Carte de séjour

We needed to make an important trip to Troyes today, as we had been invited to go and review the documentation we had submitted for our carte de séjour renewal. Our CDS’s (carte des séjours) were actually out of date, even though we had submitted them within the timeframe they had advised on the government website—not before 2 months of expiry—but their response was slow, so we were put in a position where we had to travel to the UK on expired cards; never a good thing. Fortunately for us I think this is quite common at the moment, as when we returned at the Chunnel border a mere shrug of the shoulders, and a French style ‘puff’ of air through the lips from Brian seemed to be enough for the border patrol man to wave us through. How useful a bit of cultural observation can be.

We arrived just before 8.30am at the prefecture in Troyes, and were first in line.

We soon found ourselves chatting with the clerks to complete the required paperwork, mainly signing a temporary CDS and having our finger prints taken again. They were extremely friendly, and although my lady had a little difficulty with the equipment to scan my fingerprints, the whole process was over in about 15 minutes, and we are now the proud owners of 2 temporary CDS. They are only needed whilst our new cards are created, which can take a few months apparently.

All done, we nipped for a coffee, then a trip to the bakers, before heading home for lunch with Lauren and Max. We had left them sorting out some jobs they wanted to do on their van.

This is me cuddling my warm bread.

Van life

Our niece Lauren and her boyfriend Max arrived today. It was great hearing how their adventure had already started and the little challenges they had experienced along the way and how they had overcome them.

Between them they have been renovating and converting the van over the past few years, whilst planning and preparing for their trip. They’ve done such an amazing job together.

Aswell as ensuring they have the right kit externally; solar panels on the roof, four season tyres, recovery tracks. They have also made sure they are comfortable inside with a full-size mattress, a hot water shower, sink, cooker and proper fridge freezer.

It’s amazing what you can fit into a van.

Flat bed

We have a long awaited project about to start. Yesterday we went to the local builders yard to order some materials for Brian to prepare a flat area up the hill to build a shed.

The plan is that he’ll scrape off the grass, level it out, lay down a membrane, then use gravel to help achieve the best level he can.

Fortunately for us, our niece Lauren, and her boyfriend Max, are arriving tomorrow. They are planning to stay for a week, and offered to help with some jobs whilst they are here. It will be great to see them and spend time together, and hear all about their plans for the next few months; travelling around Europe in their van they have converted.

Spring is sprung

Seeing the first of the daffodils coming through in the garden is just delightful. The pop of yellow and the brightness they bring to the garden always makes me smile.

I can feel the warmth in the sun, helping to wake up the spring flowers once again, and tell us ‘spring has sprung’. Simply my favourite season.

The hellebores are still doing well with their darker winter hues, and they look majestic against the slightly more vibrant greens that are appearing.

The Muscari is blooming all around the edge of the courtyard. It’s such a beautiful vivid blue against the silver of the lavender, which is laying dormant waiting for its own moment.

I also have a few pansies that have self seeded. I bought some more today, so will look to fill some pots with more colour.

The bleeding heart I think has flowered a little early, but it’s looking strong along with the hyacinths I’d popped in last year, after I’d enjoyed them in the house.

Lastly, the little anemones are popping up throughout the gravel. they have all self seeded themselves, so hopefully I’ll have lots more in years to come.

“There’s nothing like coming home”

“I love going away, but there’s nothing like coming home.” My mum would always say that when her and dad had been away, they loved their holidays but they really loved their home. I have noticed I am getting more like my mum as I get older, and this little saying rings very true for me as well.

We arrived home to a lovely, dry, blustery day, so Brian decided to take advantage of the moment and get the grass cut; it’s the first cut of the year. He had the mower at about a level 4, to give it a high trim. I then went back over it at a level 2, which was an ideal bit of exercise for me. The lawn is now looking much tidier.

I can’t wait to start doing more in the garden.

Heading home

We stopped off at the delightful little town of Obernai for a coffee and wander, before our final destination for our holiday; we’d chosen a small spa hotel in the Alsace.

As we sat and enjoyed our coffee, I could hear a clapping sound. ‘What’s that?’ I asked Brian, but he looked just as puzzled as me. We heard it again, and both looked up and saw a rather large and chatty stork, nestled on the top of a chimney. Probably a little frustrating for the owner, but a joy to see.

The spa was lovely. It was a very relaxing final couple of days for us, to stay still, relax and enjoy. Brian’s biggest decision was ‘what shall we try tonight?’

It was a wonderful end to our holiday.

Strasbourg by day

The old town of Strasbourg is dominated by the the Notre Dame cathedral; a pretty impressive structure, with some fascinating, differing styles of medieval architecture, and intricate carved stone lacework.

It was built between 1180 and 1439, hence the changes in style throughout. The tower, which we didn’t go up, is 142 metres high. Apparently it remained the highest building in Europe until the 19th century.

Inside the cathedral there is a rather remarkable astronomical clock, built between 1571 and 1574. It looks like something from a Jules Verne story.

The cathedral dominates many of the views from street level.

