Fish & chips

After our little side trip to the market we decided we needed to shorten our walk we’d planned. It was around the village of Servant, only about 25 minutes from our B&B. But I’d booked us lunch at a local restaurant which we’d seen on the TV show ‘Place in the sun’ and needed to be there at 1.30. It’s run by a couple of English guys, and I’d fancied trying their fish and chips.

The walk was lovely, around a very pretty lake, and even though we shortened it we still really enjoyed it. We were also lucky with the weather, as the forecast was for a spot of rain, but it didn’t happen until we got back to the car.

A ten minute drive later and we sat down in the restaurant and ordered their, much anticipated, fish & chips.

They did not disappoint, it was delicious!

Stop the car!

I think I’ve mentioned before that if Brian wants to take a photo, I’m quite used to stopping the car quickly, and safely, but he’s also very good at stopping if we notice a market or brocante. We can never just drive by.

We hadn’t seen any signs for this market at all, it was completely unexpected, which is odd as usually they put handwritten signs up along the side of the road. But as soon as I saw the little stalls gathered around the church, I exclaimed “You need to stop the car” he was then turning us into a narrow side street, and slotting into a nicely positioned parking spot. What we hadn’t realised was that actually there was a car park just around the corner, but our spot was better.

We were kind of in the middle of nowhere, or so it seemed, so we didn’t expect much from our sudden artisan market, just a collection of local amateur craft enthusiasts perhaps.

But we were soon corrected, as the market was brimming with artisan pottery. I don’t remember seeing so much in one place before, it was quite amazing.

There was even a chap selling the most gorgeous raku work, but at €350 a vase it was a bit steep for us. What did catch my eye though was a stall selling metalwork flowers and butterflies.

Along with the borders I’m creating in the garden I’d like some unexpected little ‘discovered things’ to come across as you wander around the garden, and these were just what I was after, so I bought a few.

There was tons more to see, but we also had a walk to start, so we had to pull ourselves away.

Dinner at La Chappelle

As a perfect little treat for us, and a birthday celebration for Brian, I’d booked us dinner at ‘La Chappelle’, a rather interesting restaurant in Montluçon, not far from our B&B.

They had been very creative in the styling of the restaurant, keeping the theme of the chapel in the table layout. Our table was in front of a large, floor to ceiling window overlooking the garden, which I have to say was a wonderful setting for us.

We soon settled in with a rather large glass of Taittanger Blanc de blancs 2013, which was rather delicious. As I was driving Brian helped me finish my glass.

There was the option of a three , four or five course menu. We decided to opt for the four course, both choosing the chocolate dish for dessert. Brian then had the wine flight to match the food, which was a great way for him to experience some different wines, some of them local to the region.

It started well, as the first wine Brian was presented by the Sommelier, to go with our amuse-bouche (an additional course), was a wine from the Moselle. It was a blind tasting for him, as again it was not part of the wine flight. Although he initially thought it was Alsacien, he finally opted for a German Riesling, so pretty spot on — especially good as we have not visited Germany yet for any wine tasting.

The delicately presented courses, with delicious intense flavours, soon started to appear. Initially I was concerned if I’d be able to eat them all, but the meal was well paced and perfectly portioned. Brian was enjoying his wines with every course, learning with every glass. It was a pleasure to see.

Before our chocolate dessert, which looked and tasted spectacular, came our pre dessert — such a delightful puff of cream covered rhubarb and tarragon, who’d have thought I was so current!

The petit fours with coffee were a step too far for me, I was fit to burst, but Brian enjoyed every little morsel. It was his Birthday after all.

Orcival & Clermont Ferrand

We were still not quite up for another walk, so we decided to head towards the little village of Orcival, just southwest of Clermont Ferrand.

It was a pretty little village, with a number of bistros and bars serving plat de jour. However, we just wanted a coffee before having a wander along the road; discovering the sweet shop, and cooling off in the church.

