The French live longer than anglos, and French women especially: they live longer than any other nationality except for the Japanese. So will you find them at the gym everyday, or out jogging? Non. Do they diet? Not really. Can we learn something here?
It’s true that a lot of the French, men mostly, love to cycle. And I’m not talking about a little bike ride around the park. They deck themselves out in Lycra and pedal hard up hills and mountains, often in groups.
But for the average French person, I think this is their secret: They walk. You see it all around you. In the cities, they don’t drive, they walk everywhere, and they don’t sit at their desks and eat lunch, they walk home or to a restaurant. In the countryside, you rarely see joggers but you always see walkers. Often we’ll be on a country road where it’s many miles between villages but we see folks strolling down the road. We see whole families, three generations together, going for a promenade after dinner. They love to garden, they love to be out in the fresh air. Boules, a national passion, is totally wimpy as sports go, but it keeps them moving, kids and grandparents alike.
My neighbor Marion told me the other day that her mom always told her that keeping fit and living a long life is all about “picking up the horse”. Say what? I lift weights, but I can’t pick up a horse.
Here is the story her mom told her. There was a farmer whose horse had a colt, and just after it was born the farmer picked it up. And then he decided, if he picked that colt up every single day without fail, he’d be able to pick up the horse.
Now if you’ll excuse me, the sun is shining, my straw hat is hanging by the front door, and it’s time for a you-know-what, in which I will be looking for a very petite horse.
And having walked, we reward ourself with….
RECIPE: My Favorite Summer Party Dessert
Renee Dobbs is a fellow southern girl whose blog I follow at Magnolia Days. She has a sweet, tranquil writing style that I admire. And lots of good recipes, too. I was looking for a thin, crispy cookie recipe for making my favorite summer dessert, homemade ice cream sandwiches, when I saw Renee’s recipe for crisp brownie wafer icebox cookies. Turns out she was trying to make homemade oreo cookies for her husband (his favorites), and they turned out tasting like brownie cookies instead. They are exactly what I was looking for.
I followed Renee’s recipe (get it here), but found they were better, as she said, if you pay close attention to the cooking time (15 minutes, for me). Also she slices them right out of the freezer, but I had to soften mine 10 minutes before I could cut them.
To make these for a crowd, I will make and bake them and throw them in the freezer. The day of the party, I’ll stuff them with ice cream and wrap them up for the freezer again, so I can grab them at the last minute. A selection of ice creams are nice, flavors that go with chocolate (are there any that don't?), like coffee, rum raisin, strawberry, or caramel. I like to serve them with fresh berries, and lots of napkins!
In the COMMENTS: Heather, thanks for clearing up the mystery–the white flowers look like Queen Anne's Lace but not quite—so elderflowers it is. Must be in the same family, they are so similar. Natalia has another pretty orange rose called Sedona. Jonelle, Christine and Page are talking Lupines. For more flowers this week, this time roses from the Dorgogne, go to the charming blog, A Small Village in France.
And Annette asked me to show a photo of my cat, (no leash required, Michel). So this is Domino, who is part loyal dog who follows us everywhere, part fickle feline who expects and usually gets 5-star hotel quality service, and part nasty rodent who loves a good catfight and is prone to bite you, unprovoked. Here is a photo of Domino helping with the blog.
20 thoughts on “The “Sportif” French”
Love your description on Domino. You’re going to pay for that, if Domino hears it!
Walking is indeed a national pasttime, as is petanque/boules – we use the car maybe 1-2 times per month!
Lucky you to have elderflowers. You can make jelly from the ripe berries.
Just this week, a Facebook friend posted a link with information about how to spot elderberry plants, and then to note their location for harvesting the berries. Apparently, they are very good for fighting colds and the flu. The link is: http://creativecountryliving.com/index.html
Well said Lynn!
Love the picture of Domino! Great name, too! 🙂
Before now, the only thing I knew about elderflowers is that they make my fave liqueur, St. Germaine! On another note, looks like Domino could’ve done a vignette for the YouTube video, “Sad Cat Diary.” We’re pretty sure our black/white cat, Gershwin, was consulted on the project…
Loved the photo and description of Domino! My cat Miles loves to similarly assist with computer work, but lacks the loyal-dog gene, and occasionally bites without warning. But when he sits on my lap and purrs, all is forgiven. Your ice cream-sandwiches-from-scratch look scrumptious. I need to pick up quite a few horses before I try them, though. 🙂
I agree, walking has to be the key. It’s a challenge here in Arizona in the heat of the summertime. I really don’t want to start my walk at 5am but that seems to be the cooler time of the day. I too love the Domino description! Thank you for the recipe Lynn, a must try for certain.
All I do is walk, I just hope I´m not left alone when I´m old because I´m too fit…ja.
Domino´s pic made my day, and Renee is an awesome blogger!
Oh for a 35-hour week with full benefits and buckets of vacation… 😉
We have a cat named Luther who looks JUST like your Domino!
Just moved to western NC and live on 5 acres up a mountain. To get the paper – have to walk down the gravel road (13 % slope) and back up. I’ve made it into an hour walk to stay fit!
Still watch the quantities of my food…So it’s not JUST exercise. Unfortunately in my mid 50s – I can’t eat salty foods or many starches. But I like my body.
Lynn, Thank you! What (another!) wonderful post,and one which gives us inspiration to put on our comfy shoes and (after reading about a very petite horse,please pardon the pun here,hoof it!)
My in laws lived along the Danube and would think nothing of sauntering the entire way into town–and back!
My husband and I were always runners (he still is) but after I tore the ligament in my knee, walking is the one exercise I can still really enjoy, and do on a daily basis. I admire the French for such wisdom!
Such a divine Summer dessert!It is SO blisteringly hot here in the West that nothing could be more a piece of heaven.
PS Domino is adorable!
I LOVE Domino! My kitty would bite like that too!
And try a St Germaine kir – delicious!
What is it that cats find so fascinating about keyboard? My cat seems drawn to it when I’m in the middle of some profound paragraph and jumps up at just the wrong time. Luckily he’s not a biter or a scratcher, thank goodness, but he seems to be a writer. Quite the Hemingway, Max is.
Chris
Meeps likes to help with my blogs too. THen she throws herself across my lap and snoozes while I type.
Those ice cream sandwiches look divine but darlin’, you used the B word (bake) so I”ll have to pass. 🙂
Bon weekend from hot and humid B’ham.
V
Inpirational blog as always Lynn. Walking as key to health…hope it counters some of the calories I take in with the scrumptious pastries, gelato indulgences here! The brownie ice cream sandwich recipe looks amazing.
Loved your fun description of Domino and adorable photo.
Domino looks like a winner! And, his attributes are varied! So wish my cats [3 – Ernest, Rupert, and Bonnard] would walk with me, but as Muriel Barbery stated in her excellent book, “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” “cats only purpose is that they constitute mobile decorative objects.” Ernest just draped himself in front of the book I am reading, so that I have to sit up tall and look over his back to see the book!
Probably goes after the mouse 🙂 and the washing machine too. A technocat.
Mel
Lynn, Domino is adorable! We have a Ragdoll, “BéBé,” who is so smart and doesn’t meow, she “squeaks.” We could probably take her to Cap Ferrat next October-Nov. if Air France would allow her in the cabin! She kneads and purrs like a baby kit. I just did a watercolor of her and may use it for our Christmas card. Cats rule!
Jonelle