We bought two warm coats for me at the huge annual sales the previous Saturday. After two years of living in France I have a much better idea of what one needs. My coat that we had to buy immediately on my arrival two years ago wasn't always practical. And what luck I had - with a very mild winter until now, the coats were the best buys on the sales! One marked down 50% and the other 60% (and today I bought pants marked down 70% - which meant I've paid what you'll normally pay in Woolies...). In SA I tried to avoid sales, I hate the crowds and the big mess - clothes on heaps and you have to dig into piles to find something that might be interesting and then it is not nearly the discounts that we have. Therefore, I brace myself and face the soldes. Clothes are so expensive in France and with proper discounts, it is worth it to go. The main purpose that Saturday was to find clothes for JL and his son (I'm sure most women will sympathise with me for having to go to the shops with TWO men!). Although my coats were the biggest bargain of the day. And just in time, as the cold started to move in just after we've bought it.
With central heating you do not always realise how cold it is outside. And I have to bite on my teeth to avoid my SA habits of opening windows summer or winter for fresh air (although I still sometimes do, but with this cold, not much longer than 5 min at a time!). Friday evening we had friends over for dinner, JL was searching for the door key (in my handbag...) so I felt sorry for Geraldine who was almost frozen by the time they could enter the house. I've learnt one should be prepared with the key in the door in winter! Fortunately we did a pierrade for dinner. In France they love to do raclette and pierrade. And JL had one that is a combination, you can do both at the same time. The bottom is a grill under which you put small pans, normally boiled potatoes with a slice of cheese on top and then you grill it (you can buy the cheese already cut in the supermarket, and it says raclette). The top is a stone slab (pierre is rock in French) which gets very hot on which you fry different pieces of meat (and vegetables if you wish). A very informal way to spend a good (and warm -lit and fig) evening with your friends. So by the time we have finished, it was quite hot in the house!
As one always eat cheese after a main dish in France when inviting friends, I bought some cheese for the evening. At the beginning I've always asked JL which cheese he would like, but nowadays I tend to forget and just buy what I feel like. I chose one of my favourites, pont l'eveque, a cheese from Normandie, and then decided that I cannot remember what a Munster tastes like (a cheese from Alsace) and we have never bought a brie when we have visitors. Well, I did remember Anita was complaining about the Munster that she had to face in Germany smelled like bad feet, but I have to admit - the smell IS very strong! Most of the cheese was left over and I've put it in a tupperware. By the next morning the whole fridge was smelling like munster, so JL wrapped the cheese in gladwrap before putting it back in the Tupperware! (and even then the drawer in which he put it, in the fridge standing in the garage, still smelled like Munster...
As we had to make a plan to finish the Munster, an impossible task for only two people, I've decided to adapt my tartiflette recipe and use Munster instead of Reblochon cheese. And yesterday, as the cold crept in even more and JL had to spend the day at home, we had tartiflette for lunch. For me one of the best meals to warm you during winter, I can understand why it is a favourite in ski resorts! (it is a potato dish with onions, bacon and the cheese and some cream)
Yesterday we had light snow and as I'm not confident to drive in snow, as I never had to in my life, I was considering cancelling my hair appointment in Reims this morning. JL checked the weather forecast and told me not to worry, as our snow will only arrive later in the week, but we'll have a very cold week, with the max on Thursday only -3°! Well, this morning when I had to leave to Reims (at -2°), the snow started again, so I've just crossed my fingers and hoped it won't get worse. On the road the radio announced snow warnings to several regions, although not ours (not yet). So I've made it there and back (arriving at 12h00 the temp increased to 0°) and for now, I just cuddle up at home, not going anywhere. And fortunately we have some tartiflette left over for tonight. And Thursday is Chandeleur, even though the origin was a religous fête, it nowadays is the day on which you eat crépes in France (with few people I think who knows the origin of Chandeleur)! So food wise, no, I cannot complaint about winter. Weather wise - brrr! Clothes wise - I love my new coats (even though you feel like an 'opgestopte worsrol' when driving in the car), but I'll need a diet before summer!
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