With two breakfasts out of the way fairly early on and no new guests arriving until Thursday, I decided to have a bit of a 'me' day and leave the ironing and cleaning until tomorrow. Having said that I was still up at 6.30am and didn't get to please myself until after 11.00am, which is a proper half day of work I suppose.
I am counting today's bike ride as pleasing myself, although it was a 20km cycle including rather a lot of hills. My normal ride is getting a bit boring and to be honest a bit easy. It will be fine for a bit of daily exercise when I don't have much time but I really need to push myself a bit harder to lose more weight and really feel the benefit - hence the longer and more challenging route today. Actually, it was Ok but my legs have felt a little heavy ever since without really hurting - I might regret saying that in the morning.
This afternoon I drove out to Chateau Saint Jacques d'Albas, which can be found in the middle of a beautiful valley in the Minervois between Villarzel and Laure-Minervois. The domaine is owned by an Englishman with the excellent name of Graham Nutter. I have tasted his mid-range red before and really liked it and wanted to go and taste the rest of their production and hopefully introduce myself.
Sadly Mr Nutter wasn't there but his wines were and a very helpful French lady took me through them all starting with the rosé and working through the reds to the top of the range 'La Chapelle'. Most of the wines have won awards and there is a new range of whites to come soon.
The other excellent bit of news was that as the owner of a 'chambre d'hôte', I qualified for the trade price list which offered a significant reduction on retail - so naturally I bought some to use at 42rvh for our weekend packages.
Finally this evening I played a couple of games of boules with David and Bob, down by the river in front of Patrick's house. Instead of the ten minute walk I used my bike to get down there - downhill to the river, slowly uphill back from it with heavy legs.
Everyone laughs when I say this but I always find a couple of games of boules quite tiring. I guess it's a bit of fresh air, a bit of exercise and a bit of tension as we always take it quite seriously - well, slightly seriously - someone usually brings along a bottle of wine, the effect of which is to improve the aim of some and drastically diminish that of others. The wine, therefore, becomes part of the tactics and teamwork - it's a very multi-faceted game.
As part of my new found discipline, I declined the pub and came straight home - having the bike and a set of boules with me is always a good excuse to head off. Besides, I am absolutely ready for my bed.
Showing posts with label bikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bikes. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Proposal
Gosh, where to start - so much has happened in the last few days.
The most exciting news was that our first ever marriage proposal, and acceptance I'm relieved to say, took place at the weekend. We had assumed that our guests were married because they talked about it being their third anniversary, but in fact it was just three years since they met - so, lo and behold he only went and popped the question whilst they were staying here at 42ruevictorhugo. How marvellous! I blame the fillet steak and foie gras main course that he had for dinner on Saturday night - all that meaty goodness must have gone to his macho head - could be the most expensive steak he'll ever have. As it was, we just happened to have a bottle of champagne on ice which Debrah was gagging to open anyway and so this was the perfect excuse.
We had a journalist staying with us on Sunday night as well, and with the champagne and the celebration mood it all got a bit out of hand with much wine drunk and 70's hits / name that tune via the magic of i-pod and bose speakers - hopefully we made a good impression. The Gods were a bit angry with us as a major thunderstorm raged all around for a couple of hours.
It had been a glorious Languedoc Sunday, weatherwise, up until then - a fabulous clear blue sky, very still, very quiet - an absolutely beautiful day. Our newly betrothed had wanted to go out for a bike ride alongside the River Aude, but having got the bikes out and given them a once over, it was clear there was a problem with a valve on one of the bike tyres - and on a Sunday in a rural French town, there wasn't going to be anyone around to fix it - so off walking they went instead, a time to lose the steak and duck fat and for a bit of sober reflection !!
Only joking - I am completely thrilled for them and will be gutted if we don't get an invite to the wedding. They were both very lovely people - indeed at one point during the weekend, he ended up showing someone into the hallway downstairs, who wanted to have a look at the fabulous stone staircase and wrought iron balustrade that graces our entrance hall, and waiting whilst they looked before showing them out - when did my guests become tour guides for my house !!
The other first is guests booking a second visit. We have only really been going for about two months, so to get a repeat booking at this early stage is quite unbelievable and wonderful. They only left last week on Tuesday and they have already re-booked for a stay in July which includes two of the music festival concerts - Diana Ross for her and ZZ Top for him - how romantic is that - hmm, not very but it all depends on your musical taste I guess.
