New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-01
FRENCH RURAL RESORTS.
HOW AMERICAN FAMILIES ENJOY THE
SORT OF LIFE TO BE LED IN THEM.

HOW AMERICAN FAMILIES ENJOY GHE
SORT OF LIFE TO BE LED IN THEM.
Paris. August 10.
Tourists who seldom get a true insight into
rural France may be interested in the expert
ences of an American and his wife who. wishing
to avoid the commonplace formalities of fash
ionabIe resorts. ventured 10 settle down for the
summer. and perhaps for other summers in a
village the confines of Normandy. within lit
tie over hours distance by rail from Paris,
where one gets the morning papers at $50 every
morning and where one is IN telegraphic and
telephone communication with the capital.
Perched coquettishly the southwestern
slope of hill overlooking the valley OF the
Seine at of it's most picturesque points IS a
little brick house Of two stories. unfinished.
but supplied by pipes with gas and pure drink
ing water from the neighboring town, half a
mile away A high stone wall surrounds the
premises. which include a fruit and vegetable
garden and fiat. grayelled terrace. The rent
for the year is S100 with full use OF all the
fruit. vegetables and howers-there is plenti-
full supply Of asparagus. potatoes. peas, string
beans. artichokes, carrots. onions, lettuce straw
berries. raspberries. cherries. plums grapes.
peaches, apples and pears. Two servants. a
cook and housemaid keep things neat and
comfortable. AT small additional cost a hot
was installed and big tent erected on the
terrace, where meals taken in the open
air in full view of a panorama reaching for
twenty miles over the Seine with its sInuosi-
ties and islets covered with green elrns poplars
and apple trees. The air is pure and bracing-
A five minutes walk over green meadows brings
to the Seine. where there is excellent boat
ing and fishing In the opposite direction Is a
hillside lane leading to a forest extending five
-ToSA
traversed by hunting paths originally construct
ed by Charles TX The roads, like all those in
Normandy are excellent and in the course OF
an afternoons drive one may visit the ruins Of
the famous old Chateau Gaillard. built by Rich
ard Cceur de Lion, or the Chateau de Ia Roche
Ciuyon, hewn out of the solid rock, which still
serves as the favorite country seat OF the ducal
family De la Rochefoucauld; or, proceeding
southerIy, one may wander over the battlefield
of Ivry or look at the black and white marble
facings OF the Chateau Of Anet. where Diane
de Poitiers lived and held court
The inhabitants Of the little village where the
American couple and few friends settled for
the summer months quaint. kindly and
honest The men tall, dark and muscular.
and the women have soft, hazel eyes, delicate
complexions and nice hands and feet. The VIII
Iage blacksmith. a brawny, black eyed man.
works at his forge which commands a view OF
the river and Of four ivy covered meol4val
towers and says that for eighty years the place
has been owned by his family. which from father
to son has followed the same handicraft- One
Of the municipal councillors is a sturdy carpen-
ter-an astute, suspicious type OF the modern
Norman. who caused no little inconvenience to
the two American summer residents by miStak-
ing the copper tubes and gas heating apparatus
for their hot and cold bath and dOuehe for the
rIart of an Illicit distiIlery for the manufacture
of applejack or prune brandy. which are popular
tipples in this part Of France
The pleasures of the table in the village are
abundant and varied-excelIent butchers meat
tender white poultry, including the famous
Houdan chickens that have one claw less thah
other breeds and whose flesh is OF finer grain
than these of the famous Bresse fowls; all KINDS
of vegetables of the season. and delicious cream
cheeses that should be sprinkled with powdered
sugar and eaten with spoon There Is pro-
fusion Of hard cider. and excellent lsht peer -
obtaina BILE from 4 brewery half mile away at
a cost of five cents a quart The GaVorlte uIihA
Of the peasantry here is strong applejack, or
..calvados" distilled from pure Normandy ap-
MES 1t has the true apple blossom ira
,ro,ca n allowed to age for five years BUT
this &c seldom the case for most Of the french
anpIetacl is drunk when only year DID, anu
If is a very fiery fluid. decidedly inferior 70 ene
excellent beverage that was TO be procured III
New-Jersey fifteen or twenty years ago
Among the notable folk of the country Is tne
village priest who looks after his little mock
with maternal care. but it is only the women
and children in this part of France who attend
church II is by no means clerical country
and the men prefer to take an out and out noil-
dav on Sunday. exchange visits Win tneii
reighbors. smack their lips over TOO copioe
.ra,gb+s OF appIejack. and chat about the
- +ba crops the village scandal and,
lastly, about politics
rra instances of American families passing
+b, summer in quaint rural corners OF France
are each year becoming more numerous. ana tne
example above mentioned gives fair idea OF
- ro-+ Of life and comfort may be expected
"i4 c. Z b