Lockdown, Through a French Window

Your French mot du jour: Le confinement. That's what we've been doing here for the last 5 weeks. It's lightened up a tad this week.

What's lockdown like in France? First of all, it's national. Everyone in the country has had the same rules--and they actually obey them!--, which are:

--All stores, including restaurants and bars were closed, except the "essentials": grocery and hardware stores, pharmacy, the boulangeries, and of course the wine shops. It's France, after all. 

--You could  leave your house to shop for essentials (just this week, stores opened to Christmas shoppers. Still can't stop for a coffee, though!). You could leave to exercise outside, only for 1 hour a day and only 1km(1/2 mile) from your house. You may walk only with family members who live with you. No one can come to your house, even to visit in your garden. 

--Universities are closed, all other schools are open. Even young children wear masks. Everyone who can work at home, does.

--You must wear a mask always and everywhere, anytime you are outside your house. 

--You must have a dated and time stamped attestation with you at all times (there's an app for that). The fine for breaking the rules: 135 euros first offense; repeat offenders are off to jail. 

Even with these restrictions, the virus, which got bad very suddenly, is taking a while to recede. Makes you think that the States might be in for a tough time. Still, it's effective; in 4 weeks France went from 50,000 new cases a day to 10,000. That's  a huge drop.

So, we've been doing a lot of walking around Beaune, and one of my favorite pastimes is to take a closer look at all the architectural details of this charming historic city. And what has caught my eye this week is another sort of confinement tool: the garde corps.

French windows often go to or nearly to, the floor, but don't always have a proper balcony or terrace. When windows are low, you are required to install a garde corps, or "guard for the body", to keep from falling out. And because the windows open out and have no screens, and because most folks lean out of them daily to open and close their shutters, they serve a very important function. Though I doubt the above garde corps is going to contain that chat, should he take a notion to leap from his second floor window.

I often see these old iron railings for sale at flea markets, they are  ornamental and ornate, and often quite beautiful. The modern era garde corps can be interesting too. Below, my photos of garde corps for fenêtres and their French door equivalents, les balconettes, or Juliette balconies, that I took on my 1hr/1km walks this  past month.

 

Here and below, more confined kitties

 

A very modern version of a garde corps

 

Here and below: These door grills , from different centuries, are designed not to keep bodies in, but to stylishly keep them out!

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA TIME!! And please share yours! We have  a new section this week, since we are full of Christmas shopping ideas that we can do on-line. (We do not do ads or affiliate marketing. These are personal recommendations).

First up, you just have to go to the absolute best little Esty shop, called Charleston Ink and Art, by Charleston designer Sandra LaPyrne. It's all vintage Southern, especially from Charleston, but also from Savannah and New Orleans: prints, paintings and needlepoints of local scenes; vintage books, posters, calendars, maps and cookbooks from these historic southern cities. There are Charleston garden books and postcards from the past. Lots of southern nostalgia! You'll find the prices reasonable and the pieces unique. Here are some sample items:

A vintage Charleston print, "The Holy City", $22, framed.

 

A beautiful vintage book for $15.

Charleston Doorways poster, $12.80

 

And if you're looking for French ideas: Around the corner from us is the most sophisticated and charming  kitchen shop you've ever seen, called The Cook's Atelier. It's owned by an American, her daughter, and her daughter's French husband. They also give market tours and special dinners and have a cooking school. And they have a divine cookbook (ebook or hardbound) which I've really enjoyed, and a website full of their vintage kitchen finds. Check it all out here.

Moving along to all of Europe, check out the European Market. The owners travel Europe and offer up their best finds, from bags and baskets to children's toy and beyond.

And to all of our readers who have published books: please note them in the COMMENTS section this week, so our readers can add those to their Christmas list!

 

In the COMMENTS: Suzanne, joyeux anniversaire, and "y'all be safe now" is right. Colleen, so happy your beautiful artwork is such a success, it's so well deserved. Jacki, I don't remember, which is amazing because it sounds pretty memorable! I will try the salmon and let you know. Alix in Provence, it sounds heavenly, you are making lemonade from lockdown--you too, Natalia. Tammy, all the photos were taken in the last month. November 15-ish is the fall peak. Francine, Le Rochepot est à vendre, je pense! Michen, thanks for staying in touch.

 

Comments

[Jane Williamson]

I have been knitting socks for my grandchildren in Munich.
Two pairs each, one for the now measurement and another to allow for growth.
I will be making my usual Christmas present for my 94 year old friend in the village.
I have changed it a bit this year as instead of British brawn, Tete de Porc, I am making pressed tongue with a Madeira sauce.

