January roundup

January has nearly gone and we don't seem to have done much ... grey, damp and frosty.  But there are starting to be signs of Spring.  The pansies are making a nice show now in front of the house

the Camellia is blooming despite the odd touch of frost

 the Winter Jasmine is providing a good show this year ... at last

Also out now are the Hellebores (Christmas Rose)

the first early Crocuses

a solitary Anemone Blanda ... very early

and the first of our Snowdrops

Encouraged by these heralds of Spring we have pushed on with planting the roses (Rambling Rector) which we hope will make a screen between the garden and our new neighbour opposite in place of the old rose pergola ...

 ... and not before time, looking at how they are starting to grow!

So, just got to put up the supports and the training wires.

Here in France it is customary to wish people happy New Year the first time you meet them any time during January.  Despite January nearly being gone, we went, with a large part of the village, to listen to the Mayor give his report of the past year, to wish us all the best for 2020 and then to gossip over a buffet and a glass of wine.  The event was to start at 11am but, as was to be expected, it took about half an hour for everyone to greet everyone else before taking their seats ... and there must have been at least 150 of us!

It was a little different this year as the Salle de Fête (village hall) is being renovated and so the celebration was held in a couple of marquées on the market place ... and it was freezing inside ... colder than outside in the fresh air. 

And there is nothing worse than ice cold red wine!

Lost in Translation

Yesterday morning John took a phone call from one of our friends asking if we wanted a fallow deer. Her husband is one of the local hunters and in the past we have said we would be interested in buying some venison if there was any available. She apparently said to John "can you butcher it?". Upon which he said "you'd better ask the chef". I took the phone and was completely tongued tied. After a prolonged silence I said yes because I thought it was rude to decline their offer having asked previously. Fine it would be delivered in the afternoon.

The rest of the day I was worried about how I was going to deal with this dead deer. Would I need to hang it and for how long and where. How would I skin it let alone create usable joints chops etc. I asked John if he had a new saw I could use, knowing that none of my knives would be sharp enough. I worked out that the fox would be able to take away the entrails, but that presumed  that I would butcher the animal in the middle of the back field. I was really worried about all the increasingly awful  scenarios running through my head.

Eventually Bernadette arrived and after the pleasantries I asked where the animal was. "In my boot" she replied but there appeared to be no rush on her part to extract it. So we went indoors and continued to chat. Eventually I couldn't wait any longer and said that we'd better go and get it out. She then realised what I was thinking and fell about laughing  and couldn't stop whilst producing a shoulder, chops and casserole pieces of venison from her bag. I just hugged her with relief.

I guess it won't be long before the whole village hears this story.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Sunday morning frost (maybe -4).  Sunday afternoon bright sunshine, warm, clear blue sky!  So what do self-respecting gardeners do? 

Sue was out there cutting back!

I was indoors and then I heard voices ... Sue stopped to talk to our neighbour Fred's daughters.  A little later ... more voices.  Sue talking to a lady fellow gardener and her husband out for a walk.  Then a short while later, yet more voices ... friends Fabienne and Jean-Luc and his parents walking off lunch.

French people are not used to an obsessive English gardener!!!

And now the diet !

We've been telling friends that we've had a quiet Christmas but when we think about it, we seem to have been 'preparing' for it since the end of November.  In the lead up to Christmas we've had 7 meals here for friends, been for 3 meals at restaurants with either friends or the clubs we belong to, invited to an evening party for food, wine and whiskey tasting, been to 3 music concerts, went into Gourdon for a Laser and Firework show and finished up yesterday with a guided tour of the medieval part of Sarlat, a touristy town which is just north of us into the Dordogne.

It is always good to be with friends but there were 2 outstanding highlights.

The first was a free concert which we went to in Gourdon's church.  It was a choir of about 40 young enthusiastic music students or young professionals who meet up twice a year for about a week and then give these performances.  A superb hour and a half of well trained, well rehearsed singers full of enthusiasm.
The second big hightlight was the tour we did yesterday.  We thought we knew Sarlat, having been there a number of times, but the guide took us through lots of narrow streets from the 13th century onwards and showed us some interesting looking buildings.  Also we saw lots of tiny galleries and shops which warrant a further visit. The guide was very knowledgeable and, although we struggle to keep up with French spoken at 'normal' speed, we did follow the gist of what she was telling everybody.

So, even though we spent the time on our own, we still managed to eat too much nice food and drink too much 'bubbles' and nice wine.  Now the new, 'healthy' regime starts ... less wine, healthier food (no nibbles!) and a regular 30 minute walk every day !!!

How long will we keep this up ?