Packing up

We were not able to start renovating the pool again until about 11am, as we’d had a little bit of rain first thing. By noon though we were making some good progress.

We had found our rhythm. I would mix up the chaux, whilst Brian smoothed our last piece of work, then we both would work together plastering it on and shaping the edge.

We’ve learnt not to let it dry too quickly, as that can cause it to crack, hence why we are covering it with some old packing paper.

We didn’t quite make it to the other end, as realised we need another bag of chaux, but also, by the end of day 3, we were definitely feeling it.

Reset

After we returned from the market we were keen to get back to work, so we headed up to the pool for day two of our renovation project. We started by pulling the gravel away from the edge, so that we could work on it much easier.

I then started to chip away at the loose render, collecting it carefully as I went. We didn’t want to end up with little bits of sharp render in the stones around the pool.

Brian then removed all the odd shaped pavers that were cut in along the edge of the pool. We felt these looked clumsy, and wanted to try and smooth the edge to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, as well as a bit safer.

First though we had to reset some of the pavers, which were either already loose, or became so during the digging out. It was a bit scary removing them at first, as we weren’t sure if they’d stay in one piece or how difficult it would be to clean them up sufficiently to be able to reset them.

We didn’t let it worry us though, and plugged away removing the cement on the pool edge and pavers. We were soon confident in what we were doing and making some good progress.

We finished the day just cleaning up, and making everything ready for an early start tomorrow.

Un petit cadeau

Before starting back up at the pool, I wanted to nip to the market for a few veggies. Brian went and bought us a couple of pain aux chocolates, then we met back up at the café for coffee.

After, we nipped to the butchers, as I’m preparing a cheese and charcuterie platter for our guest on Sunday evening.

I’m really quite known now at my regular stalls in the market, and they always slip me a little present with my purchases. This week a piece of basil from the flower lady, and some tomatoes from the organic vegetable stall. At the butcher’s, I bought various cold meats and some slices of locally cured ham. Having sliced off what I needed, he then offered me the end of the joint as ‘un petit cadeau’, asking if I would be able to use it? ‘Bien sûr’ I replied, thank you very much.

I think it will be very tasty in a chicken and ham pie this evening.

Slap on the chaux

We woke to a gorgeous blue sky, perfect to get on with some renovation of the rendering around the pool, and resetting some loose slabs.

I had the job of mixing up the chaux, whilst Brian cleaned down the areas we were going to be working on. It’s best just to damp them down before then slapping on the chaux.

I’d taken our lunch up there, cheese and pickle baguette, so we were able to enjoy the whole day working on the walls, chatting and feeling like we’d had a thoroughly good workout by the end of it.

Before heading back down to the house for a well needed shower before dinner, we sat for a while admiring our work, and planning for tomorrow whilst enjoying a nice hot cup of Earl grey tea.

Pear chutney

I’ve been helping my friend with her glut of apples, which means nearly everything has apples in it at the moment, but I’ve nearly used them all up, having made some delicious cakes, tartes, jams, jellies and chutneys. She also shared with me some pears. I had thought about making a pear tatin, but decided I had enough to try some pear and ginger chutney instead.

With Brian helping, we first peeled, cored and chopped the pears.

Then I added some chopped red onion, and grated in some fresh ginger. I then added cider vinegar and sugar and some salt. After a good 30 minutes the sugar was melted, the onions were cooked, and the pears were glazed in a syrupy, sweet and sour mixture.

It's difficult putting labels on bulb shaped jars!

I carefully filled just over 6 jars with the chutney, which can be used straight away or stored in a cool place. I think it will be very tasty with cheese.

Autumn colour

I’ve got a beautiful Japanese anemone growing between the lavender in front of our house. It’s a beautiful pale pink with a dusty yellow centre, and makes a fabulous contrast against the lavender. I hadn’t planted it, it must have just rooted maybe from a seed that a bird had carried.

The autumn colour around the garden is way more vivid, with some beautiful vivid pinks, and mauves. My mum had given me the two bright pink plants, so I love the fact that they are flourishing in the garden.

I cut some mint flowers to help add some interest to a little posy I’d picked for the table. I like using herbs in flower arrangements as they add a very subtle aroma to the display.

Banana pancakes

It has been a wonderful few days sharing time with my niece and getting to know her boyfriend. They enjoyed learning about Champagne, the process, the region and, of course, the tasting. Although it has been harvest this week, which means the vignerons are often too busy to offer tastings, we were able to make a visit to Richardot, which was excellent. Always a delight.