We then drove into the main city of the Auvergne, Clermont Ferrand. We parked easily enough, in the main underground car park in the centre, then ventured out to find somewhere for a little light snack. We found a crêperie, always a good option, in a pretty little shaded square.

Our next stop was the Cathedral. A huge gothic structure made of black basalt. It makes for quite an austere building from the outside, but inside it is quite beautiful.

I’m not a religious person, but I do love the space a church or cathedral provides — space to think, and have those quiet moments of reflection and contemplation.

The city itself, around the cathedral, is made up of cobbled streets and leafy squares, with little boutique shops and tiny restaurants. Perfect for wandering.

The new part of the city is a stone’s throw away, centred around a huge open plaza, where all the main French chains can be found. It’s good if you want a little retail therapy.

Aubusson

Since arriving in France, one of places I’d been looking forward to exploring was the little town of Aubusson. I have been interested in its rich tapestry heritage for quite a while, and I have a carpet and some chairs made there, or certainly made in the style of. So when we planned our trip to the Auvergne I also planned a side trip to Aubusson.

The outskirts of the town are all modern, but as you enter the centre, and follow the river Dronne, you start to notice the older buildings, which are beautifully preserved.

We arrived just in time to pop into the tourist office before it, and almost everything else, closed for lunch at noon. Luckily we were both a bit peckish, so settled down in a very pretty courtyard restaurant for their plat de jour, or ‘plate of the day’. €19.50 for a starter and main.

Whilst we sat and ate we planned our afternoon.

I wanted to visit the At​elier-Musée des Cartons de Tapisserie, which was just over the ancient stone bridge in the centre of the old town. It’s a tiny house, that looks like once upon a time it might have featured in a fairytale. It certainly conceals a magical secret, attached to the centuries old industry of the town.

The tradition of textile creation in Aubusson dates back to the 15th century, and has been recognised as part of UNESCO's ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. There were two clearly defined sides to the tapestry industry; the illustrational side, who designed and painted the gorgeous ‘cartons’. They were talented artists who worked for little money in difficult conditions without any recognition for their work, and then the weavers, whose skills with the loom would bring the works to life. The industry suffered difficulties in the twentieth century, when interest for the traditional style of tapestry faded, and the weavers began producing their own designs, or commissioning from known artists. Disagreements erupted between the illustrators and the weavers, and with the addition of reducing interest from buyers the industry began to collapse. Creation of tapestries on an industrial scale in Aubusson ended in the 1980’s, leading to a mass disposal of looms and artworks.

At the delightful At​elier-Musée des Cartons de Tapisserie the owner had the foresight to buy up as many cartons (tapestry artworks) as she could when the businesses started to close down in the 80’s. We met Catherine, who now helps run the business and renovates the many cartons that were saved from being burned. Catherine has a deep knowledge of the history of the industry, and has honed her skills in renovating the cartons.

We spent over an hour chatting with her, and were delighted when she revealed that the cartons were available to buy. We spent a lovely time choosing a small group to buy from, step by step honing in on our favourite. Which was one of the flower illustrations, they also created illustrations from fables, and countryside scenes.

Finally we settled on one of the three on the table. Any ideas which one?

Puy de Dôme

With our first day of walking under our belt we were feeling confident about our second day — climbing puy de dôme, the highest extinct volcano in the region. Our confidence lasted just until we got our first glimpse of it.

Brian made lots of reassuring sounds, but things looked even more concerning as we got closer. In fairness though Brian never wavered, and that helped me commit to the climb, although it was already the hottest day of the year so far.

We’ve both learnt from past adventures that anything is possible, if you just take your time and put one foot in front of the other you will get there.

The walk began deceptively easy, with a slow rise and dappled shade.

Things soon became steeper, and the snacks started coming out.

We continued upward, and the walk got steeper. I was certainly grateful for my sticks.

With the extra height came the added bonus of better views, and they were at least some reward for all the work. However, the views appeared because the cover of the trees had disappeared, and the day was becoming very hot.

