May, 1871 San Sebastián, Spain For Léon Gambetta, San Sebastián is less a place of exile than one of convalescence. He is exhausted in body and sick in soul, but San Sebastián, with its horsehoe-shaped bay and golden beaches is pleasing to the eye, almost idyllic. Too, the news… Read more »
Anyone can summon the Père Lachaise. All you have to do is go to the oldest grave in the cemetery, and place a rock there, and a sprig of a herb – a wild herb, or a weed plucked from the side of the road is enough, it doesn’t have… Read more »
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting in her 18th century history class, and of having nothing to do but listen while the teacher droned on. Once or twice she had peeped into her history book, but it had no pictures or primary sources in it, only dates… Read more »
Marya could not get out of the habit of talking to Pierre. Their conversation had spanned more than eleven years, after all – eleven years of sharing everything, their work and their passions so entwined with their domestic life that they could hardly be disentangled. In their bed at night,… Read more »
It was a sunny Friday in late summer, and Elaine had taken the day off work so that she could spend the afternoon at the zoo with her nephew while her sister rested. Nadine was in the late stages of pregnancy, and was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up… Read more »
There’s one thing you need to know before we go any further: if I marry you, you don’t get to take pieces out of my brain. I know that a silver brain sounds like one hell of a dowry. That’s because it is – I have an excellent brain, and… Read more »
There are very few wardrobes to be found in the Paris Métro. This did not stop the wardrobe door from appearing in front of Elaine as she descended the stairs into the station, arms laden with bags from a day spent shopping in the boutiques of the Palais des… Read more »
Paris in winter is not an auspicious time to make ice cream, but when one is poor, and ambitious, and haunted by the spirit of Antonin Carème, one does what one must. Mélanie let go of the handle of the sorbetière for a moment, stretching out stiffened fingers. Her… Read more »
1328 Applications are invited for the position of King of France. This is a senior management role, with direct responsibility for the Kingdom of France, including the Île de France, Reims, Bourges and Orléans. Direct reports include the Duchies of Normandy, Burgundy and Bourbon, and the Counties of Tourain, Anjou,… Read more »
It was a croque monsieur sort of day. Really good bread, sliced thickly enough to still be a bit soft in the middle when toasted, with melty cheese and a slice or two of ham… Elaine could almost taste it. Especially the cheese. Emmenthal cheese. Mmm. She’d been thinking about… Read more »