Those charming, ancient French villages and hamlets: they look like they shelter a lifestyle from a happier time, but oh la LA! There is intrigue, there are secret trysts, there are old grudges from the war, there are shady shenanigans. Just like anywhere, I suppose, except that, well, they all look so bucolic!
Case in point: Friends who live in nearby village told us that they are surely the last people in France to get DSL (a high-speed internet connection). They've been living with a dial-up connection, and ils grognent–they are quite grumpy about it. (Even in tiny Balleure, we got a speedy connection years ago). So they were thrilled when the powers-that-be decided to put up a sort of wi-fi booster tower, so they could join the 21st century.
But wait! There was strong opposition to the ugly tower in some quarters. After much fussing and carrying on, the tower was erected, but very unwisely they placed it just outside the gate of one of the most vocal opponents. It only took a week before the tower was found cut in half and lying on the ground. One of the neighbors took the utility box off the tower and hung it up in a nearby walnut tree, in the desperate hope that it might help their wi-fi. It remains there, hanging in limbo, like their high-speed connection. PHOTO: a peek inside a village window.
In another nearby village a married woman had an affair with a married man. The two lovers paraded about quite brazenly in the village. One of the spouses was said to know about it, and to approve. But when the other wife found out, as quick as you can say cherchez la femme, monsieur was out on the street. All the neighbors then took sides, and soon half the village was faché with the other half. Your French lesson du jour: you can be en colère with someone, and that just means angry. Or you can pique une colère, which is to have a temper tantrum as Madame did. But when you are faché, you are not speaking at all, c’est fini!
RECIPE: Black Forest Parfaits
In summer, who wants to mess with a complicated dessert? Recently at a restaurant here we were served a Black Forest Parfait (parfait means "perfect" in French, though French parfaits are traditionally frozen). Cherries are in season here and I had some of Renee's Magnolia Days cookies left over (see last week's post), so I'll be making these. Here's my plan:
Pit some fresh cherries, add a little lemon juice and sprinkle generously with sugar. A splash of cherry liqueur, Amaretto, or Gran Marnier would not be unwelcome.
For the cookie layer, crumble up some of Renee's cookies, or use Nabisco's famous chocolate wafer cookies.
For the cream layer, you could use vanilla pudding, ice cream, or even Greek yogurt, but I will make a clever filling that a chef taught me once: whip some cream, and when soft peaks form, add a bit of vanilla INSTANT pudding mix (a couple of teaspoons per cup of cream will do). This will stabalize and thicken the whipped cream. Beat to stiff peaks.
Now layer it all, and top it off with some shaved chocolate or sliced almonds. Perfect!
In the COMMENTS: We certainly have some cat lovers in the group! Annette (cat, Ernest) has a great cat quote. Chris of the Pen at the Ready blog, also has a cat, Max, who's an aspiring writer, as does Iz (cat, Miles). Maria of the Feed on Him blog has a Domino twin. Meanwhile Natalia and family like to "hoof it" like the French, and Rachel, of And Then Make Soup, you are right about the French and their leisure time! We still have comments coming in about the elderflowers. Kathy says it helps colds, Sarah makes jelly with the blooms, and Cynthia (cat, Gershwin) and Suzanne have educated me about St. Germain liqueur, made from elderflowers. Virginia of Paris Through my Lens, sorry to scare you with the B-word!
Favorite reads: One more French lesson for you. Speaking of cats, loyal reader Mel recommends two French books by a Chinese author called Le Chat Zen and Le Chat Philosophe . He says "The author is an artist and fills the little books with her lovely designs featuring cats and Chinese philosophy." Sounds like required reading for the cat-obcessed (I'm guilty!)
15 thoughts on “The French Village, A Hotbed of Intrigue & Dissent?”
Indeed, one would never know there are any shenanigans going on within these peaceful & very beautiful places.
That dessert looks wonderful Lynn. Good advice from the chef with the cream & pudding. This morning I made an entire batch of homemade cream puffs from a guarded recipe I have. I use that same trick. They shall be served this evening for a 4th of July celebration.
