, I usually leave some of the potatoes till last. Why? It took me a while to work it out - as a child, the rule was 'no pudding if you do not eat all your meat and green veg' and if I ate the potatoes first, they filled me up too quickly. So I always ate the meat and green veg first, in order to ensure I got my pudding later. And I have never broken the habit!

We're Back!

... and once I've had time to sort my pictures, I'll share them. So grateful for a wonderful week, and safe travels. And for a lovely home and comfortable bed to return to. [Bob pointed out they are new pillows, we replaced our old ones in April!] 
 

Signs And Wonders

My French accent is dreadful, but most of the time I can work out the words if they are written down. I was able to watch The Big Bang Theory on the TV in the hotel bedroom, and understand the subtitles. But Parisian street signs occasionally caused me to wonder...

Chanter is to sing - so is it forbidden to sing in public? Or must you wear a hard hat whilst doing so, and stand still [don't walk along] I wondered about this one for ages. 

But chantier is a noun, not a verb. It means construction site, and the sign explains that the public may not enter it. 

Then there was this one 

Then there was this one

Sauf desserte locale SAUF

I wonder... Is it

"Save the local puddings" do you think? **

Well I'm all for that one 

- we enjoyed some splendid desserts this week. 

I had Iles Flottantes twice. 

The second of these was huge, the size of a small melon.

 Bob had a large millefeuille, stuffed with cream and red fruits 

- and I had an amazing 5-part pud, comprising three different pots of deliciousness, plus a slim gauffre [waffle] and a tiny cup of coffee. The three pots contained 

1. chocolate mousse with whipped cream, 
2. vanilla mascarpone with cream, apricots and almonds, 
3. a little serving of batons of fresh pineapple with strawberry garnish. 

**I was sort of sad to discover it actually means "no entry, save [excepting] local traffic, and excepting bicycles"! 

It will be strange to get back to Britain where the road signs usually make sense. 

Here's a favourite of mine, from Wiveton up on the Norfolk coast 

I wonder what a visiting Frenchman would make of this sign? 

Today's schedule...Breakfast at 7, Eurostar leaves at 10, back to Romford to collect car from Julian's. Then Norfolk in the evening.

Holiday Update #4

All continues well, but weather rather less sunny. We cut short our day out yesterday because we both felt tired. Back at hotel by 3:30, which was good. We were safe inside when the massive cloud burst happened at 4pm. Today we bought filled baguettes for a picnic lunch, but the rain came just as we were about to eat. So we repacked them in our bags, and jumped on the Metro back to our hotel. We had a HOT lunch in the restaurant round the corner. 

The picnic became our evening meal, eaten in our room! Random questions:

• Why are so many Metro stations sorely lacking in escalators or lifts? The Paris bid for the Olympics stressed that they would make disabled access & travel across the city easier. [see BBC report] 
• Why do the couple in the next room come in around 11:45 each evening, and both have long showers and noisy conversations till 1 in the morning? 
• Why is the tea so awful? [and why did I forget to pack my own teabags?] 
• Why are there so many little dogs, on long leads, in the busy city streets? 
• Why has Tati closed? The glorious cheap&cheerful homeware store has gone the way of Woolies and Wilko... We went into IKEA instead! 

I DO like the Paris 2024 Olympic logo. It is very cleverly designed. And it's everywhere, all over the city. 

PS thank you for all your kind wishes for Liz on her birthday. 

Holiday Update #3

Friday - another museum, a church, a little bit of souvenir shopping, and more good food. Bob tried unsuccessfully to get an ice cream in Galleries Lafayette. He managed this in 1981, 1992 and 2006. But sadly not this time. I visited somewhere I'd wanted to see for over 50 years. 

Saturday - two churches, a cemetery, and at last, a splendid ice cream. The weather is wonderful, sunny and warm. 

I should say that this being our 4th trip to Paris, we're visiting an eclectic set of different places. So NOT the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc De Triomphe, Boat Trip etc. A full report on our return... 

Pain

Words are strange - how is it that the word for something unpleasant in English is the same as the word for an essential food in French? This week I am forgetting about carbs and aiming to sample as many wonderful pains as I can

I have already tasted croissant, baguette, petit pains, pain aux raisin,  boule de compagne and others . I'm not sure that this chart is accurate. A bagel is not especially French, is it? And where is the golden egg-enriched brioche? I would like to try the leaf shaped fougasse

Following a comment from SencoSue on Monday, I've done more reading up on the Sourfaux Scandal.

