GlobeTrotteuse

....and the ambition to cook is slowing down. Simple food is on the menu. The fresh ingredients are so delicious so they do not need much treatment. We are enjoying the days at the pool side with books, french lessons and our latest enjoyment is to listen to audio books. Unfortunately, the cicadas are so loud that we need to wait until the evening when they get silent :)

It is hot in Provence 30+°C and without rain the last 4 weeks. This is the Provencal summer which has two sides. On one side it is pleasant with sunny days, bathing and warm nights. While the other side is related to the drought, fires and water shortage. Every day we glance to the sky and hoping for rain but  the sky is blue and without a single cloud. When it comes to the food, the best method is to open the fridge and to compose your plate of the things you can find there. This is what I did today....a piece of melon, goat cheese, basil, avocado and some drizzle of good olive oil.

These two stray cats are our daily guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As soon as we open the windows in the morning they are there waiting to be served. They always keep a distance to you and do not allow you to touch them as they are truly vagabonds.

.....it gives so much pleasure and inspiration that I can not described it enough with words. Emerveillez vous....

The strong wind "Mistral" which disturbed us the two last days is gone and the hot weather arrived. Our pool has reached the temperature of 27°C which makes it is very pleasant for taking a swim. We enjoyed the Sunday with some gardening, watering, swimming and resting at the pool side with books and sudoku. When the weather is hot we eat only light lunch and have some fish or chicken for dinner. The tomato season has just started and there is an incredible selection of different varieties of tomatoes on the market. I made a salad of them and served it together with goat cheese. This is my preferred type of summer food. I eat tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In Provence they taste rather fruit than vegetable. In the evening we always drink tisane (herbal tea), it is a kind of ritual, tasty and healthy :) We also lighted up an oil lamp and a lot of candles....and I wonder if I would be brave enough and spend a whole night outside, sleeping in pool house. Not sure, the night belongs to the animals and I am not sure whoever crosses our plot during the nights.....

After having returned home we were busy with watering lavender bushes, arranging and cleaning our terraces, shopping etc. On our way home we lost our luggage so we had a lot of communication before the luggage was delivered to our home.

I always find a great inspiration in Sweden. Every time I return from Sweden i want to change the interior of our house, try new dishes, change my dresses and on and on. This time I brought with me a little of the freshness of the Swedish summer design, few napkins and cushions and what effect it makes.

..and we made it again....4.5 hours lunch.

We will have a few friends for lunch tomorrow and I am already now preparing all "mise en place". This will make the cooking tomorrow less stressful. I also bought extra flowers on the market today in order to cheer up the decoration of our home. Unfortunately, the weather will not permit us to sit outside, which is a little bit disappointing. The Mistral has arrived and all our outside life is moving inside again....so the flowers are needed not only for the decoration update but also for the boost of our mood.

Today it is a holiday in Provence so I am not the only one who enjoys the lazy morning. Just to wake up naturally without any alarm, any obligation is the outmost luxury for me. While my husband prepared our breakfast I moved my yoga mat outside and made my stretching/pilates/yoga. To awake the body slowly with a gentle stretch is another of my daily luxuries......and I have many of them:))

Today, it is exactly 23years I met my husband, when we both were on a business trip in Kuwait. I was married at that time and it was a hard decision. However, the choice I made was probably one of the most important in my life. I met a person who is not only my husband but also my best friend. So to celebrate our happy life I cooked a dinner for us two, no wine, just healthy dinner. I always think about the colors, the proportion of cooked vs raw vegetables and little of a healthy protein when I compose the dish. I found that combining cooked lentils with home cooked tomato sauce creates a great dish itself. Today I added also steamed asparagus to the dish and "decorated" it with a grilled gambas.

I have a Swedish girlfriend who owns and runs a galerie in a nearby village. I love almost everything there both sculptures and pictures. It is high-quality art and the prices go unfortunately with it. However, from time to time we have acquired some of those pieces and decorated our home. Earlier, I haven't eye for those things but with age I developed a taste for it. I believe that a home should be decorated with some kind of art, not necessarily expensive but not with posters or pictures from IKEA. Since some months she have accommodated two Cuban artists who live now in her adjacent studio. So today when I visited her and I saw their art I couldn't resist and bought 2 pieces from them.

.....and to our market today with all its pleasures, friends, coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables etc. It is nice to be in our normal life again. Yesterday night we met our friends in the village of Lagnes and had a cozy dinner at the local auberge. Today we are invited for dinner to a Swedish friend. She is a former chef and I am looking forward the food, the company and also her beautiful home. On Monday we are going for dinner to our French neighbours. It is a little bit too much but the whole May we have not been available for any social activities due to extensive traveling and having guests.

Unbelievable.....today it is fifth day of consecutive rain in Provence and the forecast is still about rain. This is not the weather you would expect in June in Provence. Many tourists have arrived for the Ascension Day and they must be disappointed about the rain. However, in our house we have lightened the wood fire, the lamb is in the oven and the smell of rosemary and thyme spreads in the house. It reminds rather about Autumn season but who cares....you need to find pleasure in any situation. Soon I will serve the roasted lamb with roasted potatoes and carrots and steamed asparagus. As dessert we will enjoy fresh cherries. My brother is still with us and I tried to serve such quality food which is not common in his home like lamb and asparagus. Later on we will watch a Swedish thriller on DVD.....pretty cozy in spite of the drizzle and fog outside.