Last Sunday afternoon, Chris the builder, returned to France after his latest 3 month stint in the US. He was due to land at 4pm but when I got to the airport I found that there was an hour delay and when I went back a further hour delay which meant a clash between journalist pick-up at the train station and Chris at the airport - business first, so Chris had to wait. The funniest thing is that the plane had taken off on time and Chris had plugged his music in and fallen asleep and the plane had developed a problem and turned around back to Stansted - Chris awoke when the air pressure in his ears told him that the plane was landing only to find to his dismay that they were back at Stansted after an hour and a half flight to nowhere - the ultimate non-journey.
His problems and the usual 'I've got a plane story' scenario didn't fill Debrah with joy prior to our return to London on Monday afternoon. It was all a mad hectic dash around - arriving late Monday evening at home in London, in the office all day yesterday and leaving home at 7.30am this morning to come back to France - only problem is I have left Debrah behind in England for the next week or so, which I don't like doing because I am already missing her. I told you I was only joking about married life - I hate it when Debrah and I are apart.
The most exciting news was that our first ever marriage proposal, and acceptance I'm relieved to say, took place at the weekend. We had assumed that our guests were married because they talked about it being their third anniversary, but in fact it was just three years since they met - so, lo and behold he only went and popped the question whilst they were staying here at 42ruevictorhugo. How marvellous! I blame the fillet steak and foie gras main course that he had for dinner on Saturday night - all that meaty goodness must have gone to his macho head - could be the most expensive steak he'll ever have. As it was, we just happened to have a bottle of champagne on ice which Debrah was gagging to open anyway and so this was the perfect excuse.
We had a journalist staying with us on Sunday night as well, and with the champagne and the celebration mood it all got a bit out of hand with much wine drunk and 70's hits / name that tune via the magic of i-pod and bose speakers - hopefully we made a good impression. The Gods were a bit angry with us as a major thunderstorm raged all around for a couple of hours.
It had been a glorious Languedoc Sunday, weatherwise, up until then - a fabulous clear blue sky, very still, very quiet - an absolutely beautiful day. Our newly betrothed had wanted to go out for a bike ride alongside the River Aude, but having got the bikes out and given them a once over, it was clear there was a problem with a valve on one of the bike tyres - and on a Sunday in a rural French town, there wasn't going to be anyone around to fix it - so off walking they went instead, a time to lose the steak and duck fat and for a bit of sober reflection !!
Only joking - I am completely thrilled for them and will be gutted if we don't get an invite to the wedding. They were both very lovely people - indeed at one point during the weekend, he ended up showing someone into the hallway downstairs, who wanted to have a look at the fabulous stone staircase and wrought iron balustrade that graces our entrance hall, and waiting whilst they looked before showing them out - when did my guests become tour guides for my house !!
The other first is guests booking a second visit. We have only really been going for about two months, so to get a repeat booking at this early stage is quite unbelievable and wonderful. They only left last week on Tuesday and they have already re-booked for a stay in July which includes two of the music festival concerts - Diana Ross for her and ZZ Top for him - how romantic is that - hmm, not very but it all depends on your musical taste I guess.
Last Sunday afternoon, Chris the builder, returned to France after his latest 3 month stint in the US. He was due to land at 4pm but when I got to the airport I found that there was an hour delay and when I went back a further hour delay which meant a clash between journalist pick-up at the train station and Chris at the airport - business first, so Chris had to wait. The funniest thing is that the plane had taken off on time and Chris had plugged his music in and fallen asleep and the plane had developed a problem and turned around back to Stansted - Chris awoke when the air pressure in his ears told him that the plane was landing only to find to his dismay that they were back at Stansted after an hour and a half flight to nowhere - the ultimate non-journey.
His problems and the usual 'I've got a plane story' scenario didn't fill Debrah with joy prior to our return to London on Monday afternoon. It was all a mad hectic dash around - arriving late Monday evening at home in London, in the office all day yesterday and leaving home at 7.30am this morning to come back to France - only problem is I have left Debrah behind in England for the next week or so, which I don't like doing because I am already missing her. I told you I was only joking about married life - I hate it when Debrah and I are apart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)