Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2020 i My French Country Home

Dear Readers, Welcome to the fall edition of My French Country Home Magazine! I hope that you, your friends and families remain well during what continues to be a troubling and difficult time. For this edition, our focus turns to Lyon — an incredible city with an impressive gastronomic heritage. Our guide for this issue, “A Bridge Between Two Worlds,” is a timeless map to a destination that is just as lively during the fresh spring as it is in deep winter. Lyon is a foodie’s paradise. We hope to whet your appetite through a three-course tour of a few typical bouchon restaurants with our “Living in France” columnist Emily Monaco. Afterwards, try your hand at making your own decadent Lyonnaise dishes with our dedicated recipe section. But it’s not…

Gorges du Verdon In the region of Alpes de Haute Provence lies Europe’s biggest canyon. With cliffs up to half a mile high, Verdon Gorge is one of France’s most spectacular sites. From adventurous paragliding and kayaking to relaxing bike riding and walking, there are myriad ways to experience this vast and breathtaking area. Dune du Pilat Situated at the entrance of Arcachon Bay, the Pilat Dune is one of France’s most stunning natural wonders. The tallest dune in Europe, it is the only one that constantly moves — three to 15 feet a year — sloping into the forest that sits below. Several guided walks on and around the Dune will allow you to fully appreciate the extent of its immense beauty. Falaises d’Étretat The famous, rugged cliffs of…

“A bucolic haven in the Parisian suburbs” On a quiet street in the Parisian suburb of Ecquevilly lies the entrance to a building that resembles many others in the leafy neighborhood. But step through the door, and you will enter a delightful world you couldn’t have imagined existed… Alexandra Sliosberg and her family have made a home in this bucolic hideaway, where original features and retro style live in harmony. Simplicity is the key to her interior design scheme; a backdrop of neutral colors are offset by a mix of colorful ceramics, rustic and metallic furniture. After eight years living in busy London, Alexandra and Bertrand chose to settle in this characterful home, which boasts a convenient location just an hour from Paris. “We instantly fell in love with the…

Ruth Ribeaucourt (1) is an Irish antique specialist and photographer who wrote and captured “Antiquaires of France,” “Julien Faure: An Exceptional Heritage” and “The Kitchen At Camont.” Tish Jett (2) is an author on French lifestyle and our regular “Just Between Us” columnist. Anne-Catherine Scoffoni (3) is a Berlin-based editorial photographer, writer and photographer agent. She wrote the interiors piece “Modern Rustic.” Emily Monaco (4) is an American journalist living in Paris and pens our regular “Living in France” column. Teddy Verneuil (5) is a French photographer who explores the world to capture the best things to do while traveling. He provided the photos for our “Portfolio” in the Berry region. Eric Sander (6) is one of France’s most renowned photographers and shoots some of the country’s best-loved properties and…

Elaborate, trompe-l'œil (“trick of the eye”), fantastical… What began as a patch of farmland housing nothing but a few cows, Les Jardins de Castillon has become a life’s work and long-standing reference for countless gardeners. In 1975, Hubert and Colette Sainte Beuve bought a nursery. Disaster struck a year later, when they lost nearly all their plants to one of the worst heat waves that Normandy has ever seen. Picking up and starting again, the two Anglophiles traveled across the Channel in search of rare plants to sell in the nursery. Passionate for perennials, they came back with an array of these hardy specimens; however, their unaccustomed French clientele didn’t understand how to use them. Faced with this conundrum, they decided to showcase the beauty and versatility of perennials by…

I Over the last months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. For many of us, the stay-at-home mandate has given us renewed clarity on what is truly important in our lives. I wanted to know: What can we learn from those who have met these unprecedented circumstances with grace, pragmatism and creativity? For answers, I turned to a group of interesting, stylish and accomplished women to find out what they discovered about themselves and how they have met this strange moment with resolve and inspiration. Edith Mézard, creator of a line of exquisite, embroidered linens, said the arrival of “Monsieur FedEx” or “Monsieur UPS” was one thing that left her giddy with anticipation. During her two months of confinement, Edith and her grandchildren spent time making “videos,…

As part of my job as a restaurant reviewer in Paris, I eat in a lot of restaurants. Depending on the week, I might eat three, four or five meals out. More often than not, my friends take advantage of this job perk and accompany me to the city’s newest tables. Rarely do I eat out alone… that is, until I went to Lyon. My first trip to the city once home to world-renowned chef Paul Bocuse was for work. While there were more than enough volunteers offering to join me, I knew that most of my two days there would be spent at my desk, fact-checking and physically visiting places that had proven impossible to reach by phone. So it was alone that I first ventured to Lyon, on…

