We are back from France.
The compensation for British weather is that France is only a ferry away. You know how I said that I probably wouldn't have any internet access while we were away? Well, I didn't really think that was going to happen, but it did. Two weeks with no wi-fi, so I've come back to a pile of un-checked email (including some moderately important work stuff - oh, well) and several hundred unread blog posts. You'd think I might have used all the non-internet time for getting useful stuff done, but no- mostly I was just eating butter. (Did I mention we were in France?) The area we were in (Brittany) has this amazing butter which is unsalted -creamy and almost sweet - but studded with big flaky salt crystals. Honestly. Honestly. It's like having your mouth filled with dancing angels. Why don't the rest of us demand that our own butter manufacturers get on board with this? In the first four days, we had to go back to the shop three times to buy more butter because we were eating it so darn fast. Also - the other regional speciality is this same salted butter boiled up with sugar to make salted butter caramel. Salted butter caramel everywhere! Why did nobody tell me this? I would have gone years ago.
On a related note - she who goes to France without elasticated waistbands is an idiot. Ahem.
Anyway. I'd say that it's good to be back except it's not - it stinks to be back. I feel discombobulated and discomposed and cranky. Why isn't my fridge full of salty crunchy creamy butter? Why aren't my parents getting the children up in the mornings?
Why isn't there a beach outside my window? I don't want to go back to work, and I don't want Jay to go back either. Why can't we go to the aquarium instead? Also - why did I think that it was a good idea to book the children's first dentist appointment tomorrow?
I love holidays. I really do. I just hate how, for the first few days back, I always feel like this:
That picture is great. Missed you here. :)
ReplyDeletebbbbaaaaaaaa haaaa!! That is the PERFECT realistic family photo. Oh LORDY!
ReplyDeleteyeah, I love how we ALL look miserable. Not just the kids, all of us. Precious memories!!!
DeleteWhy do people even bother eating cheese? I recently discovered the *most wonderful* local butter and I haven't looked back since. It doesn't have chunks of salt in it (maybe I could write to the farmers to suggest that? I'm serious)...but still For my caloric intake I will always chose butter. Always.
ReplyDeleteYour shoes are cute- and so are you- but I like the way you're wearing your jeans with your shoes especially. And your hubby is a doll. And your kids are cute and growing like crazy. All of this to say that real life won't be so bad once you realize how stupidly real it all is.
DO IT, M!! If you know someone who makes butter, tell them that they NEED to add fleur de sel (the crunchy, flaky lightweight salt crystals) to unsalted butter. And then buy it ALL. And then buy bigger clothes.
DeleteOh, and in the spirit of honesty of that picture... I should tell you that I am wearing my jeans like that because it rained CONSTANTLY while we were away. That is pretty much the only sunshine we got. I was so so so sick of the bottom of my jeans being constantly soaked in rainwater that I ended up wearing them like DIY clamdiggers. (Is that a real word?) But I can pretend that it was a style statement if you like :)
DeleteOh wow, that butter sounds amazing...and great picture!
ReplyDeleteAnne
www.allaboutelizabeth-anne.blogspot.com
Oh, French butter...it's just the best, isn't it? And I'm so glad to hear that someone else thinks elasticized waists are the best choice for vacation. To ease the stress of our current baby-in-the-hospital situation, I've already started daydreaming about our autumn 2013 trip. You're just adding fuel to my fire.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it!!! Any chance you're going to be on this side of the channel again? I would looooove to meet baby E!!
DeleteYes! We love London, so we always bookend the France trip with London delights. We would love for you and your family to be one of the delights. We are thinking we'll come at our usual time --end of September/beginning of October.
DeleteI want some of all of that ... the butter, the caramels, the parents getting my kids up, the beach outside my window. I'll even take the extra weight. Glad to see you back! Missed you!
ReplyDeleteThat's going to be your Christmas card photo, right? Love it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'd say 'yes', but I already know I won't be organised enough to get ANY photo onto a card. D'oh!!!!
DeleteMissed you much. The photo is absolutely hilarious. And...butter? I have not thought much about it. Ever. But now I am going to!!
ReplyDeleteYou have never thought about butter??? Start thinking now. Girl, your life is about to get about a million times better.
