Good life in France

I love to have a weekday off in France. It provides a great opportunity to see how folks go about their daily routines. Today was just such a day of annual leave for me. So, I headed out to the countryside to buy fresh provisions at a nearby farm and dairy and to have a traditional lunch at one of my favorite “down home” type restaurants — the Hotel de Paris in Bievres. Ah, the good life in France!

Lunchtime at Hotel de Paris

The fare is very French with a daily menu of steak tatare, blood sausage, and such. I generally opt for the confit de canard (duck) with a nice glass of hardy Cotes du Rhone wine. Today, as I felt a bit like celebrating, I went not only for the duck, but also a lemon tart with meringue, topped off with an espresso.

A feeling of well-being was in the air, heightened by the general atmosphere. The weather was mild with poofy clouds crossing a blue sky. There were flowers in the boxes along the street, the doors and windows of the restaurant were all open, and the terrace in front was filled with folks on their lunch hour enjoying a glass of beer or wine along with the menu of the day. The mood was social and friendly. What a great escape from the various woes of the workplace!