Set in the Centre-Val de Loire, the Berry was divided into Indre and Cher when provinces were replaced by departments. Like the rest of the Loire, it is famed for being the birth-place of many members of the French royal family. Today, its lasting legacy is undoubtedly its rich countryside. A relatively flat landscape, the Berry is peppered with picturesque vine-yards surrounded by charming villages: Argenton-sur-Creuse (with its pretty, colored houses bordering the river), Gargilesse-Dampierre (famously beloved by French Romantic novelist George Sand), La Borne (the Berry’s ceramic capital) and Reuilly (home of the area’s emblematic, AOC-labeled wine). Here, nature is best explored off the beaten track. Keep your eyes peeled while driving, and pull over and take a tour when the mood strikes you. From lush forests to sprawling…

Cooking became a daily act of creativity for Kate when she sailed to the Gascony region of south-west France on her canal barge. Back in 1989, she tied it up to an old stone and brick farmhouse called “Camont,” and the rest is history. Kate slowly transformed the tumbled-down ruin into a world-acclaimed culinary retreat where professional chefs, butchers and home cooks alike have honed their skills in the rustic Gascon cooking style. “Camont” lies sandwiched between a small country chemin and a meandering French canal. Kate describes it as “a memory of a 18th-century farm” typical of southwest France; it’s a three-story pigeon tower with rough stone, layered brick and red-tiled roofs. Gascony is one of the most diverse farming regions in France — the perfect place for a…

Lyon holds a special charm that bewitches all visitors. With a historic food culture, an eclectic blend of architecture and a beautiful situation on the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, Lyon is a city that is down to earth, vibrant and welcoming. The third largest city in France, it’s smaller than Paris and without the pomp, making it easy to discover over a long weekend. It is also a great base for exploring the region’s stunning surroundings, with Ardèche’s lush natural parks and nearby mountains favored for skiing. But the city itself has enough to satisfy hungry explorers for a weekend or more. Start in its heart — at the presqu’île — the peninsula where the two rivers converge. Take in the Place Bellecour and its famous statue…

When Chantal and Michel Baudron purchased Château of Veyrignac in 1994, it lay abandoned and ransacked. Requisitioned by the German army during the Second World War, departing soldiers had burned the 18th-century home, and it remained devastated ever since. The generous property sits on a hill above the Dordogne river and boasts stunning views of the surrounding countryside. A listed building due to its architectural importance, Chantal and her husband were particularly careful while carrying out the renovation. In 1999, after their work on the Château was complete, the Baudrons set their sights on the garden. Their aim was to create a haven that could be enjoyed in a manner of ways each season. “A masterpiece of design, the gardens are an invitation to stroll and discover” She enlisted the…

Bugnes SERVES 6 Preparation time: 20 min + 2 hr rest Cooking time: 15 min • 2 cups (240 g) flour• ¼ cup (50 g) butter, room temperature• 1⁄7 cup (30 g) sugar• 2 eggs• 30 ml orange blossom water or light rum• Frying oil• Powdered sugar• Pinch of salt Cut the butter into pieces. Pour the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center, and break the eggs into it, one by one, slowly mixing and incorporating the flour. Next, add the sugar, salt, butter and orange blossom water or rum. When the dough is mixed well, massage it onto a floured worktop with the palm of your hand (it should have good homogeneity). Form a ball, wrap it in cling film and store in a cool…

* What’s New ? “L’ŒUF” BY CIRE TRUDON Inspired by ancient “Cabinets of Curiosities,” haute couture parfumeurs Cire Trudon have launched “L’Œuf.” A luxury home fragrance set containing eight reeds, a 300 ml bottle of parfum, a funnel, an unglazed ceramic egg and a black, satin-finished stand, this diffuser doubles as a timeless work of art for your home. Choose from three fragrances: “Abd El Kader,” “Ernesto” and “Cyranos.” 290 € www.trudon.com FER À CHEVAL For over 160 years, Fer à Cheval has made its savon de Marseille using traditional methods. The result? A range of deep-cleaning, luxe soaps and accessories that leave hands soft and protected. We especially love the new collaboration with Made in France brush makers Andrée Jardin—a beautiful ash wood soap dish and nail brush paired with…