It’s the little things…

There is nothing more valuable than someone who can bring joy and pleasure into your life.

We have friends in the next village, who we share some lovely times with, and we often think about when we aren’t with them. Yesterday, I was left a gift. When we were last together we had talked about the wild asparagus she had found growing in a nearby wood, and I had mentioned how lovely that was. Just the idea of asparagus growing wild in our woods brought me a lot of pleasure. She must have understood, as she took the time to pick some and wrap it in newspaper to leave outside our gate. The asparagus, the little parcel, and the thought that someone cared enough to do that for me brings the most wonderful sense of joy.

It’s the little things that mean so much, because they have so much thought behind them.

I’m thinking I’ll make an asparagus risotto.

Pink tones

My winter window boxes were very much in need of rejuvenation. I’d been to the local garden centre to buy some geraniums to brighten them up, and I wanted to get them potted as soon as possible.

They were just what the front of the house needed, looking super refreshed with a mix of pink tones.

I had also bought a mix of annuals, which I was going to pot up around the walled garden for some summer colour. I always think it’s great to include yellow flowers in the garden; such a burst of sunshine.

Whilst I saw to the pots Brian was busy mowing the slope.

All in all a very productive day, and the garden is looking great. I feel we have much better control of it than we’ve had before.

What are those holes?

It’s one of the questions we get asked most frequently, and the simple answer is that they’re nesting holes.

But the question is why?

When the house was built, probably around the mid 1800s, having bird nesting holes was a symbol of status and wealth. Our house, normally described as a maison de maître, or master’s house, would have been built for people important to the village, and to make that clear they included these nesting holes.

Nesting holes were one example of this display of status, but there was another, the pigeonnier or dovecote — a tower designed to keep and breed pigeons or doves. Although they were in themselves a status symbol, they were generally designed to allow for the collection of droppings as a rich fertiliser. This was indication that the owner was also a land owner. Below is a photo taken in 1908 that shows the original dovecote that would have stood in what is now our driveway.

The dovecote vanished a long time ago, along with other structural changes that modernised the usage of the house. The nesting holes remain though, and the little birds still love them.

I love having them live just around the corner.

Nature has it all

I do lots of posts about the beautiful flowers that we now have in our gardens, because they bring me so much joy.

But it’s not just me and our guests that they touch, they also bring something for our tiny little friends.

If they weren’t so beautiful and dramatic, these lovely little creatures wouldn’t find them, and get what they need. So nature brings it all together, and who doesn’t love that.

Such a delight.

Mettre la table

Some time back we bought a couple of cast iron table supports — they were probably from an old bistro table. They were very rusty and didn’t have a top, but Brian had found a piece of old kitchen worktop in oak which he had been keeping for just such an occasion as this.

He started by wire brushing the legs, to remove the loose flaking rust. He then positioned them onto the underside of the wood, which he’d already sanded down, and smoothed the edges. We’d decided the legs would be better fitted with the wide end on the floor, we know that’s upside-down, but it meant they would be more stable in the garden.

With the legs in place, we took it up into the garden, near the little bench under the fruit trees.

Brian then coated it in danish oil to protect the iron work and the wood. We were using danish oil as this dries quicker and is therefore better for use on oak.

It’s looking excellent, and completes a perfect little spot to enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea. Delightful.

I’m going to enjoy sitting here.

Jeans, jeans, jeans

We were off to Troyes today. Well, to the MacArthur Glen shopping village more precisely, as I wanted to try and get a pair of 3/4 leg jeans for the summer. first though we popped into Feuillette for breakfast — it’s such a beautiful little patisserie for breakfast or lunch.

All fed and coffee’d, we set off in earnest on my clothes hunt.

We began in Lee Cooper, a brand I’m very familiar with. The shop, and the changing rooms, were wonderfully empty.

I tried a few pairs, even though they weren’t exactly what I was after, but I just didn’t like the styles, they didn’t do anything for me.

