The Jubilee Tea Party

It all began with our lovely friends Jan and Dave arranging to come and stay with us during the English half term holiday this week. Jan posted jokingly on Facebook, why not celebrate the Jubilee in a republic?! So tick tick tick went the little grey cells and I thought how good it would be to have a typical afternoon tea and invite some of our new friends and neighbours. We planned the menu via the telephone and Jan and Dave arrived on Monday with a bottle of Pimms - so uniquely English that all our guests were intrigued - what was in it they asked amazed that unlike France a bottle containing alcohol could be sold without any reference to the ingredients on the bottle. Truly a secret! But they really loved this and were fascinated to find cucumber, strawberries and mint in their glasses!

In the meantime the men had got out the ladders, flags and the bunting and had hung them outside in the garden to welcome the guests. We were blessed with a lovely day - not too hot, but with sunshine and puffy white clouds scudding across the sky.

Meanwhile back in the kitchen preparations were well under way. Yesterday I had cooked Chicken breasts and put them in the fridge when cold ready to cut up into small pieces today. I had also made a version of Coronation sauce, - mayonnaise, chopped apricots, cream, and curry powder. This was also in the fridge.

After going to the market and buying strawberries and also some strawberry jam  made just down the road in Cortambert, we came home to make the rest of the food. The Victoria sponge was filled with strawberry jam and butter cream and dusted with icing sugar. The Dundee cake made earlier in the week was sliced ready for eating. The muffins were iced and the buns had cherries put on them.The cakes completed we set about the sandwiches - egg mayonnaise, salmon and cucumber, and coronation chicken. The crusts were trimmed although with such lovely French bread we could not cut them off completely!

With help from Google Translate Jan wrote on little union Jacks the name of each plate of food in French as well as English - that is, apart from the scones which are so unique that there is no adequate translation - that did not stop our guests who really loved them!

The conversation flowed with the Pimms and the food was both a talking point and eagerly consumed! After almost 2 hours we were left with a few pieces of cake and some delightful comments in our visitors book! It was an international occasion and we were so pleased that our friends could share it with us! God bless the Queen, God save the Queen!

Up hill and down hill!

I've been thinking - yes, dangerous is the word that comes to mind - I know! But it has come to my attention how seriously many people seem to take exercise in the countryside here.
I suppose it is a combination of observing middle aged and older (mainly) men cycling up our local hills  - which are long and sometimes steep, not on mountain bikes, but racing bikes like you see in professional road races,lycra and padded shorts as well as helmets much in evidence but also because my lovely husband Joe, has recently joined the Randonees Clunysoises - the local area ramblers. They go out in all sorts and conditions - for example on Monday last week it was heavy rain and plain miserable, but 15 of them met at the local disused railway station for a 3 hour "ramble" around the countryside.
Joe says that he finds out new things each time he goes, and he loves to walk and is happy that someone is leading so that he doesn't get lost - and there are other bonuses too. He hears French constantly for 3 hours so he is really exposed to the language; he does not need to take a map as someone leading the walk has planned it all out; he is getting exercise and seeing more of the area. He does walk more stiffly for 24 hours afterwards but he is really enjoying this opportunity!
When the weather is lovely there are over 50 ramblers of various ages - but mainly retired people, although meeting on a Monday means that people who have Monday as a day off can join in too. At the end there are sometimes refreshments, or a little degustation en route!
I've mentioned the voie verte before, this is the dedicated route for roller bladers, cyclists and walkers that is mainly flat and vehicle free and gives the great feeling of being in the countryside. So often when we cross it there are couples and families using it - a sense of getting out into the fresh air and being together. In fact this is where I've taken my bike for a ride in the past and it is so safe (and mainly flat!)
Now to be honest I started this blog because the attitude to exercise interested me, but then we had an information sheet through our letter box asking us to move our car between 1pm and 6pm on Sunday because an important bike race was taking place. The points gained by the riders went towards the championship of Saone et Loire. It began at Bray, the next commune to ours, and the route took the racers through Toury and on a circuit of the area.


Here they come - the Bray road race begins!



Now it was a hot day on Sunday and I had not realised that the route was in fact a circular route so after watching bikes whizzing past at speed for quite some time, my interest began to wane. But through the open windows throughout the afternoon we could hear groups of bikes continuing to speed past and I realised the commitment of those taking part.

On they went, and obviously placings were very important!

Each race, and I think there were three - with youngsters, veterans and the very athletic and younger men, was preceded by a race car announcing their imminent arrival through the village.

What I did not realise  - and it was only afterwards that Joe told me, that at the rear of the race was a van with a brush attached to the back of it - literally the sweeper up! When you are busy doing work in the garden a neighbour will offer the expression - "bonne courage!" - it means all the best, well done, take courage - well I wish that too all those courageous people who peddle the hills of the Clunysois!



our first potager....or grow your own!

