Countryside & Confiture...

I'm back in Paris after a week in the Loire Valley, where I spent time in the countryside with some very old friends (in Gien, mostly, but also Aubigny-sur-Nère and Châtillon-sur-Loire). It is beyond relaxing to soak up the Loire's serene landscapes of hay bails, horses, orchards, and grandiose chateaux. One highlight of my visit was making jam with Nathalie – one batch of strawberry (fraises) and another of raspberry-red current (framboises groseilles) – with berries we picked at a nearby garden. I especially enjoyed being tasked with making the labels!

{ Above, Nathalie and Mattéo show off the afternoon's pickings, and Mattéo enjoys fresh raspberries. All photos in this post are by Plurabelle Calligraphy. }

{ Our pickings yielded two jars of strawberry jam and four of raspberry-red current. The latter was much more gelatinous so it solidified while the jars were still upside-down and the bottoms rather than the tops ended up empty! The labels are written with an everyday ballpoint pen. }