First Day Of Summer?
The locals seem to be slightly out on the first day of summer but maybe the tradition dates back before anyone did the calculations. So, the 23rd of June is the Feu de la St Jean, a celebration of the first day of summer. The centre of the village is shut off to traffic and a large contingent of villagers congregates in front of the Bar du Pont to eat, drink and listen/dance to a band. When darkness descends, a bonfire is lit beneath the bridge over the Ouvèze river. The first year I was here the bonfire was actually on the bridge and the fire brigade had to stand by to see it didn't get out of hand. Since the, it's been down on a stone bank in the middle of the river, presumably because there's plenty of water around to put it out, if necessary.
Two things contrast with my English experience. Firstly, I've never lived anywhere in England where this kind of thing happened, except some vague memory of a street party in London at the time of the current Queen's coronation. Secondly, all ages come: grandparents, parents, adolescents, kids, dogs, cats, etc, and everyone seems to have a good time. It really is a family occasion.
A couple of years ago the entertainment was a couple playing the guitar and singing Brassens songs. Most of the people were singing along to the well-known songs, which are generally pretty bawdy. You can't really dance to Brassens but a number of 6-7 year-olds weren't to be put off and duly bopped away to the music. I can't think of anywhere else where you would happily have teeny boppers dancing away to songs with words like “when Margot undid her bra” and “I took her into the countryside and lifted up her skirt to introduce her to nature”. Nowhere but in France.
Dog Fight
I was playing boules a couple of days a go when we all stopped and looked up into the sky. A dogfight was going on between an eagle and a number of house martins. The eagle had somehow got amongst a flock of them and was desperately trying to catch one. Every time it got near one, the house martin would swerve or turn up or down at the last minute. We watched fascinated for a while but didn't see the eagle have any success. It must have been like some of the scenes over Britain at the time of the second world war.
mardi 23 juin 2009
mardi 16 juin 2009
Fruit, roses, etc
Fruit, Fruit, Fruit,.....
The fruit season is now in full swing. Even the strawberries, which were first, are still going strong although the markets haven't yet started offering several kilos for a few euros for jam making. The cherries, which were second are also still around and the village man who sells his own stuff opposite the Mairie is selling a white variety for a euro a kilo. Apricots the size of peaches are plentiful and the peaches themselves are now fully ripe. Add the Charentais melons to that lot and there really is a cornucopia of fruit. Jam making is definitely just around the corner.
Rose Identified
I gave a rose to friends Steve and Jo several years ago to plant by their pool and it has bloomed magnificently and repeatedly. However, I had forgotten which variety it was although I knew whom I bought it from, a man in the Nyons market. I've now tracked down the name: it's Pegasus. I shall get one for myself if I can find one.
Watering
Watering is now a constant chore with the weather consistently in the 30s. As Steve and Jo are away there is their garden to look after too, as well as my own, although there is Hallie to help with the former. Two of my clematises still haven't bloomed so I have yet to discover whether the colour it said on the ticket (blue in each case) is actually the colour they are; it isn't always the case with flowers bought in the market.
Eating Outside
Eating out side is always one of the big pleasures here at this time of the year, morning noon and night. Had Hallie round for a meal on Sunday and we ate on the balcony around 9.00 in the evening. Lent Hallie my DVDs of The Jewel in the Crown and those are now occupying a large part of her time.
Translation
My first success with translation work apart from the guided tour of Mollans. Going to pick up some Viognier which I had heard they had in bag-in-box at the Rieu Frais vineyard in St Jalle, I also picked up the Ehnglish translation of their brochure. The woman who gave it to me said to let her know if there were any mistakes. Well, it was a brave effort but trying to make changes was a hopeless job; it was easier to translate from the French again, which I duly did. Took to the vineyard and said they could have it for free as long as they acknowledged my translation work. They were very grateful and insisted I take a couple of bottles of wine: a Viognier and a Cabernet sauvignon.
Rieu Frais is a good example of a vineyard that produces very good wine but is outside the AOC area and so has to classify all its wines as Vin de Table. It really makes even more of a nonsense of the AOC system.
The fruit season is now in full swing. Even the strawberries, which were first, are still going strong although the markets haven't yet started offering several kilos for a few euros for jam making. The cherries, which were second are also still around and the village man who sells his own stuff opposite the Mairie is selling a white variety for a euro a kilo. Apricots the size of peaches are plentiful and the peaches themselves are now fully ripe. Add the Charentais melons to that lot and there really is a cornucopia of fruit. Jam making is definitely just around the corner.
Rose Identified
I gave a rose to friends Steve and Jo several years ago to plant by their pool and it has bloomed magnificently and repeatedly. However, I had forgotten which variety it was although I knew whom I bought it from, a man in the Nyons market. I've now tracked down the name: it's Pegasus. I shall get one for myself if I can find one.
Watering
Watering is now a constant chore with the weather consistently in the 30s. As Steve and Jo are away there is their garden to look after too, as well as my own, although there is Hallie to help with the former. Two of my clematises still haven't bloomed so I have yet to discover whether the colour it said on the ticket (blue in each case) is actually the colour they are; it isn't always the case with flowers bought in the market.
Eating Outside
Eating out side is always one of the big pleasures here at this time of the year, morning noon and night. Had Hallie round for a meal on Sunday and we ate on the balcony around 9.00 in the evening. Lent Hallie my DVDs of The Jewel in the Crown and those are now occupying a large part of her time.
Translation
My first success with translation work apart from the guided tour of Mollans. Going to pick up some Viognier which I had heard they had in bag-in-box at the Rieu Frais vineyard in St Jalle, I also picked up the Ehnglish translation of their brochure. The woman who gave it to me said to let her know if there were any mistakes. Well, it was a brave effort but trying to make changes was a hopeless job; it was easier to translate from the French again, which I duly did. Took to the vineyard and said they could have it for free as long as they acknowledged my translation work. They were very grateful and insisted I take a couple of bottles of wine: a Viognier and a Cabernet sauvignon.
Rieu Frais is a good example of a vineyard that produces very good wine but is outside the AOC area and so has to classify all its wines as Vin de Table. It really makes even more of a nonsense of the AOC system.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)