I have a terrible weakness for collecting snatches of other people's conversations, and occasionally I'm rewarded with unusual fragments of knowledge. My favorite of the day came from a large but shapely woman sitting nearby whom I learned was the owner of a local lingerie shop. 'Beh oui,' she said to her companion, waving her spoon for emphasis, 'il faut du temps pour la corsetterie.' You can't argue with that. I made a mental note not to rush things next time I was shopping for a corset, and leaned back to allow the waiter through with the next course.

The English kill their meat twice: once when they slaughter it and once when they cook it.

Good manners make any man a pleasure to be with. Ask any woman.

There is nothing like a comfortable adventure to put people in a good humor. . .

No matter what their background, the southern French are fascinated by food.

I have a very set routine. I work six days a week, but only half days. I work from 9 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon, without any interruptions, a fair slug.

Nowadays, if you have a journey, albeit a simple one, you consider yourself lucky if nothing happens.