Wednesday, July 27, 2005
E-mail Problems
I can't access my hotmail account at the moment - I was logged on on Friday and somehow it seems to have locked up - not sure how long I will have to wait for them (hotmail help) to unlock it! In the meantime, I'm e-mail-less!!
I can't access my hotmail account at the moment - I was logged on on Friday and somehow it seems to have locked up - not sure how long I will have to wait for them (hotmail help) to unlock it! In the meantime, I'm e-mail-less!!
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Bastille Day
We headed into Montrichard and saw the local parade – firemen, policemen and the local band – doing the tour of the town, along with the fire vehicles, and then up to the square for parade duty and a minute silence for London. We then had a good look at the whole cow that was being spit roasted opposite the Mairie for lunch! They’d started cooking it at midnight to make sure it was properly done! We headed home for a bit, and then I had to collect some guests, so it was gone 6pm before we made it back into the town. We had some dinner, and then watched the parade – the band again, but this time followed by anyone who fancied joining in, and if they wanted to, they could get a paper lantern from the tourist office, thus making it a torch lit parade!! Then we watched some fire eaters – not sure whose idea they were, but they were pretty impressive! And then we all headed to the river to watch the fireworks – which were pretty spectacular…. And finally we cycled home in the dark – Gerwyn with a white front light, and me with a red back one, but neither with attachments so we just held them!!!
Our Next Visitor...
Barbara, who worked with me as a Resort Manager during my first season in La Plagne arrived on Friday evening – she’s staying a bit further south in her sister’s caravan – On Saturday the three of us cycled to Montpoupon chateau – which is very much focused on hunting (I know, not very PC to us Brits!) but it was a good tour, interesting museum, and nice to have a very different theme. We then cycled home again and had a rather late lunch… before we headed to the Mushroom Fête: we had a few yummy mushrooms, done with either garlic butter or Rilletes (pork), washed down with a few beers then finished off with a crêpe! Later on, we walked from our house down to Chenonceau, which was having a Black Pudding Fête, but we actually found some tasty salami, and churros (Spanish deep fried doughnut things!) and a fair ground – and a spectacular firework display – it has to be said, they are very good at their fireworks! Today, after doing our jobs, we headed to the Escargots Fête – yes, that is snails!! This fête consisted of the usual tasting stalls, and a car-boot sale…so we had a quick wander round (it was boiling) and then had some snails – well Barbara and I did, but Gerwyn wouldn’t!! They were very nice and not at all chewy or rubbery – quite good quality snails I think! We then went to St Aignan to get a bit of proper lunch, having had our snails for starter. And as its Jazz week in the town, part way through our meal a trio came in and played to the restaurant! And as if we’d not had enough of Fêtes, en route home we stopped in at the Omelette Fête – Gerwyn had really been looking forward to this one, but as it was still mid afternoon they’d not yet started cooking the omelettes! I had to go and see some guests, so we couldn’t stay, so I cooked Gerwyn an omelette for tea!
Next weekend, it’s Stuffed Tomato Fête …
We headed into Montrichard and saw the local parade – firemen, policemen and the local band – doing the tour of the town, along with the fire vehicles, and then up to the square for parade duty and a minute silence for London. We then had a good look at the whole cow that was being spit roasted opposite the Mairie for lunch! They’d started cooking it at midnight to make sure it was properly done! We headed home for a bit, and then I had to collect some guests, so it was gone 6pm before we made it back into the town. We had some dinner, and then watched the parade – the band again, but this time followed by anyone who fancied joining in, and if they wanted to, they could get a paper lantern from the tourist office, thus making it a torch lit parade!! Then we watched some fire eaters – not sure whose idea they were, but they were pretty impressive! And then we all headed to the river to watch the fireworks – which were pretty spectacular…. And finally we cycled home in the dark – Gerwyn with a white front light, and me with a red back one, but neither with attachments so we just held them!!!
Our Next Visitor...
