Today Cle France are thinking about French Cheese!

Is there anything more stereotypically French than le fromage (cheese)? Maybe a beret, maybe a baguette, but cheese definitely ranks near the top. There are literally hundreds of different variétés de fromage (varieties of cheese) and it would take many years to really get to know them all and to be able to discern the subtle differences between them. Let’s enjoy une dégustation virtuelle (a virtual tasting) and explore two of the more popular cheeses that have become world famous.

From Normandy to Nice and from Mayenne to Marseilles you cannot escape from the vast array of cheese on offer, so just enjoy!

Image by Gunnar Magnusson on Flickr

Camembert :

Perhaps the most famous of French cheeses, Camembert is named after the village of Camembert in Normandy, France. Made with du lait de vache (cow’s milk), it was introduced to le palais Français (the French palate) in the late 18th century. Mme Marie Harel is famous for creating the cheese and it gained further renown when Napoleon became one its most ardent admirers (and consumers).

Camembert is très crémeux (very creamy) and meant to be consumed at room temperature. It contains 45% matière grasse (fat) and so is to be eaten in small quantities and always with du pain (bread). Pairing Camembert with du vin rouge (red wine) and des noix et des fruits (nuts and fruit) will only serve to enhance its flavour, and thus your enjoyment.

Roquefort :

The origins of Roquefort are not clear but it definitely dates back plusieurs siècles (several centuries) and was supposedly one of the favourite cheeses of le Roi Charlemagne (King Charlemagne) in the late 8th century.

Roquefort is made of lait de brebis (ewe’s milk) and is characterised by une couleur blue (a blue colour) that comes from a mold called Penicillium roqueforti. Ne vous inquiétez pas (Do not worry)! The mould is perfectly safe to eat and gives Roquefort son gout unique (its unique flavour). The fat content of this cheese is 52%, so again, proceed with caution. Roquefort is best served with des noix et des figues (nuts and figs) along with a glass of fortified wine such as Port or with a good Muscat.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

Hi Sharon, thats amazing! Yes yes lets proceed! We can go to the agents office right away, fill out what ever forms we need to and pay deposit if that is required?

Please let us know what to do next.

Thank you Sharon you have been so kind, honest and helpful through this process.

Kindest regards, Tom.

It is always nice to give a client some good news, Tom put in a, shall we say, 'cheeky' offer on a property in Brittany which was turned down but Sharon did her usual careful negotiation with the vendor and our client and after a few days of give an take an agreed price was found between the parties and now both vendor and buyer will be moving in about 10 weeks in Morbihan... success!

France is synonymous with passion. French demoiselles and young macho Frenchmen are the legendary stuff of romance and French literature and films are full of it. Paris is always pictured as the most romantic city in the world and I think it really is. Whenever I visit it I feel romance in the air.

The French language sounds enchanting, and there's nothing sexier than a young French person speaking English. The soft tones of the French accent along with the musical intonation the French have with their speech have an instant effect on most English men and women. So it is when landing at a French port of entry there is an instant feeling of relaxation and romance.

It has always affected me in this way and many people I know with holiday homes in France tell me they get the same vibes the minute they hit French soil. They start holding hands, something they seldom do in England. The next thing is they are whispering sweet nothings to each other and pecking each other on the cheeks. Soon the soothing effect of France and the laid back attitude of the French starts to rub off and the stresses of British life seem to melt away. The next thing they know, long married couples are falling in love all over again and remembering what romance was like when they first met.

Friends regularly say to me, as they near the end of their sojourn how much they would like to stay on and how they envy my living out here. And so it seems that marriages really flourish in France. Yes, honestly!

If you want more? then follow the links above, in the images, where you can buy Fraser's published books.

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

Watch out for more rants and opinion next week or buy the book today for a rollicking good read.

Hi Sharon, we are still looking, that place was not right for us, please pass our thanks to your excellent agent for showing us around.

Regards Alan.

Alan and his wife viewed a little holiday home style property in the Manche department of Lower Normandy but it was not for them so the search continues!

Lunch in France is important. Ask a Frenchman or woman to miss lunch and you will be accused of blasphemy. The lunch tradition is as deep rooted as the fabled summer holiday that closes France down in August. Lunch hour in France is usually two hours of which lunch itself will take one.

The normal day to day French lunch purchased in a bar or bistro by the workers, will consist of at least four courses, and will often but not always, include a bottle of wine. You get all this and remarkable service for around 12 euros. The four courses consist of a starter, such as pate, a salad or charcuterie, a main course of meat or poultry with a vegetable and then a choice of cheese or a sweet. The wine comes in litre bottles and it will be a good vin de table. The French never seem to finish theirs and usually add a bit of water to it but there's no restriction on how much you drink and if you finish the bottle a new one quickly appears. In some of the more celebrated Routiere you may get up to six courses and wine for the same price.

These little eateries get reputations on their food and the better the reputation the more people they get. Lunch is what most of them exist on, drinks and coffees during the day are small bonuses. One little Routiere near me eventually had to build an extension for all his customers and if you don't get there before 12.30 you are lucky to find a space. In fact, he does so well he doesn't bother opening in the evening. So popular is he, that the centre of the village regularly got completely clogged up with lorries, vans and cars so the mayor built a car park nearby to accommodate the lunch time traffic. Lunch time choices are minimal if at all, you take what's on offer and that's it.

Then there are small family run restaurants which are more up market, quieter, more refined and don't get the workers in because they cost more. The food will be neater on the plate but there won't be as much and here the minimum price will be about 17 euros and wine will be extra. And, of course, there are quality restaurants where lunch is haut cuisine, costs 30 euros or more and the cheapest wine will be 25 euros. These places cater for the well off and often retired and lunch can last for a good 2 hours but will be an unforgettable experience.

If you want more? then follow the links above, in the images, where you can buy Fraser's published books.

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

Watch out for more rants and opinion next week or buy the book today for a rollicking good read.