Soups

One of the first typically Auvergnat phrases I heard on moving to Mourjou was: ‘Vous allez manger la soupe avec nous’. The words were spoken by Mimi Cantarel, whom I had driven to the Thursday market in Maurs, the nearest small town, fifteen kilometres away. Her husband was away and she had no means of transport except a tractor. Although we had met only once before, the Auvergnat principle of donnant donnant was already in force: I had done her a service, and she felt the need to return it. I enjoyed a good basic lunch with her and her children, which despite the phrase ‘manger la soupe’ comprised, on top of soup, pàté, roast veal, salad, cheese and fruit. This was quite normal, as the phrase in fact means ‘to have a meal’.