Dijon market

In the morning, as if we hadn’t eaten enough, we headed to the marché des halles for breakfast. I bought us a couple of pain aux raisins, and we went and found a pleasant little café to enjoy them, whilst sitting outside with a grand crème (milky coffee). Our view was of the spectacular iron and glass structure of the market. The building was inspired by the Eiffel company, but it was the plans of engineer Louis-Clément Weinberger that were used for the building, which took 5 years to build. It was opened in 1875, and is now a listed Historical Monument.

It started our day very well.

The market in Dijon is open most days, but on a Friday they also have additional local stalls around the outside. The place was full, and bustling with all sorts of people looking for something tasty to eat.

We came away rather laden with bags of delicious delights.

Cibo

The restaurant we had come to try in Dijon was literally 5 minutes from the hotel, so - all wrapped up - we headed there for our 7.30pm reservation.

We had a very friendly greeting, and were their first customers of the evening to arrive, so they asked us if we wanted to sit at the ‘counter’ or take one of the tables for two. We thought the counter, or ‘chefs table’ as we would call it, looked the prime spot.

We settled in for our ten course tasting menu, starting with 2 small dishes of canapés, which we enjoyed with an absinthe based cocktail. Not something I would usually choose, however it went really well with the first dishes, being both very refreshing and a little savoury.

The restaurant was starting to fill up, although our attention was all on the three chefs, working calmly and diligently together in the compact kitchen.

We had chosen our wine, a red Burgundy of course, and were now being served our various courses. Each one was presented with care and consideration, and with an explanation of what we were about to taste. The evening was relaxed and everything we hoped it would be. I love discovering a little jewel like this.

Dijon all lit up

As early evening came we wandered along the cobbled streets and through the stalls of the Christmas market. They were spread out all along the Rue de La Liberté. As we walked, we discovered little pockets of festivity, with carousels, market stalls or people selling sweet treats to enjoy.

The smell of vin chaud kept drifting on the rather chilly evening air. Brian had put his thermals on, and was feeling rather toasty and pleased with himself. I had my thermal coat and my red beret, so we were both very cosy from the cold.

The street and its decorations were looking rather delightful, such care and thought displayed. The main tree, in the Place de La Libération, was made up of lots of smaller trees, all arranged to create the effect of a much larger, natural tree. There was a sign nearby describing that after the festive season, the trees would be chipped and put onto the green open spaces to help protect the gardens.

As we wandered very slowly back to the hotel, to get ready for our dinner, we couldn’t help but muse over the window displays.

A chocolate shop with its darling little egg-like figures on skis, and egg shaped cable cars stretching across the scene. Hundreds of little cotton balls were hung on wire to depict the snow. Truly adorable.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts - Dijon

The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon is a wonderful museum and has some excellent works of fine art. It was actually opened in 1787, making it one of the oldest museums in France. It is located in the beautiful historic city centre of Dijon and is situated in the former ducal palace, which was the headquarters of the Burgundy State in the 15th century. It is also possible to visit the palace, but we have saved this for next time.

François Pompon was born in the town of Saulieu in Burgundy, not far from Dijon in 1855. He became a sculptor, famous for his animal figures. One of his most notable ones is of the ‘Ours Blanc’, or White bear . Their are examples in the museum, and also one in the park in Dijon.

We also got to see works by Rodin, Degas and Pissarro, to name a few.

And I particularly enjoyed seeing some art nouveau vases in glass and metal, exquisite.

Arriving in Dijon

We planned a brief trip to Dijon this week. I had wanted to visit the Christmas market, and there was a restaurant I’d read about which I had also wanted us to try. So we decided we’d have our ‘Christmas outing’ there. It’s just an 80 minute drive from us, but we thought an overnight would give us a relaxed couple of days to explore. Dijon is such an attractive city, and there is plenty to do.

We arrived around lunchtime, so nipped into a little café for a croque monsieur and a very decadent hot drink.

Our afternoon soon flew by, as we wandered around the beautifully decorated streets, enjoying all the wonderful window displays and street decorations. We decided, whilst it was still daylight, that we would visit the Musée des Beaux Arts before visiting the Christmas market, as we knew the streets would look even more magical when the lights were switched on at dusk. Even so, the shop window displays were wonderful.

An early one

It’s been a busy few days preparing for guests, but that’s what I love, and I think it’s even more magical having people staying at this time of year.

This morning we said our farewells to a guest leaving early, who wanted to get an early start on the road. The village was beautifully calm, just a few sounds of people starting their days, and the trickle of the river.

Our Local Christmas markets

On Sunday we visited a couple of local Christmas markets, one in Ville-sur-Arce and the other in Bar-sur-Seine.

We just love all the thought that goes into these events. In Bar-sur-Seine they were offering pony rides for the children, and there was a small fair, along with stalls selling churros. But of course, as this was a festival, they were also selling oysters!

The stall holders are very welcoming and friendly, they will always take the time to carefully describe what they are selling, and often to allow you to taste their produce. It’s such a great way for us to practice our French.

