Now what?

We had just returned from an afternoon out and about, and it was a little hot in the house, so I opened a few windows to get a breeze through. Brian decided to race up to the pool to do the checks that need doing every few days.

I turned my back for a moment, and suddenly there was a huge green thing on the drinks cabinet. I quickly took a photo and sent it to Brian on his phone, with the message ‘Now what?’.

Fortunately he was already on his way down, and was soon scooping it up on a brush and depositing it back outside where it belonged.

Serenity

So I wonder, did you manage to guess what Brian had bought me at the vide grenier last week?

It was a small statue of a nun, it stands about 20cm tall and is made of clay. We think it would have been made by the sculpture who would then have used it to make a template for a mould. We are not certain though, so if you think you may know more we would love to hear it.

I just love the serenity of her little pose.

Tractor activity

It’s that time of year when there’s a lot of tractor activity in the vineyards and the fields. Our little village is alive with the vignerons going about their business. They are all just finishing a period called palissage, which involves pinning the vines to guide wires, it’s very manual work. Everything is growing now, so there’s a lot of tidying and weeding being done.

A number of the growers near us are working towards biodynamic practices, and they don’t use chemicals for weed control, so it can be quite an intensive task keeping the vineyards clear.

Up in the fields the wheat harvest is about to start, so the cereal farmers really don’t want too much rain, if any, but the vines could do with a little bit during this growing season. Its a delicate balance between the needs of different farmers. That said, our garden could really do with some rain.

Big decision

As we drove home yesterday we were halted by three deer playing in the road. They seemed unsure as to whether they should run left or right. They had obviously got ahead of their mum, and it was becoming a battle of confidence for the three. One then doubled back, but a second kept going. The third turned tail also and ran back. Mum then appeared and took the lead, running across the road with her two little ones following, all four reunited again. They were simply adorable, I do so love having the deer living around our village.

Tin man

It must be about 6 weeks ago when Brian first started sanding down the metal table. I’d mentioned that we’d bought this old table a few years back from a small brocante in Bar-sur-Seine. It was covered in thick paint and was showing some significant rust patches.

Brian did a great job in taking it back to just the metal. However since then he has been using some car filler to fix the holes, after he had treated the rust, and where the holes were really bad he added some tin underneath to provide a base for the filler.

We are now at the point of painting it which is where I come in. The table top is looking much stronger with all the holes filled and fixed, and with a final rub down. I am now using an off white hammerite enamel paint to cover it. This will provide some good protection.

Whats for dinner

When our guests have table d’hôte dinner with us we like to produce a little menu card, so when they arrive in their room or come back from their day out, it’s there waiting for them, to let them know what they will be eating that evening.

We think it helps to know what you will be eating, but it can also present a little enigma, such as the ‘Coupé noir de coco et grains de chia’.

The coconut and chia coupe, is a new dessert favourite of ours, and full of yummy goodness. The chia seeds are grown on a local farm, la ferme des blés d’or. I mix them with a little agave syrup, vanilla and coconut milk. I then serve it topped with fruit.

Chia seeds are full of B vitamins, which help our bodies gain energy from the food we eat. They are also rich in several dietary minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.

A yummy dessert that’s good for you at the same time.

Ups and downs

It was a bit of a scorcher yesterday.

We’d been and picked up a couple of sun loungers and another parasol for by the pool, which we’d ordered from Weldom the previous week. They were still in the barn, so the first task was to get them up to the pool.

In theory that should be quite easy, but we had also bought 4 rather large and heavy paving slabs to take up, which we had bought to secure the umbrella in place. We were able to strap them one at a time to the trolley and Brian pulled them up the slope. It was heavy and very hot work. A few trips up and down and we had taken everything up there, however, that was probably the easy bit, as we then needed to put them all up!

We started with the parasol, so that we could create some shade. it was in three main sections which went together quite quickly.

Brian wasted no time in getting under it, and guzzled down a bottle of water. It really was a scorcher.

I’d laid out the first of the sun beds. It wasn’t difficult to put together, it just seemed to have a lot of screws.

They must have taken us a good hour to fit them both together.

We obviously needed to try them out before our guests arrived. So a nice little cup of tea, before we tidied up and went back down the slope to prepare for dinner.

Now what to wear?

I had hoped to finish off the armoire before we went away, but time ran away with us. So this morning we were up keen and ready to get it finished. We needed to buff up the surfaces after applying the Annie Sloan wax, this helps it have a soft sheen. If you leave it, it will remain with a matt finish.

After carrying all the bits upstairs, we then had to remember how it slotted together. They’re pretty straight forward, but it’s easy to put something in the wrong way around if you’re not concentrating. It wasn’t long before we were putting each piece in place and securing them into position.