Next stop was Levi’s. That shop was a bit busier, but surprisingly a little uninspiring, so we moved on again. Wrangler’s was close by, but their choice was pretty limited for what I was after. I was starting to feel that maybe I was being too picky, and a little too prescriptive in my choice, when Brian suggested we try G-STAR. It’s not somewhere I really think about, and I don’t know why, because Brian goes there a lot, and I do like the clothes he gets there. With a little resistance from me we went inside. They have a massive store, with a big choice, and it was almost empty. The staff are really helpful, but not overly pushy. I quickly found several pairs to try, and headed for the changing rooms.

Voila ! The first pair I tried were exactly what I wanted.

But then so were the second, third and the fourth! Now what to do?

Loving this pair with my new top.

More is more

We were in Bar-sur-Seine to pick up a few bits for some friends arriving later in the week, and Brian mentioned that we needed more coffee beans, so we popped over to one of our favourite shops, l’instant gourmet.

Brian chose the coffee, and when he went to pay he was offered the chance to spin a prize wheel.

It stopped on a very bright orange, that looked a little like ‘Sorry, you’ve lost this time’. However, it seems everyone’s a winner, because the prize wheel is celebrating 15 years of l’instant gourmet.

Our prize was a sweet little bag, to carry our beans home in.

Free gifts certainly lift the experience. What more could you want.

Roses are red

I pruned all our roses back quite hard this year, and they’ve started to flourish. We’ve got lots of buds forming across the garden and I’m looking forward to them bursting into colour over the coming weeks.

The first one to flower is the gorgeous deep red climber across the front of the house. I just love this rose, and there is an abundance of flowers on it this year. The white stone of the house makes a stunning contrast to the dark green leaves and velvet, red flowers.

It really does make the front of the house look beautiful.

Menu planning

I love taking time to peruse recipes and find new ideas for dishes to cook. I was inspired this week at the market by the fresh leeks and fennel bulbs all coming into season, so was interested when I saw this recipe for a fennel and cheese bake. To make it more regional for me I shall try it using a Chaource cheese. It will make a great side dish or vegetarian option.

I also find inspiration from friends and eating out. L’Union restaurant in Essoyes, just 10 minutes from us, is one of those places that always brings something new. We love the ambience there, like a relaxed Parisien bistro. Its casual and familiar setting providing a comfortable, easy space to enjoy food with friends and family, and their style of cooking, which is both rustic and sophisticated in equal measure, is a delight.

Last night we enjoyed a starter of fresh white asparagus, followed by spiced lamb (which was cooked to perfection) and roasted carrots, with a delicious well seasoned jus. The wine, which was recommended by Antoine, was ‘Romorantique’ from Cheverny in the Loire valley.

Strawberry roulade

I can remember making a Swiss roll many, many years ago when I was at school, and although the method I used this time was similar, it certainly did not come out looking this spongey.

Maybe it was because at school I didn’t use 6 eggs!

I saw this recipe in the latest edition of ‘the good life France’ and thought it looked like a tasty seasonal dessert to serve our guests.

I think now I’ve made it once, and with my knowledge of my previous Swiss roll creations whilst at school, I’d change a couple of things. The batter was quite stable, so I think it could work better if spread over a slightly bigger tin. This would mean it would be thinner, and provide more area to roll. This would mean I could add a bit more filling — always a good thing. Although I hate waste I would also cut the edges off after rolling, this would give a much better finish, and I’m sure they wouldn’t be wasted.

It didn’t come out bad though, a real indulgence.

When in Champagne

The pipe that connects the external tap to the water supply at the pool has come loose. The pipe continues on up to the cistern for the toilet, so it needs to be mended. Brian said that he wanted to try and fix it himself, however he doesn’t really know much about plumbing, so it was always going to be a bit of a steep learning curve.

The reason he believes it worked loose is that it was never a very tight fit in the hole in the wall, so repeated slight wobbling must have worked it free. It’s actually a tap we use quite a lot so we do need it fixing.

His first solution was to use a leak compound, which he hoped would fill out the joint and seal the outside. He diligently sanded down both pipes to get a clean start, and began trying to bond them. It was a valiant attempt, but as he said, “It’s only really supposed to fix tiny drips” not a disconnected pipe.

