Our first guests

After a last minute rush working around our painter as he tried to finish the staircase, the bedrooms were finally ready for our first house guests on Wednesday - old school friends of Graham.

We collected Rory and Shereden from the station at Bordeaux late on Wednesday night after they had flown from New York to Paris via Frankfurt.  That really is the long way around.  Next morning we drove to La Réole on the Garonne River to collect Steve who arrived by train from his home at Gaillac near Toulouse. Then on to a great lunch at La Terrasse on the town square overlooking the chateau at Duras. Lots of food and wine later we headed off to Bergerac for a post lunch walk. This is a beautiful town on the Dordogne river first established in the 11^th century so the “old town” is a fascinating mix of styles from over the centuries. While there are two statues of Cyrano de Bergerac  here, Cyrano was a fictional character and had nothing to do with the town - apart from attracting tourists with their cameras.......

Cyrano de Bergerac - who else ?

 

The gang of four

Rory and Shereden prepared a wonderful dinner for us all and we carried on into the night while the boys reminisced . On Friday we spent a lovely sunny morning wandering the streets of St Emilion and enjoyed another good lunch in the town square under the tree. As Steve had to catch a train home that evening and Rory and Shereden were catching their train from Bordeaux to Paris early Saturday morning, we went on to Bordeaux for  the rest of the afternoon. It was a short visit, but great fun, and we look forward to their return, next year perhaps ?

Graham, Rory and Steve

The square in St Emilion

I spent Saturday afternoon trying to use up our fig supply and making jam, again. We have so much we have to give it away at any opportunity. Since we were back picking them again Monday I am desperate for recipes. We already use them in salads and the jams. Graham doesn’t eat desserts very often so fig tart is a waste. I have found a new recipe for rocamadour ( a small goat cheese) and ham and fig in pastry which I will try this week, but that doesn’t  make much of a dent in the supply. Any suggestions ???

Just one day's haul

Getting lost in the fruit picking

Dinner at our friend Kate’s house in the country on Saturday night and met some of her friends from Australia who had been staying with her. We ate outdoors to the sound of the sheep bells ( from the neighbour’s farm) and the sight of a brilliant red sky as the sun set. As we drove home we saw an amazing view of the new moon through a streaky mist  – fabulous.

The rugby season has begun and Graham spent Sunday afternoon with new English friends at the local stadium watching  Stade Foyen  play. "The game was a bit flat, but I am reliably informed that it is not unusual to see 4-5 red cards issued for a match at this level. At least we won the game and I get to go back to our next home game. Each game has a big hospitality tent set up and lunch of massive proportions with plenty of wine or beer....all for 7 euros. I will be going again."

The cépes have arrived at the market. You know autumn has arrived when these mushrooms appear on market stalls. At the moment they cost €20.00 a kilo ! As they are a big meaty mushroom we tried some sliced and pan fried in butter with lots of garlic and parsley . Very earthy. Lots of the locals go mushrooming in the forests in the hills behind our village, but they are reluctant to share the location of their hunting grounds. Perhaps we will just stay with what’s available on the market stalls. At least we won’t poison ourselves.

We seem to bump into someone we know at the markets every Saturday now. Nice to know we are increasing our circle of friends. Even had to reject an invitation to lunch as it conflicted with another invitation.

After a week of rain and cold and foggy mornings the sun is out again and we are promised temperatures in the high 20s, at least for a few days. Lots of lawn mowing and tidying in the garden and another exciting trip to the dechetterie ( waste disposal station). Sounds so much better in french, doesn’t it ?

Petite roses in a wine barrel

We bought this begonia at a marché. It's about 70cm high !

à bientôt mes amis