The weather in England had been mild this winter but the beginning of February saw it come under the auspices of a Siberian cold front and the temperatures plummeted with a record low of minus 17 degrees overnight. As I drove from Bournemouth towards Buckingham in the early morning the temperature gauge on the car hovered around minus 8 degrees. There was snow covering the fields on each side of the highway and the trees, bare of leaves, but with frozen white tendrils hanging from them, sparkled in the weak sunshine. It was so pretty, at least, while I was sitting in a warm car, I could appreciate it.
My sister had invited me to a Valentine's Day Concert at lunchtime which was to be held in the Radcliffe Centre, part of Buckingham University. The building had been erected as a Nonconformist church and and was named after John Radcliffe (1652-1714) the physician, who also gave his name to a number of buildings in Oxford, including the Radcliffe Camera and the Radcliffe Infirmary. John Radcliffe is famous for, among other things, becoming royal physician to King William and Queen Mary. In 1713 he was elected to parliament as a member for Buckingham. The lovely old church was now used as a lecture theatre and concert venue and had been completely refurbished with under floor heating so that the audience could sit in comfort and appreciate the ambience of the site and the event taking place, without freezing on the hard upright chairs previously provided. Today, one of the students, Giles Wollenmann, described in his profile as a pianist and composer, was going to play a selection of romantic music on the Grand Piano. A tall, handsome man clutching a hot water bottle entered to the applause of the audience. He explained that because of the freezing weather he was trying to warm his hands so that they would be more adept at playing the more difficult pieces he had chosen for us to hear. Giles is studying towards a PhD in Security and Intelligence which seems a long way from being a pianist and composer (more information about counter intelligence can be found on the web if you enter his name). He had the wonderful talent of weaving stories, regarding the composers and their music, into his performance which enhanced the interest in the piece. Two pieces by Eric Satie 'Gymnopedie No. 1' (you can hear on Youtube if you google composer's name) and 'Gnossienne No 1' were illustrated by a description of Satie's love affair with Suzanne Valadon. Suzanne was a nude life model who sat for Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir but was also a great painter in her own right. She had a six month affair with Satie and he proposed marriage but this never happened and she left him after six months. He never had another intimate relationship and was said to have written Gnossienne No 1 for his lover when she left. We then went on to hear a Mazurka composed by the Polish genius Chopin. Apparently Chopin hated playing for large audiences and was more comfortable in salons in Paris. He had an long affair with George Sands and they lived in Majorca for some time to try and alleviate the symptoms of Chopin's tuberculosis. He caused a scandal on the island by living with a married woman and the port authorities refused to import his piano without a large sum of money being paid for the privilege, which George eventually paid. He was a master of romantic music and we then listened to the waltz 'L'Adieu' written for a young Polish noblewoman Maria Wodzinska. He proposed marriage but her extreme youth and his delicate health postponed the ceremony and it never happened. A great friend of Chopin's was the Hungarian composer Listz who was the opposite of Chopin in that he was a showman. He had great technical genius on the piano but would not tolerate anyone talking or disturbing a performance. He stopped a performance given for the Czar of Russia for this reason. He was very wealthy and a good businessman. We listened to the beautiful and well-known Hungarian Rhapsody. Certainly Beethoven had to be included and the haunting and famous 'Moonlight Sonata' was extremely appropriate. It was written for Countess Giulietta who was a former piano pupil, master and pupil had loved each other but the affair came to nothing. Beethoven’s relationship with Giulietta appeals to romantics. The beautiful Moonlight Sonata, which is dedicated to her, captures the spirit of their relationship: it sounds like moonlight on rippling waters. We were told of the precision of Bach in his composing , his music written like a mathematical equation and heard a Bach's Prelude in C Major. Bach had four children by his first wife and thirteen children with his second wife Anna Magdalena. Giles also played some music that he had composed from the Sarajevo variations. The concert came to a close after two hours, it had been a memorable Valentine's Day spent among historical romantic composers and a truly uplifting experience. (All music mentioned can be heard on Youtube as an initial step towards enjoying it). The wood fire was roaring throwing out a wonderful envelopping warmth that made us feel lazy and cosy. The telephone had rung earlier with an invitation to come for aperitifs between 5 and 6 pm and I had accepted with excitement, excitement because our hosts were French neighbours and, as expatriates, it was good to feel that we were becoming part of the community. Now, however, as the afternoon wore on and the shadows of the winter day were closing in it was going to be a struggle to bestir ourselves from this warm cocoon.
