Pork tonight

It was a chilly start today. We’d nipped out early as I wanted to collect some pork from the butchers which I’d ordered for our chambre d’hôte guests tonight.

I’m going to make a slow roasted pork dish with fennel, it is rather tasty and a great recipe to pop in the oven in the afternoon and leave to cook slowly.

You need a very sharp knife to score the skin, then you salt it well and sprinkle on some pepper and fennel seeds. I then sear the skin lightly and add some spices to the pan; bay leaves, star anise, cardamom, garlic and some fresh fennel. Without getting the skin wet, pour in about 400ml of white wine and 600 ml of chicken stock. It depends on the size of your pan. The liquid needs to come just up to the layer of fat, but not over the skin. Get the liquid to boiling on the stove. Then place in the oven at 180°c for 2½ hours. You will have beautiful tender pork to enjoy with crispy crackling.

Off we trot

We started the day with an early delivery of the wood that we had ordered a few days ago. It came, maybe predictably, as we were sitting down to a coffee, so Brian went out to meet the delivery driver to unload it into the garage, whilst I sat quietly with my coffee. I did my bit later on though, when we moved it from the garage to the cellar, where he will need it.

A good job done, but we still had our French homework to do, and it was a tad chilly outside, so we decided to go in and have another coffee to warm up, and sit and do our homework. A good couple of enjoyable hours whizzed by, but we both were feeling like we needed to stretch our legs, so off we trotted up the hilly vineyards and made a couple of friends along the way.

Vineyard walk

It was such a gorgeous afternoon, it made it very easy to stop doing things at the house and go for a little walk. I never get bored of walking round the village, there are so many different routes to take and different things to see - absolutely delightful.

This afternoon we walked up the slope opposite us, and along the edge of the vineyard. There’s a really pretty view down to our house

As we turned near the church, the sun was low in the sky, and there was a silver light shining through the vines.

One down

We started our day by going to order some wood for Brian to do a bit more work in the cellar. Now the weather is warming up, he wants to get the roof on the space where you access the cellar. This will help with the insulation. Before we have this delivered next week, I wanted him to help me finish the first armoire he’d reassembled in the spare room upstairs.

We just needed to cover the shelves he’d cut with some material. I was cutting up an old duvet cover Mum had once given me.

It just took a bit of stapling to ensure it all laid flat, but it made such a difference to the cupboard. I then pinned some lace Mum had crocheted for me one Christmas along the edge of the shelf.

I have to say I think it’s transformed it.

I can’t wait now to start sorting out my cupboards and clothes.

Jambon beurre

One of my favourite sandwiches since moving to France is a delicious buttery ‘jambon beurre’. It is so simple to make with a few key ingredients.

A fresh baguette is a must, spread it with cold butter fresh from the fridge. We enjoy the salt crystal variety, but unsalted can be just as good, whichever is your preference, but be certain to use cold butter as it needs to be difficult to spread to give it that buttery taste. Then add a suitable lashing of Dijon mustard over the butter, and some sliced ham of your choice. I like the braised ham I get from our local butcher. That’s it, a French classic.

Today, we enjoyed ours sitting up at the point du vue. I suggested we should take a little walk up there to stretch our legs and enjoy our lunch overlooking the vineyards and village.

It was simply idyllic watching the spotlights of sunshine picking out the lush green of the fields.

Fit in a trip

Recently we made a flying visit to the UK to visit Hilda (Brian’s mum) and fit her safety gate.

She was very proud of her new gate and told everyone who visited that her son had made it for her. He had made such a good job, making it fit properly and styling it like the existing banisters.

We also took a trip up to see my dad, who is also doing very well. We fitted in a wonderful day out, visiting some old family friends, catching up and sharing our memories of our little adventures when we were all much younger.

Mini project

Brian has been working on a mini project.

He has been making a gate for his mum’s stairs. Her sight is starting to fail her, so with the help of his sister, who had suggested she needed one, the two of them planned to create something that would help keep her safe. Over the past couple of weeks, with Pauline taking some detailed and accurate measurements, Brian has been using his woodworking skills to make a gate that was strong enough to do the job, but also looked good.

Vitrail part two

After soaking up the details of stained glass technique and style on the third floor we headed down to the spacious, bright gallery on the second floor. Here we were treated to a ‘tour de force’ of the art of stained glass. There are some spectacular pieces, stylishly displayed and sensitively lit. You can pick up a visitors handbook on the way into the gallery which explains each of the pieces.

This is a gallery that needs time; time to admire the amazing art, the sumptuous colours and the incredible skill, that has created some truly beautiful pieces.

Stained glass artisans produced test pieces as advertising in their studios created with broken pieces from other windows, like the example above

There are beautiful and spectacular modern pieces throughout the gallery

We all had our favourites, I wonder what yours would be?

vitrail part one

The apothecary was only the start of the vitrail museum, as the French word ‘Vitrail’ means stained glass, and that was what we had really come to see.

