Napoleon's Contributions to French Pastry

If you are interested in Napoleon, you can learn something new everyday.
This fabulous looking dessert is a French favorite and I know that I we had similar "logs" when I was a child. We had a really nice bakery in the neighbourhood.
This is the classic "buche de noel" and it is an easy recipe to create because it does not require too much baking. It's mostly cream. They say the bakers of France came up with the idea because the use of fire burning chimneys during the winter was banned by Napoleon for health reasons. That doesn't explain how people kept warm....or how the cake part was made....but this is another item that is forever linked with Napoleon. A sweet memory.

Story Linked here.

Happy Holidays Friends

Hitler and Napoleon

This book will take about a month to get to me....I don't think it is a regular stock item in Canada. But I can't wait to read it! This action on the part of Hitler has always struck me as strange. Why did he return Napoleon's son's ashes. here is the Amazon description. I put a link to the side of my blog in case you want it too!

In the dead of the winter of 1940, Hitler decided to return from its burial
place in Vienna the ashes of Napoleon II, known as the "Aiglon," the only son of
the emperor Napoleon. The gesture was intended to win the support of the French
people, but only managed to precipitate a political crisis at Vichy, where
Marshal PÃctain ordered the pro-German Deputy Prime Minister Pierre Laval
arrested. Based on new research and previously unknown documents, the author,
historian Georges Poisson, at last sheds light on an incident most
historians-including Robert O. Paxton-have been at a loss to explain.

Living With The Icon

I have wondered what it would be like to be a descendant of Napoleon. There are many still out there...perhaps even reading this blog and snickering at my comments.

That really hit home for me when I started to read the biography of Marie Bonaparte. Daughter of Roland Bonaparte who was one of Lucien's (Nap's brother) great grandchildren. Whew. Even I have to double check that I got that right. Born in 1882 she died in 1962.

Marie was an only child and an heiress. Her mother was in fact wealthier than Roland and was the reason she grew up spoiled, isolated and treated like a princess. Well, technically, her Dad was a Prince thus making her a princess....but in fact she married a Prince from Greece: George, making her an even bigger Princess. Are you following me? Let's just call her Princess Marie.

And let's again contemplate how many royal houses the Bonaparte's married into...and are still a part of today. This is a picture of Marie (right side) with her Dad and his mother. The mother was a pistol...too many stories for this one blog.

This portrait was taken in their home.

Yes, their home where this painting we see in the background is of Napoleon.

Can you imagine the pressure? This is your family. Try to live up to that legend.

Anyway...that takes me away from Marie.

The book had me struggling for a while. "Marie Bonaparte - A Life." It seemed like it was going to be yet another story about the sad little rich girl. Boo hoo. Don't you hate it when wealthy people can't figure out a way to be happy? Start a charity, volunteer your time, get a life. Oh, sorry, that's me. I would have a very good time giving the money away.

But then the book got very interesting.

Marie was a follower of Freud. She met him, was analysed by him and became a founder of the entire French Psychoanalytical Movement. Well done Marie! She published volumes and volumes of papers. But perhaps her finest hour was during World War II when she worked tirelessly behind the scene to get Freud and many other Jews out of Germany/Austria. She used her Greek Royal connections and her own money. In fact, she spent so much money that she ended up with financial worries in the end. Well. She had to close a few of the houses. She was still Greek Royalty.

Along the way there were famous love affairs and strange medical procedures.

But her life as a professional analyst will be what I remember about her the most. I wonder how her descendants are doing today? She would be their legend.

From Napoleon.org

200 Years Ago Today

Divorce - A Letter To Josephine Four Days After the Official Annoucement

I received your letter, my dear. Savary tells me that you are always crying; this is not good. I hope that you have been out for a drive today. I sent you the kill from today's hunt [at the Plateau de Satory in Versailles, ed.]. I shall visit you as soon as you say that you in a more equable mood and have sorted yourself out. I am with my ministers for the whole day tomorrow. Adieu, my dear; I too am sad today; I need to know that you are content and that you have regained your self-composure. Sleep well."

[Letter from Napoleon to Josephine dated 19 December, 1809]

Napoleon Maxim

Nothing goes well in a

political system in which

words are in

contradiction to facts.