Terry’s last day

And a good one! Cloudless, windless, sunny blue skies. Adrian made them a full English, albeit with French bacon, so they were set up for the day! We drove yet again in the direction of Beaumes de V - this time for a stride up onto St Hilaire ridge.

Rather a lot of people about unsurprisingly but by the time we got to the Church we had it to ourselves at least for a while. The little olive trees are full of fruit - greens, purples, mottled jewels.

The bells struck midday again as we walked back and once again we stopped at Le Café du Siècle for beers and coffee. Liz is right, we are creatures of habit!

olives

The Wine Tour

  

Vinsobres

All change weatherwise. Wind from the north, blue skies, billowy banks of clouds, much cooler. Once again Ste C market was much reduced. Stallholders are taking a well earned break now the schools are back. But we did manage to find a good garlic producer from Piolenc tucked away by the carpark.

So, supplies obtained, we took a tour of the wine coops in search of bidon red. First stop St Maurice where we have previously stocked up. No joy. Their pumps were blocked off and a curt notice announced they are no longer dispensing wine en vrac. We nevertheless bought a box of CdeR Villages St Maurice so as not to lose face. And I do have an account there!  

St Pantaléon

Next stop was supposed to be just up the road at St Pantaléon (all the saints today!) where we know they have pumps, but we had made a boo boo. St P is on the road from Valréas not the road from Ste Cécile. Which meant going through Nyons under the olive oil coop and back out towards Valréas. This is sounding like a nerd’s guide to the routes of Southern France - sorry.  Anyway, St Panthaléon was reached via lovely scenery and we swept into the parking. There to be met by a traffic jam of little tractors and trailers queuing up to deliver their grapes.

Madame ushered me and bidon into the back, switched on the CdeR red pump and filled us up. We also bought another box.  You see it will be many months before we are next here and it’s Christmas etc etc. 

 

the lizard

As we left we went to have a look into the delivery hatch where fruit was being tipped and as we did a sudden cry rang out, the lady supervisor grabbed a long stick and started poking around in the grapes. There was a green lizard about to be sucked into the crusher! Everything off, she tried to get it to climb up the stick but the poor creature just wouldn’t. Try the rake says I. Man does just that. Get a shovel says another. All in vain until the man with rake manages to drive the lizard back to the entrance slope of the hatch and it crawls out. Phew! But then I was scared it would get under the wheels of the trailer, so quick as a flash I picked it up. It was so cold so didn’t wriggle away thank goodness. Beautiful creature. I took it into the vines where it scuttled into a crack in a tree where we hope it warmed up and recovered. I asked the lady if this often happened and she said oh yes, mice too.  Hence the long stick she keeps to hand.  That leaves one wondering just what might go into the wine!

Attention, vendanges !

Images are now in blue text and open when clicked 

above Lafare

The south wind blew today, ridiculously warm (26+) but grey clouds. Real duvet stuff. After breakfast and various monetary transactions - my saver account had matured so funds were swiftly deposited elsewhere. Can’t afford to lose a day of interest🤗 - we drove up to Durban above Beaumes de V and set out on a blustery walk round the vines towards Lafare. Along the way passing gentrification of a former farmhouse, various mini tractors waiting for grapes and accompanied by kestrels.

The views were good as was the exercise and we were warm!

the pickers 

The midday bells struck as we were coming down through the vines and as if by magic figures emerged from the foliage, boarded the vehicles which then moved in convoy towards the domaine for lunch. I imagined a trestle table awash with wind boar stew and flagons of local wine. Probably just a ham sandwich says Adrian.

back of the convoy

A quick drink in Café du Siècle and home for snack lunch.

Wednesday market

 solanum

A nice warm day. Malaucène market was busy and bustling and as ever the camper van corral was full. Adrian spent a  touch less than the National Debt at the butchers. After the breakfast coffees and croissants and additional purchases we went up to above Suzette past the lovely garden where we actually spoke to the owners, and on up the track towards Mont Amand.

dentelles

On the way back we stopped in Caromb for a drink and walk round the old village.

Tea with the Kaisers at 4.

the storm

Last night we heard rumbles and saw flashes in the sky and it rained hard. This morning all was calm misty and eventually hot. Mercy dash to Super U Beaumes for milk and mustard ( and, well,  a few other treats) then a visit to our dear friends in Gigondas. Lots of chat, slices of M and S Christmas cake (don’t ask) and a walk round the village.

As I was drying my hair this afternoon Nicole across the road brought round a vast slice of pumpkin from one she’d grown (the pumpkin)What to do with it? So I have roasted half and will concoct a soup with that and wait for inspiration for the remaining portion. Mme Moulin let me off 20 cents for my cake purchase and then added a free slice of apple tarte because one corner was a tiny bit burned. Such generosity in the village.

Re pix…you can now click on the blue words and get the relevant one

Sunday

 I believe it is officially autumn now. Well well. 

Thursday was money extracting from La Poste followed by a short walk on the road to Villedieu, then sun drenched lunch in the café. All three eateries were doing good trade. Archers fans will be amused to hear that I chose Tuna Gratin (ie bake).Rather tasty in fact - nothing like I’d imagined it to be. Fresh tuna in a cheesy topping. 

On Friday we went to Liz and Keith for a terrace reunion with our Danish friends who have sold up and are now mere birds of passage. Very nice, sunny and convivial. A few drops of rain sent us scurrying homewards but the next morning was bright again for The Market. Oh yes! We braved Ste Cécile despite its new status as Plague City - four cases of Dengue Fever were found a couple of weeks ago!