We headed back to the main entrance, where an old, winding, wooden staircase leads you upwards, wrapping around a cascade of coloured, glass pendant lights. It’s a rather spectacular arrangement, whetting your appetite for the displays ahead.

The staircase climbs to the third floor (there is a lift if needed). The walk up is gentle, and gives you the chance to view the light installation from many different angles.

On the third floor, tucked into the roof space, there are two galleries. The first explains the process of making stain glass windows, and the restoration techniques involved, touching on some of the renovations that have been made to stained glass in-situ around the Aube.

The cité du vitrail is not just a museum, it’s the starting point for the discovery of the richness of stained glass in the department of the Aube, which has a dense, magnificent collection that you can discover in any one of the 350 buildings recognised as having historically important glass across the region. Some form part of the unique ‘Route du vitrail’, which is found in a web-based tour guide route-vitrail.fr which is presented in English and French.

The second gallery, on the third floor, brings together some of these examples, focussing on the styles and different techniques behind the creation of stained glass.

Apothecary

On a recent trip to Troyes we visited the cité du vitrail, a newly opened museum devoted to the regions famous stained glass history. The visit however starts in the apothecary.

It’s a stunning room displaying all the intricately painted ancient boxes and earthenware jars which were used to store the herbs for the pharmacists or apothecaries concoctions. These containers are all original, dating back to 1725 when the apothecary was first built.

There are some very, let’s say, ‘interesting’ displays to be seen. With translations in English, it’s a fascinating start to the visit.

Seasonality

When we first arrived in France for a change to our pace of life, I was excited to explore the seasonality of its produce. I had noticed on our visits, before moving here full time, that the markets rarely promoted the same things for sale two months running. At first I found this difficult, because I would come with a menu plan based on what I’d seen the previous month, only to find a lot of the ingredients weren’t available. I would end up scouring the supermarket shelves for less fresh alternatives. This was a habit I needed to change, as what became clearly apparent was our local markets were working to a natural, seasonal pattern, one that ensured both quality and freshness and an alternative to extreme food miles, I just had to learn how to work with it. I needed a plan.

Firstly, I would always buy what the lady in front of me bought, whatever that was, even if I didn’t recognise it. Then I would look up a recipe online and try that, I had a few ‘go-to’ french websites that helped with this. Next, I would always mention what I had cooked to my french friends, and they would then give me either advice or other recipes – asking the market stall owners what they would do with it also helped. Finally, I’ve started buying old French cookery books, as they are inevitably styled around the same produce.

After almost three years, I’m getting used to the seasonality of our food, enjoying citrus season, and the different types of fruit that brings; I discovered pomelo this year, so our B&B guests can look out for pomelo marmalade at the breakfast table. I’m now looking forward to the large bundles of asparagus due in the market very soon, as the taste of a chilled creme of asparagus soup on a warm day, and a crisp glass of Chablis, is dreamy. We’re slowly moving away from our old eating habits, and enjoying the wonders of a changing year that brings little delights back to the table.

Embracing seasonality is part of understanding the culture of France and the French people, it’s a deeply rooted element of their identity, and it’s a feature of French life that I love.

Olive, Orange and plum

There was a beautiful blue sky, and it was pleasantly warm, so I suggested we go and do a bit of gardening.

We have a few plum trees in the garden, and I love to pick the fruit for jam and plum crumbles. Last year it wasn’t a great crop, but enough for us. One of the trees is quite unruly, so I was keen to prune it in the hope it may bear more fruit this year.

A bit further down the garden the olive tree seemed to be flourishing after we had planted it out last year. It had been in a large stone pot for years, as we never had the space to plant it out before. I pruned a few dead twigs off it, and Brian placed a few more rocks around the base to keep its roots cool. It will be nice to see it develop into what it could be.

We then planted a few ‘Mexican orange blossom’ (Choisya) shrubs, which provide a delicious aroma in the summer from their delicate little white blossom. I’m not sure we will experience it this year, but hopefully they will take okay and we will be able to enjoy them in the years to come. I am feeling excited about the garden this year, as we have a bit more time to begin structuring it and thinking about how it might look. I will work more on putting my garden plan on to paper over the coming weeks, so Brian can see my thoughts.

Little break

We enjoyed a very pleasant little break this week when we took a trip into Troyes with some friends visiting from the UK. It’s such a beautiful city, with plenty for us still to discover, and we seem to find something different every time we go there.

We arrived in Troyes just as lunchtime was beginning, and so headed to the traditionally french bistro of ‘Les Crieurs des vins’. This is a fabulous little restaurant that we’ve visited before, with delicious classical French cuisine and a selection of local beers and wines. After a very relaxing meal, we wandered through the cobbled streets, heading to the recently opened Cité du Vitrail (stained glass museum). This is a beautiful, stylish museum, spread over 4 floors in the gorgeous old building of the ‘hotel-dieu-le-comte’, situated just by the canal. It’s completely new, and has been thoughtfully designed.

