French Summer is Citronnade

It is oh so warm, finally, I could very well spend all day on the chaise longue with book in hand, legs in the sun, except I can't, chateau obliges, as I'm the head architectdecoratorplannerremoverofrubbishprimeexpertonscrubbingandscraping. But them as works hard merit delightful breaks, which I indulge in often and severally. Now in summer, in France, and you're having a little break from whatever you are doing, including from vacationing, there's one and only one perfect drink, which is: La Citronnade. It's really just water and lemon and sugar but oh so refreshing, reviving, rejuvenating!

Also inaugurating my new dress. Now I wanted to make this a short post but blast it here's the story with the dress, it's a nice one. A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a very kind lady who goes by the name of Rose, how wonderful is this, also very romantic, now Rose has been clearing out her parent's farmstead, the house she grew up in, surrounded by the land that belonged with the house and the stables and all the animals and people in it. What a task. As it goes with clearing out a house and a life, the loft invariably is the last space to tackle, and right at the back, where the roof meets the floor, under a sheet of dust, there was a suitcase. Rose opened the suitcase and in it was a pile of neatly folded dresses, very old dresses, very fine dresses, dresses that once belonged to a very fine lady, a very beautiful lady presumably, for who would not look beautiful in such a dress. All so neatly folded and mothballs in between. They had been sitting silent for almost seventy years, encapsulated time. Dresses that tell a story (at this point I imagine the stir she caused in the tiny village, sauntering down Grande Rue, buying a cheeky millefeuille at the patisserie that she sure shared with her lucky husband after lunch). Of course it would be a shame to put them back into the oubliettes of the suitcase, but who would want them? Came along my humble self, who loves everything vintage, romantic and forgotten, and whose size, with a little insistence, incidentally matches that long gone lady. This one is my favourite. More to come.

Also still spots available in the upcoming retreats, one on 28/29 September, which is a classic autumn cooking one, and one on 12/13 October, which includes a professional shooting by Cassandra Jackson-Baker. More info here or inquire via hello@lespoissonchats.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

What you'll need

• A lemon

• Some sugar

• 3dl fresh water

How to make it

Peel the lemon and blend the flesh with the water. Add sugar, I usually put in 1-2 tea spoons, as it's supposed to taste fresh and sour and awakening.

How to drink it

Do you have a small table somewhere and a chair? If you wouldn't mind to move it to a window and the window wide open, or on the balcony or in the garden. Then, listen to the noise of the world, drink in little sips and enjoy how wonderfully alive you are.