Last week I was lucky enough to travel to France for a short break. The main purpose of the trip was to visit a very good friend who is currently working as an assistant de langue, however somehow the trip became very food orientated. Visiting France was just what I needed and provided me with a chance to have a proper break and fully relax. But I think the food definitely helped!
There’s nothing quite like wandering down into town in the early morning sunshine to purchase your fresh baguette from the boulangerie. We were so lucky that one morning we had to wait for our baguette which meant that when we were given it it had literally come straight out of the oven. There’s nothing quite like fresh baguette with cheese… so this was something I took full advantage of in my trip away! Unfortunately my friend did say it wasn’t what her lunch consisted of everyday (but possibly a good idea weight wise!) but it was nice to share between two friends. Of course, whilst you are at the local boulangerie/patisserie it is only polite to also sample some of the sweeter goods on offer – again something which I had very little issue with!
Pictured above you can see some of the delights that we treated ourselves to – sharing of course!
Another wonderful opportunity which was too good to miss was to eat at a creperie. Chez Mel in Abbeville had already been tried and tested by my friend on several occasions, and the fact that she and her flatmates were eager to return only a week after their previous visit suggested good things. I wasn’t disappointed. For my first course I had a Galette Complète Poulet (pictured below) which is basically a savoury pancake filled with cheese, chicken and a fried egg. Whilst the desserts looked amazing, crêpes piled high with ice cream, cream, sauce and a topping, I was quite full and opted for the simple but classic combination of sugar and lemon. When in France, always try a crêpe!
Something else which I discovered more about was what it was like to try and be a vegetarian in France. The friend I was staying with has been a vegetarian for a long time, and always knew it would be difficult when moving abroad, however it is interesting to discover that some of the things she would expect to be fine in the UK (such as spinach and ricotta tortellini), contain shellfish traces in France and as such she would prefer to avoid them. I also discovered for the first time (having never lived with a vegetarian) what it was like to go shopping with someone who has chosen to limit their diet, and who is also a very conscious shopper. By this I mean someone who will try and buy organic where possible and fairtrade, who actively looks for rainforest friendly marks on their tea rather than just putting the cheapest product in the shopping basket… I’m not completely careless but I have to admit it was an inspiring shopping trip and one that may inspire another blog post.
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