Barbara, who worked with me as a Resort Manager during my first season in La Plagne arrived on Friday evening – she’s staying a bit further south in her sister’s caravan – On Saturday the three of us cycled to Montpoupon chateau – which is very much focused on hunting (I know, not very PC to us Brits!) but it was a good tour, interesting museum, and nice to have a very different theme. We then cycled home again and had a rather late lunch… before we headed to the Mushroom Fête: we had a few yummy mushrooms, done with either garlic butter or Rilletes (pork), washed down with a few beers then finished off with a crêpe! Later on, we walked from our house down to Chenonceau, which was having a Black Pudding Fête, but we actually found some tasty salami, and churros (Spanish deep fried doughnut things!) and a fair ground – and a spectacular firework display – it has to be said, they are very good at their fireworks! Today, after doing our jobs, we headed to the Escargots Fête – yes, that is snails!! This fête consisted of the usual tasting stalls, and a car-boot sale…so we had a quick wander round (it was boiling) and then had some snails – well Barbara and I did, but Gerwyn wouldn’t!! They were very nice and not at all chewy or rubbery – quite good quality snails I think! We then went to St Aignan to get a bit of proper lunch, having had our snails for starter. And as its Jazz week in the town, part way through our meal a trio came in and played to the restaurant! And as if we’d not had enough of Fêtes, en route home we stopped in at the Omelette Fête – Gerwyn had really been looking forward to this one, but as it was still mid afternoon they’d not yet started cooking the omelettes! I had to go and see some guests, so we couldn’t stay, so I cooked Gerwyn an omelette for tea!
Next weekend, it’s Stuffed Tomato Fête …
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Almost another week has gone by!
Katy and Claire arrived on Friday and passed the first hurdle: driving from the airport to Vouvray in the hire car – I was very impressed to see Katy driving! We met at Les Chalands restaurant in Vouvray for lunch – would recommend that place to anyone who’s passing – Jacques and Sylvie are lovely!! Gerwyn then went to collect guests, so Kate, Claire and I did a bit of wine tasting en route home! Saturday was a real busy day for us, and unfortunately it was pretty wet all morning, Kate and Claire managed to avoid the showers in Chenonceau Chateau. We chilled out for a while and then went out to dinner at a hotel in Chaumont that Gerwyn and I had to test for next year – a very nice test too!! We had contemplated going to the Son et Lumiere at Amboise, but by the time we’d done dinner, we couldn’t be bothered to rush! Sunday morning was spent in bed – I’ve not had a lie in for ages, and it was so nice not to have to get up!! However we did still have a lot of bikes to clean, not having done much whilst Laura and Jane were here, so we left Kate and Claire to explore Amboise whilst we got out the WD40 and white spirit!! The weather was a complete change to the day before, so we all sat out for a while in the evening. And Monday morning Gerwyn and I both had to welcome in new guests, so we left early whilst Kate and Claire were still in bed…. It was so nice to see them, even if rather briefly! And it was a little strange to see Kate and her bump, as Junior has obviously got a lot bigger since April. And the next time I see Kate she will either be huge, or Junior will have made his/her entrance into this world… I’m going to be an aunty!!!
Since then, we seem to have spent a lot of time cleaning bikes, in between driving a long way!! Just trying to catch up on the back log. Sun and warmth has returned - so it’s now too hot to do anything in the middle of the day!!
Tomorrow is July 14th – Bastille Day – excuse for a few fireworks etc etc – will have to see how well the French really party!
