And back later than I thought... aMAZING HOW FAST weeks go by when you get older... I'm not "Christmas was yesterday"level yet, but getting there.
Hem! So, the closing round on Ste Gudule convent:
Today we will meet Clotilde de Plumets (Yes, I know I said last time that her name was Blanche, but changed my mind because pun). If Sister Toinon is mother's supérior right arm, she's the left.
She is, also, the only one around that can truly say she's here by choice.
To be fully honest, her parents were all for it. The de Plumets aren't doing very well, financially speaking (not truly helped by her father habit with cards). Her mother drowry helped for a time, but....
And well, Clotilde is truly her father's daugther, physically speaking... Quite far from the plump beauty standarts of the time, that is. From the beaky nose to her somewhat globulous eyes, she's really looking like a defeathered chicken... Behind her back, a lot of people call her "Sister Gluck", bad pun fully intended, Yeah!
As you can guess, she's not real popular.
Well, she got her looks from her father side, but a surprising skill with numbers from her mother's merchant side... In St Gudule, if Mother Hélène is in charge of PR... She's in charge of finances, and lemme tell ya, the bishop LOVES the convent's contribution to his way of life!
So, one thing is quite evident: Once the over comsumption of chocolates (or whatever else, God knows people died of everything those days) has taken it's toll, every one BUT Sister Toinon knows Sister Gluck is going to be the next Superior.
Nobody is looking forwoard for it.
Meet Sister Maïté Dussud (yes, I know, I'm bad ;) ), who's in charge of cooking...
I suppose French people guessed.
Now, at that time the great kitchen's of castles and princes was a man's job. On farm's however, women were in charge of cooking.
However, when Maïté family, and more importantly, her husband; passed after a flu epidemic, she couldn't carry the farm by herself, with no sons left.
She did the best she could and gave the farm with land attached to it to the Church, to provide for her surviving daughter éducation and future dowry.
And for herself, she went into service to the Church. After all, cooking for a farm at full swing in harvest season, and a Convent, is not that different.
And she is a really, really good cook (well, except if you're a duck. If you are, start running!). The Bishop will not stay over at Ste Gudule, but he'll gladly get lunch or dinner there.
However, once skinflint Sister Gluck takes charge? Maïté is NOT a fan of lentils soup... especially without tasty smoked ham bits in it.
Allright, that's it for Funfet Valley convent.
Now , a convent like Ste Gudule housed far more people than that: Around 30/50 nuns and an equivalent numbers of pensionners... but well, my game would explode, so this will have to do.
And next time, more fun: We'll be talking potatoes, guys!!