"I don't really want to go out," my husband growled as he stretched his legs further towards the fire, "I can't speak French anyway and I'll just be sitting there while everyone chats around me, I will feel awkward. I wish you wouldn't accept these invitations without asking me". I sighed, "we have to go, Marie has gone to a lot of trouble to help us and I would like to make friends with our French neighbours, we neednt stay long and anyway Marie and her husband Claude do speak some English." I rustled together an easy meal, aware that aperitifs usually meant an alcoholic drink and not much in the way of food to soak up the effects of the liquor. I thought about what we could take, Mark was on a health kick and hadn't had any alcoholic beverage for two months now, he would have to make do with sparkling water and I would take a pot of my home-made apricot jam as a small present. We were greeted with an abundance of warmth from Marie who took us straight inside the rustic home that she shared with her husband. They had renovated the interior themselves, in a simple way that had reused the existing materials and which maintained the character of the old French farmhouse. A large wood fire was burning fiercely surrounded by a circle of miscellaneous chairs placed to make the most of the warmth. A variety of glasses were set on a small table in the corner with a mix of drink bottles and some bread plates and knives. There was a woman already sitting in the chair closest to the fire, she had her shawl wrapped tightly around her, but as we moved further into the room she stood and smiled at us as we were introduced and then kissed us on both cheeks in the traditional style. We all settled ourselves around the fire and exchanged pleasantries in a stilted fashion, Elsapet spoke no English so I translated with the help of our hosts and another guest who had just arrived. Jean was a kindly man of mature years (as we all were) and his English had been acquired from expats whom he had befriended and worked for, chauffeuring them backwards and forwards to Toulouse airport. This was a valuable acquaintance for us as it was always a problem to reach the airport without the car. Drinks were offered and handed around and we continued our conversation as Claude methodically divided up an onion tart that Marie had produced from the kitchen. The onion tart was a French fantasy of light flaky pastry filled with caramelised onions with just a slight covering of an egg and milk mixture and we contentedly ate our way through this offering while listening to the incredible story of Elsapet unfold. Elsapet is an Armenian who had married a man from Azerbaijan, they had met and fell in love at the school where they were both teaching in Azerbaijan. Hostilities between the two countries had been ongoing throughout the 20th century but had escalated during the late eighties and nineties with ethnic cleansing being carried out on both sides and intervention by the then USSR to try and prevent the attacks and violence between the two countries. Elsapet was forced to flee Azerbaijan to prevent being tortured and murdered as an Armenian but was not able to return to her own country because of her marriage to an enemy. She aranged her escape through people smugglers which cost a lot of money and left her husband and son. She was smuggled on a truck in a cardboard box and driven through Europe until she reached France. The driver offloaded her in Foix on his way through to Spain. She was penniless, but as she had practiced as a French teacher at least had the appropriate language skills. Her initial approach to the Mairie (like the Council) led her to be taken in by the Red Cross and she has re-established a life for herself in France. Unfortunately she is not able to make any contact with her husband and son and has not heard from them for many years. Elsapet looked now to be in her late fifties/early sixties and I contemplated how dreadful it would be to leave your home and family under these circumstances in your mature years, she had been in France now for a few years. We ended our evening with a hot drink and a traditional Armenian cake prepared by Elsapet and took our farewells. Jean followed our car as we drove down the steep bluff on the short ride home. He wanted to confirm where to collect Mark for his trip to the airport the next day, the air was freezing and our breath puffed out in white drifts as we waved goodbye and entered our front door, it had been a delightful evening spent amongst the warmth and generosity of new friends. A: Age of first international trip: I was born and raised in England but when I was five my parents moved to a small village outside Glasgow, Scotland for a couple of years. When we returned to England my parents took us four children across the channel by ferry to Brittany, France. We rented a house on the beach and the owners lived in a small hut at the end of the garden for the summer. They made our French breakfast and a simple meal every evening. B: Best (foreign) beer: I just dont do beer, give me a glass of Australian chardonnay or French Pouilly Fuisse any day. C: Cuisine (favourite): I love food and eating. My main criteria is that it has to be excellent quality and I love to cook myself so I have pretty high standards. French food is hard to beat because you can go to the smallest village restaurant and have the formula of the day for lunch at a very small price but of superb quality. D: Destination (favourite and least favourite): I am madly in love with Europe particularly France, Italy and Spain and my husband, who is always off walking somewhere in the world, has accompanied me on many adventurous walks but one that has really impacted on me is the Cinque Terra in Italy. My least favourite place would be Dubai. My daughter and husband lived and worked there for a few years and my husband and I would visit. I was so disappointed in the Arab demolition of any historical or cultural reference. It is all modern skyscrapers, resort hotels (albeit luxurious) but it is all so clinical, and the heat. . . . . . . . E: Event experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: the most recent one was walking in the Douro Valley in Portugal last autumn, the views over the mountains terraced with vines and the restored ancient manor house where we stayed were incredible. F: Favourite mode of transportation: it depends on the circumstances and I could argue positively for all forms but, and you will think me mad, flying comes pretty near the top. I have never lost the feeling of excitement and awe when I get on a plane in one country and arrived so quickly in a completely different climate and culture and time zone. I even