We enjoyed some lovely relaxed meals of roasted cauliflower with a tahini and pistachio dressing, spiced baked rice with roasted tomatoes, classic French tomato tart, lentil salad with a mustard dressing and coconut chia pudding with fresh mango. Brian matched some delicious wines, and shared his knowledge on how to taste wines, to help develop your taste buds, and enjoyment.

Before they left today we had a delicious breakfast of banana pancakes, which I served with lemon and sugar and maple syrup or homemade jam. They went down very well, especially as they were gluten free, so we could all enjoy them.

As they were leaving we spotted a little praying mantis near the gate. Such an intriguing little creature, who was already wearing his autumn colours.

Sans gluten

We woke to a bright blue sky, with a slightly cool breeze. Despite the freshness, the courtyard made for an excellent sunny spot to enjoy our breakfast.

Our niece is arriving today with her boyfriend. They are exploring France, so decided to pop in and see us on their travels, which is fabulous. We are looking forward to spending a few days with them catching up on all their news, and plans for their adventures.

I’m preparing a few things to enjoy whilst they are here. I’ve baked some biscuits and a French apple cake, a bit of a favourite of mine at the moment, although this one is gluten free, so a little more challenging.

I’m very pleased with how it’s all come out, and actually can’t wait to try them.

A memorable year

Usually Harvest has a clear beginning and end, with a busy and exciting middle, but this year it’s been different. For some it’s already over, for others it hasn’t begun yet, whilst for too many the cost of picking what grapes they have outweighs the benefits of picking them, so they will be left on the vines.

So this morning it was so good to see them picking at the end of our valley. It’s quite slow work, as care needs to be taken to ensure that only the best grapes are picked.

It will not be a big harvest, but it will be a memorable one. For some, the last time their family had a year like this was 1985, and that year is etched in their memories.

We will learn more over the coming weeks on the impact of this sadly memorable year.

Little things

It’s those small, little things I often find real joy in.

We headed into Troyes today as we had a few things we needed to do. There was a chill in the air but the sky was was bright blue, and the sun was refreshingly warm. The change in season was definitely upon us and it was the first day when I needed to slip on a jumper. I chose something bright and joyful.

We first visited the framers where we were dropping off a painting to be framed, one that is very dear to us, as it was painted by a very special friend. After some consultation with the framer, Brian was happy that he understood what we wanted, and we chose a rather spectacular frame, which we cannot wait now to collect and see just how it’s going to look.

We found a lovely little café down a side street, for coffee and a hot chocolate, and had a quiet moment; Brian reading through my daily blog before posting. We decided it would be nice to return here one day for brunch.

Before heading back to the car, I had wanted to try some boots I’d seen earlier in a shop window. I loved the boots, but also loved the free bag they put them in. It makes the purchase so much more special.

It’s massive!

Through the summer we’ve been watching a new ‘pressoir’ being built in Landreville, the village next to ours.

It all really started when we saw some massively long beams being delivered. They were parked just off the main road to the entrance of the village for a few days, I think whilst they worked out how to get them up the narrow, winding road.

Once there, they then needed to install a crane to position them. Another amazing feat.

Over the weeks, then months, we’ve seen the building progress. Before it was totally sealed, they needed to fit in some of the larger equipment needed for a pressoir.

A few weeks ago, they had the tanks delivered. Huge stainless steel containers for the jus to be stored in.

We will keep watching it develop over the coming weeks. For now though I think they are having a short break, whilst the old press next door is used for the harvest.

Avions, voitures et motos Anciennes

The annual ‘rassemblement’ at Celles-sur-Ource airfield returned on Sunday. It was an absolutely brilliant day out. The weather was perfect, with puffy white clouds in a blue sky, providing a perfect backdrop for the antics of the pilots.

We arrived just after lunch, had a little wander around looking at, and ‘ooh-ing’ over, some of the classic and historic cars. I am particularly partial to a bright red car, of which there were a few, along with a host of 2CV’s, and a gorgeous light blue open top Mercedes. Pretty much a car for all occasions.

The airfield itself was a hive of activity, with local and visiting aircraft lined up along the runway, and a number of visitors taking up the offer of a flight over the vineyards for just €55. I have to admit though, it’s not something I am too interested in, maybe due to my dislike of heights.