The walk is apparently achievable in an hour and a half, but we were soon that far in and still with a long climb ahead.

The shade of the forest was far behind us now, and the midday sun was beating down. I confess my mind was drifting and I was thinking about how I could get out of finishing the climb. But a little voice kept telling me “We’ll catch the funicular down”, so I knew going up had to be the best option.

As we passed people descending from the top they shared encouraging words “Les derniers mètres”, “pas loin”. It was all just enough to keep me going.

It may have eventually taken us two and a half hours, but true to our mantra we got there one step at a time, and the view from the top along the string of volcanoes was amazing.

We sat for a while to take in the landscape, and snack on the last of our lunch. And true to his word, Brian soon had us coming down again in a far more gentle manner.

One of the reasons I had wanted to come to the Auvergne was to climb puy de dôme, and I’m so glad we did it.

The eight crosses

Day one, and we set off enthusiastically on our first local walk, called ‘The eight crosses’. It was described as a moderate walk of 11km or so with eight crosses along the way. It was a beautiful bright day, so we were looking forward to a simple walk to break us in.

It began from right outside our chambre d’hôte, which meant we were instantly into charming rural surroundings, listening to the birds chirping in the trees and the cows mooing in the fields.

It wasn’t long though before the ‘ups’ began and things were a little more challenging in the heat. Although I’d rather be climbing hills on foot in summer than charging up them in snow chains at 90kph!

It has to be said that the roads here are rather narrow and very winding, but it doesn’t stop the locals from driving through them at speed. I mean look how fast this one is going!

We passed through some wonderful villages, pristine in their appearance and diligently cared for. We took a moment to cool down and visit the church in Vergheas, which was delightful.

The views were also spectacular, little vistas of hot fields through the cool of the trees gave moments to just absorb and reflect.

It has to be said though that by the time we reached the end it was actually 13.5km, and we were ready for a rest.

Day one walk over, and after some stretching the legs and hips didn’t feel too bad. We sat and looked at the photos and realised we had only found seven crosses, and at least one of them was perhaps a bit of a cheat. We never were purists though, so we won’t be going back to find the others.

Le Cuisinier en Combrailles

I’d wanted to visit the Auvergne region for a little while. The region is known for good walking routes and we were both keen to stretch our legs out. I’d found a little chambre d’hôte on Google — Le Cuisinier en Combrailles — and, as they also served food in the evening, we thought it would make a good base for our trip.

What I hadn’t quite understood is what a great chef Jakob was. He had been a chef in a previous life, so brought his experience to this beautiful piece of paradise. Along with his partner Caes, who was a delightful host and sommelier, they were the perfect hosts. They both always had a smile and Cheerful “Good morning” and a warming “Have a good day”. You knew they wanted your day to go well, and for everyone staying with them to have a fabulous experience.

Breakfasts were taken on the little balcony, that wrapped around the house, shaded by the ivy and abundance of plants that Jakob nurtured. Mozart on the air completed the mood.

In the evenings we were welcomed to our table with a kir apéro, and a little amuse-bouche to get our taste buds working.

Such a wonderful little find.

An Auvergne adventure

We had decided to fit in a little holiday to the Auvergne region in-between guests. We had a week free in our calendar, so prepared the house ready for guests on our return, packed up the car, and headed south.

The journey was supposed to take about five hours, but after a delightful little picnic stop for lunch…

…and being excited by discovering four brocantes along the way…

…we finally arrived at our B&B around 6pm.

It was a delightful, idyllic paradise.

I’m sure we will be very comfortable here for the next few nights.

Delivered…maybe

Cultural differences, big and small, are one of the delights and also one of the challenges of moving to another country, and you sometimes don’t find out about them until the moment they occur has passed and potentially it’s too late to act. Here’s one example that’s worth knowing about beforehand.