like the actual journey, most of the time, that feeling of sitting back and having nothing to do but watch movies or read books. G: Greatest feeling while travelling: the freedom of leaving the everyday and journeying into the unknown. H: Hottest place travelled to: I've been in some pretty hot places! Dubai in the middle of summer at 54 degrees, India in an unairconditioned taxi with what seems like half the world's population crushing in on you and Vietnam where the heat and humidity while touring left me literally soaked through with sweat. I: Incredible service experienced and where: it would have to be in a small restaurant in Barcelona called 'Gorria', the food was a mix of Barque/Navarrese cuisine and was superbly presented by professional and friendly staff. The pinnacle of their service was when my husband splashed some oil from his entree on to his shirt. Immediately the waiter was at his side with a cloth and stain remover. J: Journey that took the longest: a train trip from Italy back to France two years ago, which should have been uneventful and a day's journey, was completely disrupted by the Icelandic volcano ash which grounded the planes over Europe. Tourists were fighting for seats, booked tickets were cancelled, trains weren't going where they were supposed to because there was also 'un greve des chemin de fer' (train strike) and just to add to the fun there was a fire on the line. K: Keepsake from travels: unfortunately with the very restrictive weight limits applying to plane travels keepsakes have to be carefully thought about. I cannot resist however perusing local fashion and jewellery stores. I treasure some beautiful gold and green garnet earrings that my husband bought for my birthday in a small Italian town. Every time I wear them I think of that particular holiday. L: Let-down sight, why and where: emigrating to Australia in the 70s the liner sailed into Fremantle harbour. It was a huge shock - a one horse town with no restaurants, shack like houses and it seemed so isolated. I felt like taking the next ship back to England. Now Fremantle, since the America Cup win and Alan Bond in 1983, is a very elegant and sophisticated place. M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: There wasnt any particular moment, I was born with itchy feet. My first travel adventure 'sans parents' was at 14 years old when I went to Florence and Rome escorted by the nuns from our convent and fourteen other girls, we had an absolute ball. N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: I've stayed in some pretty wonderful hotels all over the world but I think for service Asia is the best. The Hyatt Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia is one of my favourites, it is off the tourist track but close to the Borobudur Temple. The hotel itself looks like an ancient palace surrounded by a very attractive golf course and tropical gardens. The rooms are luxurious in Indonesian style but with all modern facilities and panoramic views from the windows, The service is exemplary. O: Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while travelling?: I am not a photographer I like to write stories about my travels, the people, culture, an adventure. P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?: I have two passports, Australian and European which is just as well as I have collected many stamps and visas. Stamps from the USA, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. The one negative about the European passport is that I dont get stamped in any European country. Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: A snake restaurant in China where live snakes were pulled out of a basket upon order, their gall bladders removed for the customer to swallow whole (good for the male libido) and the snake then taken to the kitchen to be cooked and then served. R: Recommended sight, event or experience: how to just pick one! The Coast to Coastwalk in England from St Bees, across the Lake District into Yorkshire to Robin Hood Bay. Spectacular scenery, very quaint bed and breakfasts and pubs and the land of Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and John Ruskin among others. S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while travelling: Food and wine. In summer last year we visited 'El Celler de Can Roca' in Girona, close to Barcelona, the newest Spanish restaurant to achieve three Michelin stars. It is number two restaurant in the world out of 50 top restaurants, fantastic experience, each course was a work of art. T: Touristy thing done: Joined the huge queue of tourists to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Well worth the pain of waiting though to see the views over Paris. U: Unforgettable travel memory: flying into the Grand Canyon in a helicopter it was breathtaking and very exciting. V: Visas, how many and for where? I have about five Vietnam visas which are a nuisance as they take up a whole page in your passport, a few for Indonesia and Sri Lanka. W: Wine, best glass of wine while travelling and where?: I really enjoy a glass of the local rose from the region around the Ariege where we rent a house. Unfortunately it is so easy to drink and sitting under the chestnut trees in the early evening contemplating how good life is it slips down very easily. X: eXcellent view and from where?: From the top of the foothill behind our house in France we can see across the valley and up over the foothills opposite towards a beautiful chateau and a walled village. Beyond to the range of the Pyrenees Mountains, on a clear winters day the light is crystal clear and the snow covered peaks stark against the light blue sky. Z: Zealous sports fans and where: Australia and Italy were playing in the football world cup in 2006 and we were in a small village in Italy. The bar was packed with zealous Italian supporters and the televisions had been set up in the square to accommodate them. We weren't sure if we should admit that we were Australian but it soon became obvious. The game was fiercely defended by both teams and many opportunities lost to score a goal with the Italian supporters becoming more and more vocal but always friendly and inclusive towards us, their rivals. The final few minutes the Italian team scored a goal from a free kick and their supporters went wild but didnt forget to commiserate with us. It was a good afternoon. See blog below for another version Femme Francophile Archives |
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March 2015
I am an inveterate traveller. I have travelled both for work and leisure and have many stories I want to write and share.Categories |
The French Tart |
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