Ile flottante revisited: Sisteron

A postcard home dated 9/5/87.
A farm-stay in Longueville with the Leroy family.
Their kindness and their hospitality has stayed with me for over 35 years.

It's still amazing and still too delicious

Pillowy airy poached French meringues floating on a bed of velvety ice-cold creme anglaise drizzled with a trickle of caramel and a few toasted almonds. The magic of a French dessert called floating islands or Iles Flottantes. 

And for me, this dessert takes me straight back to one of my favourite memories of living here in France in the mid 80's. 

I have only had this dessert once before and it was in Normandy when our farm-stay host, Mme Leroy, invited our little family to stay on and join them for Sunday lunch. 

I write home to my mother about our weekend experiences on the farm and how French life revolves around mealtimes and how exciting it was for us to witness their lives. 

In my letter below I give the details of that Sunday lunch and its 'amazing' dessert. And here I am, in the town of Sisteron, completely delighted to have finished our Sunday lunch with this dessert that comes with layers of feelings and meaning.

A letter to my Mom in the mid 80's when we lived in Paris, all about a French Sunday lunch.