Having moved to France from the UK we’re very used to having strong consumer rights. Our experience in France has been quite different. For example; if a package was delivered to us in the UK, and found to be damaged on opening, we would simply contact the seller and a replacement would be arranged or a refund agreed on return of the item. But in France it seems a bit trickier. When the delivery is made it can be necessary to open the package in front of the driver before accepting it, to ensure it isn’t visibly damaged, or that nothing is missing. This is especially important with expensive items. It’s quite alien to us, and we’ve been caught out on occasion. if you don’t check before accepting the package, and something is missing or broken, the conversation with the seller can become difficult very quickly.

The process you should follow includes photographing the package and label first, opening it and establishing all is well, or, if the driver won’t allow you to open it first, ask him for a form to state that he wouldn’t, or record the fact on any note you sign. It’s an unpleasant way to go about things, but it can save trouble later.

I’m glad to say that we haven’t had any really bad outcomes, however our experiences to date have put us off ordering large expensive items via the internet.

Private

The doors to the bibliothèque are looking lovely, and although there is still work to do to the frames, which we are delaying now until the season is over, we now have a private room we can use on the ground floor of the house. But there was just one more thing Brian had to do to make it properly ours, and that was to create a ‘Privé’ sign.

It’s a little thing, but it really finishes it off.

Bench, pool, view

It’s forecast to be a hot week, so Brian was up early at the pool opening it and cleaning it.

With my bench now oiled and fully dried, we moved it out of the pool house to decide on a position. We felt it would look best next to the pool, with a view across the vineyards.

The perfect place for a post swim sit down whilst you dry off.

In the groove

We recently had a bit of an issue with one of our dormer windows in our bedroom on the top floor. It had a rather unwanted wasp problem, the kind that needed an intervention by an expert. It was all sorted out, but it did leave us with a nasty hole in the ceiling.

So now it was down to Brian to make it look pretty again. I say that, but it started by getting a lot worse. I couldn’t believe the mess!

One thing Brian has learned in his DIY journey is that proper fixes start by first removing everything that could make the repair harder. It can look terrible, but it allows him to have a better finish.

We’d decided to use some tongue and groove we had left over from a previous job, and once painted I really like the look it gives .

The first stage was to put in a moisture barrier, then start fitting the tongue and groove.

Once the last piece was attached with pins and glue it was time for the first coat of paint to seal it.

Three proper coats of paint, and a bit of filler later, and we have a window that looks as good as new.

I’m really happy with it, and no more orange patch!

Delicious Cherries

Last year, for my 60th birthday present, my friend Sharon bought me two beautiful fruit trees; a cherry tree and a Nashi pear. The other day, as I was wandering around my garden just checking on things, I noticed the cherries were ready to be picked.

In fact, I needed to pick them before the birds ate them! I went to get a small bowl to collect my first little harvest.

They were absolutely delicious, sweet and juicy and made for a perfect little nibble with breakfast the next morning.

A fishy little present

Our next guests were a couple that return every year, Rob and Jody. It’s such a joy entertaining guests that return, it’s lovely to hear their news, and a bit of an interesting challenge for me, thinking about new things to cook. Although we did have some other returning guests say “Jo, but we’re happy if you cook the same dishes again, we loved them the first time and will love them again the second.” I was really pleased with that comment. This time however I planned to cook a new recipe - fillet of Daurade en papillote, on a bed of young leeks, with juniper butter, and served with some lightly roasted new potatoes.

I presented it still nicely parcelled up in the baking paper, like a little gift to be unwrapped.

They thought it was delicious.

For dessert we had rhubarb with tarragon, with a shortbread crumb and a white chocolate foam.

As you can see it was very popular.

I’m glad I found my rhubarb plant, fingers crossed it will grow for a nice harvest next year.

Back in time

The nearby village of Rumilly-lès-Vaudes was having their medieval festival, which is a bi-annual event. It’s always good fun, with things to see for everyone.

It was lovely to see a stand where they were preparing crepes in a traditional way, on platters suspended over a wood fire. I was very tempted, but it felt like we’d just had breakfast, so I resisted for now.

