Au vent......?????

Work continues on the final stages of the renovation of our house. The inside is finished but we are busy with various jobs outside including the building of an outside toilet and shower room. Next to this I am constructing what the French refer to as an au vent, or covered terrace. 

This week I have been busy with the oak frame for the main structure and next week I hope to complete the roof.

Hmm that looks about right!

So having chopped some mighty mortice and tenon joints lifted the very heavy oak sections into position the first stage is more or less complete.

That's a good job done.

 Next stage - the roof and then complete the stonework etc.

Historic French high chair?

We do try and accommodate the various requirements of our many guests over the summer months here at Les Deux Platanes. 

Next week we have a couple arriving with a small child that would benefit from using a 'high chair'. We have a cot but not a high chair so we decided to try and locate a chair locally and within the week an email arrived, high chair spotted requires some TLC!

So having crossed the palm of the seller with a few euro I began the relatively easy task of renovating the chair. Not being an expert on high chairs I was impressed to see how the chair operates and it appears to be of a typical French design. Our local French friends have a similar chair and it is over 60 yrs old.

Coat of paint, respray and some transfers and it looks just fine

However this chair is a 'convertachair' - see below!

Amazing, a quick fold and you have a play desk!

Nice pictures Maureen!

So there you have it, refurbished high chair, hope the little guest likes it!

Having been visiting this tiny hamlet for nearly 40 years we have a close relationship with all our French friends and neighbours. During the winter months members of the hamlet 'events commitee', (a committee in the very simplest terms) organise a number of 'Tea Dances' in Chatillon and the profits from these dances fund some community events in the summer. 

On the 2nd August we held our annual 'mechuoi', a lunch and dinner with boules and card games in between. We are always involved in the preparations and running of the event during the day, its wonderful to be part of the community something that unfortunately we do not always find in the fast paced life in the UK. Mechuoi has its origins in North Africa and roasting a sheep over a log barbecue is central to the events dining experience. So at the crack of dawn the fire is lit and the sheep from a local farmer is put on to roast. 

Both Maureen and I were there at 8.00am sharp to help prepare the event, this despite being out the night before until 1.00am, All the helpers had a pause for breakfast at 9.00pm, the offal from the sheep is fried along with garlic and herbs and sandwiches of French bread made ----along with the statutory glass of local wine. We then set up the trestle tables, lay the plates etc and hang up the bunting. On top of all of this we also had new guests arriving at the cottage so had to escape the preparations to give the cottage its normal thorough clean and prepare....a busy day indeed.

All the locals from baby to grandmas in wheelchairs start to arrive around 12.15pm with much hand shaking and kissing all round. This year the aperos were made by the local children supervised by some adults produced a startling collection of tasty morsels which was all washed down with some very nice lemon / sugar / Sauvignon apperitif especially made by our neighbour Alain.

Everyone sat down for the starters and then the sheep was removed from the spit and carved for serving.

This, of course, is France so the afternoon meal continues with cheese, multiple choices of desert made by another local family all washed down with copious amounts of local wine. Around 6.00pm we stop eating etc and the Boules / cards games start....

Yes you have to have staying power to survive the day. This being a Saturday we also had new guests arriving so once settled in they were invited down to join the evening meal. You can spot them here looking rather pensive although Joshua who is 14 is putting on a great smile. 

Our new cottage guests having arrived late afternoon were invited to join the evening meal, Josh is putting on his best smile.

The eating, drinking and festivity continues and by 1.30am we were finished - a wonderful day with wonderful neighbours and friends, it is indeed a privilege to be involved. Next day we were up bright and early to wash dishes and clear away tables etc.

LE BREUIL MECHOUI 2014 - THE END UNTIL 2015

D Day commemorations

The outside thermometer touched 34c this afternoon, has the warm weather arrived?  Of course this level of heat has side effects, only 15 kilometers away they had storms with hailstones the size of golf balls and this has caused all manner of damage.

Last week we had three days in Normandy for the 70th Commemorations of the D Day landings. I was impressed with the tactful and professional events put on by the French organizations across Normandy.  There were people attending from all the original participating countries with many from the USA.