DeleteThat butter sounds amazing. I'm glad you got to get away and have some sun and relaxation!
ReplyDeleteI can't get enough of this photo: priceless!! And now I want to order French butter online - do you think it would still taste good after its shipped halfway across the world??
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent question. Believe it or not, we bought French butter in Ethiopia - President brand, and it was pretty delicious. But this stuff seems to be somehow lighter weight and softer than most butter - maybe whipped more? You would probably have to pay to have it specially shipped in a super-cooled container. It would probably cost several thousand dollars. It would be totally worth it, of course.
Delete[Note - all technical details in this comment have been invented by the author purely for entertainment purposes. This price estimate does not comprise any part of a contract. Claudia Chapman cannot be held liable for any emotional distress caused inability to offer butter shipping services]
that butter makes me want to be very very flabby. by eating it, of course.
ReplyDelete...and now I'm wondering what ELSE you could have meant....
DeleteWhat an amazing pic. I love it on so many levels, I'm tempted to pin it. Will that be rude?
ReplyDeleteMissed you!!! And now I've just decided you and I are going to meet up in France one day. Also I'm talking elastic pants to the US"....
well, I posted it, so I couldn't really get annoyed, could I????
Delete(GOOD PLAN on the elastic pants. Excellent for flying, also!)
Oh that pic is brilliant, just brilliant!! Hee hee. And France, sigh. I needn't tell you how much I envy any sun exposure being in Ireland, where it lashing right now. And yesssss, French butter. And cheese. And bread. And everything. Sigh. I don't understand how there are trousers without elastic waists in France.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, it lashed with rain every day there, too. This was one of the (very) few windows of sunshine we got, where the sun shone for about 45 minutes and then it poured again. To be honest, that really stunk. It should be SUNNY when I'm not at work. SUNNY!!!!!!
DeleteI've never had the Breton version, but that type of salted butter I discovered while I was spending a month in Copehagen. The brand is Lurpak, and it *is* available in the UK, or so I've been told -- but whether the version with the flaked sea salt is available there I don't know (of the Lurpak that I can get in the Netherlands, that one is not one of them. I'm going to Copenhagen for a conference next month. I'm bringing back as much butter as I can carry.)
ReplyDeleteoh, I did not know that the Danes did it too! We do get Lurpak here, but just unsalted and 'slightly salted' -which is delicious, but just has salt dissolved in the butter in the regular way (there's just not very much of it). Waitrose does sell 'Brittany style' butter, which is really nice and does have crunchy sea salt, but the base butter isn't nearly as good. Yes, I have given this WAY too much thought.
DeleteThat picture is perfect!
ReplyDeleteSalted butter caramel? Self: Must plan trip to Brittany. Now.
ReplyDeleteSmart girl.
DeleteThat is so not fair. You had a lovely vacation and I....I....well...you know how mine went. Cracked rib and torn arm muscles and CARONTE and all. I don't even like butter and besides, it was too damn hot where I was. I loved visiting family but I'm not sorry to be home.
ReplyDeleteHow sad is that?
L, that sounds just like our trip to Australia last year. It was great to see family, but when we got back to Heathrow I practically kissed the tarmac. I'm so sorry you got that dreadful, DREADFUL heat. Rain was annoying, but it's nothing like EVIL HEAT.
Deletethat picture is perfection. And yes, I'm gonna need me some of that butter. The salty kind and the sweet kind. Like now.
ReplyDeleteThat picture looks so much like my life, plus 3 more kiddos.
ReplyDeleteLoving all this butter talk! I had no idea. Yet I am so confused, because French people are supposed to be so thin (or at least this is what they tell us Americans). I guess the key is eating nothing BUT butter... and smoking? Anyway, glad to have ya'll back. And thank you for sharing that very relatable family photo! You guys are all adorable, even in your cranky-ness.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the dentist appt!
I'm so late to the conversation but hurray butter! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd love that last photo. That could be us, most days, for sure.
So glad you had a great time in France. When I went for the first time (no kids yet) I think I gained ten pounds. Love the last picture!
ReplyDeleteHope the weather improves for you- all my friends in England are soooo fed up.
Amy x