Katy and Claire arrived on Friday and passed the first hurdle: driving from the airport to Vouvray in the hire car – I was very impressed to see Katy driving! We met at Les Chalands restaurant in Vouvray for lunch – would recommend that place to anyone who’s passing – Jacques and Sylvie are lovely!! Gerwyn then went to collect guests, so Kate, Claire and I did a bit of wine tasting en route home! Saturday was a real busy day for us, and unfortunately it was pretty wet all morning, Kate and Claire managed to avoid the showers in Chenonceau Chateau. We chilled out for a while and then went out to dinner at a hotel in Chaumont that Gerwyn and I had to test for next year – a very nice test too!! We had contemplated going to the Son et Lumiere at Amboise, but by the time we’d done dinner, we couldn’t be bothered to rush! Sunday morning was spent in bed – I’ve not had a lie in for ages, and it was so nice not to have to get up!! However we did still have a lot of bikes to clean, not having done much whilst Laura and Jane were here, so we left Kate and Claire to explore Amboise whilst we got out the WD40 and white spirit!! The weather was a complete change to the day before, so we all sat out for a while in the evening. And Monday morning Gerwyn and I both had to welcome in new guests, so we left early whilst Kate and Claire were still in bed…. It was so nice to see them, even if rather briefly! And it was a little strange to see Kate and her bump, as Junior has obviously got a lot bigger since April. And the next time I see Kate she will either be huge, or Junior will have made his/her entrance into this world… I’m going to be an aunty!!!
Since then, we seem to have spent a lot of time cleaning bikes, in between driving a long way!! Just trying to catch up on the back log. Sun and warmth has returned - so it’s now too hot to do anything in the middle of the day!!
Tomorrow is July 14th – Bastille Day – excuse for a few fireworks etc etc – will have to see how well the French really party!
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Laura & Jane’s visit…
It’s been a pretty hectic few days with Laura and Jane visiting us: we started off with a local mussels festival on Sunday afternoon, at which we saw a famous accordion player – I hasten to add we only knew she is famous because the compere mentioned it, plus she played a piece which she explained she had composed herself and said we might recognise from the radio!! Jane and Gerwyn were both introduced to the delights of mussels, and I’m pleased to say, both actually agreed that mussels are rather tasty!! And on Sunday evening we took a stroll round the chateau at Chenonceaux.
Overnight we had a terrific thunderstorm – from about 3-6am, with spectacular lightening, constant rumblings of thunder, and pouring rain – Jane and Laura managed to sleep through it!! But Monday brightened up, and we packed them off to the Zoo for the afternoon.
On Tuesday they negotiated the local supermarket before we headed into Amboise to watch the Tour de France. Having arrived in Tours on the Monday, it was a team time-trial day from Tours to Blois, going through Amboise. So we got to see all the publicity cars going through first, throwing freebees as they went, and then over 2 hours a team came through every 5 minutes. I got a few photos, and I’m sure one includes Lance Armstrong, but it was a bit of a blur and they all look the same in their team colours!! It was a really nice friendly atmosphere, without being too crowded.
On Wednesday we started with some early morning (!!) wine tasting then came back to ours for lunch, and watched the live coverage from Singapore of the Olympics bid – we were all so shocked to hear London win. It has been a bit bizarre for Gerwyn and I, as having been out of the UK for such a long time, we have not really been aware of the UK’s bid, support, publicity etc. Since arriving in France we have seen lots of coverage about the Paris bid, frequent TV adds etc, and the whole population seemed really enthusiastic and positive. It was therefore a huge blow for them not to get it, and you genuinely have to feel sorry for them – there were interviews with various people involved in the bid who were literally on the verge of tears. So another strike against the entente cordiale!! After we recovered from this surprise, we headed off to Blois. We went round the chateau, but I was a bit disappointed as the English leaflet was useless, there was no guided tour in English, and there is a lot of restoration work going on, so it was difficult to work out where you were meant to go!! We then wandered round the town, but decided to go elsewhere for dinner, as we were coming back for the Son et Lumiere show at 10.30, but had several hours to kill. We decided to try to get to Orleans – which turned out to be a bit ambitious: we took the main, non-motorway road, but this took over an hour, with lots of traffic lights etc on the way. We then of course had no idea where we were going once we got to Orleans, so found a random car park and then headed in the vague direction of the central shopping streets. Orleans has a modern tram system and some really nice architecture. We quickly found a nice pizzeria and settled down for dinner. We also found a pudding called Tarte Caroline: apple tarte with vanilla ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce – I had to try it of course! Yum Yum!! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to look around the town, but Gerwyn and I definitely will come back. We got back in the car and took the motorway back to Blois – you have to pay of course, but it took us half the time to get back!! We were slightly late for the Son et Lumiere, but it was in English and worth going to… so it was gone midnight by the time we got home – definitely packed in a full day!!