The Strasbourg streets are very easy, and delightful, to wander round; with beautiful little boutiques and plenty of eating and drinking opportunities. We enjoyed our time there—supping coffee, spoiling ourselves on sweet treats, and soaking up the beautiful weather which had welcomed us.

All in all, a delightful trip.

Strasbourg by night

We were staying at an Ibis hotel just near the train station in Strasbourg. We chose it because it was simple for parking and access to walk into the city. Our view across to the station was quite impressive, especially at night, when the lights came on inside the station, revealing the old building, now covered in a protective glass shell. It isn’t really visible by day, as the glass shell reflects the outside world. Very clever.

On our first evening we decided to explore some of the various Alsacien wines. We found a delightful little bar that offered a mixed tasting with a light supper, which was Ideal. Among the lovely wines on offer was an interesting red, pinot noir Alsacien wine; really surprising.

Petite France—which is the little canal area of Strasbourg—is extremely pretty at night, with the lights, and old timbered buildings, reflecting in the water of the canals.

It made for a nice place to walk off some of the cheese we’d eaten on our supper sharing board.

Musée des beaux arts – Strasbourg

The museum of fine art is situated in the Rohan Palace, just next to the cathedral in the centre of the old town of Strasbourg.

Sometimes art museums can be a bit overwhelming, with rooms filled to the brim with lesser known artists, whose works are good, but lost in the mêlée of paintings. This museum however has been well curated, and though there are many works by ‘students of’ or ‘school of’ the paintings have been well presented and are individually accessible.

Whilst we were there they had a temporary exhibition ‘lights on the living’. This included some rather fantastic wildlife photography by Vincent Munier interspersed with some of the wildlife paintings they owned. It was a nice way of incorporating it into the museum.

These are some of my favourite paintings. I’m always fascinated as well by the frames used, some are simply spectacular.

It is also good when the building itself is beautiful.

All aboard

The river Ill flows through the centre of Strasbourg and surrounds the historic old town. It is a 217 km long tributary of the Rhine which runs along the eastern side of the city bordering with Germany. The river plays an important part in the structure of the city, and we decided to take a little boat ride to view the sights from the river, and to better understand it’s geography.

It was such a gorgeous day it made it a perfect choice for a quiet cruise around the city. We met the boat at the dock, and were soon heading down the river.

We passed a big section of the old town, and passed through a lock before turning to go toward the more modern area of the city.

The architecture changed as we headed out, and the river led us to the court of human rights.

And past the European Parliament building, with its huge forum and multitude of tiny offices, all rather spectacular.

It was such a serene journey, and just what we needed to orientate ourselves.

And after a hard mornings sight seeing what better than a tasty lunch outside in a pretty café.

René Lalique

The drive to Strasbourg from Épernay was around three hours, so we found a little café in town to enjoy a coffee and croissant before setting off. Once we’d left the town, and were following the main route to Strasbourg, I put on a little Steve Coogan; aka Alan Partridge. ‘From the Oasthouse’ is a podcast we both find very amusing, and we chuckle away together at his observational humour.

About two hours into the journey Brian spotted a tourist sign advertising the ‘Lalique Museum’. I’d read about this, but forgot completely it was in this area. We immediately agreed it would be a great detour. Not really knowing what to expect, we changed our route and headed towards it. About half an hour later we arrived, and were pleasantly surprised when we entered the foyer and were greeted by an enormous glass chandelier. It was quite incredible.

The village we had found ourselves in (Wingen-sur-Moder) seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but we soon learned why it had been chosen to build the glassworks by René Lalique back in 1922; apparently the region’s glass making traditions date back to as early as the Middle Ages, and have persisted to this day. It is now the only place in the world to produce Lalique crystal, with some 250 people working and practicing the companies skills here. The museum opened in 2011 to celebrate Lalique’s work, and now shows off the talents of three generations, René Lalique, his son and daughter, Marc and Suzanne, and grand daughter Marie-Claude. It displays nearly 650 works of art, and in 2023 was updated with new media technology.

I was particularly interested in seeing some of the vases and perfume bottles. The organic designs and the way they use natural themes to decorate the shapes is simply beautiful. The perfume bottles in particular are so delicate.

The vases are no less intricate, but on a different scale.

At the end of the visit is a short film that depicts how the crystal is made today with the same techniques they originally used.

Such a fabulous stop off; well worth a visit. There are other glass museums in the area, which I have noted, and we will probably be visiting them on another little adventure.

A night in Épernay

After our trip to the UK, we decided to make our way to Strasbourg for a couple of days. We’ve visited the Alsace before but never Strasbourg. It was just too far for me to travel in one day so we made an easy little stop off in Épernay.

We arrived just in time for a short rest, wash and change before heading out for dinner at a delightful little restaurant ‘Table Kobus’. We have been there before, many years ago, it has been redecorated, but has fortunately kept some of its historical charm. We had a delicious dinner. It is definitely still well worth a visit if you are visiting Épernay.

Family & Friends

It has been way too long since we visited the UK, so last week we set off via the Eurotunnel to visit family and friends.

