Notre Dame du Chêne

Our car was due its Controle Technique (CT). It’s similar to an MOT, but the CT lasts for two years, unlike an MOT in the UK that lasts for one. The Renault garage is in Bar-sur-Seine, our neighbouring town, so the plan was to drop the car off at the garage, go for a coffee, and then take a short walk through the woods at the back of the town, before heading back to collect the car.

Our usual café was closed for holidays, so we went to the café de Ville in the centre of town. It was very pleasant, and, as usual with french cafés, we were able to take a pastry in to eat with our coffees.

The route we had planned, using our outdoor active app on our phones, took us up the small climb to the old clock tower at the back of the town, where we immediately found ourselves walking through the woods, which I have to say was rather beautiful, and a very pleasant relief from the heat of the sun.

We headed towards the historical Templars building of Avalleur, although we were not planning on visiting it today.

From there, we walked across the fields, heading back down towards ‘Notre Dame du Chêne’, a very pretty little church nestled in a clearing in the woods. I had read a lot about it, but never visited until now.

On the 11th September each year there is a pilgrimage through the woods to the church. The origin of this dates back to 1153, when St Bernard used to come to pray at the foot of an old oak tree. It was rumoured that a young shepherd had found a statue of the Virgin in a hollow of the oak, and that he had removed it and taken it to the church in Bar-sur-Seine. However, the statue somehow returned to the hollow in the tree. Many times he retrieved the statue and placed it back at the church, but it always found its way back to the hollow in the oak. In 1669 they decided to build a chapel at the site of the oak tree. Originally constructed of branches, the chapel was built around the oak itself, and the statue stood in its hollow above the main alter. In 1724 the Mayor of Bar-sur-Seine, Mr Hénault, replaced the primitive branch constructed chapel with a solid wooden building, and added the steeple.

It has since been replaced with a brick and stone building. It is a spectacular sight, rising from its clearing, and we will try and visit it on one of its open days to see the statue that is apparently still there.

It’s a dusty job

We had enjoyed a fabulous long weekend with our friends, and had really relaxed, it was like a mini holiday. Once we had waved cheerio to them though, we decided that we should spend a couple of hours cleaning out the cellar area, so that Brian, when he’s ready, can progress with getting the ceiling put up.

It was a very dusty job, so we both masked up to help prevent breathing in any of the dust.

Brian had been keeping some planks back to use for this job, so whilst I slapped a coat of wood worm protection onto the old oak beams - just precautionary - he cleaned up and selected which planks he planned to use.

It felt like we’d made some really good progress. It’s now prepped and ready to have its ceiling fitted.

Harvest 1 - Is it early?

Vendanges day 1

Vendanges normally starts in early September, but with the warm weather we’ve had this year the grapes have reached their maturity early. Fortunately, with the rain we had about 2 weeks ago, they are also nicely plump, and now ready to pick. The many boxes needed for harvest are pulled out of storage, cleaned and readied to be filled in the many trips to and from the vineyards.

Hundreds of pickers have moved into the area and the work begins. The tankers for transporting the grape must (freshly pressed juice) are already arriving to collect the first pressings.

The excitement and anticipation, tinged with anxiety, of a great harvest is in the air.

With one more big push, and a lot of hard work in the coming days, it will hopefully deliver.

Country fayre - part three

In the main display ring they presented a spectacular show of equestrian skills from a number of very talented horse riders. As I cannot ride a horse I’m always very impressed by those that can, and even more so by those who can make it all look so effortless.

The horses, and the riders, all looked so very elegant, and there was some extremely professional displays.

The final rider, a tall slim gentleman, rode his horses whilst standing on their backs. It was an incredible show of strength and skill, being at one with his team of four horses. At one point he did slip, and fell to the floor, but he soon picked himself up, dusted himself down, and got back on.

It was all rather spectacular, and extremely well organised.

There was so much to do, that there was little time to explore the building itself. We will definitely be returning to visit the chateau and it’s grounds another time, I know that they have a treasure hunt that leads you around the rooms that are open to the public, which I’d love to do. Today though was all about this grand local event, which had a vast programme taking place throughout the day, of which we only saw a fraction. Definitely one to catch next year.

Country fayre - part two

Next up on the programme was a display from the dog owners and their dogs. There were about a hundred dogs of all types and pedigrees, ready to go for a little walk around the main ring. They were delightful, waiting patiently for their turn in the limelight. Of course there is always the odd one who decides he wants to run off, but a quick whistle, and call from his master, and he is back in line.

As we wandered around the various displays and stalls, we came across a stand offering a chance to have a go at archery. Brian and Chris couldn’t resist it, and were soon trying their arm at hitting a few, gratefully, non-moving targets, which they both seemed pretty good at.