Oh the stories to be told about the secrets of our village. The two you told have happened here along with……
But some things have to be left unsaid…….
Keep your head down and keep smiling
The inner workings of village life can be mysterious, intricate, and complex – making it difficult sometimes for foreigners to integrate into the culture. Parfaits are a great way to use in-season fruits and yours looks delicious.
I didn’t know the meaning of tne word shenanigans, I didn’t even know we had any shenanigans at al at hand in France so I searched the internet and I found that following dialog aimed at fully explaining the true meaning of this word
Here is the dialog as found in the urban dictionary:
from the movie Super Troopers:
Captain O’Hagan: I swear to God I’m going to pistol whip the next guy who says “Shenanigans”.
Mac: Hey Farva, what’s the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the wall and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva (from other room): You mean Shenanigans?
Rabbit: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Mac: *hands O’Hagan the butt of his pistol
Please, do I truly understand now what you really mean when you used that word?
Thanks in advance
Claude
Too funny… but you know, there was quite a kerfuffle about la Tour Eiffel at first too 😉 I think perhaps change just comes harder (and more vocally) in villages. And, consider the origins of “sabotage”… oh la la!
Hi Claude,
Well, the Urban Dictionary is a good source for slang, but that funny quote makes no sense to me (I think they are up to something–shenanigans, in other words!). My dictionary translates shenanigans in French as bouffonerie, but I’ve never heard that word. Anyone else have thoughts? In English it means mischief, trick, dishonest or manipulative behavior.
This was a fun read Lynn!
I think one of the best depictions of French village life is the movie Chocolat, with Juliette Bino he and Johnny Depp. One of my favorites….
Lynn,
My husband and I just listen to a piece on National Public Radio’s “Marketplace” on the law currently being considered by French legislators—the law that would require restaurateurs to disclose any pre-made meals on their menus (a topic of one of your recent blogs—or maybe a comment from a follower). An amusing piece and, I’m sure, just another topic of conversation and controversy in any petite ville and big city. I presume the law will pass. There is, after all, a reputation to protect.
Chris
These village intrigues go on everywhere. I live in a village that abuts a Midwestern college town. Most of our residents have several college degrees each and many work for the university. Nevertheless, every proposed change to the village is met with vocal opposition. This includes the erection of cell phone towers, traffic improvements, new construction etc. As far as “l’amour fou” is concerned, it got so widespread here that one of the participants wrote and published a book about it. I have yet to get my hands on it but I can’t deny my curiosity. Quel scandal!
This so reminds me of where my in law’s lived, full of ‘intrigue’
and!– even if there’s not a lot going on, what you hear is
a lot of!!!!
Lynn, your post today is wonderful and the happiest way to start the weekend!
Which doesn’t even begin to describe that heavenly dessert! YUM!
(especially appreciate your tip about instant vanilla pudding mix!)
Thank you!
I can add to this story of Intrige and division in a little French village ,we had the same problem with our mobile phone we had to put it in a certain spot at the end of the dinning table to get any reception.
So when we heard that they were going to build a Tower in our Forest we were delighted.
Alas there was huge division in our village with many noisy meetings and at last they decided to go a head with the tower.
It was fantastic we could use our mobile phones and our Internet was very fast?????
There is a twist to this story as six months later I was having a cup of coffee and 2 Gendarme past with a fire engine????
Guess what the tower was on fire someone had set fire to it.
They rebuilt it with a big fence around it and thank goodness all is well and still standing.
Loved your exposé of Peyton Place en Bourgogne! My little corner of California knows all about hot tempers over towers to improve cellphone and internet reception, though to date nobody has chopped one down, or set it afire. Thanks for clearing up the difference between en colère and faché; i had wondered about that–a lot of both going around over those towers, not to mention small-town intrigues.
Sounds like Sullivans Island.
I liked reading the village story. I also like the pretty picture of the lace curtain in the window.
betsy