French leave

The most crowded place I’ve ever been was Philippe Olivier’s cheese shop in Boulogne on Christmas Eve. Of course the French eat cheese every day of the year so at Christmas it has to be something special, and the housewives and fins bees of Boulogne jam themselves into this best but tiniest of all cheesemongers. While the floor space of the shop may be limited (though it has recently doubled), the place where the real business goes on is not so small. For Philippe Olivier is an affmeur; he does not just sell cheeses, he ripens and matures them in his own cellar. They only make an appearance in the shop when the cheese is perfectly ready to eat. If you want a Pont l’Eveque for the day after tomorrow, the shop assistant will not sell you one from the current display; she will descend into the cave d’affinage and choose one for eating precisely when you have specified.