I will share more on the museum over the coming few days, as it is so worth a visit.

Well done

Since arriving in France, we’ve had some interesting trips to our local DIY stores, and over the past few years we’ve learnt where the best places are to buy certain items; where to get our wood, building materials, electrical items, who can deliver, cost of delivery etc. We’ve also experienced the trials of using the internet and when it’s best to just go to our local DIY store, Weldom, and try and benefit from their particular way of doing things.

One thing they do that Brian now loves is how they make you buy screws and nails. They have various size bags or plastic containers which you can fill with a variety of different items. The types of items you can put in each container are clearly marked, with larger containers only taking larger items.

You pay a fixed price for the container, and fill it as much as you like. We didn’t quite understand this at first, but after a few conversations at the cash desk we realised what we needed to do. We now fill them with as much as we can. This bag cost us 4 euros and contains four different fixing types, a much more cost effective way to buy for various needs.

I had the joy of sorting them out into different pots when we got home.

Oh no!

We had a bit of a setback on the painted armoire yesterday, I’d got a bit ahead of myself! In my keenness to get them painted, I had completely omitted the sanding stage. So when Brian came up to see how I was getting on, he casually mentioned ‘Did you decide not to sand them?’ ‘Oh no!’ . As it has a coat of varnish on it, painting straight onto the varnish will be prone to chipping very easily, and being a cupboard this could happen quite often.

We agreed that the best course of action was to sand them down now, before I start painting anymore. Brian got to work with the one I’d painted, leaving me to progress with the chairs.

Asian supermarket

We had an excellent little discovery yesterday, an Asian supermarket. We love eating Asian food, and I love cooking it, but since we moved to France I’ve had difficulty in getting certain products, so I was hugely excited when a friend took us to this Asian supermarket on the outskirts of Troyes.

I had thought it would probably be overpriced, but it was pleasantly very competitive, and the staff were extremely helpful. Next time we visit I will ensure I have an Asian menu planned, and will be buying a lot more.

‘Relooking’

The paint on the chair had covered well, so I put a second coat on it. The first one is now ready for the upholstery. But I want to get the second one to this stage before I start upholstering it.

I also made a start on the armoire.

I started by cleaning it with some white spirit. Before getting an undercoat on. This is going to take some time, but I really enjoy bringing old pieces of furniture back to life (the French call it relooking), they are so full of character from the sights they have seen.

Simple day

After our french lesson I nipped and got the wood for the shelving. When I got back I wanted to get a coat of paint on the chairs. I had some old Annie Sloan chalk paint, which had gone very thick, but I watered it down and it looks like it’s covered okay. It’s the paint I had used before, so it should match the other two chairs. I will see what it’s like tomorrow.

We had some friends coming round in the evening for a simple supper, so I needed to make sure Brian wasn’t working too late in the day.

He was having a bit of a sort out in his workshop, and also cutting some logs up, that were a little too long. He had set the fire ready to be lit, and I’d made the soup for dinner earlier in the day, so we packed up around four and went to get washed and changed.

Another day

Brian was keen to start putting the armoire back together. Neither of us had enjoyed having to take it apart, we were slightly worried we could damage it. But we knew it was the only option.

He sanded off the areas where he’d glued, then we took all the bits up the two flights of old wooden stairs, careful not to chip any paint work on the way.

The job of putting it back together then began. We had marked each piece so it was easy to know where they all fitted and which way up they needed to be.

We then decided that we would replace the shelves, as one was split in two and another had bowed slightly. I liked the idea of having new shelves. Unfortunately though Brians wood store didn’t have what we needed, so a trip to our local diy store was in order. ‘I’ll go tomorrow, after our French lesson’ I told Brian. “We’ll just have to wait another day to finish it!”

Break, move, mend

We decided the first job for the day was to try and get one of the armoires upstairs. I want to paint the second one, so we are not ready to take that upstairs yet. It was the smallest of the two which we wanted to move first. With the mirrored doors removed it was light enough for Brian and I to carry it. Unfortunately though there was no way it was going to go up the stairs, we needed about an inch more room all around it. The only way we could do it is if we had the courage to dismantle it!

Most wardrobes in France come apart with screw fixings, but this one wasn’t like that. We were going to have to break it. We started by carefully prising off the wooden trim.

The tiny nails holding it on were brittle and rusty. Some came away easy others needed a bit of brute force. It was time to remove the back panel next. Some gentle persuasion with a rubber mallet helped the situation.

We soon had it reduced to two and a half panels, and decided we would try it again.

It was not easy, but we managed to squeeze it up around the curve in the stairs, without damaging anything and positioned it up in our family and friends guest room on the top floor. Brian then just had a couple of repairs to do on the back boards which had split during the dismantling. Nothing a bit of wood glue and some clamps wouldn’t mend. We decided to leave it to dry over night before putting it all back together.