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tranquille samedi


Today has been a quiet Saturday. I’ve been sitting doing a little reading, a little editing and listing to Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash with Willie Nelson and finally some Patrick Watson. Sill being a little sick I had to opt out of the bike ride into town. The ride is only about 20 minutes but the winds are still such that I’m told it might have been some work on the lungs coming back so I took heed and offered to drive!

One thing I love about Europe is how they use manual vehicles! I’m thankful my eldest sister Lauren showed me the ropes when I was 16 on her old blue mustang. All my friends warned me how hard it was and I’d likely break down crying. I though it a little hard to imagine… I hadn’t exactly been known as the “break down and cry” type but I held onto the idea as we went out. Much to my surprise my first outing was abnormally good. I didn’t even stall once! Not once! At least I saved stalling until my second or third try! Still, no tears… Phew! Save them for something more worthy right?

It’s such a great skill to have and I hope that if ever I decide to sell my car when I get back I’d replace it with a manual transmission… I don’t know why but I just feel like there’s more to do and you have to pay attention and well… I just like it.

So today will be my second time out driving in France. The first one was a literal 5 minute drive as a test from Patrick to make sure I wasn’t going to harm anyone and that went well so I’m out for attempt number two into town to go see some of what makes Arles so beautiful! My parents gushed about it before coming and I have to admit every time I came back to the island I’d make my dad load iphoto on the TV so I could look through their collection of photos to satisfy some need to be visually stimulated by France’s beauty!

Lord please blow away the clouds so Claire and I can enjoy a pretty view of Arles!

And because I was talking somewhere online about the fact that I was making lemon loaf I thought I’d also post some photos of my first dessert since arriving! I used a recipe from Food and Whine that I have made a few times in the last couple years and have decided to be my favourite lemon loaf! The only difference is I used yogurt in place of buttermilk – something that doesn’t exist here… go figure!?

I tell myself this cake was giving me the extra “Vitamin C” I needed… right… Mom? Isn’t this like how you would tell us we could have cheesecake for breakfast because it had fruit on it? One rule I never understood but it was rather tasty!

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  • Sarah (mrsgryphon)February 11, 2012 - 15:20

    Oh, that little pink package of levure!! That took me *forever* to find when I lived in France! I spent a whole day with a recipe from home, going from grocery store to boulangerie to patisserie and finally back to the grocery store before someone finally figured out that’s what I was looking for!ReplyCancel

  • Christina (Vine and the Olive)February 11, 2012 - 16:55

    Yes thankfully one of the girls here found it in the cupboard! I had NO idea baking powder would ever come in a little packet! It’s strange but very cute. They seem to love small things here but I guess that’s how the world works without costco and Walmart right?ReplyCancel

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