Small victories

New bedding from IKEA with a stripe of duck egg blue  to match our new wardrobe doors. Silly how such a banal thing should give such pleasure. Must get out more!

And then, while rummaging through the freezers in Intermarché yesterday, Adrian discovered the Holy Grail of frozen desserts - Réglisse! Whoops of joy rang through the aisles. And greater love hath no man than to share it with his dear friends John and Louise, who came for supper.

best laid plans

Jolly warm today. We took Anne to Avignon TGV via St Didier and Carpentras in order to visit (a) the Japanese Restaurant in the former and (b) the lovely civic buildings in latter.

You can guess. Restaurant is closed until Thursday and Carpentras is being beautified with the whole of the central square a building site as men lay new paving round the Hôtel de Ville. No matter, we managed a substitute plat du jour in a nice local café in St D and a stroll round the rest of Carpentras.






These dear little bird cages hang in the trees in the restored and repainted Place du Marché aux Oiseaux.











This evening we went to the flics. To see The Revenant. Well, how can I put this? It isn't exactly a film for vegetarians. And Leonardo DiCaprio managed to survive more deadings than Rasputin. The end credits contained enough names to populate a small European country and included Snow Laborers, Horse Painters, Wolves supplied by... Good scenery though and I guess he got his Oscar for Best Grunting. It reminded me of that sketch where someone said "If Shakespeare had meant it to be a comedy he would have put a joke in it."

Unsolicited testimonial

For Annie Sloane chalk paints! The ghastly dark wardrobe is transformed into a Provençal delight with just two coats of duck egg blue and clear soft wax.

In fact it was so awful that I can't even find a 'before' photo for comparison. Just imagine...

Easter bunnies

After yesterday's glacial temps today it is warm. Almost hot. But dire warnings of weather to come tomorrow! Off to market we went and managed to spend the National Debt on various foodstuffs, plants, coffees etc. The bakers had a particularly sweet window display for Easter.







And the Jardin et Bagatelles florists now has a salon de thé in the back which we will try one day. They do hot chocolate so it might be worth it! Apart from that their displays are as imaginative and inspirational and quirky as ever. No live baby bunnies this year though.

The streets are being repaved and the road narrowed around the cafés so soon it will be very smart indeed. Is this a good thing? We rather liked its old fashioned atmosphere but apparently it is a traffic calming initiative.

Produce obtained today included fresh wild asparagus, new season's garriguette strawberries (delicious - had to buy a kilo!), job lot of violas for the window boxes, Nicole's yoghurts and honey, cooked chicken and slices of delicious ham, olives and cheeses at vast price, bunch of orange ranunculus to jolly the sitting room. Purse emptied more than once! But as I said to Mr Smith, 'Mr Smith,' I said, 'in Blighty we would spend this much without turning a hair in Messrs Waitrose or Sainsbury but we wouldn't notice because it would all go on the card. ' We hardly ever pay cash there you see so it comes as a bit of a shock to see the notes flying out so quickly in one go.

Must finish painting and waxing the wardrobe doors this afternoon then a picture will be posted of my triumph!

Across the great divide

We slipped away into Auvergne towards Riom - a detour inspired by Henry James and Edith Wharton's road trip in the early 20th century. We are resolved to visit more of these little towns! Anyway first it was breakfast in Gannat. But we were waylaid by signs pointing to Eiffel viaducts so headed off along the Sioule gorges to see. My gosh they were high these structures.














The second one in particular with little mini eiffel towers as pillars. Dated 1869, so obviously a practice piece!


















And such a pretty spot by the river, doubtless a frost pocket but with heron and woodpecker and little birds, man chopping wood by his riverside house adorned with multicoloured tin roof (house, not man).

Riom is a small but imposing town, all black basalt with striking facades. Birthplace of Alan Stivell (he of the Celtic harp), site of the Vichy war trials of 1942, former capital of Auvergne.











Lots of things to look at including 14th century (or earlier) painted wooden Madonnas. Vaut le détour as Michelin would say.
Talking of which, we then grabbed a chunk of Motorway to zoom past Clermont F (still can't bring ourselves to go into this one!) and the HQ of said tyre manufacturer.














As we approached the top of the plateau the car temp indicator flashed 3 degrees, snow was seen lying on the verges and among the pines. We stopped to eat our sandwiches in a layby on one of the hairpins overlooking the Ardèche in the warmth of interior sunshine- outside, flakes of snow wafted about in the air. We were a bit slow off the mark and before we knew it it was 1 pm and the heavy lorries had finished their lunch and were once more thundering down the bends. It is really scary to have these monsters on your tail going downhill. But we managed to outrun them.
By Aubenas the temperature had leapt to 18! However, evidence of Mistral was visible in the bending trees. Welcome to Provence!

Blowing the proverbial as we entered Sablet but we were warmly greeted by dear Mme Vrastor and later by even dearer John and Louise and their woodburner! The house opposite has sprouted a swimming pool over the winter. Garden totally cleared and levelled, frog bassin turned into a pump house! I am sure they will landscape it but at the moment it is very unprivate for them. This morning (Thursday)we have reconnected with Nathalie and bought fish, vacuumed up the dust and pruned the shrubs. Patrouille overhead and sun in the sky.