And today, rather overcast to begin with, but we nevertheless went off to Rasteau being, as Liz opined, creatures of habit - what cheek! Sunny when we got there thankfully. I made it round in less than an hour but the two brothers dawdled and I had their beers set up ready for them by time they limped to the bar. Vines are being harvested by hand and machine.

Pix in the usual place. I fear my devices are too old for Google’s upload facilities…I am stuck on iOS 15.8 and the world is now basking in 17!

Sablet

 Not much to report. We arrived yesterday about 4 and got settled in. Had a drink at the bar and take away pizzas. Went to Roaix for lunch today. Elsa still there Hooray. And we discovered that the other lady, Annaëlle, is her mother!

Church clock has lost a chime! OK at 3 then one short ever since.

Warm and sunny. Should have packed more T shirts

The shortest day

Such luxury - in bed until 7.30 as we had decided to breakfast in the hotel. Bit of a waste of time for me as I am not a breakfast person but the men tucked in to the various delicious offerings! Then away towards Albi via Moissac and Gaillac. Some clouds were gathering but at Moissac all was sunny and bright. Moissac has a famous Abbey and Cloister which we last visited about 30 years ago. You now have to pay for the cloister but not much and it is worth it. I have photos but they are still only visible on the Google album…grrr.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MyaMHDudQrFBSbf36

Can you believe that when the railways arrived in the 19th century the town accepted a sum of money from the railway company and let them put the line right through the Abbey complex effectively chopping off the refectory from the church and cloister! It’s still there and you hear the screeching and squealing of the trains at the station right in the middle of it.

We got lost in Gaillac trying to park at lunchtime. Eventually finding the central carpark and resting up in the Irish Pub for coffees and a bucket of crisps. And then Albi, parking right under the Cathedral. I didn’t go in as there was a funeral - thought it a bit disrespectful to have tourists milling around at the same time frankly.

We didn’t go into the Lautrec museum next door in the Bishop’s Palace but did walk round its gardens overlooking the river and the most wonderful parterre planting. Definitely a more bearable temperature than our visit last September.

This time we are staying here - in the city centre Ibis Budget. Cheap and cheerful.

Nérac update

 Re the evening meal, we walked to the Moroccan one Au Royaume. Really good. Delicious dishes, fabulous pâtisseries for pudding €71 for three of us including endless mint teas. Run by a young man who grows all his own fruit and veg and has an exemplary work ethic - he says he must work hard while he’s young and save for his old age so that he isn’t one of those oldies who complain they can’t afford to paint their windows!

Down the Gironde

 A lovely day…a bit warm in fact! Stretchy jeans will be discarded tomorrow. 

The route was down to Royan for breakfast. The town was looking very nice and breathing a sigh of relief after the Season. Then along the water to snail roundabout and on to Libourne via Blaye and St André.

Sandwiches purchased rapidly at some traffic lights where I had to leap from the motor into the oncoming traffic, drivers all anxious for their lunch, it being midday. Then we motored through Entre Deux Mers to the Garonne and up to Ste Croix du Mont where there’s a great view over the Sauternes vineyards and Les Landes. And a cliff edge composed of fossilised oyster shells. But sadly,  just before we went up the hill we stopped at a place dear to our hearts only to find it abandoned and in a poor state of repair. Château Bertranon where we spent a holiday in a converted wine store when Adam was 18 months old. He had his first taste of Sauternes sweet wine there (accidentally) in what he called Monsieur’s dark room - the Caveau. A lovely man, a lovely place. Here it was in 2017 so what has happened?

https://www.bordeauxblanc.com/ch%C3%A2teaux/chateau-bertranon

The final leg was an easy potter south eastish to Nérac, A Royal town of Henri IV and his wife Jeanne d’Albret. We are in fact in the Hôtel Henri IV but it has no restaurant and it is Monday. Nowhere open. Well three places, one Gourmet (no), one Franco/Italian (need to book) one newish North African plus.., buffet style. Looks interesting.

Still can’t upload photos so it’s just the Google album - some are quite interesting (she said feebly)

Walking on sunshine

Well we spent most of Saturday in the garden, popping inside occasionally to tidy up. But it was such a lovely day, no one wanted to leave. We visited the Thomas Allotment to say goodbye and returned with a cucumber for the journey… doesn’t everyone? Then at 6 decided we might as well up sticks and head for Plymouth. 

Once aboard dear old Armorique we partook of fish and chips (the men) and a wonderful sandwich in proper country style bread and a truly scrumptious pistachio and raspberry jam slice of cake (me). The ship slid out of harbour in the black evening light and we flopped onto our most comfortable bunks until the Celtic harps awoke us.

Brittany was sunny once dawn had broken. Breakfast in Châtelaudren and nothing more of note until we got south of Nantes on the fast road. At Ste Hermine we noticed the bar in front of Clémenceau’s statue was doing good trade so we spent quite a pleasant half hour in the sun watching the flotilla of camper vans heading in all directions. Awful things.

Finally south through the marshes and a stop at Port du Pavé where for the first time ever we witnessed the tide coming in. Way past the light and onto the roadway. No wading birds obviously but plenty flying about, including a big Marsh Harrier quartering the reeds. It was warm and breezy - very nice.

And we fetched up at Kyriad La Rochelle about 4.30. Del Arte awaits…I have a loyalty card🤗

Pictures are not uploading so here is the link to the Google Album  https://photos.app.goo.gl/MyaMHDudQrFBSbf36

Autumn Departure

🚢We leave on 14 September overnight. Roscoff, La Rochelle (again…), Nérac, Albi. 

I am immersed in the usual indecision of what to pack, clothes lie in piles my work room, I am determined this time to be restrained! Time will tell:)