[Thea M Jarvis]

These photos are uplifting in this season of isolation! Thank you for sharing the windows, doorways, and kitties you've observed on your walks, Lynn. Grateful we can saunter around our island and enjoy the sea each day. You are missed. ❤️

[Debby]

Lynn,
Great photos of this beautiful architectural feature such as the garde corps...or as we would call them: guardrails.
Stay safe!

Debby Woods
girl lost -- Found in France!

[Francine Martinie Chough]

Bonjour Lynn
Keeping our fingers crossed for Dec 14th!! You get my drift!! We finally arrived to AZ ! Ate I our car or in a hotel room, double masked and did not associate with anyone! South California was a desert! Only trucks on the road and pretty much everything on lockdown except gas stations some hotels and some public restrooms. Amber alerts on our phone to remind us to stay home.
Thanks for the garde corps. Did not know what they were called! Think that most people might have called them something else!
Enjoying your blog tremendously.
There is light at the end of the tunnel!
Stay safe and healthy!
All the best!

[Jo Anne (Anne Marie) Marquardt]

J'aime les chats!
These are my self-published french memoirs available at Amazon.

My Trip Around the Hexagon: Meandering In France, by Jo Anne Marquardt | Jul 23, 2013
Falling in Love with France, by Jo Anne Marquardt | Feb 8, 2014
Visit France: Rest, Eat, Play, by Jo Anne Marquardt | Jan 10, 2017

[Frankl Levin]

A year ago we were in Alsace visiting the Christmas markets and having a wonderful time (our second Christmas in Alsace)in spite of being without our luggage for four days and dealing with a train strike which made getting home for Christmas a bit dodgy. Christmas in Hood River, Oregon is dreary and quite frightening this year with the virus out of control and I wish I was in a virus-free Alsace in elbow-to-elbow crowds with hot wine stands and amazing good cheer. Next Christmas if the virus permits we will be back. Our equivalent of your strolls through Beaune will be a night drive about the town and valley to see the lights that people have put up. This year they are better than ever since no one has anything better to do. On our next visit to Beaune, maybe in October (if the virus allows) we will visit that kitchen store. This is the first year in the last twenty-one years that we have not been to France and it hurts.

[Betina]

I love French iron-work! And if I may shamelessly plug the new Etsy store of a school friend and wardrobe supervisor whose livelihood has been upended by COVID: the Vagabond Thimbler (https://www.etsy.com/shop/VagabondThimbler?ref=usf_2020). He just opened and makes ornaments and teddy bears. Bonnes fêtes et meilleurs voeux pour la nouvelle année à tous!

[Natalia]

Lynn,you totally captured my imagination with these gorgeous gardes corps
and les balconettes!Especially enjoyed learning about them!
This isn't even mentioning super super gift ideas.WOW!
And I will absolutely attest to the Cook's Atelier,and their divine(yes,divine!) cookbook,which I am thrilled to own in hardback.
Another book I would recommend,from my heart(and especially this being the Christmas season) is God Calling by AJ Russell.Daily inspiration,and more meaningful than ever during these challenging times.
Happy Holidays and evrry blessing to you,Ron,your family,and(of course!) Vino!

[Chris Ellibee]

Lynn,

Happy holidays! Thank you for including EuropeanMarket in your newsletter this week. We appreciate you and your support.
Chris

[Jan]

I love the garde corps and always notice them when traveling in France, so I really enjoyed your photos. And I’m a cat person, too! My son in Orléans is now a French citizen and we get lots of news from him, in addition to a weekly French class via Zoom. He is a professor there and is teaching from home, of course. Your posts are a bright spot in my day, Lynn. Joyeux Noël à vous et à votre famille.

[Colleen Taylor]

I've always been madly in love of photos of doorways, windows, iron gates & windows with the fancy French irons. Keeps me wondering what's behind them.
Joyeux Noël Lynn to you & your family.

[Lynne]

When we were furnishing our little French studio we found a garde corps at a junk yard and hung it above our bed instead of buying a headboard. It’s perfect!

[sandi mohlmann]

Miss Lynn!
Merci Beaucoup for the CharlestonInkandArt Etsy endorsement! I must share, however, the story behind
the name. I have always wanted to own a Bookstore/Art Gallery so when Covid struck in early
spring I thought it was the perfect time to start an Etsy store. My sister is a long-time etsy owner and just
loves it. I mentioned my idea to Lynn and wondered aloud what to call it. Within 20 minutes of our conversation
Lynn sent me 8 suggestions: CharlestionInkandArt was one of them! Lynn is a master at naming anything:
their boat, our once-upon-a-time antique booth and our Charleston Poster Business, Garden Gate Press.
So if you need a fab. name for a party, event, book, boat, cottage, business, or pet Call Lynn!
Talk soon dear friend.
Sandi