How did that happen? All of a sudden it's 2011, family have come and gone over Christmas and New Year, our own bedroom has been redecorated to stunning effect, the new centre island has been installed in the kitchen and I am in the middle of the refurbishment of the two letting apartments. It's half way through January already and the new season clients will be be upon us in three weeks time. Blimey!
Painting any of the rooms in these apartments is always a major undertaking because of the sheer scale of everything. So I was very happy to get our bedroom revamp out of the way before Christmas - and fabulously sexy it looks too in it's new deep blue colour. Debrah is very happy with the outcome and anything that makes Debrah happy is good news.
Nothing got done at 42rvh during the three weeks of family visitations for Christmas and New Year - too much cooking and clearing up after to leave time for anything constructive - but that is as it should be over a festive season. We had some clients who were charming, we had a Christmas tree tumble and a few broken baubles, we had a very drunken New Years Eve dinner. All very much par for the course.
We had hoped to install the new kitchen island before the festivities but were frustrated by the sudden non-availability of a key part of the design - it has been my experience here in France for four years now that when you want something urgently there seems to be a sudden nationwide shortage of said product - grrrr. The missing items were finally acquired in the first week of January and the new island was installed last Monday. It's fantastic. A very big thank you to Ian Gillan and his carpentry skills for a fabulous job. The new layout is perfect for the cooking days and for cooking prep for both in-house and outside catering.
It is now three years since 42rvh opened for business and, inevitably, the suites are showing the signs of a bit of wear and tear - water splashes on the walls in the kitchens and bathrooms, chipped paintwork on skirtings and walls from suitcases etc. Time for a refresh. So January's priority is to repaint both suites whilst the sofas get new covers and the windows get new curtains and the rooms get new bits of furniture and the whole place gets a bit of a new look - followed by new photos and a new look to the website - lots to do but all happily progressing and under control.
We have many new plans too for our clients for this year which will find their way onto a new look website just as soon as we can get around to getting that all done.
All change.
And the final change is that this blog, the title of this blog, the original raison d'être for this blog, no longer exists. I no longer split my time between London and the Languedoc. I am now a full-on full time expat who spends all his year in France, only returning to the UK for fleeting visits to see family and friends and buy paint and power tools at half the price. (yes, even allowing for the tolls and petrol cost of driving there and back)
What is wonderful is that Debrah is also here full time too (apart from occasional visits to milk some income from the UK design and marketing industry) and we haven't been happier in years than we are now. I know, very soppy, but true.
So this blog is coming to a close. It has served it's purpose. It was originally written to record my early experiences of living in France on my own, as an observation of life in a different country, as a daily letter to my wife and then as a way of keeping Debrah involved with the renovation of 42rvh and finally a reminder of the highs and lows of opening and running a business abroad.
I say abroad but I no longer think of this as abroad. Don't get me wrong - I still don't understand France or the French or the language for the most part - but I do consider this to be 'home'. This is where I live and this is where I work. I no longer live in London and the Languedoc - I live in the Languedoc, in Carcassonne.
So this will be the final post to this blog page and a new, more relevant, exciting, interesting (hopefully) blog will be appearing soon that will highlight the special relationship we have here with the food and the wine and the markets and the producers and the winemakers and this amazing, still relatively undiscovered region of France.
Adieu et bientôt
Showing posts with label boutique bed and breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boutique bed and breakfast. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Monday, 1 November 2010
Last few clients for 2010
So that's that, pretty much, for another year. We hosted our last client dinner on Sunday evening and I hosted our last market tour and cooking day for four clients on Saturday. Well, they were the last ones that we have booked until just before New Year so it feels very much like the end of the season. We have a couple of more bookings to come but they are self-catering so there is very little to do for them.
It sort of feels not before time too. As Debrah so beautifully summed it up "When are the people going to stop coming"? I know exactly what she means and I feel ready for a rest from the seven days a week schedule. We will have a bit of time to ourselves, a bit of lazy time and a trip to England to see family and friends.
It's been another good year at 42rvh with pretty solid bookings from May until now and very few free nights in either suite during that whole period. On top of that we started outside catering for other holiday rentals which was interesting. We will take stock of what worked well and what didn't and which areas of the business we need to change and which areas we want to develop. We coped with the volcanic ash cloud, the double dip recession, the falling euro and the strikes - or rather our guests did - so thank you all for persevering.
After three years the suites are beginning to show a bit of wear and tear so there will be some maintenance needed during January and February - a bit of paint here and there, a few repairs and a few furniture changes - I think it's known as a refresh.
It's also five years since our own apartment was first decorated by us so we are going to make some changes to the kitchen, to accommodate the cooking days more easily, and some changes to our own bedroom where we need more storage space for Debrah's clothes and shoes! We certainly won't be sitting down for the winter.
And it does feel like winter is nearly upon us - the clocks have gone back, the gel fires have been lit, the winter duvets are back on the beds and we had our first power cut during the week.
Debrah has enjoyed her first Summer here - let's see if I can get her through the winter months without too much melancholy!
It sort of feels not before time too. As Debrah so beautifully summed it up "When are the people going to stop coming"? I know exactly what she means and I feel ready for a rest from the seven days a week schedule. We will have a bit of time to ourselves, a bit of lazy time and a trip to England to see family and friends.
It's been another good year at 42rvh with pretty solid bookings from May until now and very few free nights in either suite during that whole period. On top of that we started outside catering for other holiday rentals which was interesting. We will take stock of what worked well and what didn't and which areas of the business we need to change and which areas we want to develop. We coped with the volcanic ash cloud, the double dip recession, the falling euro and the strikes - or rather our guests did - so thank you all for persevering.
After three years the suites are beginning to show a bit of wear and tear so there will be some maintenance needed during January and February - a bit of paint here and there, a few repairs and a few furniture changes - I think it's known as a refresh.
It's also five years since our own apartment was first decorated by us so we are going to make some changes to the kitchen, to accommodate the cooking days more easily, and some changes to our own bedroom where we need more storage space for Debrah's clothes and shoes! We certainly won't be sitting down for the winter.
And it does feel like winter is nearly upon us - the clocks have gone back, the gel fires have been lit, the winter duvets are back on the beds and we had our first power cut during the week.
Debrah has enjoyed her first Summer here - let's see if I can get her through the winter months without too much melancholy!
Friday, 24 September 2010
Happy ever after
Last week was all about cooking, cooking and cooking - four dinners in five nights, two in-house at 42rvh and two outside at Chateau Aragon. They were coupled with clients who needed breakfast and who were very keen to be up and out at a decent hour - so it was late nights and early mornings and running on adrenalin for a few days.
Since then it's been a bit quieter - breakfasts all week but only the early mornings and no late nights - a chance to catch-up with chores and a bit of sleep.
On Monday I slept for two hours in the afternoon which is unheard of - I rarely sleep during the day - but I felt so much better for it. No going out, a good cycle ride midweek and lots of thinking about future plans. There isn't really any relaxing because there are always maintenance jobs to be planned and always the 'next big thing' to sort out.
I wouldn't have it any other way though. If I think we can just stand still doing what we do here at 42rvh then we won't stand still at all - we will go backwards. So we have to keep looking for new opportunities to expand and develop what we do, which is why we are cooking for clients at outside holiday rentals and why we are always on the lookout for ways to expand the 42rvh offer.
The outside clients were from the USA and were celebrating a 50th birthday. We cooked three dinners for them over the course of the week, a simple supper on the day they arrived, a four course Summer dinner and a four course Languedoc regional dinner which naturally featured quite a lot of duck. It all went well.
They very kindly gave us a bottle of Syrah that they had dragged all the way from just outside Seattle. I looked it up and it's a good bottle of wine from one of the most respected winemakers in Washington state. What can you say to something like that? - its as if they knew before they arrived that it would be the perfect tip. It is now safely tucked away in the basement cellar waiting the day - whenever that may be.
The in-house guests were equally appreciative. We always have a very soft spot for a young in-love couple of newlyweds like the ones who arrived last Sunday - nearly welled up just looking at them and very much hope that in 20 years time they are still as happy and enthusiastic as they were when I first met them. Bless.
Since then it's been a bit quieter - breakfasts all week but only the early mornings and no late nights - a chance to catch-up with chores and a bit of sleep.
On Monday I slept for two hours in the afternoon which is unheard of - I rarely sleep during the day - but I felt so much better for it. No going out, a good cycle ride midweek and lots of thinking about future plans. There isn't really any relaxing because there are always maintenance jobs to be planned and always the 'next big thing' to sort out.
