The papermills of Couze-et- Saint Front

happy ducks at a little spot on the river Couze by the water mill

I spent a lovely day this week with my painting group at the village of Couze-et-Saint Front between Bergerac and Lalinde where the Couze river meets the Dordogne. It was one of those glorious blue skied autumn days between the grape picking and the change of leaf colour from green to gold and red.

on a popular route for cyclists and walkers

very grand but built into the rock face !

Le Moulin sous le Roc 

 Interesting story about the town’s name - apparently, Saint Front was a monk who vanquished a dragon that was terrorising the local people of Couze. Reason enough to name the town after him.

once the town's  girl's school

perfect spot for lunch

Because of the reliable supply and purity of the water in the Couze, this village has been the home of water powered paper mills since the fifteenth century using hemp, flax and cotton. The paper from Couze was so good it was said to last 500 years ! By the nineteenth century there were thirteen mills in operation. These days there are just two still turning out hand made papers for a limited and specialised market. The paper was shipped down the Dordogne to Bordeaux and then on to Holland which , in the 17^th century, was the centre of book printing in Europe.

a display using discards

After a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant we were given a guided tour through the Moulin de la Rouzique  by a very knowledgeable and charming young woman.

the shutters are left open for natural drying of the paper

thousands of lines for drying the paper

comparatively modern machinery but still driven by the water wheel 

We finished the day sitting in the garden by the river, sketching and painting , this being a painting group, and provided much entertainment for a coach load of seniors who arrived rather late in the afternoon on their outing.

Hope yours is a good week too

Summer is coming to an end…..

there's always a market for wine paraphernalia

One week the temperatures are in the mid 30s and the next they’ve dropped 10 degrees or more. While summer officially ends here on 21^st September, we can feel the end is here already. We are still picking figs while the leaves fall from the figtree, the cherry and the laurels. We still have tomatoes and aubergine ripening in the potager , but the roses have finished.

Laurent from the mairie seems to be deciding if he really wants
that Nana Mouskouri album

On the last weekend of August Port Sainte Foy holds it’s annual fête. There is a boule competition, a marché gourmand (night food market) and a vide grenier. We awoke on the sunday morning to find stalls setup outside our front door and lots of customers already searching for treasures. The day was hot already so we took our turn around the market mid-morning and, of course, bumped into quite a few acquaintances.

fire dogs, an old trunk, a copper pot and a telescope
- do I really want any of these ?

if you love 'angels' then this is the stall for you

music anyone ?

Ok, so just what is this ???

The bar on the corner was offering paella for lunch. This was made by our talented neighbour in his metre wide paella pan and cooked in the street so we could all appreciate the aroma. Six of us decided to have the paella “emporter” (to take away) so we could enjoy it inside our much cooler house. But first, since the paella wasn't quite ready, an apero in a neighbour’s garden. Naturally this includes lots of little dishes of goodies and a few glasses of wine. After a suitable time, we all sauntered back to our house, collecting the paella on the way.

We all agreed this was one of the best paellas we have had. It included prawns, langoustine ( like a yabbie), mussels and chicken. All followed up with a platter of charentaise melon and figs from our tree. It was, of necessity, a quiet afternoon after that. The party carried on at the bar into the night and it all finished with fireworks over the river. Another successful summer weekend.

The following weekend the temperatures had dropped and the sky was cloudy, but it’s still summer so naturally there is an event. Portes Ouvertes means “open doors” and that’s what twenty or so vineyards in the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux AOC did to celebrate the end of summer. We chose to go to Chateau de Pitray which we had discovered with visiting friends last year.

truly a fairytale chateau

Is the back of your house as good as this ?

maintenance ?

rear of the chapel

There is a circular drive in front of the chateau and a grassy area in the centre. This is where the tables and benches were set up for lunch surrounded by tasting benches for the local wines, and  stalls providing the food. After a walk around the chateau itself and lots of photos we settled down to tasting and eating to the accompaniment of live music. 

a pleasant spot under the trees

a very clever device  for hands free drinking

Mick showing how it works - so useful for a party

this is called a "gondole" - with a selection of charcuterie for lunch 

Graham and Mick 'tasting'

The french love their music and so support anyone who is prepared to perform. OK, they are rubbish at writing  their own, but they are very good at covering the music of others.

And yes, we did buy a few bottles to add to the cellar.

Bon week-end à tous nos amis