There was a lot to see and do, but we were all getting rather peckish. There were some very interesting food aromas coming from the area where all the food stalls had been set up, and the temptation was too great. There was a superb array of foods to chose from - many of which were local delicacies - with meat dishes, vegetarian, savoury and sweet. We plumped for, of course, a bottle of champagne, along with some smoked salmon, accompanied with a herb dip and some fresh bread. All rather yummy. It was then followed up with a goats milk ice cream.

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Country fayre - part one

Sunday was the day of the country fayre at Château de Vaux - a castle situated in the small village of Fouchere about 20 minutes from us.

The chateau, and its attached farm, had long been in disrepair, but in 1970 it was bought by Philippe Vallery-Radot, who had a passion for heritage. He immediately set about restoring the farm buildings, and with the help of the Ministry of Culture (the chateau was designated as an historic monument in 1980), he was able to protect the structure with the installation of hundreds of metal sheets, which were temporarily installed on the roof of the castle in 1995. In 2015 Edouard Guyot, with bank support, purchased the estate. He was just 22 at the time. A major renovation program began, and for the first time, the castle became open to the public.

Once a year, the Chateau now hosts a massive country fair, with stalls, displays and demonstrations of horse skills. We arrived around noon, during a short break in the programme.

There was a rather impressive itinerary at the entrance

I love it when there are vintage cars at our fayres, and this one didn’t disappoint. I always like to take a look, especially when they have a few of my favourite old french Citroens.

As we approached the chateau we could here lots of horn blowing from the courtyard, so we wandered up to the main doors to take a look at what it was all about. We arrived just as they were finishing the ceremony of Saint Hubert - a peculiar saint, whose calling was to ensure the adoption of certain rules and ethics in hunting. It finished with the release of a flock of homing pigeons, and a number of very smartly dressed hunters playing their french horns.

It was all a rather spectacular start to the day.

What sign

After Arras, we headed south to the small village of Hautvillers. The tomb of Dom Perignon lies in the tiny church next to the abbey here. Even though it is the place where Dom Perignon is buried, and therefore has great importance to the region of Champagne, it really is quite an unassuming little church. The area in front of the church is calm and tranquil, with a little, nicely kept garden. It is well worth a detour.

A short walk, or drive around the back of the church is a picnic area, with a fabulous view across the valley of the Marne towards Épernay. We had not planned a picnic for ourselves today though, instead we wandered down the main street to the café, where we enjoyed some drinks before popping into the rather nice boulangerie just opposite.

Outside many of the little houses throughout Hautvillers are little metal signs representing the profession of the person(s) living inside, for example a vigneron or a restaurateur, or a barrel maker - it was lovely to see all the creativity.

La Carriere Wellington tunnels

I had read about a set of tunnels underneath the city of Arras, in northern France, that in the early 1990s were explored by a team of archaeologists. The tunnels had been created during WW1 to connect a series of mediaeval limestone quarries together with the intent of reaching enemy lines unseen.

The archaeological investigations uncovered a greater insight into the material and human efforts displayed by the British forces to turn the tunnels into an encampment capable of accommodating almost 24,000 men. These underground works were the biggest ever undertaken by the British troops in the field.

The museum is on the outskirts of town, and we had decided to walk the 20 minute route from the grand place, however we were a bit short of time, as we had realised we needed to be there 10 minutes before our scheduled tour. About halfway, as we were walking by a cab with still 10 minutes to walk, I decided to ask the cabbie if he could take us. Initially he just explained the way to me, but I asked if he would take us. ‘Oh, okay, jump in’, he said, ‘it’s not far, so I won’t charge you’. I’m really not sure there are many cabbies that would offer that!

We arrived in plenty of time for the tour, and set about picking up our earphones and hard hats, as it’s a mix of audio tape and human guide. The tour starts with a brief overview on the geography of the area and where the battles took place in the region. You then descend, via a lift, into the network of tunnels.

The tour uses film, music, audio and some props, throughout the various tunnels, to provide a very interesting and thoughtful presentation, that described the work and living conditions for the troops in the tunnels.

On April 9th 1917 at 6.30 a.m, after 6 months of intensive preparations, the Britsh troops ran out of one of 20 doors, leaving the safety of the underground quarries, to launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s positions. It was the biggest attack of its kind. This moment was recreated as part of the tour with sound and the moving shadows of the soldiers, it was extremely effective. It was a very worthwhile, and moving, visit.

This is the link to the museums website if you are interested in visiting or wish to learn more. https://en.carrierewellington.com/decouvrir-la-carriere

Arras - Saturday market

Every Saturday morning the place d’Hero’s in Arras is filled with the hubbub of the market. It has a mixture of stalls from haberdashery to clothing, to electronics, to household, and an excellent food market filled with local produce.