The next step was to look at how to do it with a gas torch. He looked online, and realised it was not too different to soldering, but apparently quite difficult to get right. We actually didn’t have the tools for either option and we had guests arriving imminently, so we needed a solution. That’s when I had an idea, “Why not use a cork! After all, we have enough of them”. I wasn’t certain the suggestion was a valid one, but Brian seemed excited by it, and headed back up the slope with a cork in his hand.

Voila ! When in Champagne 🍾 use a Champagne cork to fix your plumbing!

He will still try and solder it, but for now we have a flushing loo again, and we will manage without the outside tap for now.

Flower garden

It was a bit drizzly today, but it didn’t stop us heading to Buxieres-Sue-Arce for a little plant sale. There was a lot of people all nattering at the entrance, but I managed to wiggle my way into the barn where the plants had all been carefully laid out. A lady came and chatted to me and helped me out on what was good for shade and which were good for sun. I had no idea how much my little haul was going to be, but Brian suggested he’d wait outside whilst I went to pay.

I found another lady who looked like she was helping out and asked if I could pay ‘gratuit’ she exclaimed. ‘Gratuit’ I exclaimed back!

I was really happy with my selection, which I will get planted tomorrow. I just couldn’t believe they were giving them all away. What a fantastic way of sharing plants and helping everyone to have flowers in their gardens.

Pool cleaner

Today I wanted to get the pool area ready for summer. I needed to finish painting the pool room doors, and then clean the window panes.

They looked so much better with their new colour and final coat of paint. Louise our Workaway had done a great job on preparing them, and getting the first coat on.

I then got on with cleaning the inside of the pool house and its little summer kitchen, and then mopping the floor.

Brian was on pool cleaning duty. The pool guy had shocked it and rebalanced things, but Brian needed to remove a lot of leaves and bugs. He scooped the worst out with his long net, but the smaller material he needed help with.

We’d bought a new pool robot this year, so he was keen to see how it performed. It’s so much lighter than the last one, far easier to pop in and out and to clean afterwards. It did a very good job of getting all the winter muck up, so we were very pleased with it. A few more days of cleaning and it should be ready for a dip.

Definitely looking forward to having my first swim now.

Ever blue

It was our guest’s last full day, and after enjoying their breakfast in the garden, they headed off to the beautiful historic city of Troyes for the day.

Just as they were heading out, the Ever Blue man arrived to open the pool. He’d managed to drive up and around the back of our garden, which was really good, because he has a lot of equipment that he otherwise has to carry up the slope, and it was warming up to be another beautiful hot day. We helped him set up and then left him to his work.

Meanwhile, we decided we’d try and get a few jobs completed in the garden.

I did a bit of weeding, and planted an Acer I’d bought last year. I finally decided it would look nice in front of the wisteria, which was now in bloom and smelling absolutely gorgeous around the walled garden — so sweet and floral.

Brian wanted to re-render the wall near the library door, it was a really tricky job, as it was underneath a very prickly rose bush. He took it carefully though, and soon had it completed.

Now that’s done I can look for a couple of new plants to go in front of it.

Sabering

Our table d’hôte dinners are very convivial evenings. In the warmer weather, it’s wonderful being able to enjoy the pre-dinner drinks outside, which we serve with canapés.

This week Brian prepared a bottle of Champagne to be sabred by one of our guests.

It’s not something you often get the opportunity to do, so when we can, we like to be able to offer it to our guests as an experience.

Brian talks them through what they need to do, and we all stand back ready to capture a picture or two, and hopefully be rewarded with a glass of Champagne.

It’s still a bit cool outside to have the full dinner served in the garden, so I set the table in the salle à manger. I’d prepared boeuf bourguignon, with potato purée and buttered cabbage with fennel.

It was followed by apple tarte with vanilla crème fraîche.

A delicious evening.

A Kayaking adventure

We woke to another gorgeous day — blue skies and 28°C.