What we hadn’t expected though was the ‘air show’ of the older aircraft that peppered the sky during the afternoon. It was fantastic being so up close to the planes, seeing them take off and land and perform amazing loop-the-loops, low level flying and at one point even upside down flying. I definitely would not have wanted to get into the wrong plane! I hope you enjoy the short video Brian has made of the show.

Medieval Fayre

Last weekend we visited the Commanderie of Avalleur, for its annual medieval festival. They have various events during the season, and it’s open to the public throughout the year, free of charge. This event is particularly good, as it’s two days of themed displays and activities, with tours of the commanderie and chapel and plenty of refreshments.

The scene is definitely set as you arrive. We were greeted by some very realistic looking knights, and an encampment that had been designed to reflect the period. There were lots of people dressed in period costumes, seemingly going about their business, bringing the whole scene to life. The public are also invited to come along dressed in similar period attire, however we passed on that this time.

It’s a fun day, where you learn lots about the period of the Templars from the people demonstrating the way of life they had. One lady was exhibiting an early version of a ‘Winchester’ rifle, and mixing up gunpowder in an iron bowl to show how it would flare inside the barrel. At another tent a man explained how they would make their bows and arrows, selecting different arrow heads depending on what they were used for. For example, when catching fish they needed arrows that would stay in and float. It was fascinating.

There was also a demonstration of sword fighting, which looked extremely difficult in their cumbersome layers of armour.

It all felt very authentic, and made for a great day out.

A prickly load

The plan today was to tidy up the garden, as the sun wasn’t too strong so it was a nice day to spend pottering around.

We’d bought a garden shredder on our trip to Dijon last week, and decided to test it out. We have so much garden waste from the roses, which is prickly to load into the trailer and take to the déchetterie, that we thought a shredder could work better, and I can either use the chippings on the garden, if they are suitable, or dispose of them more easily at the déchetterie.

Brian had set the shredder up, and I made a start on some pruning of the roses. It wasn’t long before we were really making a difference

We’re loving the shredder it seems to be working really well, especially with the green branches, which we were thinking may prove to be more difficult, but it just gobbles them up.

Another little job that Brian wanted to do was to replace a protective cover for a cable near the front door, which had faded and broken in the intense sun. He soon had it tidied up, and protected again. I think we will look for a better solution for it, something more aesthetically pleasing , but for now it is safe.

Beautiful finish

It was such a lovely evening, we couldn’t resist enjoying a chilled glass of white wine from one of our favourite burgundy villages, Saint Romain. We enjoyed it with some Moelleux du Revard Cheese, and a spot of my homemade apple and rosemary jelly.

What a beautiful finish to our day.

Excusez-moi

There was a bit of a chill in the air this morning, we’d woken early as I was keen to get to the market to buy some flowers. The lady sells out so quickly, as they are always so spectacular and inexpensive. I bought these two bouquets for just €8. So as not to have to carry them around with me, whilst I did my other shopping, she popped the daises and sunflowers behind her stall, and the dahlias she fitted under the stall. ‘Tout à l'heure’ she piped, as we walked away.

I was heading to get some mushrooms, when Brian briefly looked back, and noticed another lady handing over my bunch of dahlias, and our stallholder about to take the money for them…again! “Excusez-moi, Madame, ma femme vient d'acheter ces fleurs il y a un instant”. The stallholder apologised to us, and the lady, and placed them behind her stall for safe keeping. The other lady looked quite put out though, so we made a hasty retreat.

The market was full of beautiful fresh late summer produce, I couldn’t resist getting a selection. We have a guest dinner this week, so it’s lovely to use local ingredients. We returned for our bouquets and then headed home.

I set myself up to arrange my flowers outside in the sun, choosing from my collection of vases I’ve put together.

The house is full of colour and sunshine now.

Renewal

It was a little cooler today, an ideal day to go for a little walk. We decided to head up through the forest, then across the fields and down back towards the point de vue, I just love this walk.

The fields near us have been filled with sunflowers this year, which has been delightful. They are now starting to dry out, getting ready for harvesting, although I think it’s still a few weeks off. I can’t believe how huge they are.

As we headed along the track to the point de vue, we could see that the old waypoint cross has been renewed. The old one had fallen into a pretty sorry state, but one of the villagers had built a New Cross out of oak, exactly like the original, and fitted it into a concrete plinth. I think this will be standing there for many more years.