Signs of Spring

Sunny but chill again as we left Epernay and drove over the abstract artwork that is Champagne. Endless rolling prairies in blocks of chalky grey, beige, green and brown. Everything still dormant. Not a leaf on the vines nor shoots in the fields. Stands of wind turbines waved their ghostly arms at us from the tops of the rises, almost invisible against the hazy sky. Grain silos, those modern day castles or cathedrals, punctuate the emptiness. Ooh it is lovely. I spotted a couple of tiny deer in one field. Thought they were dogs or goats at first. And a couple of birds of prey quartering the ground at head height. No idea what - possibly harriers. And later on, a handsome fox in the mustard field sniffing for voles.
But men are at work harrowing and spraying, trees have been pollarded in the usual brutal fashion, and a vigneron was burning his prunings.
We eventually dropped down into Auxerre on the Yonne. A pretty place. And at last it was Spring. Parcs et Jardins were planting out pansies and rose bushes on the roundabouts, magnolia was flowering, weeping willows misting green, almond and forsythia, and best of all, drifts of cowslips along the road verges. We were even hot in the car. But that was fool's heat! As soon as we got out to look for lunch in a town called Prémery, we realised. Fierce cold wind. No wonder everyone was muffled up in scarves and coats.
There was a distinct lack of open eateries but we eventually found a bustling café serving a 14 euro job. Bit strange...I had oeuf meurette, which is a soft poached egg in a red wine and (I think) mushroom sauce, followed by ham in madeira cream sauce with some very dubious chips and delicious green beans. Tarte aux quetsche for pud. Fun proprietors though and all in all a jolly atmosphere with the bulk of the inhabitants seemingly eating there. As we were leaving a tall earnest looking N European woman in hiking gear complete with tall stick came in. Without batting an eye the owner said 'chambre?'. Yes. 'Upstairs and take no1 or 2'. How did she know they had rooms? No indication anywhere outside.
Final tourist potter was in Nevers, a town we have Never (geddit) really visited as it is usually the wrong time of day or we simply want to get elsewhere. It is rather lovely - nice shops! Everywhere sporting Easter rabbits and chicks in the windows. Then it was down the canal lateral à la Loire and through more intimate countryside to St Pourçain sur Sioule. Saying this out loud makes you sound just like dear Brian Sewell - try it! After last year's awful experience at the hotel restaurant, we decided to just buy a quiche for supper and stay in. We are opposite the Louis Vuitton factory on the trading estate but it is very rural so should be quiet. One of Ibis Budget's new ones and our third stay here!

50 shades of grey

All aboard DFDS Dover Seaways at 8 for a slow and sedate glide across to the other side. Very civilised, decent coffee, panoramic window at the front. The boat delivers you into the gravel pit that is Dunkerque harbour, now equipped with big metal gates at the exit. Apart from that we had no, repeat zilch, passport checks or other scrutiny at either Dover or Dunkerque. No border officials seen, booths closed. Grey skies across northern France and a chill wind. It is still winter here.

The sun peeked out at Reims and we descended into the vine-fringed bowl surrounding Epernay in a yellow glow. Slightly warmer here but folk still in thick coats and boots and we were glad of a warming coffee in the bar. Pleasure increased by the TV showing music videos of Bronski Beat and Renaud. And a strange eccentric lady with dyed red hair and beret ranting on about Sarkozy not being French because he still has family in Hungary. Première Classe has given us a room overlooking the shunting yards again. The trick is to book twin beds. That way you get a bigger room- this time with vast disabled wet room!

And we have checked...the Sardaigne is open tonight, so a pizzering we will go. Just as well as we eschewed plats du jour in favour of cold sossages and boiled eggs in a motorway rest area at luncheon. Though we did have two delicious choc eclairs from a posh pâtisserie for pudding. At the moment Berlingo is under our very feet by the entrance, but sure as fate by the time we return, white van mens, builders and sales reps various will have gathered for the night and snapped up all the handy spots.

Sea view

Premier Inn Dover Eastern Docks affords unimpeded views of the sea, harbour lights and ferry terminal. What more could one want? Jolly nippy out mind! A quick stroll up and down along the  prom taking in the dying rays then back to our room to gaze on the comings and goings of ferries. There are a few interesting memorials including one to Charles Rolls of Royce fame who apparently made the first non stop return flight across the Channel.

Later than intended

Tomorrow, 20 March is departure day - at last! We've usually up and left by now but this year for various reasons we are going a bit later.
Premier Inn Dover Central is booked for the evening. A good chance to see The Night Manager before we leave. Then up and at 'em for the 8 am crossing to Dunkerque with DFDS. First stop in France will be Première Classe (no relation) Epernay.

A new treat for you all. I have inducted Adrian into the mysteries of blog and, following an intensive training course, he has now developed his website into a more chatty format on blogspot.
adrian'spicturepost