The plan today was for all of us to head over to the lake for a kayak adventure. I’d arranged for us to meet Maximilien Maire, a nature guide, to explore the ‘Bayou’, an area where the trees are submerged at this time of year.

We started with Maximilien giving us a short presentation on the history of the man-made lakes.

Now, educated about where we were headed, we went to collect our life jackets. After a bit of getting used to getting into the kayaks, we got comfy, and were ready for our expedition.

Although we’ve spent many a day by the lakes, I have to say the splendour of being on them, close to the water and paddling through the trees, was truly delightful, and a really special experience.

Occasionally, during our trip, Maximilien stopped and chatted to us, sharing his knowledge of, and passion for, the nature we were surrounded by.

As we came to the end of the ‘bayou’ we paddled into the open water and settled quietly, to enjoy the stillness of the lake, and, of course, a glass of Champagne.

What a beautiful way to end our kayaking trip.

Our little adventure had been absolutely fabulous. We all had such a fantastic morning, getting to learn more about the secrets of the lake, understanding its ecosystem, and learning more about the importance of the lake, and how it is used throughout the year. Simply a very well thought out experience.

We will definitely be back to do more of Maximilien’s adventures.

Walk, ride, sip

Our guests that arrived on Sunday had asked if we could suggest some activities for them to do whilst they were here. My first thought was the cycle tours that Richardot, one of our local Champagne houses, offer. They were all up for the experience, so I booked them in.

Richardot provide a guided excursion through the vineyards on electric bikes, followed by a tour of the cellar, then a tasting in the purpose-built tasting room. I’d suggested they may want to walk over to Richardot from ours, then I’d come and collect them after the tasting.

The walk takes about 45 minutes, and goes up through the vineyards on the opposite side of our valley, along a track cutting through the fields, which then opens out to spectacular views across the Ource valley. It’s then an easy walk down into Loches-sur-Ource. Richardot winery is just on the left as you enter the village of Loches.

It was fabulous seeing the photos they had taken on their trip, and they had been luckily enough to see a horse ploughing a vineyard, quite a rare practice nowadays.

They were full of praise for Augustin, their guide, who had lead the way on the bikes and then went on to explain the process of how Champagne is made, finishing up with a tasting of their Champagnes.

A perfect little adventure to start their holiday with.

Tickled

When we visited Jérôme Cothias’s during dimanche à la campagne we met Laurent Bessot, an artist who uses red wine and beer to colour the drawings he creates. We had seen one displayed on his stall, that was rather amusing. It tickled me that there was someone making Champagne jokes, and I certainly never thought I’d get them. Brian and I both agreed it would be a fun piece of art to have in the house.

We asked Laurent if he would be able to personalise it for us. He happily agreed and set about it straight away.

He has a lovely style, and the finished piece was exactly what we wanted. When he had packed it for us he stood to give us the painting and shake our hands. It was then that Brian noticed his shoes and laughed, saying “Can I take a picture of your shoes?”.

“You should see my car”, he said.

We love the finished result, and can’t wait to find a home for it.

Dimanche à la Campagne

On Sunday we found a couple of hours, in quite a busy day, to nip out for Dimanche à la Campagne, or ‘Sunday in the Country’.

We love this event, which is on every year around the end of April. It’s where local producers of all sorts of produce, including cheeses, Champagne, pottery, plants, jewellery, mushrooms, honey and so much more, open their doors and welcome you in to sample their creations.

We headed to the fromagerie at Champs sur Barse, a favourite of mine, it’s where we buy our breakfast yoghurts. Today though I bought not only yogurts, but also a selection of their cheeses. Whilst we were there we enjoyed a plate of sausage and chips for lunch, which was very yummy. Then we headed over to the village of Meurville, for a bit of country dancing and Champagne with Jérôme Cothias.

What a fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Running rampant

We put some finishing touches to the new, little walled border this morning.

Brian brushed the chaux back — brushing it helps smooth the finish. He also tidied the edge with a bit of extra gravel…

…whilst I popped in a few extra little plants I had, which I’m hoping will ‘run rampant’ — at least that’s what it says on the tag.