First stop was a small village in Norfolk, where we visited my brother Jon and his family, who live on a farm. Whilst there I also got to see my dad; at 94 he’s doing exceptionally well.

We had a really enjoyable few days with them; eating home cooked food, and trying local specialties, whilst sharing some wonderful memories and quality conversations.

We then headed back south into Essex, where we stayed with some friends and visited Brian’s mum and family. It was so good to catch up with our families after such a long time. WhatsApp video is good for keeping in touch, but it’s not the same as seeing someone in person, and sharing a hug.

A unique bottle

Last year some very dear friends of ours got married. Very unexpectedly, to all, they had got engaged here in Champagne, and we had all celebrated that moment with a wonderful bottle of Gremillet blanc de blancs, which the future groom had bought a few days before in preparation.

So for their wedding a few of us decided it would be nice to make a decorated Magnum of the same Champagne for their wedding present.

The decoration part fell to Brian, who started by doing a rough drawing of the proposed design.

After carefully cleaning the bottle he began applying layers of enamel paint. He didn’t stick exactly to the drawing, but I think the finished bottle looked really beautiful, an ideal wedding gift. He also painted all our signatures and the date on the reverse of the bottle.

A really unique bottle and a lovely little memory.

Cellar wall

A job we had started some time back was the cellar. We’d built the separating wall together, and Brian had fitted the ceiling, put some lights in, and made the door.

Our Workaway Chris had helped us dig out the old chaux from the back wall, and Brian and I had regrouted it. But before he’d had the chance to paint on the waterproof plaster, I’d got poorly, so things went on hold.

When our friends came over late last year to help support Brian, and finish off some jobs for us, this was one of them that was on the list.

He’d already bought the product he’d wanted to use, so one morning him and Trevor set to work painting on the plaster. I think it looks great, and it’s made such a difference to the humidity.

We’ll have to see how it performs through the summer, but fingers crossed they made a difference. However, Brian would like to add a second coat, and he found another small water ingress, so it’s an ongoing job.

New Acquisition

If you are a regular reader of our blog you may have seen the wonderful painting of Dylan Thomas by our dear, departed friend Peter Moller, which hangs in our dining room. Well late last year his wife Robyn entered the second painting in that series, featuring a young Ian Hislop, into an exhibition/sale of paintings in her local area of Stonehaven.

It was an exhibition of portraits by local artists, and Peter’s certainly stood out. There were two in the show, the first one showing Hislop at his editorial desk, and the second featuring Oscar Wilde.

It was a big decision, but we felt we couldn’t let the two be split up, so we snapped it up before it went to someone else. The Oscar Wilde also sold.

Our new acquisition is now hanging in our library, where it has pride of place.

If you’re interested in seeing more of Peter Moller’s paintings take a look at the new Instagram page we have set up for his wife to celebrate his work, or visit the official website.

100% Pinot blanc - BLV

We went to visit one of our favourite producers last week to purchase a few bottles of champagne.

We hadn’t seen him for a while so it was great to catch up, and practice our French on him. He had produced a new cuvée ‘Pinot blanc vrai’ , which is 100% Pinot blanc, and has 6 grams of sugar added. The grapes were harvested in 2021. So it’s taken a little while to finally be ready.

The taste was fresh and crisp with a fruity grapefruit undertone. Rather delicious and would be a perfect aperitif.

We obviously had to come away with a few to enjoy at home.

Crostic

For a little bit of brain activity to start my day, I do Wordle, which I’ve been doing for a while, and I really enjoy the other games that come with it: ‘Strands’ and ‘Connections’. But there’s a good little game Brian’s found called ‘Crostic’, that’s turned out to be very useful.

At first glance it seemed to be a really easy game, but Brian had read that you can change the language, and use it as a language learning tool. We’d been looking for something to help us improve our French vocabulary, and what better way than with some general knowledge questions in French.

So we do it now during breakfast, after Wordle. It’s a bit of fun and we’re learning at the same time.

That’s a Dinky car

It’s been almost five years, but Brian finally got round to putting his cabinet up with the little cars he inherited from his dad inside. He wanted them upstairs, in our roof apartment, but we don’t have a lot of wall space, what with all the wardrobes and paintings, but he found a spot in the corner of the stairwell.

They’re a mixture of original, old toys, and a few newer, French models, which he bought at a vide grenier (car boot sale).

Finally they have a home. I’m thinking he needs one of a 2CV though, as that’s my favourite. We will need to keep our eye out for one.

Time for Coffee

Since we bought our La Pavoni coffee maker, which is coming up to 6 years now, we’ve had the most wonderful coffees almost every day.

Espressos, macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos; it’s been a learning curve at times for Brian, but he’s enjoyed the journey, and I get great coffee at breakfast. Our guests also get to enjoy a good coffee when they come to visit, which goes down very well. One of the key things he’s worked out is what milk works best for frothing—it’s not as straightforward as you’d think. And recently we bought him a new jug, as the shape of the spout makes a difference when pouring out the froth, my favourite bit.