The finishing touches

Over the years we have collected some beautiful decorations. Some have been given to us, some we’ve bought on our travels, some are satisfyingly classic, and some are hand-made, but all hold wonderful memories.

The tree is now looking rather splendid in all its red, gold and glittery glory.

Foraging

It was a beautiful winters morning, and as we walked through the village we could feel the chill of the breeze on our faces. We were heading up towards the woods, to look for some foliage to decorate the house.

We really don’t need to look too hard, the woods are full of luscious moss and ivy. We never take too much from one spot, always being mindful of our surroundings and the community that we live in.

It’s such a pleasurable little outing, we’d gone prepared with our secateurs and black sack to pop our finds in, negotiating a few little obstacles along the way.

On the return journey it was difficult not to stop and enjoy the view. The valley was looking beautiful at this wonderful time of the year.

Shut that door

We’d just got back from the market, and Brian said he wanted to go out and try to finish the cellar door off. He needed to join the two doors together and sandwich the insulation between them. I knew he would welcome some help from me, so I popped my coat on and went to see what I could do.

At first it was just a case of cutting the insulation to fit, which is a one person job, so I got on and tidied the mess this created.

He then had to cut the edges that would surround the door and connect the two sides. After helping him lift the bits into place I couldn’t help too much here either, so I went to make some mince pies to have later.

When I came back he’d finished all but one of the edges, and was cutting the last piece of wood to seal it up. The table saw is extremely noisy, but it does help do things quicker.

I was then able to help again, as the inner door piece needed screwing on. Brian drilled the holes, then I screwed the screws in. It was done in no time.

We then needed to fix the hinges in place. To be certain they were in the right place we carried the ‘now, rather heavy’ door into the cellar to check on the positioning. Back to the workshop with the hinge positions marked, and ten minutes later they were in place.

We carried it for the final time back to the cellar, and used wedges of wood to reach the height we needed it to be before fixing it to the oak door surround we had created previously. We were not sure if the screws needed to be pre-drilled, but fortunately they went in without a problem. Finally the door was in place, and swinging nicely on its hinges.

What a superb job. We were both very happy to get this done. It does need a bit of finishing, but that will happen over time, the important thing is, it’s now sealed and wine ready.

Cheese stall

We both love our cheeses, and living in France certainly means we have access to some gorgeous ones from all across France.

This Friday we spotted a visiting cheese stall owner at our local market, from the Savoie region of France, which is on the western edge of the Alps. We love the food delicacies from this area, often made with their beautiful rich cheeses. The taste of some can be quite farmyard-like, and you can feel the herds of animals living through the winter in their barns and feeding on the hay produced in the summer months. Others can be sweet, from the lush summer pastures where the herds of cows, goats and sheep feed in the meadows, or up high in the mountains.

The stall owner invited us to taste some of his very tempting looking cheeses. This is always a big mistake for us, as once we are involved we will never resist buying a piece or two…or three.

I’m really looking forward to dinner now.

Let it sparkle

We really had no idea how the tree fitted in the car this year. When we got it home it looked enormous.

Along with the tree, they also sold us a rather large slice of a tree trunk with a hole in it to fix the tree into, as I think they were quite concerned it could fall over if not secured properly. After Brian had positioned the stand in the salon, where we planned to put the tree up, we had to then move some furniture around to fit it in. Later with a bit of heavy lifting, and carefully navigating the hallway, the netting could come off and the decorating begin. I do think it’s the biggest tree we’ve ever had.

This task obviously called for a celebratory glass of Champers, just to help everything sparkle that little bit more.

Mr Billy

When we nipped to the boulangerie this morning we noticed the sign for sapin on sale in a nearby village.

This is where we bought our Christmas tree from last year, so we know they sell really beautiful trees. We decided we would get in early and go and get ours on the way home. Obviously we couldn’t just buy a tree that would fit comfortably into a corner of our salon, oh no, we needed a 2.5 metre tree. We managed to squeeze it into the car - just - although it was touching the windscreen, and taking up most of Brian’s seat. Once we’d fitted it in the car, I went back to get some cut off branches, which are all free, and will be great to fill the house with greenery! Simply wonderful.

And you may remember the goats from last year? Well they are still there, Mr Billy looking a bit more grown up this year, but still very agile. The others were all very curious to come and say hello, such little darlings.

We were both starting to feel very Christmassy, so in the evening, we sat down with a little liqueur and finished off the Christmas cards, ready to be posted, tomorrow we will put the tree up.

L’eglise de Saint Pantaleon

Whilst in Troyes last week we came across an amazing little church which was nestled in-between the old buildings of Troyes. The insignificant sign on the heavily painted door shared that it was open today, so we pushed the handle and snuck in.

As we entered our eyes were drawn to the alter along the narrow nave, and then taken upwards by the superb stained glass windows to the rafters, and the rather impressive roof which we realised was entirely made of wood. The narrowness of the nave gave a truly spectacular feeling of height. Suspended from the ceiling, above the alter, we could see a tiny carved wooden dove, such a delightful addition.

