We have a holiday shack in a French seaside town and this August’s many joys have included swimming in the Mediterranean, plucking figs from our tree, singing through ‘Mamma Mia’...
We own a holiday shack in a French seaside town and this August’s many joys have included swimming in the Mediterranean, plucking figs from our garden, singing through ‘Mamma Mia’ (our daughters’ favourite film), finding navy blue bargains at Monoprix, making headway with Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet and watching tons of television. Confession: apart from the occasional soirée with a neighbour – not to be missed for the barbequed mussels and local rosé – most of our evenings are mapped around that night’s viewing which either means a DVD borrowed from the local library – named after François Mitterrand – or, if we score, catching one of Stéphane Bern’s fabulous Secrets d’Histoire documentaries shown on France 2, the TV channel.
Imagine being thrown into the world of Tutankhamen – discovering how Howard Carter stumbled on the famous Pharaoh’s tomb but had to wait three weeks from venturing in due to the tardy arrival of Lord Carnarvon, his patron – or being reminded of Queen Victoria’s hot-blooded nature – and how her fervent passion for Prince Albert was hardly just about holding hands! Stéphane – a Renaissance man in dandy clothing and often referred to as France’s royal expert – livens up history. Part of it is his incredible knowledge and part of it is his joie-de-vivre at sharing his information. Physically, he resembles a good looking Tintin but instead of running after baddies like Hergé’s cartoon, Stéphane unlocks the doors leading into a rarified world. Being a mega hit with the masses, the smiley Monsieur Bern has become a huge French star. Yet, in spite of this, he hasn’t changed. We first met in the early 90s and Stéphane remains his entertaining and courteous self. He claims that being curious keeps him grounded. Must try that!
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is a Paris-based British journalist who covers fashion and lifestyle as well as being the author of Sam Spiegel – The Biography of A Hollywood Legend, Understanding Chic, an essay from the Paris Was Ours anthology and soon-to-be released Chanel book, for Assouline's fashion series.
Robert Beck is former New Yorker currently based in Paris. Also known as C.J. Rabbitt, he is the author and illustrator of several children's books, including The Tale of Rabbitt in Paradis, Un Lapin à Paris and the soon-to-be-published A Bunny in the Ballet.