Pipers from the Scottish borders at Pegasus Bridge

Spitfires, a Lancaster and other planes of the period provided an emotional fly past

Dozens of WW2 motorcycles toured the area

Throughout the day services were held remembering all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in 1944

Last but not least the cottage garden is starting to show all its colour as summer arrives.

Barrel of fun

As those who follow this BLOG will know, I bought an old wine barrel in April but I did not reveal its purpose!

This was the barrel prior to restoration, a rather sorry state but with some potential hidden under the grime and rust. It is a genuine small wine barrel, the inside revealed a crust of old wine so I presume it has been in use for many years.

The barn doors of Les Deux Platanes were in need of repainting, and the existing paintwork included artwork of a wine barrel. So after a lot of stripping, power sanding, undercoat, primer, filling and top coat of 'Provence Blue' the doors were ready for the new accessory. 

As you can see the barrel takes pride of place on the repainted doors. 

The cottage garden has been entered in the 2014 'garden of flowers' competition for the area!!! Will we have any success, only time will tell but we hope to get a mention if nothing else. 

Early days but the garden is developing nicely for the summer visitors

I have also been working hard re-roofing the bread oven in our private garden and creating a covered area.

The last of the lathes are being fitted for the slates, its hard on the knees even with a kneeling pad. 

Fortunately my neighbour had 2000 secondhand tiles spare so in the next week or so I will put them onto the new roof lathes. 

One thing is for certain, there is always a long list of jobs waiting to be done.

The cottage in early May - anyone with a good eye will note that the shutters have been repainted and grape vines added for effect, this along with a complete re-decoration of the blue room plus lots of other jobs .... yes its all ready for our 2014 guests.

Well that's it for now better press on with some of those remaining jobs!

A ship called Hermione

We have just returned from a week at the seaside which was a very relaxing interlude. However, we still did a bit of sightseeing, including a visit to Rochefort. I was sure we had been there before, but didn't recognise anything, so I must have been mistaken.
We had heard from a friend about the building of a replica ship so went off to see it. The Hermione is a frigate which apparently Lafayette sailed in to America to help in the War of Independence (against the British). They have been building the ship for quite a number of years under the watchful eyes of the general public who have been allowed up close and personal to every stage. 
We were able to see the sails being made (by hand in the traditional way) and the blacksmith's shop which made all the ironwork fittings.

 







It had been announced they would be unfurling the sails last Saturday (the day we would be heading back to Le Breuil) but we were very pleased to see they were busy practising and making sure all the sails would unfurl properly on the day we visited. We were on deck and I was taking lots of photos as some of the young folk climbed high up the rigging and into the crows' nest. 

She's a splendid looking ship and I'm sure when she makes her maiden voyage to the USA next year it will be a wonderful experience for all the sailors. They are taking some professional sailors as well as a number of amateurs along. What an amazing voyage that will be.

Down on the farm

In March, we were pleased to see Monique had increased her flock of sheep by the arrival of a number of lambs in the early spring. Imagine our surprise (and hers I think!) to find twins had arrived last Friday. One of them looked a little frail, but I am happy to say it is thriving.
They are jumping around as only lambs do, leaping up with all four legs off the ground.

Mum is keeping a watchful eye!

Unfortunately, last years' lamb from the same ewe is a bit jealous, so we are keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't try any funny business with it's brother and sister.

Daniel has just paid a fleeting visit to us at the start of his Easter holidays, and took advantage of a lovely day to go and feed the horses with some stale bread. He was a bit unsure about putting his hand out, but the horses are quite gentle, if not a little greedy!

The lovely warm weather has brought on the blossom to the fruit trees, and although we have had some cold mornings, there hasn't been sufficient frost which means we might get some nice fruit a little later in the year

The Bramley apple flowers

The cherry blossom holds the promise of fruit

There are also lots of flowers on the strawberries and the blackcurrants look like they should produce plenty of fruit for some lovely jam.

So, the gardening season is again upon us. I've got some lettuce under cover, and have peppers, aubergines, broccoli, green beans and courgettes in the greenhouse. Not to mention the flowers which I am gradually potting up into their containers ready for the gite garden. Plenty to keep us busy!