I wouldn't have it any other way though. If I think we can just stand still doing what we do here at 42rvh then we won't stand still at all - we will go backwards. So we have to keep looking for new opportunities to expand and develop what we do, which is why we are cooking for clients at outside holiday rentals and why we are always on the lookout for ways to expand the 42rvh offer.
The outside clients were from the USA and were celebrating a 50th birthday. We cooked three dinners for them over the course of the week, a simple supper on the day they arrived, a four course Summer dinner and a four course Languedoc regional dinner which naturally featured quite a lot of duck. It all went well.
They very kindly gave us a bottle of Syrah that they had dragged all the way from just outside Seattle. I looked it up and it's a good bottle of wine from one of the most respected winemakers in Washington state. What can you say to something like that? - its as if they knew before they arrived that it would be the perfect tip. It is now safely tucked away in the basement cellar waiting the day - whenever that may be.
The in-house guests were equally appreciative. We always have a very soft spot for a young in-love couple of newlyweds like the ones who arrived last Sunday - nearly welled up just looking at them and very much hope that in 20 years time they are still as happy and enthusiastic as they were when I first met them. Bless.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Change
You decide that you are going to sell something, let's say a property for instance - so you obviously think I need to get this looking in the best possible condition and take some really good photographs that show it off to it's best and get all the details and information to hand ready to give to any interested potential buyer and employ a pro-active estate agent to act on my behalf who will insist on all the aforementioned things being done.
I can't remember how many properties I have looked at over the past four years but I do know that not one of the owners or agents involved had done any of the above but they had all consistently overpriced the property by at least 40%.
So it was that Debrah and I went to view an interesting property in Carcassonne this week. Ideas and plans and thoughts about how to do things differently and better are always part of our business thinking and it doesn't hurt to go and check some things out from time to time.
It has potential ... but it would have so much more potential if the price was lower and there was a scaled floor plan available and if the whole building wasn't so full of old stuff that you could actually see the fabric of the place, get a feel for the space and not have to climb over things to get from one room to the next. Just pay someone €500 to get all the shit cleared out, repair the roof tiles that have caused the water leak, get the rotten beam fixed cos you know you will have to drop the price for it anyway, take some measurements and make a floor plan. What's wrong with people - it's not that difficult.
We will see - it may be right, it may not, it may have the potential or it may not - it's far too early to say and there are still far too many unknowns. It may well go the way of all the others we have looked at - interesting but not practical or feasible. It may be the start of something new.
The weather finally turned this week and with the kids back to school (rentree) and the start of the harvest (vendange) and a drop in temperature comes a feeling of the end of Summer and the start of Autumn.
Yesterday was grey and dull and drizzly in all senses but today dawned with the bluest of blue skies with the whitest of white clouds scudding across it on a fresh breeze relentlessly pushing on towards the Mediterranean. It was a fabulous Autumn day and hopefully the first of many to come over the next two months. Not cold at all but without the searing 35 degree heat of Summer. The light was clear, not hazy and the air was fresh not sultry. I personally think Autumn is the best time of year to be in the Languedoc - we are not there yet but it is definitely coming.
Having been confined indoors all day yesterday under the grey skies, we decided we should take advantage of a free afternoon and get out of the place - we hadn't been out for a roof down pootle through the Languedoc countryside for ages and the new Audi hadn't been there at all - it was time.
Always inspiring, always breathtaking, always beautiful and always isolated, after just 10 minutes drive out of Carcassonne. The colours are still green but the dark bottle green of late Summer, the vignerons are starting to harvest the white grapes - the red will come in later this month, the roads are empty, the roof is down and the scenery and wildlife is spectacular - it is a wonderful way to escape.
Todays memorable sightings included ponies and horses standing stoically against the irritation of flies and the wind, a feisty mare not wanting to go into a horse box, a magnificent majestic eagle soaring not that far above us as we crested the top of a pass - what a wingspan? - a small group of deer rushing for cover from an open field into the gladed shade of a river, an eccentric black goat, a huge handsome bull in a field of cows and some very large (and some very tiny) fish in the River Lauquet, where we stopped for a walk along the banks in the sunshine.
And yes, it was all very romantic and very beautiful. Life is good.
I can't remember how many properties I have looked at over the past four years but I do know that not one of the owners or agents involved had done any of the above but they had all consistently overpriced the property by at least 40%.
So it was that Debrah and I went to view an interesting property in Carcassonne this week. Ideas and plans and thoughts about how to do things differently and better are always part of our business thinking and it doesn't hurt to go and check some things out from time to time.
It has potential ... but it would have so much more potential if the price was lower and there was a scaled floor plan available and if the whole building wasn't so full of old stuff that you could actually see the fabric of the place, get a feel for the space and not have to climb over things to get from one room to the next. Just pay someone €500 to get all the shit cleared out, repair the roof tiles that have caused the water leak, get the rotten beam fixed cos you know you will have to drop the price for it anyway, take some measurements and make a floor plan. What's wrong with people - it's not that difficult.
We will see - it may be right, it may not, it may have the potential or it may not - it's far too early to say and there are still far too many unknowns. It may well go the way of all the others we have looked at - interesting but not practical or feasible. It may be the start of something new.
The weather finally turned this week and with the kids back to school (rentree) and the start of the harvest (vendange) and a drop in temperature comes a feeling of the end of Summer and the start of Autumn.
Yesterday was grey and dull and drizzly in all senses but today dawned with the bluest of blue skies with the whitest of white clouds scudding across it on a fresh breeze relentlessly pushing on towards the Mediterranean. It was a fabulous Autumn day and hopefully the first of many to come over the next two months. Not cold at all but without the searing 35 degree heat of Summer. The light was clear, not hazy and the air was fresh not sultry. I personally think Autumn is the best time of year to be in the Languedoc - we are not there yet but it is definitely coming.
Having been confined indoors all day yesterday under the grey skies, we decided we should take advantage of a free afternoon and get out of the place - we hadn't been out for a roof down pootle through the Languedoc countryside for ages and the new Audi hadn't been there at all - it was time.
Always inspiring, always breathtaking, always beautiful and always isolated, after just 10 minutes drive out of Carcassonne. The colours are still green but the dark bottle green of late Summer, the vignerons are starting to harvest the white grapes - the red will come in later this month, the roads are empty, the roof is down and the scenery and wildlife is spectacular - it is a wonderful way to escape.
Todays memorable sightings included ponies and horses standing stoically against the irritation of flies and the wind, a feisty mare not wanting to go into a horse box, a magnificent majestic eagle soaring not that far above us as we crested the top of a pass - what a wingspan? - a small group of deer rushing for cover from an open field into the gladed shade of a river, an eccentric black goat, a huge handsome bull in a field of cows and some very large (and some very tiny) fish in the River Lauquet, where we stopped for a walk along the banks in the sunshine.
And yes, it was all very romantic and very beautiful. Life is good.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Networking
The last few days were mostly about networking.
I used to really hate networking in my old life - talking to dull corporate people, who really did give a damn, about the latest accounting standard on acceptable depreciation practices, about the effect of the budget on corporate tax planning, about rights ownership of a squiggle somebody did somewhere, sometime that looks like one somebody else did somewhere at some other time ... Don't get me wrong, I was quite good at it in my own way - but really really interested? - well obviously I became less interested which is why I am now running a stylish and fabulous holiday escape destination in the South of France.
I constantly have to remind Debrah that when I am drinking wine, eating and generally having a lot of fun, that I am in fact networking. It is wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the benefit of my business and as such should be tax deductible.
So it was that last Thursday, International Cabernet Day, I was invited to O'Vineyards, based in Villemousstassou, to sample some local cabernet based wines including their own cabernet franc version. It was a chance to meet some local residents, growers and merchants, to taste some wines, to visit the cellars, to explain what an Englishman is doing in Carcassonne and to hand out a few cards.
Ryan O'Connell of O'Vineyards does a fantastic job of promoting Languedoc wines through his video blog, facebook and twitter and is a huge example to all vignerons (and everyone) of the power of promotion through social media. He and his parents also make some fabulous wines which are getting better with each year - the 09 cabernet tasted direct from the tank has masses of potential and could be their best yet. To see what Ryan gets up to go to http://love-that-languedoc.com.
Ryan was recording events and tweeting during the evening, which is when my car had it's five minutes of fame. I recently bought a new (15 year old) Audi cabriolet to replace my very tired, but faithful, old (18 year old) Audi. (Don't get me started on that - I know it's just a car but we have been through a lot together and I still feel bad about it.) The letters on the still British registration plate of the new car are CAB. I had obviously thought about it as representing cabriolet but it didn't occur to me until Ryan pointed it out that CAB meant CABernet on this day of all days - photo was taken, posting and tweeting ensued and my car became a star for a fleeting moment.