And Thursday morning we just had enough time after getting new walkers and cyclists started on their routes, to get Laura and Jane to the airport. And then we returned home to the news of the bombings in London – a rollercoaster of emotions after yesterday’s Olympics success…
It’s been a pretty hectic few days with Laura and Jane visiting us: we started off with a local mussels festival on Sunday afternoon, at which we saw a famous accordion player – I hasten to add we only knew she is famous because the compere mentioned it, plus she played a piece which she explained she had composed herself and said we might recognise from the radio!! Jane and Gerwyn were both introduced to the delights of mussels, and I’m pleased to say, both actually agreed that mussels are rather tasty!! And on Sunday evening we took a stroll round the chateau at Chenonceaux.
Overnight we had a terrific thunderstorm – from about 3-6am, with spectacular lightening, constant rumblings of thunder, and pouring rain – Jane and Laura managed to sleep through it!! But Monday brightened up, and we packed them off to the Zoo for the afternoon.
On Tuesday they negotiated the local supermarket before we headed into Amboise to watch the Tour de France. Having arrived in Tours on the Monday, it was a team time-trial day from Tours to Blois, going through Amboise. So we got to see all the publicity cars going through first, throwing freebees as they went, and then over 2 hours a team came through every 5 minutes. I got a few photos, and I’m sure one includes Lance Armstrong, but it was a bit of a blur and they all look the same in their team colours!! It was a really nice friendly atmosphere, without being too crowded.
On Wednesday we started with some early morning (!!) wine tasting then came back to ours for lunch, and watched the live coverage from Singapore of the Olympics bid – we were all so shocked to hear London win. It has been a bit bizarre for Gerwyn and I, as having been out of the UK for such a long time, we have not really been aware of the UK’s bid, support, publicity etc. Since arriving in France we have seen lots of coverage about the Paris bid, frequent TV adds etc, and the whole population seemed really enthusiastic and positive. It was therefore a huge blow for them not to get it, and you genuinely have to feel sorry for them – there were interviews with various people involved in the bid who were literally on the verge of tears. So another strike against the entente cordiale!! After we recovered from this surprise, we headed off to Blois. We went round the chateau, but I was a bit disappointed as the English leaflet was useless, there was no guided tour in English, and there is a lot of restoration work going on, so it was difficult to work out where you were meant to go!! We then wandered round the town, but decided to go elsewhere for dinner, as we were coming back for the Son et Lumiere show at 10.30, but had several hours to kill. We decided to try to get to Orleans – which turned out to be a bit ambitious: we took the main, non-motorway road, but this took over an hour, with lots of traffic lights etc on the way. We then of course had no idea where we were going once we got to Orleans, so found a random car park and then headed in the vague direction of the central shopping streets. Orleans has a modern tram system and some really nice architecture. We quickly found a nice pizzeria and settled down for dinner. We also found a pudding called Tarte Caroline: apple tarte with vanilla ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce – I had to try it of course! Yum Yum!! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to look around the town, but Gerwyn and I definitely will come back. We got back in the car and took the motorway back to Blois – you have to pay of course, but it took us half the time to get back!! We were slightly late for the Son et Lumiere, but it was in English and worth going to… so it was gone midnight by the time we got home – definitely packed in a full day!!
And Thursday morning we just had enough time after getting new walkers and cyclists started on their routes, to get Laura and Jane to the airport. And then we returned home to the news of the bombings in London – a rollercoaster of emotions after yesterday’s Olympics success…
Friday, July 01, 2005
Reading corner:
Um….not a lot been going on in reading corner this week – don’t think I’ve opened a book!
Have had various visitors this week
Charlie and Tina from the
Other than that, this week, I have mostly been cleaning bikes!!
More visitors coming soon: Laura & Jane on Sunday, then Kate & Claire next Friday…
