Summer's end - not yet

There has been quite an international flavour to the weekend guest list. At the end of the week I had an English couple, an Australian couple and a mother and daughter from California. They were followed by two couples travelling together from Minnesota. On Friday evening it was the six Americans here - which is a first for 42rvh.

In common with most of my previous American visitors, they were very enthusiastic, very inquisitive and very charming and appreciative. In my view an American with a passport has to be a good American - because they realise that there is life beyond the borders of the USA. I hope the dollar economy behaves itself enough for more of them to keep coming.

I know it's not yet Autumn but the seasonal produce is starting to reflect the change towards the new season. The market has pumpkin and pears and plums and muscat grapes and the first mushrooms. The peaches are still good but the melons are beginning to taste past their best.

So this evening's dinner reflected the change. The Summer melon salad was replaced by pumpkin soup, the tarragon chicken by duck confit and the roast peaches by the old favourite of all guests, hot chocolate fondant. I am already looking forward to casseroles and soups and crumbles.

But I don't want to wish away the Summer too quickly and the weather here continues to be fabulous - in fact better than it was a month ago because the temperature is more bearable in the high twenties rather than the mid thirties but with the same unbroken blue skies. It really has been the most fantastic week.

And with chocolate fondant re-appearing the danger is that my waistline will start expanding again so I need to make the most of this good weather and pound the roads on my bike. I have cycled 80kms this week before today and managed another 37kms today.

One of the side effects of my cycling exercise regime is that I no longer take the Audi out and the weather has been absolutely perfect for it. On days like these I like nothing better than a long drive with Debrah through the French countryside or down to the coast at Gruissan or Bages or Bouzigues or Collioure.

Well Debrah is in London at the moment so I better carry on pounding the pedals and hopefully pounding the pounds as well.

End of Summer

All of a sudden Autumn is upon us - the mornings suddenly seem darker longer and the evenings a lot shorter. I know these things don't just change suddenly but it does feel like that.

Maybe it's the change in the weather - from French summer to English summer apparently, i.e 18 degrees not 28 and constant showers rather than blue sky - or maybe it's because the schools are back and the daily street noise now revolves around drop-off and pick-up times at the school next door - or maybe it's because the first mushrooms and pumpkins have appeared at the market alongside the plums and pears that popped up a couple of weeks ago - or maybe its because the grape harvest (vendange) has started (apparently the harvest will be small but the quality should be high - due to the drought and sunshine since the beginning of June)

Actually I am quite looking forward to poached pears instead of roast peaches and pumpkin soup instead of melon salad and a good casserole instead of chicken breast - but I don't wish them upon us too quickly - I am hoping we might still get an Indian Summer as we have had for the past two years that I've been here.

When I ventured down to the market at 7.30am this morning the difference was palpable - the stalls on the corner were piled with ceps and girolles for the first time this year - most of the market stalls were still in the process of setting up, when a couple of weeks ago they would all have been in place at 7.00am and I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and jeans instead of a t-shirt and shorts.

I like the changeover points between fruits and vegetables - do you stick with the outgoing which is now very cheap but just past it's best or do you plunge in for the new exciting stuff that you haven't eaten for 10 months even though it is still a bit pricey?

As we wandered the market on our second visit of the day, we came across 'the smelly tomato man', as Debrah sometimes refers to him, out of affection it must be said. He clearly lives for his vegetables and personal appearance and hygiene are definitely not as important to the welfare of his 'children' - today we watched as he caressed and then presented to a client a pumpkin, with all the care of a mother holding a new born babe. You have to admire such dedication and love.

It was an unusual Saturday because I had a client changeover and so missed my usual Saturday lunchtime gathering at Cafe Saillan and was cleaning and ironing instead. As is always the way my new clients didn't arrive until gone 4.00pm and so I would have had ample time for a quick swing by the bar and a bit of handshaking and cheek kissing.

My new guests are on honeymoon - aahh - and are also my first genuine bona fide American visitors because they have flown all the way from America to be here, rather than just channel hopping from the UK - and they are so young too to be all married.

I hope they have a long life together in peace and harmony - the last bit won't happen but if they work at it and are determined then the first bit will. You have my best wishes.

Meanwhile we have started closing the windows in the evening and have a put a heavier duvet on the bed and had cassoulet for supper - looks like the summers over.