We had promised ourselves that when we were finally settled here in France we would, in common with our neighbours, begin to grow fruit and vegetables. It is all part of the way of life we have come to value so deeply. It means we know when we eat our own home grown plants where they have come from and that they have not been sprayed with insecticide or any other chemicals and so we are eating the best that we can.
We started to buy plants in the market in Cluny in April. But, being warned by neighbours and friends that we should wait until mid May before planting out, we kept the plants sheltering on the verandah/gallery, and when it went very cold we brought in the 2 cherry tomato plants, the 3 pepper plants and the 2 courgettes so they could enjoy the warmth of the house at night. It has been wonderful to watch them grow - and indeed to watch the development of the vine outside the house,

The vine has begun it's annual growth spurt!

 and the cherry tree and plum trees in the garden. I don't think I have ever been this close to growing nature and it is amazing how fast plants develop.

The plums are growing well! - and it looks as if we will have a big crop!

The cherry tomatoes are developing well in their tub!

When we noticed that it was less cold at night, we begin to "harden" off the plants ready to put into the garden. We had been given a cheque by dear friends who are keen and skilled gardeners with the proviso that it was to begin our French garden and we did as asked and bought a wooden cold frame with a liner. We bought soil to go in it mixing it with compost that is formed from our plant waste in the house such as potato and carrot scrapings and tea bags, onion skins etc. The amount of soil needed was quite a lot but we will try to recycle it and add compost to it as we re-use it. We did plant some things earlier that mid May, and put them in the cold frame and covered it at night with a plastic sheet.  We had bought some lettuce plants and beetroot in to begin with and we have watered them and cared for them with an attentiveness born of a new experience!

The cold frame is full now with lettuces, tomatoes and beetroots!

In England we have grown bulbs and had annuals in pots in the garden and occasionally grown tomatoes in grow bags, but never actually bought vegetables and nurtured them. Here we are surrounded by neighbours who grow fruit and vegetables to supplement their diet and save money buying from market and supermarket.
The plastic sheet seems to have worked well as does the nurturing of the plants in their early stages as now planted out they are growing almost visibly!
After the first plants had gone into the cold frame we waited a couple of weeks then bought another lot of lettuces, thinking they would develop later than the first batch so we will have a supply through the summer. We also planted the beetroots and then more lettuces. Then last week we bought more lettuces, salad onions, leeks, strawberries, cucumbers and a raspberry cane and began to prepare a patch of land at the top of the garden. It is a bit of a pain really as water and tools have to be carried up the steps to the lofty heights!

The veg patch or "potager" is taking shape!

However it is not a problem for one of next door's cats who was sunning himself when I went up to take the photos!

 Perhaps we will extend it again and plant more but it is early days in our "gardening world" and we want to go slowly and make sure we are doing it right. Each time we have planted things in the garden, I have thought about my own late beloved dad. He loved to grow things and I loved his company so much that I was often in the garden with him. He would grow all sorts of things and had a big garden. I'm hoping some of his skills have been inherited by me. Joe has never had the opportunity of growing vegetables before because he was brought up in a town centre so for us both this is a new adventure!
We are pleased to see that the plums are forming on the trees around the garden and also the cherries too. That means we can make jam for our guests - and we know exactly how it's made and where the fruit comes from.
We are blessed to live in such a fertile place!

8th May 1945

I wonder if the date above means anything to my readers?
Last week, we were chatting over the garden wall with our delightful neighbour Pierre-Jean who is the mayor of our community, and he invited us to join the other members of the community at the war memorial in Cortambert. It was 67 years ago that France was liberated from German occupation and it is commemorated by the whole country with a holiday from work and ceremonies across the country, most notably at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, where this morning the wreath was laid jointly by President Sarkozy and President elect Hollande.



The flags fly proudly outside the Mairie





We gathered together outside the Mairie - there was a lot of hand shaking and kissing in greeting- something we have come to expect now that we have been here a while. You always shake hands with people you have not met before, but those whom you have got to know - for example the people who go to badminton, our English friends and the mayor and his wife - you kiss on each cheek.

The local volunteer fire personnel were in attendance including a bugler. Also the man who is employed by the parish in a multitude of different ways was there in the uniform of the police rurale. They formed up in a rough line to walk the few metres to the memorial.

     Soon we were following the line and we stood opposite the memorial whilst Pierre-     Jean laid an arrangement of flowers.



Then he read a statement sent by the French Minister of Defence which had been written for today.

Then we were asked to observe a minute's silence.

Finally the bugle was blown to signify the end of the ceremony

We followed everyone back to the Mairie where Martine, Pierre-Jean's wife, had prepared pizza and brioche which was passed around and wine and orange juice. Again we were able to catch up with friends and we have promised Pascal that we will start playing badminton again - that's tonight sorted then!