There’s a beautiful chateau in the centre of the fayre, and just behind it there was a display area. We arrived just as a couple were showing birds of prey to the people seated around the little arena. They were explaining about their habitats, where they live and what they need to survive. It was very educational.

I remember going to see these kinds of displays as a kid, they really stuck in my memory.

In another area there were two men practicing their sword skills. It looks very real, even though they don’t go at it too hard, but it always makes me shiver when the steel of the weapons clash.

A little less adrenaline packed, but just as essential, was the lady by her tent making repairs to one of the costumes. They really embrace getting into character for these events, it’s like going back in time.

There were lots of little craft stalls, and artisans showing off their skills such as masonry, sword making, weaving and rope making. A very delightful event.

Birthday girl

Apologies for my lack of blogs recently, we have been really quite busy with our guests, which has been positively wonderful.

First we had a group of six girls choose to celebrate one of their 40th birthdays with us. It was delightful having lots of excitement and chitter chatter in the house.

On the evening they arrived we welcomed them first with a glass of Jérôme Cothias and then served them a delicious platter of local cheeses and charcuterie, with some homemade pickle and fresh bread. It set them up well for the following day, which was filled with tastings.

In the evening they came down for apéro, for which Brian had prepared a bottle to be sabred.

It was a really clean break, and made for an exciting start to their evening.

We had prepared them a four course dinner, with the star of the show being a côte de boeuf. Brian seared it first then cooked it in the oven.

we served the beef medium pink, which seemed to suit everyone.

They had a fabulous few days with us, and said they would love to return one day. It was a very special few days for us also, we love to be able to help create memories for our guests.

Pont romain

We recently visited the little village of Spoy, about 25 minutes away from us. It has a population of about 390 people, and is wonderfully sleepy; as so many of the smaller villages here are. Our own village of Viviers-sur-Artaut only has around 120 villagers.

Spoy is locally famous for its ancient ‘pont romain’, or Roman bridge.

It’s a pretty, very low, stone bridge. It was built in the first century AD and was renovated in 1971. Later, in 1973, it was registered as a national historical monument.

There is a pretty little river meandering underneath it, with delicate white flowers growing all around, and an abundance of small butterflies fluttering above the soft flow of the river. There are two wooden picnic benches overlooking it in the shade of the trees. A beautiful little spot to enjoy its serenity.

All in all well worth Brian getting his feet wet so he could capture me a good photograph.

The great jazz reunion

I’ve mentioned before in my posts that Brian has found an interest in jazz music. It started when we moved here, and he brought some old records with him that his parents used to play. Amongst them were a few jazz albums, and it surprised him because he never remembered hearing them as a child. He now looks for jazz albums wherever he goes, and occasionally he finds real bargains, like this one, which he found at a vide grenier this week for just €4.

If he’s lucky they’ve hardly been played and are in near perfect condition. It means he has both a new interest and also something to be looking out for when we’re at the flea markets and vide greniers.

I’m sure he’ll end up with quite a collection, a ‘great jazz reunion’ of his own.

Keep planting

After our few days out, I had rather a lot of little jobs that needed to be done at home. Mainly planting.

It didn’t take much to get my beautiful wooden bucket planted up with some pretty little annuals. I love the simplicity of just the one type of flower in it. Now I just need to decide where to put it.

Brian helped me plant my rhubarb plant, which on reflection I’m thinking will outgrow that spot in a couple of years. I will see how it goes.

I’d also bought some beautiful little yellow potentilla’s for the slope. They add such a brilliant pop of colour, and should once established flower most of the summer.

This little blue ceanothus is a plant Brian has admired for many years, but we never bought one. This one will have plenty of room to grow up on the slope in full sun.

Lastly I had 6 or so ‘vivace’ (perennials), which I wanted to add to help start to fill the borders in the walled garden.

We shall see how they all fair with our climate of hot summers and cold winters.