Our Life in France Begins

Chapter 1 was full of pleasant little surprises.  I think that the movie, (Julie and Julia) is incredibly spot on, at least so far.  Julia Child has such a readable style, and such an enchanting, loveable voice.  It's early on yet to tell you much, but I could already see, within these first pages, that I was going to have a great time.  After detoxing with The Great Gatsby, how about some dessert and perhaps a glass of red in France?

Two little snippets that I think portray her beautifully are these:

I was a six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian.  The sight of France in my porthole was like a giant question mark.

...I could barely say anything interesting at all to them.  I am a talker, and my ability to communicate was hugely frustrating.  When we got back to the hotel that night, I declared: "I've had it!  I'm going to learn to speak this language, come hell or high water!"... Paul who was a lover of word games, made up sentences to help my pronounciation: for the rolling French "r"s and extended "u"s, he had me repeat the phrase "Le serrurier sur la Rue de Rivoli" ("The locksmith on the Rue de Rivoli") over and over.

This snippets are from Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. 

Everything is described. Not just food, although it is described with decadant detail, but France itself, her husband, Paul, the car (The Blue Flash, which is used constantly to make little jokes such as "Back in The Flash..."), and the people.  The descriptions of the people are very beautiful, and very humble, respectful and accepting, at the same time as painting a picture of a country just full of food for thought (and taste) and stimulation for the senses.  Also, photos actually taken at the time are sown throughout the book, and are such a treat!  This one:

is from the Introduction, (which you really should read because it is just as much a part of the story as any chapter).  I'm going to try and show you as many of the photos as I possibly can.  They really do enliven the journey. 
Anyway,it all makes me want to be there.  I'm very seriously taking it into my head to learn French, too, as to live there was a dream of mine even before Julia came along with her watering can and nourished it.   Really, I don't want to deprive myself from reading any longer.  I earnestly encourage you, my dears, to join me.

"Bon appetit!"