The Real Bread Campaign took Lidl to court over their Rye Sourdough, which was mostly made with regular baker's yeast - and they won. The loaf is now a Crusty Wheat and Rye Bloomer.

The RBC is not against bread made with baker's yeast - but it is against shops promoting breads in a misleading way - calling loaves 'sourdough' when they are mixed doughs, and doing the same with wholemeal. Shops which say "Baked in store" - technically correct, but the dough has been made elsewhere, and merely gets 'browned off' when it arrives onsite. These shortcuts make the product cheaper - and militate against proper artisanal bakers who want to make the best, authentic product for their customers. It will be interesting to see what Parisian bread tastes like.

I do know that if bread is good, I find it satisfies for longer than the cheap white sliced "Chorleywood" stuff. 

The simplest loaf in my breadmaker contains
flour, yeast, water, sugar and salt [and a splash of oil to soften/preserve the crumb]

Tesco white sliced contains 
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Yeast, Salt, Preservative (Calcium Propionate), Soya Flour, Spirit Vinegar, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid).
I am truly sorry for those of you who have to avoid gluten or excess carbs. That's a real pain.

Daisy, Daisy...

A year ago, I was on holiday in Scotland, and I had a disastrous fall. As well as smashing up my teeth and face, my bag also got damaged. I was a quite upset- it had been a birthday gift from Liz, and I'd only had it for a few weeks. It's a neat little Uniqlo banana bag, made of nylon. It's ideal for holidays - cross-body style it holds a surprising amount.

But it had half a dozen small holes and done larger ones, from where it hit the gravel.

I thought I should repair if before the Paris trip. Sunday afternoon I sat and sewed, whilst watching a fascinating film about actress Dame Margaret Rutherford. 

An invisible mend seemed impossible - so I decided to make it bright and beautiful.

First I stitched the holes together with blue thread.

Then I stitched lazy daisies over them

Finally I sprinkled some silver sequins around the flowers. 

Smart enough for the Champs Elysee, do you think?

Holiday Update #2

Journey to St Pancras efficient, uneventful. Lunch with Liz utterly delightful. Eurostar excellent. Thanks to advice from Fat Dormouse we have been able to load tickets to our phones enabling easy bus and metro travel. So straight out of station, and onto bus, which stopped right opposite our hotel.

Room has everything we need, 4th floor, good views. Comfortable bed. Surprised by sheets and blanket. Maybe these are easier to launder than duvets if there are bedbug issues? Breakfast buffet varied and delicious

Wednesday evening we had a little stroll then relaxed. Slept very well. 

Thursday we saw Notre Dame, a Museum and a few more things. Full report once we are home and I can edit photos on pc. I'm keeping a travel journal, thoughtfully supplied by a very good friend, so will have good notes for future blogposts. Currently weather and food both very good. Bob's back pain is limiting the amount of walking but we are still having a fabulous time. Thank you all for kind remarks. 

Holiday Update #1

 

Isn't this a cool coach? One of my girls spotted it and sent the picture.

After a busy morning of "last minute tasks" we ate the remaining fresh food for lunch and drove my car to Romford. It was good to see Julian and catch up properly. He took us to a local Turkish restaurant for a delicious meal [thanks ]] Really heavy rain! We came home and dried out while watching MasterChef and Sewing Bee. Tomorrow we will go up to London, meet Liz for lunch and then board the Eurostar to Paris. 

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes. 

Après Le Feu

I first visited Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, on 29th July 1981[memorable, because it was the day Charles married Diana] It was my first ever holiday abroad, just before Bob started training for ministry. 

So I was really sad when the Cathedral burned on 15th April 2019. "I wish I had a jigsaw of the Cathedral" I said to Bob. We hunted everywhere...Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, but no Notre Dame. 

Finally Bob found one of Notre Dame at sunset. It's lovely. It is most unusual, as every piece is a different shape. There are 1000 pieces!

Over the weekend I completed the jigsaw. And I am really excited, because this year, for our 45th wedding anniversary, Bob and I will be going back to Paris! Not later in the summer, but now  [to avoid the Olympics] Later today we drive to Romford and leave our car at Julian's, then tomorrow, train into London, and Eurostar to Gare du Nord. 

Not sure how much blogging I will do [I may set up a few posts before we leave, if I have time] But do not worry if there is a hiatus. 

There have been days recently when I wasn't sure the holiday would happen, but here we go! Au revoir!