Le Hameau du Vin

If you've logged on and found the blog short of updates it is for two reasons - the first and truly the most important, is that our lovely daughter came to stay for the week and in fact only left by plane into Gatwick airport late this afternoon; the second reason was that I wanted to wait until I had something new to write about regarding an attraction in the area. Hence this blog!
When someone comes to stay it is always a great chance to introduce them to something in the area and we had promised ourselves and Hannah, that when she came, we would have a day out at the Hameau du Vin.

On Tuesday we set out towards Macon and then drove south for a few kilometres until we found signs for Romanche-Thorens.  In this village is a large attraction - it's advertised as a museum of wine, but honestly it is a lot more than that. We entered into a massive hall - reminiscent of an old fashioned railway station booking office. It was beautifully elegant, shiny and and well kept. We went to buy our ticket- and I have to say that I always explain (in French!) that we are English so that hopefully the official will 1)either speak in English or 2)speak slowly enough in French that we can make an attempt at understanding! The man who sold the tickets explained in English - and slowly that the ticket was in three parts - and that were we not able to do the whole tour at one visit our tickets would continue to be valid for at least a year so we could go back! Armed with headsets which did simultaneous translation into English, the first part was the museum itself with a succession of rooms explaining in many different ways the production of wine, corks, glass and wine seals. When I write it like that it does sound boring but it wasn't at all! We saw a collection of wonderful old tools used in vine production over 100 years ago. Then when you might think this was getting a bit boring we went into a room that informed us that Noah was the first wine grower. A very clever animation introduced us to Noah, the familiar story told but with a twist - Noah took on board the ark a vine and looked after it, planting it after the ark came to land on Mount Ararat.
We then learned about the different terroirs - soils - of the Beaujolais region, which is where the museum is situated. We met a automaton winemaker and his chatty vine, and went on a visit with 2 bees over the Beaujolais countryside in a pod, which moved in harmony with the film.We were introduced to the 10 crus of the Beaujolais and were able to pinpoint them on a 3D map.

I can never understand how anyone might need wine  in bottles this size!
After we had completed the whole tour of the museum, we went into a beautiful dining area where we were offered a glass of wine. We heard the organ playing too!

After we had toured the shop which was well stocked with wine

and lots of other stuff we had time to visit the second part of the museum.

Across the road was the old railway station building. Unlike many railway stations in England that have been converted because the main line is no longer in use, the line continues busy, but the station building is on the other side of the free car park!

In the old station, there were several things of interest - the first being the Imperial railway carriage of Napoleon III. Apparently when Napoleon and his empress toured the country they stood in the picture window and waved to people on the railway station platforms as they went by!

It was very beautifully furnished, although I wouldn't have felt very safe without chairs fixed to the floor!
We then saw some wonderful train layouts - and examples of trains that perhaps my brother had as a child!

Hannah and Joe puzzle out which trains are on which tracks!

The third part of the visit is to the winery and the gardens and there's a tourist train that gives you a free ride to that. We decided that we had run out of time for this so that is for another day!

After the visit, I am completely in awe of the hard-working wine producers who are at the mercy of the climate and the weather - the wine produced is tasty and amazing!



...at last a picture........

For those of you who have been wondering what has been happening in regard to the satellite I have news! After all that Joe had been through, and considering we had had help and advice from three other friends, we felt that we should try to find a solution - no a signal -  to be truthful! When we had been to Cluny a few weeks back, not long after the post about Joe's awful struggle with the satellite, we noticed a sign in the electrical shop where we had first bought our white goods and 2 years ago our wonderful Italian (Sauter) cooker. It said satellite erection, repairs, - and we thought about going in but to be honest I was afraid that it would be far too expensive...
On Saturday we paid a quick visit to the weekly market and when we got back to the car we noticed a sign tucked under our windscreen. This is quite normal, it is a great way to advertise all sorts of things - flea markets, antique fairs, lottos, plant sales etc, and on Saturday it was an advert for the electrical shop and the satellite erection! I suggested we might pursue this and Joe agreed!
So on Tuesday afternoon, taking a deep breath we entered the shop - I say I took a deep breath as they speak no English. Could I make myself understood and explain that we had a satellite dish (parabole), we had a satellite box, we had cable, we had tried for 5 days (no, Joe had tried for 5 days) and had no signal, could the technician please help. Amazing - immediately understood - would tomorrow afternoon after 3pm be convenient?  - oh most certainly it would. Could I pay the technician by cheque? - most certainly I could.    Well that was easy!
We had promised to put up our Union flag to show the technician where we were - with no street name and house number it is very hard to find us - we know this as 2 parcels of letters have already gone astray or been returned to England.
Around about 4pm a white van with ladders on it drew up outside - he was here! Instantly my delight was dashed by the need to speak in French. I am always daunted by this because I want to get understood but not make any gaffs considered to be offensive. To our delight, the technician spoke a few words of English and soon understood our problem and why he had been called in. He had all the right equipment to find a signal - and the ladders to get on to the roof! He began by standing in the middle of the road seeking the illusive signal. It takes a while! (I have to say that this made me feel better for Joe - it certainly was not the straightforward task we had first imagined it would be!) Next the technician came to explain that he was going to put up the parabole on the chimney and use a double cable, connecting to the existing antenna on the roof for the French television, and also to the parabole for the satellite box. He made it sound so easy although I know it wasn't! 

ladders up and the parabole goes on the roof!