On Saturday we had a visit to 42rvh from Juliet and Sarah of Mr & Mrs Smith - we were added to the collection at the beginning of the year. They were in France for a couple of days looking at potential new listings and had wanted to stay but their enquiry came too late during this busy time of the season - happily we were able to offer them some supper, a chance for Sarah to see the apartments and for Debrah to meet them having missed out on Juliet's initial visit back in February.
Without going into the detail, they were not very enamoured with their overnight accommodation - and we were very happy to offer them a relaxed Sunday morning breakfast at 42rvh followed by a wander around the brocante at La Trivalle - one of the best brocantes of the year here in Carcassonne, always held on the first Sunday of September.
As always, we came away with a little something that we will put down somewhere until we know what we are going to do with it! Debrah picked up some pre-war copies of L'Illustration, a plate dating from the 50's, some big industrial type aluminium light fittings for a future project and Juliet carried off a yellow enamel coffee pot which needed to be stashed in her hand luggage before finding a home on a window sill in North London. I carried and Sarah paid and a good time was had by all. Please come back soon because you know you are always welcome.
Sunday felt like the last fling of high Summer before the slightly more relaxed heat of Autumn. There was a cloudless sky, no air movement and a baking sun. It was no hotter than many other days here this past month but the sun had an intensity that seemed to be saying 'goodbye to 35 degrees' (there were a couple of late afternoon ambulance calls to sufferers of heat exhaustion just to prove the point).
Today was cooler and cloudy and this evening full of rumbling and growling, flashing lightening and stormy rain - this is the Languedoc - dramatic and intense - not a dreary, limp-handshake, warm champagne, credit insurance moment to be had - thank God.
I used to really hate networking in my old life - talking to dull corporate people, who really did give a damn, about the latest accounting standard on acceptable depreciation practices, about the effect of the budget on corporate tax planning, about rights ownership of a squiggle somebody did somewhere, sometime that looks like one somebody else did somewhere at some other time ... Don't get me wrong, I was quite good at it in my own way - but really really interested? - well obviously I became less interested which is why I am now running a stylish and fabulous holiday escape destination in the South of France.
I constantly have to remind Debrah that when I am drinking wine, eating and generally having a lot of fun, that I am in fact networking. It is wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the benefit of my business and as such should be tax deductible.
So it was that last Thursday, International Cabernet Day, I was invited to O'Vineyards, based in Villemousstassou, to sample some local cabernet based wines including their own cabernet franc version. It was a chance to meet some local residents, growers and merchants, to taste some wines, to visit the cellars, to explain what an Englishman is doing in Carcassonne and to hand out a few cards.
Ryan O'Connell of O'Vineyards does a fantastic job of promoting Languedoc wines through his video blog, facebook and twitter and is a huge example to all vignerons (and everyone) of the power of promotion through social media. He and his parents also make some fabulous wines which are getting better with each year - the 09 cabernet tasted direct from the tank has masses of potential and could be their best yet. To see what Ryan gets up to go to http://love-that-languedoc.com.
Ryan was recording events and tweeting during the evening, which is when my car had it's five minutes of fame. I recently bought a new (15 year old) Audi cabriolet to replace my very tired, but faithful, old (18 year old) Audi. (Don't get me started on that - I know it's just a car but we have been through a lot together and I still feel bad about it.) The letters on the still British registration plate of the new car are CAB. I had obviously thought about it as representing cabriolet but it didn't occur to me until Ryan pointed it out that CAB meant CABernet on this day of all days - photo was taken, posting and tweeting ensued and my car became a star for a fleeting moment.
On Saturday we had a visit to 42rvh from Juliet and Sarah of Mr & Mrs Smith - we were added to the collection at the beginning of the year. They were in France for a couple of days looking at potential new listings and had wanted to stay but their enquiry came too late during this busy time of the season - happily we were able to offer them some supper, a chance for Sarah to see the apartments and for Debrah to meet them having missed out on Juliet's initial visit back in February.
Without going into the detail, they were not very enamoured with their overnight accommodation - and we were very happy to offer them a relaxed Sunday morning breakfast at 42rvh followed by a wander around the brocante at La Trivalle - one of the best brocantes of the year here in Carcassonne, always held on the first Sunday of September.
As always, we came away with a little something that we will put down somewhere until we know what we are going to do with it! Debrah picked up some pre-war copies of L'Illustration, a plate dating from the 50's, some big industrial type aluminium light fittings for a future project and Juliet carried off a yellow enamel coffee pot which needed to be stashed in her hand luggage before finding a home on a window sill in North London. I carried and Sarah paid and a good time was had by all. Please come back soon because you know you are always welcome.
Sunday felt like the last fling of high Summer before the slightly more relaxed heat of Autumn. There was a cloudless sky, no air movement and a baking sun. It was no hotter than many other days here this past month but the sun had an intensity that seemed to be saying 'goodbye to 35 degrees' (there were a couple of late afternoon ambulance calls to sufferers of heat exhaustion just to prove the point).
Today was cooler and cloudy and this evening full of rumbling and growling, flashing lightening and stormy rain - this is the Languedoc - dramatic and intense - not a dreary, limp-handshake, warm champagne, credit insurance moment to be had - thank God.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
A new start
So much for my April pronouncement about restarting my blog writing in earnest - six weeks has passed since then without a word being typed here - it's time to get up to date.
Here is the shortened version of events;
- the Winter was spent mostly in London trying to decide where our future lay - that is, was I moving back to London or was Debrah moving out to France?
- it was complicated by Christian moving out and going to college in Falmouth, being unhappy and missing London, Amy finishing college and getting a job in London and moving in with us and stressing out Debrah cos she wasn't Christian and by me not earning very much money for several months when I could have tried a bit harder to find some work.
- we decided to sell our London apartment without knowing any answers and got an offer that we didn't expect and so accepted still without knowing any answers.
- a fabulous few days of weather in France plus some very bizarre signs and pointers from a totally unexpected source convinced us both that our future lay in France (don't ask because I couldn't ever possibly tell anyone what really happened - but well spooky that's for sure)
- the whole London sale thing became a complete nightmare of buyer pulling out on exchange and trying to force the price which he did but he was already paying over the odds so in the end we still got an excellent deal but it was incredibly stressful and annoying to say the very least.
- we officially moved to France on 1st May 2010
- we have been trying to combine two lots of furniture and household effects into one and now have a storage container full of stuff on the edge of town which still needs to be sorted out.
- Debrah is heading back to London every other week for a few days because they insist on paying her good money to do so but she isn't happy about the whole thing so we shall see how long that lasts.
- 42rvh is stacked full of clients in May and June, despite the economic meltdown, the political vacuum in the UK and the mysterious ash cloud which I am convinced is some sort of sinister hoax designed to meltdown the airline industry.
- our recently imported UK Renault got towed last week, because I didn't notice the sign for the brocante the next day, which cost me about 130 euros in total which is very very annoying but a damn sight cheaper than it would have been in London.
- we are both very very happy with our new life in France and very much in love
There you are - what more can I say?
Here is the shortened version of events;
- the Winter was spent mostly in London trying to decide where our future lay - that is, was I moving back to London or was Debrah moving out to France?
- it was complicated by Christian moving out and going to college in Falmouth, being unhappy and missing London, Amy finishing college and getting a job in London and moving in with us and stressing out Debrah cos she wasn't Christian and by me not earning very much money for several months when I could have tried a bit harder to find some work.
- we decided to sell our London apartment without knowing any answers and got an offer that we didn't expect and so accepted still without knowing any answers.
- a fabulous few days of weather in France plus some very bizarre signs and pointers from a totally unexpected source convinced us both that our future lay in France (don't ask because I couldn't ever possibly tell anyone what really happened - but well spooky that's for sure)
- the whole London sale thing became a complete nightmare of buyer pulling out on exchange and trying to force the price which he did but he was already paying over the odds so in the end we still got an excellent deal but it was incredibly stressful and annoying to say the very least.
- we officially moved to France on 1st May 2010
- we have been trying to combine two lots of furniture and household effects into one and now have a storage container full of stuff on the edge of town which still needs to be sorted out.
- Debrah is heading back to London every other week for a few days because they insist on paying her good money to do so but she isn't happy about the whole thing so we shall see how long that lasts.
- 42rvh is stacked full of clients in May and June, despite the economic meltdown, the political vacuum in the UK and the mysterious ash cloud which I am convinced is some sort of sinister hoax designed to meltdown the airline industry.
- our recently imported UK Renault got towed last week, because I didn't notice the sign for the brocante the next day, which cost me about 130 euros in total which is very very annoying but a damn sight cheaper than it would have been in London.
