Dear Emily,
We absolutely loved watching your Paris adventures on Netflix, season 1 and now season 2. Especially those of us who live in France, or visit often. My husband and I found ourselves repeatedly saying, "Yes!! You got it right! That’s so FRENCH!"
We hear that some Parisians are upset that you blatantly perpetuated so many French stereotypes, especially Parisian ones. Maybe because some of them are true? Certainly, Emily, you showed that you have a love affair with Paris, and you spoiled us with SO much beautiful Paris scenery. The trip on the Bateaux-Mouches, the Eiffel tower lit up like a starry beacon, the cute streets, the beautiful restaurants, the newly fluffed Samaritane department store. And the clothes, Emily, the clothes! We were dazzled.
So here are some of the times we think you nailed the quirks of French life.
—We had a good laugh when the Peloton people wanted to break into the French market. We could see what was coming. The staff at Savoir were baffled. Why would you ride a bike indoors, that goes nowhere, when you can ride in the fresh air on the lovely streets of Paris? Bravo. The French are not gym rats. They walk with family, they cycle, they walk to do their errands. They are not exercise fanatics, but they are on the move.
—The French love l’amour. and there’s a lot of it going on in your show, including nudity, which the French are not shy about. I'm not sure the French's reputation of being more forgiving about affairs is true, but it isn't true that everyone here is having a secret, or not so secret, tryst. Affairs are a universal phenomenon, bien sûr!
—We shook our heads knowingly when there was a heat wave in Paris, and fans were sold out everywhere. This is a French thing. Any other country worth their capitalism would be frantically shipping them in from somewhere, but not the French. When they’re gone, they’re gone, even if the heat wave is just starting. Tant pis!
—The French reserve. Your boss Sylvie is the perfect example. You work with her, but that doesn’t mean she’s your friend. You have to prove yourself first.
—You don’t speak French. Bad. But you are taking French lessons. Good. The French have no patience with foreigners who live there but don’t at least try to learn to speak their language. Neither do expats, actually. Alfie, you are disrespecting the French! We are glad you went back to London.
--Madeline as the Ugly American--well we hope all Americans aren't that ugly, but for sure her clueless faux pas are typical of some.
Emily, we love you, and we look forward to your return. And are you ever going to get together with that hunky French chef? The one who just can’t make up his mind? Don’t let him get away!
Amicalement,
Lynn
Now for a very French recipe that Chef Gabriel would be proud of. Our loyal readers Lee and Maureen, who kindly invited us for aperos when they were visiting Charleston, make a mean tapenade, and they agreed to share the recipe.
RECIPE: Maureen's Tapenade
You can used canned olives, as Maureen did, or kick it up a notch with some good gourmet Niçoise or Greek black olives, if you can get your hands on them. I didn't have any Meyer Lemon olive oil (though it sounds fabulous), so I just used regular, and added a splash of lemon juice.
1-6 oz (170 grams) can of kalamata olives, pitted & drained
1/4 cup of capers
1/2 cup whole unsalted almonds
1/2 cup Meyer lemon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Pulse all ingredients in food processor to fine texture, and serve with crackers.
In the COMMENTS:Betina recommends a train documentary called Taken for a Ride. Patricia sees security as an issue in the States (witness the terrible subway incident just this week). Susan points out how lovely it is to travel on trains in the snow, no driving worries. Natalia and Paula are nostalgic for the US trains, as many of you are, but like Patricia is sorry the stations are in unsafe neighborhoods. Pete says, train travel is headed south in the UK too. And Martin, ah yes, those French strikes! (still can’t get over running into y’all in a small French village, Martin). Suzanne has great local service like we do, and Tom, sometimes it’s good to be a senior!
Favorite READS: Our friend Terry has discovered a new cookbook called The Wicked Healthy Cookbook. He has gone to a plant based diet, and was struggling with it until he discovered this book--the recipes and flavors wowed him. Even if you just do Meatless Mondays, this one is worth checking out.
Our Dutch friend Marit has a business that anyone dreaming of living in Burgundy will be interested in! Marit is very sharp, personable, and speaks several languages. The poster below explains.