The walls of the church are made from carved white stone, I’m thinking probably the local limestone. The balcony that sweeps around the nave looks amazing, and is probably spectacular to walk around, something I’m not sure I would want to do.

We then started to notice the beautiful stained glass windows around the church, which are exquisite.

They date from the 16th century and many are in muted, pale tones, which is unusual, as intense vibrant colours are preferred for the region.

We learnt that after the Revolution sculptures from the 16th century were collected and taken to the church for safe keeping. They wanted to try and save them from being destroyed, as was happening in other buildings. Many of these were never returned, so the result is that it has transformed the little church into a remarkable museum of the religious statues of Champagne.

Some of the statues on the pillars have been carved directly out of the pillar stone. Such care, and so intricate.

It’s a beautiful little church to find on a wander around Troyes, one we will definitely return to.

Cut once

I’d been planning to make some curtains for one of the windows in the Magnum room. We had bought some beautiful rich dark blue velvet material whilst in Troyes the other week, and were keen to see how they would look. Brian was happy to progress on his own in the cellar making the door, so I thought I’d get busy and make the curtains.

The material has a delicate stripe in it, which I’m hoping will help frame the window nicely, and pick the stripe pattern out which is in the fabric used on the walls.

Because all the windows in the house are so tall, the fabric is often quite long and becomes quite heavy to handle, so measuring it out does take me a little time. As my dad always says “measure twice, cut once”.

I just need Brian now to help me hang them.

Not one, but two

Brian was keen to get back in the cellar this morning. He wanted to start working on the door, which would mean that the cellar would then be completely sealed. He still needs to fix some more OSB on the side panels, but this can wait for now. The priority needs to be getting the cave sealed.

I was really surprised, as after I’d been pottering around indoors for a bit and then went out to see how he was getting on, he seemed to have pretty much made the door already. All the planks were laid out and joined together, and he was cutting out the door edges to fit perfectly into the hole.

However, he needed to actually make two doors, which would sandwich the insulation between them. He had his template now though, and soon got on with the second door.

The two doors still need to be bolted together properly and the hinges and handle added, but for now it’s filled the space, so we can be comfortable in the knowledge the cave is sealed from the cold temperatures that are forecast over the coming weeks.

How to make honeycomb

A favourite recipe for this time of year is homemade, honeycomb ice-cream. First you have to make the honeycomb, which although takes a bit of care, is great fun to do, and you can store it easily in the freezer. This recipe makes enough for quite a few pots of honeycomb icecream. You can also use it to just sprinkle over ice cream, or dip in chocolate for that ‘crunchie’ feeling.

All you need is 2 cups of castor sugar, 1/2 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

The video is about 7 minutes long, so sit back with a cuppa, and I hope you enjoy it. I would love to know if you’ve ever tried to make it?

On the practical side, the washing up is dead easy. The stuck on sugar just melts away in hot water, so I normally rinse it all off first, then give it a proper wash, or just pop it in the dishwasher.

Christmas is coming

There was a small Christmas market on in the pretty, little village of Essoyes on Sunday, it was the first one for us to visit this year. Christmas is so magical, I just love all the build up, and France does seem to like a good Christmas market. We decided we would take some time out and start our Christmas festivities by having a little look to see what we might find.

It was only a small market, but had plenty of hand-made gifts, such as soaps, candles, knitted items, table decorations, paintings, wooden toys, and some local produce - sausages, goats cheese, yoghurts, honey and cakes. It was a very pleasant little market, and we did buy one of the books which had been made into a delightful Christmas decoration. I’m thinking it may be the first Christmas market of many we visit this year.

Up and away

It was quite a grey day yesterday, the starlings were loving it though and getting very excited flying around in the cool air and using our neighbours trees as their play ground.

Brian was up and away early this morning as he knew he had a full day of work ahead of him in the cellar. He had to repeat what he had done the day before, but on the other side of the door entry. He started off by filling the last of the small holes near the ceiling, then he worked on batoning and fitting the insulation for the two remaining panels on the left hand side. It was all pretty fiddly work and took most of the day.

I was keeping him motivated with tea, and made some homemade soup for lunch to give him some sustenance for his afternoons work. The space is really starting to feel like a useable cellar now, a few more days and it should all be sealed and we can start to monitor the temperature in there.

Insulation

It was a very misty morning, and as we ate breakfast I asked Brian how he was feeling about the cellar. “There’s still a lot to do “ he replied. “Hmm I know, but it’s looking excellent. “

He’d got the four wooden bases for the framing finished yesterday afternoon, and was going to push ahead now with fitting the insulation.

Firstly, he marked out where the batons needed to go. Then he fixed them to the oak beams, cut the insulation to size, and slotted it in place.

He then needed to cut the OSB, which was going to cover the insulation on both sides. This was a bit tricky, as the uncut boards were quite heavy and unwieldy. By early afternoon though, he’d completed two of the panels, back and front.

Ideally, before he finished for the day, he wanted to try and fit the insulation in the gap between the ceiling and the panels he’d been working on. They were only small areas, but awkward to work on. By the time he’d finished two of the three holes he was done for the day.