- we are both very very happy with our new life in France and very much in love
There you are - what more can I say?
Friday, 9 April 2010
New Blog Start
My blog writing has become extremely tardy of late but that's because there is so much going on but at the same time nothing is actually confirmed so I don't really want to go public with it all. To hell with that, you might say - this is a blog not a press release and that would be a very valid point of view.
My blog writing has become trapped between saying what is happening and what I feel and how it is and treading a fine line of being publicly and politically correct because somebody might read it and get upset. I am not sure how this state of being came about - many of my past blogs have seriously upset a huge number of people and was I bothered - well yes, but actually no.
I don't think there is any point writing a personal blog unless it is says what you feel, think or believe, even if that be wrong, erroneous or misguided because none of us is perfect, all seeing and knowing or beyond reproach. If we get it wrong then plenty of people will tell us so and that's how it should be and hopefully we learn from those experiences.
Where am I going with this? - not sure really but hopefully tomorrow I will just start writing my blog once more, outlining my everyday experiences and relating what is going on in my life without the censor's pen, political correctness or being over-sensitive about upsetting people (mrs lady wife excepted of course)
My blog writing has become trapped between saying what is happening and what I feel and how it is and treading a fine line of being publicly and politically correct because somebody might read it and get upset. I am not sure how this state of being came about - many of my past blogs have seriously upset a huge number of people and was I bothered - well yes, but actually no.
I don't think there is any point writing a personal blog unless it is says what you feel, think or believe, even if that be wrong, erroneous or misguided because none of us is perfect, all seeing and knowing or beyond reproach. If we get it wrong then plenty of people will tell us so and that's how it should be and hopefully we learn from those experiences.
Where am I going with this? - not sure really but hopefully tomorrow I will just start writing my blog once more, outlining my everyday experiences and relating what is going on in my life without the censor's pen, political correctness or being over-sensitive about upsetting people (mrs lady wife excepted of course)
Monday, 8 March 2010
I don't believe it
What an extraordinary day!
On Saturday I was sat outside Cafe Saillan enjoying some lunch, some wine, some chat with friends and 20 degree heat from a cloudless blue sky. I have the beginnings of a suntan to prove it.
Today, it has snowed incessantly from first light until 6.30pm this evening and dumped a good six inches of the stuff right here in the centre of town. The strong wind meant that the snow was drifting and is considerably deeper in places. I can only imagine what it must be like up in the Haut-Vallee and the Corbieres hills.
The snow warnings were around whilst we soaked up that magical South of France sunshine, one of the main reasons we live here, but you never really believe that it's going to be as bad as predicted - just covering themselves surely.
When I first got up it didn't look that bad - a smattering of snow and just a few flakes falling. A false dawn. It didn't stop snowing though and it was very sticky stuff. I ventured out to the pharmacy and felt like a snowman when I got back.
My departing guests left early on a train for Toulouse. My arriving guests were flying into Toulouse from Hamburg and driving down to Carcassonne. As the hours went by and the snow continued to relentlessly pile up and I had heard nothing from them, I wondered if they would arrive at all. When I heard that the A61 autoroute was blocked I feared the worst.
But sometime after 4pm the doorbell sounded and a very slightly shocked mother and daughter, here to practice French (no point looking at me then), stumbled in from the snow wearing inappropriate shoes. Poor things. It had taken them three to four hours for a journey that should take an hour and a half at most.
There was no point them trying to explore the town or walk up to the castle (I later ventured out to survey the scene - when I got to the old bridge I couldn't even see the Cité for the snow still swirling around in the air) so I persuaded them to take a bunch of dvd's and snuggle up in the safe and warm of their suite for the evening.
Earlier, I had noticed that the tree in the courtyard was looking in a more stressful state as the day developed with the weight of the snow pulling down the branches dangerously low to the ground. Whilst preparing my supper this evening, I heard an almightly crack and swooshing sound and knew what had happened. I rushed to the bedroom window to find a huge branch had come down onto the courtyard, neatly resting next to my snow laden car. I will have to deal with that tomorrow - I just hope the other branches manage to hang on in there.
At least it has now stopped snowing and indeed there are signs that some of the snow is melting. It had better get on with it - I am not sure that I could cope with yet another flight cancellation on Wednesday.
On Saturday I was sat outside Cafe Saillan enjoying some lunch, some wine, some chat with friends and 20 degree heat from a cloudless blue sky. I have the beginnings of a suntan to prove it.
Today, it has snowed incessantly from first light until 6.30pm this evening and dumped a good six inches of the stuff right here in the centre of town. The strong wind meant that the snow was drifting and is considerably deeper in places. I can only imagine what it must be like up in the Haut-Vallee and the Corbieres hills.
The snow warnings were around whilst we soaked up that magical South of France sunshine, one of the main reasons we live here, but you never really believe that it's going to be as bad as predicted - just covering themselves surely.
When I first got up it didn't look that bad - a smattering of snow and just a few flakes falling. A false dawn. It didn't stop snowing though and it was very sticky stuff. I ventured out to the pharmacy and felt like a snowman when I got back.
My departing guests left early on a train for Toulouse. My arriving guests were flying into Toulouse from Hamburg and driving down to Carcassonne. As the hours went by and the snow continued to relentlessly pile up and I had heard nothing from them, I wondered if they would arrive at all. When I heard that the A61 autoroute was blocked I feared the worst.
But sometime after 4pm the doorbell sounded and a very slightly shocked mother and daughter, here to practice French (no point looking at me then), stumbled in from the snow wearing inappropriate shoes. Poor things. It had taken them three to four hours for a journey that should take an hour and a half at most.
There was no point them trying to explore the town or walk up to the castle (I later ventured out to survey the scene - when I got to the old bridge I couldn't even see the Cité for the snow still swirling around in the air) so I persuaded them to take a bunch of dvd's and snuggle up in the safe and warm of their suite for the evening.
Earlier, I had noticed that the tree in the courtyard was looking in a more stressful state as the day developed with the weight of the snow pulling down the branches dangerously low to the ground. Whilst preparing my supper this evening, I heard an almightly crack and swooshing sound and knew what had happened. I rushed to the bedroom window to find a huge branch had come down onto the courtyard, neatly resting next to my snow laden car. I will have to deal with that tomorrow - I just hope the other branches manage to hang on in there.
At least it has now stopped snowing and indeed there are signs that some of the snow is melting. It had better get on with it - I am not sure that I could cope with yet another flight cancellation on Wednesday.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Gluttons
It has been a quiet Christmas here at 42rvh - just me and Debrah indulging ourselves in food, wine and movies.
Debrah requested some food deliciousness and I was very happy to oblige. We started on Christmas Eve, went all through Christmas Day and didn't finish until Boxing Day because the proposed culinary line-up was just too much to fit into one sitting, even an elongated one.
We had some great wine too and for once not all local.
We finally ventured out the day after when a burst of Winter sunshine tempted us down to the coast for a walk along the beach. Of course we took a picnic along with us in a wicker hamper and sat contentedly munching sat on a beachfront bench at La Franqui, just next to Leucate. The Mediterranean looked cold but that didn't deter a couple of wind surfers or the many and varied dogs chasing about the sand.
It was back to work on Monday with much cleaning, ironing and general preparation for a group of four clients arriving for a four night stay over New Year. I can't complain - their trip has paid for all the lovely food and wine.
Here is a rundown of our self-indulgence.
Christmas Eve
- A dozen local oysters, red wine vinegar and shallot dressing or oriental dressing (rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy and coriander)
- Boiled Lobster with Simon Hopkinson's sauce for a boiled lobster (naturally) and watercress, baby chard and mizuna salad (there was a bit of bonding with Henri the Homard during the day but they are a bit impractical as a pet so in the pan he had to go)
Greca di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino, Terredora, Campagnia, Italy
Debrah chose both the wines back in London and they proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the seafood supper.
Christmas Day
- Home marinated salmon with dill and the remains of the lobster sauce which is in fact a sort of mustard mayonnaise and went perfectly with the salmon (so good in fact we are going to serve it to guests later this week)
- Tartare of mackerel with pickled cucumber and citrus cream (skinning and boning the fish is the only fiddly bit - the rest is easy to prepare and the combination of flavours is wonderful)
with both these course we polished off the remains of the Italian whites from the night before
- Chicken Liver Parfait (my day at Corrigans put to good effect - it worked a treat but maybe could have had an extra 5 minutes in the bain marie - deliciously rich and yummy though)
- Potato, Celeriac and Truffle Oil Soup (probably a bit odd to have soup at this juncture but the it's earthiness and creaminess was a perfect link between the lighter first courses and the ones to follow)
- Pigeon in Muscat with grapes (just the one bird between the two of us - we were pacing ourselves - and D isn't a great fan of game but this worked so well with the sweetness of the wine cutting through the richness of the bird - a veritable success)
La Chapelle, St Jacques D'Albas, Minervois 2004
- Braised Pheasant in pimenton and cream sauce (this was a step too far for D who isn't mad about cream sauces either - oh well, I liked it but I should have known better)
Ledogar, Domaine Grand Lauze 2004, Vin de Table, Corbieres
Boxing Day
- Pan fried scallops, boudin noir and quince (wow! - for me this was the best dish I cooked all Christmas - fantastic flavour combination helped enormously by the wine..)