First though I needed to start my day with a cup of tea, so we nipped into a local patisserie and boulangerie shop for a petit dejeuner. After that I could face the queue at the cheese stall, which was particularly popular. The mushrooms were also looking very enticing, along with some sweet looking melons.

I just love french markets, and Arras is definitely up there as one of the best. The local produce was exceptional.

Arras at night

We met some friends in Arras this week. It’s about a 3 hour drive north from us, but we’d arranged to meet there as I had wanted to visit the Carrière Wellington tunnels. These were tunnels dug during the First World War under the city of Arras to enable the allied armies to launch a surprise attack on the enemy. I will share more on that tomorrow.

Our friends had driven over from the uk, so it was wonderful to spend some time catching up. We ate at the ‘Le Petit Rat Porteur’, a pleasant restaurant on the lively ‘place d’Heros’. The service was charming and the food very tasty.

The Rain

With warm bright sunny mornings, we normally wake and get up early, but this morning the sky was looking particularly grey, and the air was refreshingly cool, so we enjoyed an unusually slow start to our day and a very welcome lay in.

Once up, Brian decided he wanted to check on the pool. So off he went up the slope whilst I was preparing breakfast. Minutes later he texted me, ‘Can you close the windows, there is a massive rain cloud heading our way’. He had decided to take some photos of the grapes whilst he was up there, as the vineyard borders directly onto the back of our property. As he looked up he could see the rain in the distance, and he knew it would be falling on us very soon.

After such high temperatures, we were actually really pleased to see rain again, as everyone and everything was in need of it - the vignerons, the farmers, the gardeners, the rivers, the wildlife. The forecast is a few days of unsettled weather, but it’s going to be more humid, as it’s still warm.

The rain was both a wonderful sight and lovely feeling, it really freshened the air up.

Starting the cellar

So today Brian started the cellar rebuild. It’s not something that will happen in a hurry. Firstly, he had to clear some of the boxes of wine and the rubble that had been put there out of the way. Some of the stone he had to move will be used to help create the wall that will go through the middle of the room from left to right, splitting the room in half and creating a kind of temperature airlock. Second job was to start cleaning the beams. This was a messy one, that required scraping away not just the years of dust and cobwebs, but also any woodworm damaged wood.

Brian says that under every old and crumbling beam is a new beam waiting to come out. What’s left of the beams after scraping will be treated to help prolong their life, but that only comes after all the clearing up is finished.

It’s a dirty old job!

A very lazy day

Today we have taken a day off, and decided to spend the day at the pool. We have everything up there that we need to just be able to while away the day, lazing, not doing anything of any importance, just drifting, reading, having a swim, or laying and looking up at the rich blue sky, with not a cloud in sight.

The village is still, I can hear the rustle of the wind through the leaves on the trees, a bug buzzes by, off to be a nuisance somewhere else, the collar doves coo in the distance, the umbrella creeks as the gentle wind catches it, lightly. Brian turns a page on his book, he never breaks the spines, so it’s a careful turn, but I know he’s reading. The church bell chimes. Hmm, that reminds me briefly of the time, I want to put a joint of lamb in the oven for dinner, to slowly roast in lashings of oil, garlic, some leeks, carrots and rosemary.

Those still summer days just floating by. I think another little snooze, before I get up to start our evening. A chilled glass of white I think, or maybe a light red to enjoy with dinner. Now that’s a question for Brian, not a decision I can be making on a day like today.

Full moon

As we were finishing up eating dinner in the garden, and enjoying the last mouthfuls of our homemade cherry ice-cream, we noticed the moon was starting to rise from behind the tree line.

Brian quickly went to get his camera to capture it, but didn’t have his tripod to hand, so wheeled a bin over which he kneeled down near and leaned on. It was the best chance of capturing it, with minimal light in the street beyond.

I have to say it was pretty stunning. To have such an uninterrupted view of such a beautiful moon was a delight to see, and we were all pretty awe struck.

Un grand erreur

When we have our chambre d’hôte guests, Brian will nip into Bar-sur-Seine around 8am to buy fresh bread and pastries from the artisan boulangerie. It gives our guests a very tasty start to the day. En route he likes to listen to french radio, not always understanding it, but just listening to the tones and letting the language flow over him. He enjoys this time in the car.

When he arrived at the bakers this morning he realised he had forgotten his wallet, and he really didn’t want to have to drive back to get it, as breakfast was fast approaching, so he boldly strolled into the shop and asked the baker – in his best French – if he could buy some bread and pastries and return later with the money. ‘Pas problème’ said the baker. ‘Phew’ Brian thought, feeling very proud that he’d managed to talk himself out of this ‘grand erreur’ as he’d explained it to the baker.

