Indulgence & Perspective

Indulgence & Perspective This week I have managed a quick get-away to my home in the recently rebranded 'Occitanie' area of southern France just above the Spanish border and I am writing from my newly gravelled, parterre garden and listening to the village bells strike the hr! The peace and pace of life here is magical in the summer - the days are endlessly sunny, there are no aeroplanes or traffic, apart from the odd tractor, and I awake to a cockerel's crow which is mostly arcadian however this morning he was in especially 'splendide' voice and I forgot for a moment that I am vegetarian! It is like living in a Thomas Hardy novel apart from the fact that the villagers are not from Dorset!  A holiday home is a privilege and a luxury so it can be both practical and indulgent and I try to strike a balance. The decoration is my indulgence - the dining room for example is much grander than I have at home in England and full of the nineteenth century French furniture that suits the house. However when it comes to glassware and china I like to mix modern and traditional pieces that will withstand the reality of dozens of guests coming and going and being carried into the garden for al fresco lunches  - so my glassware may not bounce but it will survive being dropped onto gravel or grass!   Buy Now - Bee Wine Glass - £8.50 Buy Now - Bee Water Goblet - £5.75 The La Rochere wine and water glasses are the very best for this. There are incredibly robust and will withstand a lot of heavy handling so I have them in London too. They have been made here for over five hundred years which makes them the oldest continuously running glassworks in Europe. The style is timeless and elegant and covered in the embossed bee design favoured by Napoleon I as a link to the original Merovingian royal dynasty of France. It also represents industry and hard work getting its just rewards which I think is lovely..... in theory! Buy Now -Laguiole Cutlery Likewise Laguiole cutlery is idiosyncratic in style and has been made in the Aubrac region of central France since 1829. This is the best quality cutlery and mine has lasted for 15 years. The brand also uses the bee emblem on every piece so they match the wine glasses rather well.  I use the design in ivory which is contemporary but softer on the table and the collection is dishwasher safe as I am too lazy to wash up after a long lunch of excellent wine and company - it is time for a siesta and a good book. I am reading the Patrick Melrose books on this trip and thoroughly enjoying them. Buy Now - Orange Stoneware Dinner Plate - £27 My current obsession at Roullier White is a stoneware collection from the South East of France. We had the pasta bowls last year and they sold out in 2 weeks and so I have re-ordered with matching plates. Handmade slowly and with love( it takes almost three months to receive each order) , the insides are the most beautiful, deep glaze of cherry, lemon or orange and I have invested in a matching set for myself as I just love the way that they enliven both the table and the food. The vibrant hues of the ceramics, far from draining the colour of each course, seems to intensify it so that it is a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Have served asparagus with parmesan in the yellow bowls and it was spectacular if I do say so myself!   Buy Now - Citrus Stoneware Pasta Bowl - £28 If anyone has this month's copy of House & Garden magazine there is a cracking recipe for Onion Tart that made my cousin Josie, who is visiting me, weep with pleasure. I made this in my Emile Henri flan-dish from another historic French company that make pieces to last the distance! There is also a a sublime side-dish of beetroot in mustard sauce which went down equally well. When on holiday food should take no more 30 mins to prepare and these were perfect. Buy Now - Emile Henri 30cm Flan Dish I hope that everyone has a break of some sort planned this summer  - they are essential for so many reasons but indulgence and perspective are perhaps the most important. We all need a little of both! I am off to enjoy the former in the form of a large glass of something from the Corbieres hills down the road and then a large dose of the latter which for me is gazing at the Pyrenees as they sweep across the Mediterranean valley. There is something about this majestic mountain range that makes everyday problems seem very small and insignificant. Then I hop onto the plane to return for this w/e's Roullier White Summer Sale  - I hope to see some of you there! Have a jolly bon w/e and let's hope for a well deserved victory this evening! Michaelx

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