Condrieu, Guigal, 2005
- Fillet steak poached in red wine with potato puree (this was good but we both agreed that as good as it was we prefer our steak pan fried and the potato didn't work as well as the celeriac puree that should have gone with this dish - we used the celeriac for something else next day)
L'Hospitalis, La Clape, Georges Bertrand 2005
- Sauternes & Olive Oil cake with bitter orange ice cream (it was supposed to be sauternes but I can't be that profligate so I made the cake with a Muscat de Rivesaltes instead - the ice cream is good and very easy to make)
Beach picnic - what a feast
- boiled and roast ham (make one every Christmas and only at Christmas for some strange reason - just delicious - can't beat it)
- celeriac remoulade (with capers and gherkins and mustardy dressing for extra kick)
- avocado and radish salad
- duck liver pate
- left over cold pheasant
- quails eggs
- baguette
no wine - bit of a shock I know but I was driving
Debrah requested some food deliciousness and I was very happy to oblige. We started on Christmas Eve, went all through Christmas Day and didn't finish until Boxing Day because the proposed culinary line-up was just too much to fit into one sitting, even an elongated one.
We had some great wine too and for once not all local.
We finally ventured out the day after when a burst of Winter sunshine tempted us down to the coast for a walk along the beach. Of course we took a picnic along with us in a wicker hamper and sat contentedly munching sat on a beachfront bench at La Franqui, just next to Leucate. The Mediterranean looked cold but that didn't deter a couple of wind surfers or the many and varied dogs chasing about the sand.
It was back to work on Monday with much cleaning, ironing and general preparation for a group of four clients arriving for a four night stay over New Year. I can't complain - their trip has paid for all the lovely food and wine.
Here is a rundown of our self-indulgence.
Christmas Eve
- A dozen local oysters, red wine vinegar and shallot dressing or oriental dressing (rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy and coriander)
- Boiled Lobster with Simon Hopkinson's sauce for a boiled lobster (naturally) and watercress, baby chard and mizuna salad (there was a bit of bonding with Henri the Homard during the day but they are a bit impractical as a pet so in the pan he had to go)
Greca di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino, Terredora, Campagnia, Italy
Debrah chose both the wines back in London and they proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the seafood supper.
Christmas Day
- Home marinated salmon with dill and the remains of the lobster sauce which is in fact a sort of mustard mayonnaise and went perfectly with the salmon (so good in fact we are going to serve it to guests later this week)
- Tartare of mackerel with pickled cucumber and citrus cream (skinning and boning the fish is the only fiddly bit - the rest is easy to prepare and the combination of flavours is wonderful)
with both these course we polished off the remains of the Italian whites from the night before
- Chicken Liver Parfait (my day at Corrigans put to good effect - it worked a treat but maybe could have had an extra 5 minutes in the bain marie - deliciously rich and yummy though)
- Potato, Celeriac and Truffle Oil Soup (probably a bit odd to have soup at this juncture but the it's earthiness and creaminess was a perfect link between the lighter first courses and the ones to follow)
- Pigeon in Muscat with grapes (just the one bird between the two of us - we were pacing ourselves - and D isn't a great fan of game but this worked so well with the sweetness of the wine cutting through the richness of the bird - a veritable success)
La Chapelle, St Jacques D'Albas, Minervois 2004
- Braised Pheasant in pimenton and cream sauce (this was a step too far for D who isn't mad about cream sauces either - oh well, I liked it but I should have known better)
Ledogar, Domaine Grand Lauze 2004, Vin de Table, Corbieres
Boxing Day
- Pan fried scallops, boudin noir and quince (wow! - for me this was the best dish I cooked all Christmas - fantastic flavour combination helped enormously by the wine..)
Condrieu, Guigal, 2005
- Fillet steak poached in red wine with potato puree (this was good but we both agreed that as good as it was we prefer our steak pan fried and the potato didn't work as well as the celeriac puree that should have gone with this dish - we used the celeriac for something else next day)
L'Hospitalis, La Clape, Georges Bertrand 2005
- Sauternes & Olive Oil cake with bitter orange ice cream (it was supposed to be sauternes but I can't be that profligate so I made the cake with a Muscat de Rivesaltes instead - the ice cream is good and very easy to make)
Beach picnic - what a feast
- boiled and roast ham (make one every Christmas and only at Christmas for some strange reason - just delicious - can't beat it)
- celeriac remoulade (with capers and gherkins and mustardy dressing for extra kick)
- avocado and radish salad
- duck liver pate
- left over cold pheasant
- quails eggs
- baguette
no wine - bit of a shock I know but I was driving
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
There and back
Well I did make it to London and I have made it back to Carcassonne again, but there have been many moments over the past few days when in my heart I really felt it wasn't going to happen.
My four hour door to door everything goes right perfect trip from Carcassonne to London took double that time on Sunday but I'm not complaining because the journey actually took place rather than being cancelled once more. In fact it took two days and four hours from my original departure date last Friday.
It was a gorgeous sunny Sunday morning but it had been a bitterly cold night and ice on the runway was the major concern. The first two flights of the day were diverted to Perpignan but at least the passengers were bussed down there to get their flight. The plane from Stansted was delayed which turned out to be a major blessing - the extra time allowed the sun to do it's work on the runway and in mid-afternoon the airport at Carcassonne was declared open and my flight became the first to arrive for three days. It was a relief to finally get back to London.
Debrah had a big client presentation on Monday and wanted to be in work early, so I took the opportunity to drop her into London at 8am and head off to my parents in Sussex to make up a little bit for missing them at the weekend. The roads were mostly clear and I was down there in no time - the quickest journey there for many a year.
My Mum hadn't been out since Friday because of the snow so jumped at the opportunity to come with me to the supermarket and get some more supplies, there being more bad weather forecast. I said we should stick to the main roads but not knowing the way I relied on her directions which started taking us a bit off-piste so to speak. We were very lucky to get away with one downhill icy approach to a junction - a gentle dab on the brakes and I knew immediately that we would not be able to stop and so sailed straight out and onto the main road where there was more traction. I silently thanked my lucky stars that there was no traffic at that moment whilst playing the whole thing down for my mother's benefit.
We came back on the main road all the way!
The journey home to London was a nightmare. I left straight after lunch, aware of the weather warning - initail rain turned to snow and then a blizzard but the traffic kept moving but slower and slower and slower until it finally came to a halt at the top of Brixton Hill - it then took me 2 hours to cover the five miles from Brixton to Borough (if that far) and then it took us a further three and half hours to get from Debrah's office to home - normally a 30 minute journey. All in all it took me 7 hours to cover the 50 miles from Sussex back to Hornsey.
Fastest journey time going out - slowest coming back. There was no point getting upset about it - there was nothing anyone could have done to make it any better. Despite the moaning Middle Englanders on the TV the next day complaining about the lack of warning, the lack of information and the national disgrace of our inability to cope, the reality was that a warning was issued, the roads were gritted, people were driving sensibly and I saw many instances of fantastic public spirit and stoicism as passers-by helped those skidding, falling off bikes, falling over and in general need of assistance. The snow just overwhelmed the system. We sat motionless for over an hour in traffic and saw no road rage or bad temper - just a resignation as to the situation whilst the police dealt with broken down buses and blocked roads and whatever else was thrown at them.
And whilst all this went on the Eurostar problems had created problems for Eurotunnel. we had a reservation for this morning but for a couple of days it was very unclear whether it would be honoured or not.
Despite more warnings about icy roads and freezing temperatures, in the end we had the smoothest journey one could hope for from London to Calais and then on to our Carca home - so what if we left at 2am and arrived at 5pm - we got here and now we can finally start to relax and enjoy the festive season.
My four hour door to door everything goes right perfect trip from Carcassonne to London took double that time on Sunday but I'm not complaining because the journey actually took place rather than being cancelled once more. In fact it took two days and four hours from my original departure date last Friday.