I am loving the finished look, and it gives me so much more hanging space. I’m discovering clothes I’d forgotten I had!

Route des grands crus

We couldn’t resist a little drive along la route des grands crus, to visit the small village of Puligny Montrachet, which produces probably my favourite white wine in the world, and in such a beautiful setting.

We then stopped off in the town of Mersault, for a little wander and a coffee in the square outside the rather impressive town hall, with a typically Burgundian tiled roof.

We then headed north up to Nuit-Saint-Georges for a little lunch stop. Brian couldn’t resist ‘les escargots’ in the typical buttery, garlic sauce. I’m satisfied with just a bit of bread dipped in the sauce. He does love to have them when we make a visit to Burgundy, where it’s one of their regional dishes.

There’s a good degustation to be had at Moillard in Nuit-Saint-Georges, which gives you the opportunity to try wines from across the region. Brian and Nigel decided they would go for the 8 bottle tasting which included one grand cru (not shown). They thoroughly enjoyed the selection and, of course, couldn’t resist but buy a bottle or two.

Dinner in Saint Romain

There’s a small but delightful bistro in Saint Romain. When I was looking for a restaurant for us on the internet before we arrived, I could only find reviews for this little bistro on Facebook. We had telephoned them to make a booking, which they confirmed and advised that they opened at 19.15. We always like to enjoy a drink before dinner, so arrived just as they were opening and settled down at a nice table outside on the verandah.

It was lovely to be outside, but I have to say the interior had a pleasant, quirky style about it, and felt just as comfortable.

The waiter explained a couple of items on the menu for us, such as freshly fried whitebait, which was a sharing plate, and the confit of beef, which I chose, and was delicious. It was served with a pea mousse and herb crumb. I then had the hake, which was so well cooked. It was served with cauliflower and a veal jus, ‘de-licious’.

The stroll back to our gite was just 5 minutes, and all down hill, thankfully.

It was a beautiful tranquil little get away, which we have very fond memories of and will definitely return to one day.

Saint Romain village

Saint Romain is one of the oldest villages in Burgundy. It definitely has a feel of days gone by, with it’s ancient streets and isolated position in a deep ravine of the Côte d’Or.

We drove up to a view point at the back of the village, which displayed a stunning sweeping view across the valley.

As we explored the quaint little village we discovered hints of its history; old buildings, some left crumbling others either renovated or being renovated, inscriptions in the stone walls over mysterious monuments, and carvings depicting the artisans that lived, or live, in this tiny village. The cross high up on the cliff stands stately and strong against the skyline.

The sleepy little village feels untouched by time.

Saint Romain degustation

We tried to book a few tastings before we’d arrived in Saint Romain, but we’d learnt that most of the producers are very low in stocks. The frosts of recent years have left a number of them with limited bottles, certainly not enough to be able to offer tastings. We had managed though to book a couple for the afternoon, so decided to just take a wander around the village in the morning to see if we could knock on some doors and chance being able to take a degustation.

It was a very hot day, so nothing was happening very fast, but we did manage to get a tasting at a place not on our list. We also had a very enjoyable conversation, happily practicing our french.

Saint Romain produces white (Chardonnay) and red wines (Pinot Noir), and over the course of the day we got to try both from a number of years, and some pretty exceptional wines at that.

The two tastings we had booked in the afternoon did not disappoint us, first of all we visited Rapet, who are a husband and wife team. They make some superb wines together and have a beautiful setting looking down over the valley. We then went to Domaine Germain, which was a bit of a walk back into the village, then up a pretty steep hill. It was quite a trek in the early afternoon heat, and being invited into the coolness of their cellar when we finally got there was a welcome relief. It was a delightful tasting, but again they had very limited stocks.

Having the opportunity to taste wines at the producers is always a valued experience, it really gives a sense of place, and allows us to chose what we would like to buy. We are definitely looking forward to enjoying our purchases with some delicious meals in the months and years to come.

Heading south

This morning we headed off to Burgundy for a few days. Our destination was the small village of Saint Romain, but en route we decided to stop off for a tasting at a small producer, Le Muid Montsaugeonnais. A friend had introduced us to their wines which they had served with lunch, we particularly liked their Chardonnay.

After making a purchase, we continued our journey to the beautiful old Burgundian town of Beaune. It was such a glorious day. We parked up on the ring road and wandered into town.

A pleasant little stop off at a local bar to help us rehydrate was very welcome.

We stocked up on some supplies, mainly bread, cheese (from the gorgeous little cheese shop in the centre of town) cold meats and fruit, then headed off to find a picnic spot for a late lunch. It was wonderfully idyllic, sitting in the shade overlooking the côté de Beaune, with the steeple of Mersault piercing the sky.

