French Sojourn 2010: A "tres bon Noel" in Marcigny, Burgundy

Christmas Eve: vendredi 24th decembre

On Friday morning I made my way by metro, eventually, to Fabienne's house near Part Dieu, and we set off a little tentativley due to the snow, it had been snowing all morning and the roads were getting slippery, for her parent's house in a small village called Ville de Marcigny, a Roman town from AD 60, in southern Burgundy, 170 km NW of Lyon.
Fabienne was not pleased about the snow as she had to drive in it, but I was - maybe my dream of my first white Christmas, would come true!! Also, I knew I was very lucky to be experiencing a french-style Christrmas - I was curious to find out the food they cooked and how they celebrated!

We drove along Motorway 93 (dodging lots of huge speeding trucks) as Fabienne was worried about the small roads on the scenic route being too dangerous.

We turned off at Mecon and took the smaller National Highway to Moulins and turned south to Marcigny at the pretty village of Paray le Monial, where Fabienne lived for a number of years ...

We arrived at about 2pm and I met her lovely parents Claude and Jean Etienney. her mum had prepared a delicious lunch consisting of a terrine in pastry, bagette, a cheese/pasta dish and finished off with fresh fruit.

This is Fabienne with her dad Jean ( who she affectionately calls bon pappa ) and her brother Francois, outside her parent's home.

My room in the 3rd floor attic - dorma window, wall papered walls and sloping ceiling.

Jean is a retired vet, now a historian, and a real gentleman who has an interest in birds and the local history especially with regard to the religious orders and monasteries!

We then went out for a walk before it got dark, and I was given a tour of the town.: it was snowing and bitterly cold, but the men did not wear hats, gloves or scarves!

First we went to the Emile Henry factory shop (lovely ceramic cookware - casseroles, flan dishes, tea towels, table cloths etc), on the edge of town, where I bought some presents.....

A cute villa...

The Huilerie, oil shop - owned by a friend of the family who makes the oils.

The roofs were gradually becoming dusted with snow - so pretty! The ground was really slippery!

I saw the old church, the monastaries, the historic buildings ....

This is Fabienne's dream home!

the old flour mill......

then onto a little gift shop ............

..... and a florist shop, where I bought Fabienne's mother a poinsettia.

The pretty Christmas decorations in the main street

Fabienne's father sitting infront of his lovely warm fire and portrait above the fireplace is, of all people, Captain James Cook - amazing!!

when we got back from our walk, we made these fancy fruits le fruit deguise - a special party treat, made from pink, white or green marzipan sandwiched between walnuts, dates or prunes! Traditionally made by the children as it is an easy and fun task.

Making the "caramel" to pour over the fancy fruits, but I would call it toffee...

I suggested they add some beurre, butter, as they were saying that the caramel sets too quickly and is hard to pour. They liked this idea, and said it improved the caramel!

Eventually it was ready and Claude poured it over the fruit over the sink....

They were then out into small patty pans and displayed on a lovely silver late - very festive!

After getting changed for dinner, at 9pm, it was present-giving time .....

Fabienne handed them out one-by-one with lots of discussion in between, and all the wrapping paper was handed or thrown to bonne ( or is it bon) pappa.

By about 11pm, the meal began with champagne and a small plate of savoury pastries.
we then sat down to eat, the table prettily decorated in pink and a table cloth from Venice

clockwise: Francois, Claude, Jean, Fabienne and Francois' 17-year old daughter Mathilde.

Course 1: delicious duck and port foie gras served with beans, onion "jam" and rye bread, segle, on a beautiful old dinner service - simple yet very effective and local cuisine!

.... this was accompanied by a lovely sweet Sautern, Sauternes Grand Vin de Bordeaux ....

Course 2: roasted quail, caille, stuffed with foie gras and basted in grand marnier, served with champignons and grapes cooked in butter. A smooth Bourgogne 2008 red was served with this!
Delicious ansd so civilised! Not like the bunfight at home over Christmas dinner!

Course 3: dessert consisted of a small slice of 2 special Yule logs ( one chocolat and one fraisse), buche de Noel, bought from the well-regarded patisserie Pignol in Lyon, off Place Bellecour. More sautern was served.

After coffee and chocolates, it was time for bed, at 1.30am!! I eagerly went to bed, I was given the pretty attic room on the 3rd floor, so cosy and comfortable, but could not sleep because of the coffee.

CHRISTMAS DAY - Bon Noel
I awoke at 9am and opened the skylight window to look outside over the garden and rooftops - this is what I saw - it was quite surreal - the window was completely caked in snow and ice and the whole scene outside was amazingly quiet, tranquil, white and oh so cold!! it had been snowing all night! I really was having a white Christmas - Joyeaux Noel!

the backyard under a thick layer of snow....

The view out the front door to the car park and beyond - the rooftops caoted in white snow - so beautiful!

We had a quick breakfast - brioche avec jam with tea and brewed cafe,

Claude always seated me with the view over the back garden, so I could watch the little birds gingerly come out of their nests to feed on the seeds and bread left for them on the bird feeder.

I took these photos the next day - you can see the sun was out, but it was incredibly cold.

You may be able to make out the small mesange on the feeder - very cute little birds. I also saw a rouge-breated robin.

This colourful painting of Lyon across the Saone hangs in the dining room....

.... then Jean and I walked carefully, so as not to slip on the icy footpath - to the local Catholic church Eglise Saint-Nicolas ( which they said has sick stone - it is stained) , for the Christmas service......

I only took 1 photo as I thought it may not be appropriate!

The superb nativity scene, creche de ville ....

not just the nativity but also the whole village, painted across the back and figures of local people....

..... the post man, the butcher, fireman, gendarme, baker, florist etc - the figures are modelled on the real people in the village!

I lit a red candle to remember everyone back home .....

L'atelier du Pere Noel, Santa's workshop, looking at home in the north pole!!

The town looked so different covered in snow!

Jean outside the le Blanc Huilerie, oil shop - owned by a friend of theirs - the oil is made from walnuts, olives and hazelnuts.

The thermometer told us it was -1.5C outside - so not that cold, yet!

1.20pm, time for lunch, this is my view from the table...

Lunch consisted of salad followed by Saucisson de Lyon - Lyonnaise pork sausge with pitachioes, served witrh boiled potatoes.

This was followed by a very smelly Munster cheese from Starsbourg, served with bread of course.

After lunch, it was too cold and snowy to go outside for a walk, and too dangerous and difficult to go for a drive, so we stayed in all afternoon - Fabienne and I enjoyed helping Mathilde make thew 3D puzzle she was given.

We had a light dinner: a simple salad of mixed lettuce and mache ( looks a little like a cross between water cress and baby spinach leaves) with a tasty dressing made from dijon mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and finely chopped shallots, served with dried saucisson, Lyonnaise salami-like sausage....

A very unusal and local vegetable cardon, ( I have never seen this before, I think it is a local naturally -growing plant that has probably been harvested as a food source by the country people for centuries) baked in a white sauce, made with a roux using the vegetable water - yummy.

A delicious Roquefort cheese .....

.... dessert was Claude's homemade fruit cake, soaked cherries and pieapple...

The view outside my window before I went to bed - it had stopped snowing and was incredibly still and quiet and COLD! Can you see the roof top in the moonlight?