It was a gorgeous sunny Sunday morning but it had been a bitterly cold night and ice on the runway was the major concern. The first two flights of the day were diverted to Perpignan but at least the passengers were bussed down there to get their flight. The plane from Stansted was delayed which turned out to be a major blessing - the extra time allowed the sun to do it's work on the runway and in mid-afternoon the airport at Carcassonne was declared open and my flight became the first to arrive for three days. It was a relief to finally get back to London.
Debrah had a big client presentation on Monday and wanted to be in work early, so I took the opportunity to drop her into London at 8am and head off to my parents in Sussex to make up a little bit for missing them at the weekend. The roads were mostly clear and I was down there in no time - the quickest journey there for many a year.
My Mum hadn't been out since Friday because of the snow so jumped at the opportunity to come with me to the supermarket and get some more supplies, there being more bad weather forecast. I said we should stick to the main roads but not knowing the way I relied on her directions which started taking us a bit off-piste so to speak. We were very lucky to get away with one downhill icy approach to a junction - a gentle dab on the brakes and I knew immediately that we would not be able to stop and so sailed straight out and onto the main road where there was more traction. I silently thanked my lucky stars that there was no traffic at that moment whilst playing the whole thing down for my mother's benefit.
We came back on the main road all the way!
The journey home to London was a nightmare. I left straight after lunch, aware of the weather warning - initail rain turned to snow and then a blizzard but the traffic kept moving but slower and slower and slower until it finally came to a halt at the top of Brixton Hill - it then took me 2 hours to cover the five miles from Brixton to Borough (if that far) and then it took us a further three and half hours to get from Debrah's office to home - normally a 30 minute journey. All in all it took me 7 hours to cover the 50 miles from Sussex back to Hornsey.
Fastest journey time going out - slowest coming back. There was no point getting upset about it - there was nothing anyone could have done to make it any better. Despite the moaning Middle Englanders on the TV the next day complaining about the lack of warning, the lack of information and the national disgrace of our inability to cope, the reality was that a warning was issued, the roads were gritted, people were driving sensibly and I saw many instances of fantastic public spirit and stoicism as passers-by helped those skidding, falling off bikes, falling over and in general need of assistance. The snow just overwhelmed the system. We sat motionless for over an hour in traffic and saw no road rage or bad temper - just a resignation as to the situation whilst the police dealt with broken down buses and blocked roads and whatever else was thrown at them.
And whilst all this went on the Eurostar problems had created problems for Eurotunnel. we had a reservation for this morning but for a couple of days it was very unclear whether it would be honoured or not.
Despite more warnings about icy roads and freezing temperatures, in the end we had the smoothest journey one could hope for from London to Calais and then on to our Carca home - so what if we left at 2am and arrived at 5pm - we got here and now we can finally start to relax and enjoy the festive season.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Hippie shit
The busy busy client weekend became a little easier mid-afternoon today when Liverpool beat Manchester United. I was supposed to be in the middle of a client dinner right now but that victory combined with the celebratory drinks and the promise of the chance to sing in front of a load of strangers at the Celt (open mic night this evening) proved too much to resist for my client.
Personally I have never understood the desire to stand up and sing but maybe that's because I can't. Whatever, I'm not bothered really and tomorrow is just as good a night to host dinner - in fact after my weekend I'm not at all unhappy about it.
This weekend has been very full on with client activity and it comes swiftly after a hectic week of burning the candle at both ends and the disappointment of the barn and Debrah going back to London and just not feeling 100% on top of my game. It was all a bit of a vicious circle and I am glad of the break.
I always suspect that everything's getting a bit too much when I get a cold sore out of nowhere - and I don't just do cold sores like everyone else of course. I get them on my nose or on my ear and my sinuses swell up and inflame and make my whole face look odd - it's very uncomfortable rather than painful but no less welcome. Horse face, according to Debrah - she likes horses a lot but it stops her wanting to kiss me so I don't see the funny side at all.
I don't know what causes it and it hasn't happened since the Spring - maybe the sudden cold snap that caught us all unawares, maybe the frustration at missing the barn and the subsequent soul searching about what to do next that ensued, maybe the dinners out and dinners for clients of which there have been many over the last two weeks or maybe a combination of all those things. I just don't know but it doesn't half piss me off.
At least today I managed to get out on my bike for an hour which I haven't done for over a week. It felt like it too as I headed out to the west of town into the wind but ultimately I felt so much better for the exercise. It's so easy to make excuses not to go out (it looks like rain, it's a bit chilly, I'm not sure what time the clients are due to turn up) but as with everything it's so easy to convince yourself not to do something when you so should just get on with it.
Five kilometres into the ride I was struggling but when I turned sideways onto the wind it became a bit easier and the whole dramatic landscape of the black mountains opened up in front of me. It was moody alright with big black clouds being thrust along by the wind but patches of sunlight were highlighting the browns and reds and oranges of the autumn vines.
Suddenly the ride became easier and the clean air filled my lungs and the joy of being out of town in the midst of the most glorious dramatic landscape became all consuming. I wish I'd had my camera with me but then again I probably wouldn't have stopped because I was on a cycling mission. I will try and go out again every day this week if I can.
I was so tired yesterday that I was early to bed last night and hope to do the same this evening. I was so tired yesterday that I was tucking myself away not long after I had done my canapes and cocktails duty with my new arrivals. Not that I got a peaceful night's sleep - it was all a bit noisy outside and I was still sleeping in the spare bedroom which overlooks the street because 42rvh was fully booked including the Masters Room (my bedroom when there are no clients here).
There was a very large happening in Carcassonne yesterday which probably contributed to the late night noise. There was a 'manifestation Occitan' - basically a celebration of the Occitan language and culture which a great many people here want to protect for future generations - well at least the 15-20,000 thousand people that turned up.
I am all in favour of tradition and celebrating our history and our past but I think it has to be in perspective to our current lives - to modern France in this case. The movement wants Occitan to be tought as the second language in schools here, much in the way that Gaelic is compulsory in Ireland and Welsh in Wales. I sort of agree as long a place can be found for it in the curriculum without it holding back the prospects of the children in school making the most of their lives - teach Occitan sure, but, as well as, not in place of English or German or Spanish.
Good branding though and masses of red and yellow Occitan flags made the march and parade from town up to the Cité extremely spectacular. Clients that departed this morning said that they had followed the march and been very moved by a sermon and rendition of the Occitan anthem in the Basilica and a fabulous view of the massed throng with banners and flags raised backed by the setting sun was only ruined because they had left their camera back at 42rvh!
Spectacular as it was I couldn't help thinking that it was a bit of a lost cause too. I am an ardent reader of history and am fascinated by who we are today and the all the twists and turns that have led us to this point in our political, economic and social development - so dressing like a mental art student, blowing into a recorder, banging a drum and dancing in barefeet as if every step is on on a bed of red hot coals seems a bit hippie if you ask me, and not a good reason to embrace Occitan as a movement for the future.
Still, I got a nice free map of Occitania with the local paper yesterday - I like maps and have already spent a good couple of hours looking at it. No chance of putting it up anywhere of course - the design guru would have a fit.
Which just goes to prove, it's all out of date and it's time to move on
Personally I have never understood the desire to stand up and sing but maybe that's because I can't. Whatever, I'm not bothered really and tomorrow is just as good a night to host dinner - in fact after my weekend I'm not at all unhappy about it.
This weekend has been very full on with client activity and it comes swiftly after a hectic week of burning the candle at both ends and the disappointment of the barn and Debrah going back to London and just not feeling 100% on top of my game. It was all a bit of a vicious circle and I am glad of the break.
I always suspect that everything's getting a bit too much when I get a cold sore out of nowhere - and I don't just do cold sores like everyone else of course. I get them on my nose or on my ear and my sinuses swell up and inflame and make my whole face look odd - it's very uncomfortable rather than painful but no less welcome. Horse face, according to Debrah - she likes horses a lot but it stops her wanting to kiss me so I don't see the funny side at all.
I don't know what causes it and it hasn't happened since the Spring - maybe the sudden cold snap that caught us all unawares, maybe the frustration at missing the barn and the subsequent soul searching about what to do next that ensued, maybe the dinners out and dinners for clients of which there have been many over the last two weeks or maybe a combination of all those things. I just don't know but it doesn't half piss me off.
At least today I managed to get out on my bike for an hour which I haven't done for over a week. It felt like it too as I headed out to the west of town into the wind but ultimately I felt so much better for the exercise. It's so easy to make excuses not to go out (it looks like rain, it's a bit chilly, I'm not sure what time the clients are due to turn up) but as with everything it's so easy to convince yourself not to do something when you so should just get on with it.