We arrived in the quaint little village of Saint Romain, settled ourselves into our gîte, then went for an explore on foot.

Our landlady had given us a cool bottle of their Chardonnay to enjoy as an apéro, which was a wonderful way to start our little tasting visit.

La Garde Champêtre, Gyé-sur-Seine

We always enjoy a meal at La Garde Champêtre, and a night out there last week did not let us down. We were with friends who had not been there before – it is always interesting for us to see if others enjoy it as much as we do.

Their potager, where they grow their vegetables and herbs, is planted along the side of the restaurant, where it is flourishing. How I love to see the care that goes into growing the produce they will use in their kitchen.

We were welcomed with a smile and a warm greeting from one our waiters for the evening. He asks ‘Would you like to sit inside or out?’ It was a delightfully warm evening, so eating outside was definitely the way to go.

We were seated at a comfortable table overlooking the potager.

The meal did not disappoint, we started with a cold tomato gazpacho, sweet, intense flavours of tomato tinged with basil, which was delicious. The following dishes of grilled courgette with goats cheese, whiting and asparagus, beef tartare, Guinea fowl and a strawberry dessert did not disappoint.

Our friends loved it.

Courage

We’d had a storm in the night, and the air felt fresh and cool. I woke early, drifting in an out of sleep, aware of the dawn air from the open windows. The birds were also waking up. First a light chatter, checking to see who was awake, but gradually it built to a noisy, yet sweet, birdsong. Such a delightful way to wake up.

I could hear our vigneron neighbour quietly roll his truck out, wanting to start work early before the heat of the day made the work in the vineyards difficult to manage.

The sky was clearer, and the sun was just starting to float above the horizon. One more snooze before I wake up and start my day.

The storm has left the garden looking bedraggled, I need to try and tidy the forelorn looking roses. They look bruised and weary from the rain. I have to muster the courage to start to prune and dead head them, just maybe then they will muster the courage for another bloom. I can see a few days of steady snipping ahead, to liven them all up.

Packed sunday

We woke early this morning and decided to head out to visit a few vide greniers. We both just love doing that on a Sunday morning. They were all in roughly the same area, but mainly villages we hadn’t visited before. At the second venue we were tempted by the look, and the delicious smell, of a roasting ham joint being cooked over a coal fire. It was being served with chips. I have to say, for a food stall at a vide grenier, it was absolutely delicious.

After a couple of stop offs, we arrived home around 3ish, and thought it would be good to get a coat or two of paint on the armoire. We could then let it dry overnight before we apply the final third coat in the morning.

The first coat went on easily but was quite patchy, but we soon had a second coat on it which cheered us both up as it had much better coverage.

Not far from home

The garden was a buzz of activity today. We had a couple of dragon flies flitting amongst the shrubs, and seemingly enjoying posing for a picture against my white chairs.

The bees were hard at work also, enjoying collecting their pollen from one of our rose trees. Their little legs were laden down with the bright, orange nectar, an absolute delight to see. I hope they don’t have far to fly home.

Pétanque

Every weekend there seems to be a pétanque competition taking place in one of our neighbouring villages. There are flat areas, covered in a sandy grit, set up purely to enjoy the game.

Although it appears to be a wonderful family affair, I’m sure the teams are all very competitive.

Some seem to take it more competitively than others, with matching team shirts, whilst others appear to just turn up for the fun. You know it’s actually serious though when the tape measure comes out!

Canicule

We’ve been enjoying a rather pleasant heatwave or ‘canicule’ this last couple of weeks, as daily blue skies with temperatures of around 28°c–30°c flow one after another.

But yesterday the weather broke, and we had a very welcome storm. I say welcome, I think it was for some, but I’m not so sure the cereal farmers would have liked it, as their fields are very close to harvest.

The rain was actually quite localised, and as we drove home I was wondering if our garden had received a good soaking. Luckily it had.

Fledgling

We were sitting having our breakfast outside, overlooking the vineyards. We could hear this scurrying around by the gate. Over the past few weeks we have been watching Mr and Mrs Blackbird busily taking food into the barn for their chicks. Then we saw Mrs Blackbird arrive on the top of the gate with a beak-full of worms, before dropping down into the corner, before flying away again. We realised the chicks had now fledged.

As we sat there, one little one came scurrying out, not yet able to fly. Mum was on the gate, keeping an eye on it. The little chick was looking a bit disheveled, and soon went to safety behind the lavender. It was gorgeous, we just need to keep it safe in the bushes until it can fly.

**UPDATE** That was actually a few days ago, we believe it soon moved to the laurel tree, and has since flown off. It all happens very quickly, in a few days.