Love this song from last year! Désolé pour hier soir means Sorry for last night. It's about a guy who wakes up after a night out. His memories are not very clear, but little but little it all comes back to him. He swears to never drink again, but his friends manage to persuade him to have a last drink... only one...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
My best salmon, French style recipe
We have it with aioli and rice, warm or cold. Even better cold the day after if you ask me. And - important - the children love it!
This is a typical French recipe. Take a good quality fresh ingredient, mess with it as little as possible. Eat and enjoy.
Labels:
Gastronomy
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Picnic at the Léon lake
By the road we find a dead nutria. It comes from South America and is sensitive to the cold here, but this one has a bullet hole in its back. I check on the internet and it says that they get nuisible because they don't have any natural predators.
Back at home I see our first daffodil blooming...
Labels:
Everyday life
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I love stripes!
I love the tissues from the basque traditional manufacturer Artiga. Actually, in my house all my curtains are made out of Artiga tissues! They also have some ready made products like bags, espadrilles, bread baskets and oven gloves for example. Their summer collection came up the other day and it really makes me long for lazy summer days in those striped deck chairs!
Another well known basque brand is Jean Vier. They make absolutely stunning tissues in both vivid colours and more restrained colour schemes.
True for both brands is that they use traditional techniques and only sell high quality products - at a price. The stripes were originally seven and represented the seven regions in the Pays Basque.
Photos from their web sites.
True for both brands is that they use traditional techniques and only sell high quality products - at a price. The stripes were originally seven and represented the seven regions in the Pays Basque.
Photos from their web sites.
Labels:
Fashion
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Summer kitchen - part of the bare necessities? (2)
Rhune view from their house
They invited us to celebrate the kitchen with some friends and food... a selection of what we had in the photos.
Oysters of course
Mussel and shell stew
Traditional basque cake with black cherry jam
Henri
Nathalie
Xavier
The pool house but before the sliding doors where there
Labels:
Everyday life,
Gastronomy
Saturday, February 20, 2010
When I get homesick - semlor
I'm almost never homesick, but one thing always make me long to Sweden. It's about now, when the windows to all the bakeries are full of semlor, a local speciality that you eat in January and February. Semla is not for the faint of heart. It's an explosion of whipped cream, almond paste and a cardamom flavoured airy bun...
So today I made some with the children. The example on the photo is okay, but maybe I could have topped it off with a bit more of that whipped cream?
I give you a link to a recipe in English if you want to make your own semlor....
So today I made some with the children. The example on the photo is okay, but maybe I could have topped it off with a bit more of that whipped cream?
I give you a link to a recipe in English if you want to make your own semlor....
Labels:
Gastronomy
Friday, February 19, 2010
Listen to French radio on the Internet
Among my personal preferences you'll find the radio RTL2, with classic pop music and NRJ, with a rockier sound. You can also try Zoneradio where you find no less than 19 different French radios to listen to online!
Labels:
Music
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Armagnac IV - duck farmer Mounet
Labels:
Gastronomy
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Couscous, typical French food
Today we had lunch at the Couscousserie in Dax, a restaurant with Tunisian specialties. We both ordered a Royal Couscous, which is the evident choice if you have troubles making your mind up. Instead of taking chicken OR merguez OR lamb OR meatballs OR beef ... you just have it all. (The only problem is that we will now skip dinner, but it was SO worth it).
Moroccan tajine
The restaurants are usually colourful with a cloth covering the ceiling and decorations with cosy lights and mosaics. Not always very tasteful, but it sure makes you feel like you made a journey just stepping into the restaurant. Sometimes you sit by very low tables with crossed legs. The pictures are from the Couscousserie. Maybe not the cosiest one, but the food is excellent.
Labels:
Gastronomy
40 years, time to start surfing?
My cousin
Erretegia beach
I keep fighting to get past those waves. It is incredibly tiring and I am quickly out of breath, so hard I am working with my arms. When I finally reach the right spot, Christophe sends me off at once. The wave is rising up behind me and I paddle like crazy. Stand up! I feel how the board is supported by the wave. The water is hissing at the sides of the board. I put my hands in front of my on the board, like I have been told, put up a foot and then another, feel the force of the water under my board and then I let go of my hands. I'm standing up! It doesn't last for long, but what a kick!
With a huge smile I get back on my board and start paddling again. I want that feeling again! I keep on trying, but now I can't get to stand on the right spot to be in balance and fall before I manage to stand up. But now I'm not tired anymore. I keep trying and trying. Until I paddle out and realize that I'm the only one left in the water. I get out of the water, but one thing is for sure, this was not the last time!
Labels:
Pyrenees Atlantiques
Monday, February 15, 2010
Coeur de Pirate sings Comme des enfants
Comme des enfants, like children, sung by a pretty tatooed Canadian pirate. Beautiful.
Labels:
Music
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentine Surprise - Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Winter on the beach in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
I won't give you much details, nor photos, but if I say hammam, massage with hot stones, champagne and strawberries and a sumptuous dinner, I guess you get the picture. And today we enjoyed the cold sun in Saint Jean de Luz, had oysters and bought some Adam macarons, a local specialty based on almonds.
It's only 24 hours later, but I feel like I went away for a week! I wish you a Valentine's Day with the ones you care the most for!
Typical basque dancing. Red and black are the colours of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Typical basque house
Typical street in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Typical brasserie. In this case, Brouillarta on the beach in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. They have marvellous oysters.
On thing I love about France is how beautifully they pack cookies....
... like the famous macarons from Adam. Not sure they are the best, but they are Very Very Good.
Labels:
Gastronomy,
Pyrenees Atlantiques
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Armagnac III - the Labouc family
Madame Labouc
Detail from the farm
Cocktail with Floc de Gascogne
Labels:
Gastronomy
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