After breakfast, and when we’d said cheerio to our guests, he nipped back into Bar-sur-Seine to settle up his ‘grand erreur’

Brian is in the kitchen

By Brian Simpson
Guest author

Ever since I can remember my name has been a source of humour. Not that I’m complaining in any way, just that it’s a fact. When I was young(er), we had to have our name removed from the telephone book, because we were receiving a few too many calls asking ‘Can Bart come out to play?’. That was just the start of 33 years of living with one of the most famous names of modern times, and an endless string of jokes to go with it. So now we are living in France, it seems nothing short of ironic that my name, Brian, is equally as famous, and it’s not because he was an alternative messiah (or, indeed, ‘a very naughty boy’). No…Brian is core to the French understanding of the English language, because Brian was a central character in French childrens English languages books.

‘Where is Brian?’
‘Brian is in the kitchen.’

It’s strange, that once again, the humour in my name has become another familiar part of my life, but this time in France.

It all began quite a while ago, when my French ski teacher would say ‘Where is Brian? Brian is on the slope.’ Then, of course, I merely believed that he was a little eccentric, and thought nothing more of it. But as the occurrences built up, such as ‘Where is Brian? Brian is in the cellar’, or ‘Brian is in the pool’, or ‘Brian is in the garden’, my curiosity was obviously piqued. So I did a bit of digging online (actually, I didn’t have to try too hard) and there I was, basically a national institution.

So I can definitely look forward to many more instances of ‘Where is Brian?’. Lucky I have a good sense of humour!

River below, oh no!

Just before our guests arrived yesterday, I went to water my window boxes. ‘Oh no’, I exclaimed to Brian, ‘It’s fallen into the river.’

I noticed that two of my three window boxes had fallen off the window sill into the river below. Luckily there was not much water flowing, and they had not been washed away.

‘I’ll have to get in and pull them out, shall I do it now?’ ‘No I think we should do it together, let’s leave them until the morning”. As soon as our guests arrived we were going to serve dinner, so I didn’t want him getting all wet, and potentially muddy, for their arrival. We agreed they would be okay left until the morning, and I said, ‘At least they will get a good soaking of water overnight.’

In the morning, we both donned our wellies and climbed into the river to retrieve our flower boxes. Luckily they were not too worse for wear from their adventure.

We had had a lot of sun, and a little bit of wind, that meant the earth had dried out and they had become lighter, and as they are a bit front heavy, and are inclined to tip forward, I think the combination is why they ended up in the river. What Brian has done now though, to help prevent it from happening again, is prop them up at the front slightly so they tip back.

Le Valentino

We took a stroll into Troyes yesterday with some friends. They had recommended a restaurant that they had visited on a previous trip, so we thought it would be nice to go there together for lunch.

The city of Troyes was looking very splendid, with masses of flowers potted up around the main square.

The restaurant we were heading to was Le Valentino, 35 Rue Paillot Montabert, 10000 Troyes. It was tucked into a courtyard, within the old part of town, amongst the narrow alleyways that criss-cross through the many leaning buildings. Although it was a very hot day, the large canopy overhead shielded us from the heat of the sun, and it made for a delightful setting for an absolutely delicious meal.

David Austin

The roses in our garden loved the storm at the end of last week and are popping up all across the garden for another flush of colour throughout August. I particularly like my David Austin rose (the bright pink one) which is currently in a pot, so I need to decide where to plant this before winter, so it can settle in to its permanent home.

The negotiation

Things didn’t quite go according to plan on the negotiation I had to buy a lamp at the vide grenier on Sunday.

We had spotted a stall that was selling a lot of interesting lamps. Some looked kind of ‘trop cher’ (too expensive). However Brian spied a lampshade he liked, and I said I thought it would go well with another lamp base we already have. So I decided to see if she would sell us just the shade.

The lady explained the lamp was not very expensive, in fact 10 euros for the complete lamp, which we didn’t want, so I offered 5 euros for the ‘ l’ombre’ (the shade). She agreed, on one condition, we take the whole lamp. Brian was not that impressed when he realised ‘we’ had bought the whole lamp!

I know it’s not the prettiest of lamps, but I sort of like it. We’ll have to decide once I’ve cleaned the shade and seen what it looks like on the other base before I make any rash decisions on this one!

The galvanised jug was 7 euros, and it’s beautiful. The mini glass bottles were 5 euros each. I have a few of these now, which I use as vases. We also bought a door handle for 2 euros.

Finally, I bought a set of biscuit cutters -mine are a bit blunt, and these felt much sharper. The tarte tins may be a bit rusty, but they were a Euro, so I thought worth the risk in trying to clean them.

Generally a pretty good day out.