Five kilometres into the ride I was struggling but when I turned sideways onto the wind it became a bit easier and the whole dramatic landscape of the black mountains opened up in front of me. It was moody alright with big black clouds being thrust along by the wind but patches of sunlight were highlighting the browns and reds and oranges of the autumn vines.
Suddenly the ride became easier and the clean air filled my lungs and the joy of being out of town in the midst of the most glorious dramatic landscape became all consuming. I wish I'd had my camera with me but then again I probably wouldn't have stopped because I was on a cycling mission. I will try and go out again every day this week if I can.
I was so tired yesterday that I was early to bed last night and hope to do the same this evening. I was so tired yesterday that I was tucking myself away not long after I had done my canapes and cocktails duty with my new arrivals. Not that I got a peaceful night's sleep - it was all a bit noisy outside and I was still sleeping in the spare bedroom which overlooks the street because 42rvh was fully booked including the Masters Room (my bedroom when there are no clients here).
There was a very large happening in Carcassonne yesterday which probably contributed to the late night noise. There was a 'manifestation Occitan' - basically a celebration of the Occitan language and culture which a great many people here want to protect for future generations - well at least the 15-20,000 thousand people that turned up.
I am all in favour of tradition and celebrating our history and our past but I think it has to be in perspective to our current lives - to modern France in this case. The movement wants Occitan to be tought as the second language in schools here, much in the way that Gaelic is compulsory in Ireland and Welsh in Wales. I sort of agree as long a place can be found for it in the curriculum without it holding back the prospects of the children in school making the most of their lives - teach Occitan sure, but, as well as, not in place of English or German or Spanish.
Good branding though and masses of red and yellow Occitan flags made the march and parade from town up to the Cité extremely spectacular. Clients that departed this morning said that they had followed the march and been very moved by a sermon and rendition of the Occitan anthem in the Basilica and a fabulous view of the massed throng with banners and flags raised backed by the setting sun was only ruined because they had left their camera back at 42rvh!
Spectacular as it was I couldn't help thinking that it was a bit of a lost cause too. I am an ardent reader of history and am fascinated by who we are today and the all the twists and turns that have led us to this point in our political, economic and social development - so dressing like a mental art student, blowing into a recorder, banging a drum and dancing in barefeet as if every step is on on a bed of red hot coals seems a bit hippie if you ask me, and not a good reason to embrace Occitan as a movement for the future.
Still, I got a nice free map of Occitania with the local paper yesterday - I like maps and have already spent a good couple of hours looking at it. No chance of putting it up anywhere of course - the design guru would have a fit.
Which just goes to prove, it's all out of date and it's time to move on
Monday, 12 October 2009
Good dinner
Sometimes I really get to enjoy my job - like evenings when I have to prepare and share dinner with an interesting and diverse group of intelligent and likeable people from all walks of life and from all over the world.
Tonight was one such occasion and all thanks to the inability to find a decent restaurant for guests to go to on a Monday night slightly out of season in France - well in Carcassonne anyway, but I suspect it applies to a wider group of similar small provincial towns across the country.
Now that we are into October, all of the restaurants that I recommend for guests who are looking for something slightly better than a basic brasserie, are closed on a Sunday and Monday night - actually some of them are always closed on those days even in the height of the Summer tourist season.
So my Mexican guests who arrived late yesterday were asking me this morning about dinner tonight and I was struggling to advise them. "Can you do dinner for us?, asked Antonieta. I couldn't say no in the same way I couldn't resist her original email asking "I want stay your luxury hotel". I'm not criticizing her English at all, it was sweet. My Spanish is rubbish.
My Australian guests arrived late this afternoon after a long drive across country from Tours. I could tell that they were weary and needed looking after - I offered and they jumped at the chance to have dinner at home so to speak.
When I woke up this morning I was going to be eating on my own tonight - finishing off the coq au vin that I prepared yesterday - by 6pm I was cooking a dinner for five.
They were all young - by which I mean under 40 and probably well under 40 - a corporate lawyer with his own firm employing 30 or so qualified staff, a specialist in pacemaker surgery and defibrillators who recently won a 'clinitian of the year' award, a graphic designer turned art therapist and a architect turned health care worker. Both women had designed their own homes - both men built what they were told to build - that sounds horribly familiar but very successful as a formula.
Naturally with Australians in the house the conversation turned to Skippy the kangaroo!
Naturally with Mexicans in the house the conversation turned to swine flu ( we all agreed that it wasn't their fault) and the new trend for premium grade sipping tequila.
We also discussed at some length why Central America celebrates Columbus Day (it was today by the way) as a national holiday when he bought the misery of European invasion onto the indigineous peoples of the region. Funnily enough, they hadn't really thought of it like that. I guess they focus on the positive benefits - whatever they may be.
Well you get the gist of it all - it was varied and intelligent and serious and light hearted - and the very essence of a good get together around the dinner table.
I just have the washing up to finish off.
Tonight was one such occasion and all thanks to the inability to find a decent restaurant for guests to go to on a Monday night slightly out of season in France - well in Carcassonne anyway, but I suspect it applies to a wider group of similar small provincial towns across the country.
Now that we are into October, all of the restaurants that I recommend for guests who are looking for something slightly better than a basic brasserie, are closed on a Sunday and Monday night - actually some of them are always closed on those days even in the height of the Summer tourist season.
So my Mexican guests who arrived late yesterday were asking me this morning about dinner tonight and I was struggling to advise them. "Can you do dinner for us?, asked Antonieta. I couldn't say no in the same way I couldn't resist her original email asking "I want stay your luxury hotel". I'm not criticizing her English at all, it was sweet. My Spanish is rubbish.
My Australian guests arrived late this afternoon after a long drive across country from Tours. I could tell that they were weary and needed looking after - I offered and they jumped at the chance to have dinner at home so to speak.
When I woke up this morning I was going to be eating on my own tonight - finishing off the coq au vin that I prepared yesterday - by 6pm I was cooking a dinner for five.
They were all young - by which I mean under 40 and probably well under 40 - a corporate lawyer with his own firm employing 30 or so qualified staff, a specialist in pacemaker surgery and defibrillators who recently won a 'clinitian of the year' award, a graphic designer turned art therapist and a architect turned health care worker. Both women had designed their own homes - both men built what they were told to build - that sounds horribly familiar but very successful as a formula.
Naturally with Australians in the house the conversation turned to Skippy the kangaroo!
Naturally with Mexicans in the house the conversation turned to swine flu ( we all agreed that it wasn't their fault) and the new trend for premium grade sipping tequila.
We also discussed at some length why Central America celebrates Columbus Day (it was today by the way) as a national holiday when he bought the misery of European invasion onto the indigineous peoples of the region. Funnily enough, they hadn't really thought of it like that. I guess they focus on the positive benefits - whatever they may be.
Well you get the gist of it all - it was varied and intelligent and serious and light hearted - and the very essence of a good get together around the dinner table.
I just have the washing up to finish off.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Food is for sharing
It's all smelling a bit fishy in the kitchen as a result of my impulse market buying this morning. Having made a casserole at the weekend in London, I went shopping with that in mind but somehow came back with mackerel for lunch and a kilo of mussels for supper.
I'm not really sure what happened but it seems my head rejected the idea of red meat and craved a bit of omega 3 - and once I was over by the fish counter my brain started trawling through it's store of fishy recipes and pan cooked mackerel with shallot, tomato and capers and moules mariniere is what came out.
I guess I have to be happy with that - it's the very essence of Mediterranean market shopping - looking at what looks good on the day and buying accordingly. So I was very interested to read recently that McDonalds in France is one of their biggest markets outside the USA (bigger than the UK and growing faster) and that Picard, purveyors of gourmet ready frozen meals, is by no means suffering during the economic downturn. So much for the myth of the French pulling up some vegetables from the garden for their supper.
Despite the outward socialist demeanour, capitalism is hard at work here.
I have noticed, however, that even when the French are eating sandwiches or takeaway food they still find a place to sit down and eat together either as a family or with work colleagues or with friends - the conviviality of sharing food survives and that is a very good thing.
I ate both my lunch and my supper on my own at home. I love my food and I love cooking and eating but there are days when I find it hard to put in the effort to prepare a good meal just for myself.
I did today, twice. Mind you, I had enough for two, if not three, this evening.
A kilo of mussels doesn't look that much especially when they are small ones and take up less room in your bag. When I got back from the market I made a pond for them in the sink and let them swim about a bit whilst I got on with my jobs. When it came to cleaning them this evening I realised how many were there - either that or they multiply like rabbits when your back is turned. It took a good half hour or more to clean them and with only me eating it took a good half hour or more to pick each one out of it's shell and devour the sweet little delicious morsels.
