Cuisine Diplomatic's prune and pork pies are just about to hit the oven and there's a fresh bowl of stewed rhubarb cooling on the bench. I think you could call this a Good Use of Time, and I think you'd be right. But an even better use of time was at this little hotel, sitting in the courtyard with a glass of sparkling Vouvray rosé pretending that we actually owned the place and this languidness was just all part of a particularly glamorous Real Life that we'd somehow wandered into without anyone noticing or even giving a damn.
Yzeures-sur-Creuse isn't a place you're likely to come across on the usual route across France, unless you happened to be on your way to the town of La Roche-Posay of skin cosmetics fame that is, but if you do find yourself in this little slip of a town, which is swept and scrubbed so impressively clean that walking around seems a little unreal, the Hôtel Relais de la Mothe is the place to stop a while.
Little bedrooms are tucked under the eaves, the light that pours in through the attic-sized windows fades to a just-so twilight at around 10pm in high Summer, and the scent of lavender billows about as you draw back the sheets to get into bed. The afternoon we arrived, the umbrella-covered table in the yard was laid with thin slices of smoked salmon, basil and mozzarella terrine, rounds of soft, local goat's cheese, fruit toast and piles of salad leaves lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil. Just the right lunch before diving into the river. Take me back, universe!
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Your French pictures are so dreamy! How did the pie go?
ReplyDeleteSo well! Thanks so much for the recipe! I added a little extra liquid and kept the lid only slightly ajar because I was scared of them getting a little too thick, but they were seriously great. The boys of the house nearly died with happiness. Thanks Louisa!
DeleteRad! Thank you for mentioning it!
DeleteUggggggh. You're killing me Soph!
ReplyDelete