Soon the cable was being pulled through the walls and connected to the socket, and then the TV was turned on and at last a picture! French connected, English connected!
We wrote the cheque with delight. It was expensive but below what I had budgeted in my head and moreover we can watch and learn! And what did we watch tonight?  Grand Designs revisited about a couple who built a house in the Lot region of France!






la sainte semaine part 2

The Taize community seemed to have rubber walls in Holy week. Each time we went there we saw more and more buses arriving packed with young people. There was the familiar rumble of suitcase wheels across the tarmac then the bump, bump, bump over the stony tracks towards the accommodation. I didn't envy them camping - it was still cold at night and clear - brrrrrrrr. But their enthusiasm was infectious!
We had decided that we would commit ourselves to morning prayer/Eucharist at 8:15 each morning followed by a picnic breakfast in the car and then on to the adults' Bible introduction at 10am.
The brother who was leading it, brother Pedro, introduced the theme for the week - Isaiah. I remembered how an ex-colleague had complained how often Isaiah was read in the liturgy and I wondered if I would be fed up with it by the end of the week...What a silly idea, each time I have been to the Bible introduction I have always found new insights and helps along my journey!
The trouble is I am getting older (significant birthday in October!), and sitting what turned out to be almost 4 hours a day on a bench for the Bible introductions and the worship in the church did my back no good at all! By the end of the week I had chronic back ache which I found made me grumpy. But then on Good Friday I spent some time thinking about the pain and suffering of Jesus. The whole process of crucifixion is excruciating especially on the back, as the whole weight is taken on the wrists and feet. The trouble is that it is difficult to fill the lungs with air and the only way to do it is to push up on the nail going through the feet. That rather put my bad back into context...
As always when visiting Taize there are some surprises, those "chance" meetings - and there were 2 this time.
On  Palm Sunday morning on the car park we met a delightful English couple who were staying in their caravan and commuting in as we were for the Bible study and worship. As the week went by we found ourselves walking the way together and they were such an encouragement to us both...
Then on the Saturday evening I broke the rules...In the church there is supposed to be silence...but we were there very early before the evening service as a new brother was being made a member of the brothers' community and we knew it would be very full.

This was a photo taken at the same ceremony of another brother.
The promises made are that of a typical monastic community - poverty, chastity and obedience, but they are couched in different ways emphasising the interdependence of the brothers and their faith together in God.

Anyway, as I sat waiting for the beginning of the service and praying a bit and watching people a lady came and sat next to me and wished me "Bonsoir." I responded and she asked if I was French. I explained I was English but lived here and ran a b and b. She took a sharp intake of breathe. She explained that she and her husband and 2 teen-aged children lived in Frankfurt and were staying in the family accommodation in Taize. However, that very day they had realised that because of the age of the children next year they would no longer be able to use the same facilities and would need to look for somewhere in the area to stay. We introduced ourselves properly and I gave her one of our cards. She was so delightful and I hope that she will get into contact with us. Each encounter brings a little more encouragement.

Brother Alois

We had 2 Italian families staying with us over the weekend so at breakfast on Easter morning I decorated the table with flowers and a large candle and Easter eggs. Then we all went to Taize to one of the biggest services I have ever been to. The brazier was lit in the church and the enormous Easter Candle was lit and carried through the church. There were so many people present that 150 scouts staying there were on car park duty and there was a big Red Cross post set up outside with an ambulance at the ready in case of sudden illness. There was an overflow tent which seated several hundred in addition to the main church and both were very full. The singing was full of the joy of the resurrection and I really felt that we had spent a valuable if not busy Holy week. At the end of the liturgy, Brother Alois the prior, spoke out the words "Christ is risen!" to which the response is "He is risen indeed!" But it was not just in one language, it was in many,- he had obviously been preparing very carefully and thoroughly! As each language was spoken there was a cheer from those people and it seemed to go on for ages! The only other one that I recognised and remembered was "Le Christ est resussite!" to which the response was"Il est vraiment resussite!" As Brother Alois completed the greeting there was an amazing and resounding round of applause!  - and with renewed hope and joy I joined in!