Lucie Aubrac

Lucie as a young woman

Her famous book

Teaching well past retirement age for the greater good

Movie starring Daniel Auteuil and Carole Bouquet

Her last book

During World War II, while many countries, groups and individuals were being oppressed and oppressing others, a group of French citizens decided to take action against the Nazis.  They were aptly named La Résistance.  Their acts included secret messages over the BBC radio, underground newspapers and dismantling railroads to derail trains pulling intended residents of concentration camps.  The most famous person from the Resistance was Jean Moulin, a man who organized people with the cooperation of General Charles de Gaulle.  Ultimately, he was tortured to death at the hands of Klaus Barbie, the butcher of Lyon.  

One of the unsung heroes of the Resistance is Lucie Aubrac.  Lucie and her husband Raymond stuck it out with Moulin and many others to set their country free and overturn the occupation.  Lucie Aubrac is a fairly recent discovery of mine, within the last few years.  I visited the Resistance museum in Paris and the Barracks at Chateaubriant but there was no mention of Lucie Aubrac.  She has left a legacy for her family, her country and the world.  Participating in the Resistance was not the last the world heard of her.  She spent the rest of her life giving lectures on the activities of the Resistance and the terrors they were fighting against.  Even up to her last year of life (2007) she was teaching, speaking and lecturing giving millions a first hand account of the triumphs and set backs she and her associates endured.

My renewed interest in her life has come as a result of being in France and buying her famous book Outwitting the Gestapo or the French title being "they will leave in a stooper" (Ils partirons dans l'ivresse).  There was a motion picture made of her involvement which is a wonderful depiction since it was assisted by Lucie herself and directed by Claude Bérri (also made Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources)  Her latest book, La Résistance expliquée à mes petits-enfants (The Resistance explained to my grandchildren) is a less graphic story as it is intended for younger audiences.  If anything, watch the movie to get an idea of her life, legacy and effect. 

Quiche Lorraine

Homemade pâté brisée dough ready to be rolled into the crust

Crust pre-baked and ready to join the rest

Final product!

After reading Walt's blog this morning, I was inspired to make a quiche for dinner.  I do this periodically when I'm in the mood for this succulent dish or when I'm feeling extra French.  I made it with provolone cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon and ham.  As chic as this sounds, they were leftovers that I thought weren't enough to do anything with on their own.  Together, they make a great combinaison.  In addition to the great ingredients, it was made in my quiche pan that was gift from my favorite French teacher, Madame Shelton.  Voilà et Bon Appétit!

Castles and Cathedrals of France

 

Locations by row:

1. Saumur, La Rochelle, Chambord, Angers, Chambord, Angers
2. Chambord, Saumur, Angers, Amboise, Paris, St Germain en laye
3. Paris, Angers, Versailles, Angers, Angers, Doué la Fontaine
4. Angers, Louveciennes, Versailles, Versailles, La Rochelle, Paris
5. Guérande, St Germain en laye, La Rochelle, Rochefort en Terre, Paris, Amboise
6. Angers, Angers, Amboise, Paris, Guérande, Angers
7. La Rochelle, Chenonceaux, Paris, Chartres, Chartres, Saumur
8. Chenonceaux, La Rochelle, Guérande, St Germain en laye, Angers, Chenonceaux

La Cuisine de France

 

This is a collage of food I've had in France.  Bon Appétit!

Return to Provence

Perhaps you know already, but, the first time I went to France was to study abroad.  I went to Avignon, located in the south of France, namely Provence.  Provence has been popular generation after generation for thousands of years for various reasons.  Written by Frédéric Mistral; painted by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cézanne; filmed based on stories by Marcel Pagnol; inhabited by kings and popes; composed by Georges Bizet; visited by millions including Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Jefferson and Julius Caesar.  Studying in Provence, I found myself in good company.

Since then, I discovered an English writer who was seduced by Provence and abandoned his motherland to live the provençal life.  Peter Mayle has shared so much about the provincial provençal life that he learned much of the time by accident or some faux pas.  He has written books of fact and fiction that always is centered in Provence.  His non-fiction books are a fun way to learn about Provence from a foreign perspective, not necessarily the insiders view.  His first book, A Year in Provence, is a detailed adventure of moving to the rural part of Provence and being subjected to many suspicions of the natives.  

He's a favorite author of mine and I am always waiting for him to publish something new.  Some of his books I have hung onto waiting for the opportune time to revive my love of his concise and descriptive style of life, love and food of Provence.

I recently renewed my love affair with Peter Mayle's wit and accuracy of the region by picking up Chasing Cézanne, Hotel Pastis and Provence A - Z.  The first two being novels and the latter is a dictionary or manual to elements important or common in Provence.