CHU-chew

Earlier in the year I noticed a small lump on my top gum. I didn’t think too much of it, but mentioned it to my dentist to be on the safe side. He prescribed a gel to help reduce it. However, within a few weeks it had started to get bigger not smaller, which did start to unsettle me. I went back to the dentist and he took an x-ray and booked me into a consultant in Dijon, who couldn’t see me for 6 weeks. Within a week it had doubled in size again.

A good friend, who speaks French, went to see my dentist to understand what my options were, and his suggestion was to visit the emergency ‘Odontology’ department at Dijon hospital, or CHU as it’s known. We had a break in guests of about a week, so we decided to go the following day.

After a tense wait in a quiet, but fidgety, waiting room of people, my name was called. I’d asked Brian to come with me, as by now my anxiety levels were high. I’ve only ever had two small fillings in my whole life, and the thought of some kind of operation was nerve wracking.

The two women who saw me explained that they would be taking a biopsy. I assumed from this that they would take a tiny piece of the lump out to test before they did anything further. But no, within minutes a third dentist came to take a look and they discussed removing it. I think I’d switched off at this point. The two women performed the procedure. First numbing my gum, then slicing out the lump. I closed my eyes the entire time, trying to meditate, whilst Brian watched the whole thing with curiousity.

They were finished after what seemed an age, but was actually quite quick, Brian tells me. They proceeded with filling my gum area with some sort of ‘plasticine’ and then wadding to pack the wound. I was given a prescription to get more antiseptic and padding if I needed it.

I have to say I was a bit shell shocked, everything seemed to happen so suddenly, and now I was walking out of the theatre with a mouth stuffed with bloody wadding. I think I may have traumatised the waiting room also, as I peered in to see how many people were left waiting, my cheek puffed out with blood stained padding.

When we got back to the car Brian explained to me what had happened, and why I looked the way I did, and that we could expect results in 2–4 weeks, all of which I had completely missed in my mini stunned state.

I sat for a while to absorb it all. The advice was nothing acidic or sugary or too hot, and definitely no alcohol for at least a week. My diet, I realised, was going to consist of very soft food.

For the next few days I took things very easy. I had a daily diet of a brioche roll with cream cheese and chopped up smoked salmon. Water and warm tea were my go to drinks.

We were both amazed at how quickly my gum started to heal and, within about 6 days, I was using a very soft tooth brush to clean around the area.

So this week we traveled to Dijon for my appointment and results. They were very kind and efficient at the hospital, and wasted no time in telling me that all was well, that the area had healed and there was nothing untoward in the results. Phew!

The whole experience had been a bit scary for me, but I have to say that in my experience the French health system was incredible, and I’m very grateful for their care.

We both came away feeling today was a good day. Now I can chew again without fear.

Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow

We see lots of wildlife in France, such as wild boar, deer, badgers and stoats, but this was our first slippery slow worm.

At first we thought it was a snake, but he was too smooth and his head too rounded. Despite his name he was a quick little thing, and Brian was lucky to get this shot of him before he slithered into the undergrowth. Whoosh!

Bucket list

LinkedIn reminded me this week that it’s been three years already since we first opened our B&B. We’ve achieved so much, and learnt so much since those early days, and one of the thing that’s been really good for us is our presence on LinkedIn. It’s been a great way to stay in contact and also spread our philosophy behind La Maison en Champagne.

Last month Brian posted an article on LinkedIn about being on someone’s bucket list. Since then, we have been totally blown away by the long list of people who say we are also on their bucket list. Which is simply fantastic.

Below is a snapshot of the post. The original comment came from a customer who needed to cancel his booking, saying “I hope that we will still be welcome in the near future, because your place is on our bucket list”. It amazed us so much that Brian had to write about it:

So only three years into our Champagne guest house adventure and we are on the ‘Bucket list’. That’s a massive positive we take away from our guest’s cancellation.

Cancellations happen, and when they do it’s usually because life has thrown a curve ball. When you’re planning a holiday it’s because you need it, so it takes a lot to make you cancel when it gets close. That’s one of the reasons we don’t ask for a deposit, because life throws you curve balls, and they’re often tied to your emotional and mental health. We believe it would be unfair to take someones money for something they cannot control, or that they need to do instead of taking their much-needed holiday. All we ask is that they tell us as soon as possible if their plans need to change.

So the answer is ‘Yes’, if you have to cancel, you are always welcome in the future.

The post received over 5500 views, which is a great way to engage with people and increase the awareness of our offering. Thank you all you LinkedIn-ers.