It's impossible to read while eating mussels because you have to concentrate on what you are doing - and with no-one to talk to, it ends up being a bit of a chore. It's the sort of food where you need to be able to talk to someone without looking at them or if you must look at them, they won't mind you waving a mussel shell, the one you use for picking out the other mussels from their shells, in your face. Oh for someone to say "You had more than me" or "That's not a very big mussel" type innuendo. I even gave up on spooning the residual winey buttery juice into my mouth and picked my bowl up and drank it down in one go - now that's very French.
Moules Mariniere is a wonderful, fabulous, delicious, evocative, French classic - just don't eat it, or anything else if you can help it, on your own.
I'm not really sure what happened but it seems my head rejected the idea of red meat and craved a bit of omega 3 - and once I was over by the fish counter my brain started trawling through it's store of fishy recipes and pan cooked mackerel with shallot, tomato and capers and moules mariniere is what came out.
I guess I have to be happy with that - it's the very essence of Mediterranean market shopping - looking at what looks good on the day and buying accordingly. So I was very interested to read recently that McDonalds in France is one of their biggest markets outside the USA (bigger than the UK and growing faster) and that Picard, purveyors of gourmet ready frozen meals, is by no means suffering during the economic downturn. So much for the myth of the French pulling up some vegetables from the garden for their supper.
Despite the outward socialist demeanour, capitalism is hard at work here.
I have noticed, however, that even when the French are eating sandwiches or takeaway food they still find a place to sit down and eat together either as a family or with work colleagues or with friends - the conviviality of sharing food survives and that is a very good thing.
I ate both my lunch and my supper on my own at home. I love my food and I love cooking and eating but there are days when I find it hard to put in the effort to prepare a good meal just for myself.
I did today, twice. Mind you, I had enough for two, if not three, this evening.
A kilo of mussels doesn't look that much especially when they are small ones and take up less room in your bag. When I got back from the market I made a pond for them in the sink and let them swim about a bit whilst I got on with my jobs. When it came to cleaning them this evening I realised how many were there - either that or they multiply like rabbits when your back is turned. It took a good half hour or more to clean them and with only me eating it took a good half hour or more to pick each one out of it's shell and devour the sweet little delicious morsels.
It's impossible to read while eating mussels because you have to concentrate on what you are doing - and with no-one to talk to, it ends up being a bit of a chore. It's the sort of food where you need to be able to talk to someone without looking at them or if you must look at them, they won't mind you waving a mussel shell, the one you use for picking out the other mussels from their shells, in your face. Oh for someone to say "You had more than me" or "That's not a very big mussel" type innuendo. I even gave up on spooning the residual winey buttery juice into my mouth and picked my bowl up and drank it down in one go - now that's very French.
Moules Mariniere is a wonderful, fabulous, delicious, evocative, French classic - just don't eat it, or anything else if you can help it, on your own.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Not what it says on the tin
The details on the website indicated that the property was 30 minutes drive from Carcassonne. I drove back down the mountain like Sebastian Loeb at his best (the French 5 times world rally champion for those of you struggling with that name) and it still took me an hour and a quarter to get back here.
What is it with estate agents and completely misleading information? Earlier this week was the "Oh no it doesn't flood" blatant lie and today I find that time is indeed relative to your rally ability and the slowness of the second hand on a dodgy Turkish Rolex copy. My watch might be having difficulty keeping up with real time but it's nothing compared to the time estimates of 'agents immobilliers'. Doctor Who couldn't have got back any quicker.
As you will have guessed, I went to look at another property today. It's not right for us but it is in a stunning location if you are not expecting guests. It was three miles to the end of the drive - i.e three miles from the turn off from the side road that was ten miles from the nearest village and fifteen miles from the nearest boulangerie. I would have hated to get home and find I had forgotten to collect the baguettes on the way.
I am quite used to the country roads here and my driving style could be described as fast if you are faint-hearted (if you can, imagine playing V-Rally on Playstation). Besides it was a glorious sunny day and the wind was in my hair and I had guests arriving back at 42rvh - so I had to get back. I think the average punter in a Opel Zafira hire car stuffed full of luggage might be a bit more circumspect - it would probably take them two hours from Carcassonne airport.
So - too far, too remote, too isolated, too much work needed - fantastic place though if you had the money and weren't bothered about guests and running businesses. It's an 18th Century farmhouse in gorgeous ochre stone that sits right on the top of a mountain with the most spectacular views in every direction. It has structurally sound walls and has had a new roof put on it, but because it's as old as it is and has never been updated very much it still looks like the animals live inside in better conditions than the humans. The whole interior needs completely ripping out and replacing - a massive job for anyone.
Because of it's age it is also protected by 'Monuments Historique', which means that one couldn't put new doors or windows into it or extend it. The problem with that is that every door is built for someone five feet tall and all the windows are very small too so that natural light, even on a glorious Autumn day like today, is at a premium.
I stood there and watched the butterflies zig-zagging about, marvelled at the eagles soaring overhead, listened to the cowbells from across the valley and tried to picture the pool and the garden and the terrace. I was constantly swishing the flies away (despite the 800m altitude this was still farmland) and have a multitude of nettle stings on my ankles from the overgrowth around the house.
As always one has to weigh up the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. Nowhere will be perfect but it has to have a lot more going for it than against it and sadly this place falls into the latter category.
We will keep looking of course and I am off to see somewhere else tomorrow. As long as the agent hasn't been misleading anyone it should be perfect - I will reserve judgement on that though for 24 hours in light of recent experience.
What is it with estate agents and completely misleading information? Earlier this week was the "Oh no it doesn't flood" blatant lie and today I find that time is indeed relative to your rally ability and the slowness of the second hand on a dodgy Turkish Rolex copy. My watch might be having difficulty keeping up with real time but it's nothing compared to the time estimates of 'agents immobilliers'. Doctor Who couldn't have got back any quicker.
As you will have guessed, I went to look at another property today. It's not right for us but it is in a stunning location if you are not expecting guests. It was three miles to the end of the drive - i.e three miles from the turn off from the side road that was ten miles from the nearest village and fifteen miles from the nearest boulangerie. I would have hated to get home and find I had forgotten to collect the baguettes on the way.
I am quite used to the country roads here and my driving style could be described as fast if you are faint-hearted (if you can, imagine playing V-Rally on Playstation). Besides it was a glorious sunny day and the wind was in my hair and I had guests arriving back at 42rvh - so I had to get back. I think the average punter in a Opel Zafira hire car stuffed full of luggage might be a bit more circumspect - it would probably take them two hours from Carcassonne airport.
So - too far, too remote, too isolated, too much work needed - fantastic place though if you had the money and weren't bothered about guests and running businesses. It's an 18th Century farmhouse in gorgeous ochre stone that sits right on the top of a mountain with the most spectacular views in every direction. It has structurally sound walls and has had a new roof put on it, but because it's as old as it is and has never been updated very much it still looks like the animals live inside in better conditions than the humans. The whole interior needs completely ripping out and replacing - a massive job for anyone.
Because of it's age it is also protected by 'Monuments Historique', which means that one couldn't put new doors or windows into it or extend it. The problem with that is that every door is built for someone five feet tall and all the windows are very small too so that natural light, even on a glorious Autumn day like today, is at a premium.
I stood there and watched the butterflies zig-zagging about, marvelled at the eagles soaring overhead, listened to the cowbells from across the valley and tried to picture the pool and the garden and the terrace. I was constantly swishing the flies away (despite the 800m altitude this was still farmland) and have a multitude of nettle stings on my ankles from the overgrowth around the house.
As always one has to weigh up the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. Nowhere will be perfect but it has to have a lot more going for it than against it and sadly this place falls into the latter category.
We will keep looking of course and I am off to see somewhere else tomorrow. As long as the agent hasn't been misleading anyone it should be perfect - I will reserve judgement on that though for 24 hours in light of recent experience.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Not a night out
Dinner last night was followed by breakfast for early departing guests at 7.15am - so not very much sleep between the two. Despite that I felt pretty good this morning and had the Apartment suite ready by 9.00am for new guests arriving this afternoon.
They arrived two hours earlier than expected so it was a good thing that I was also ready in advance. Having started the day so enthusiastically though, I have become slower and slower as the day has gone on - the short night has taken it's toll.
Don't get me wrong, I could easily have been persuaded to move onto a second late night and early morning in a a row and but for the necessity of looking after dogs and preparing guest breakfasts it probably would have happened.
Michael came over from Lagrasse this afternoon to look at a property here in Carcassonne and dropped in to say hello afterwards. With Debrah back in London and his partner, Nicole, over there for a short visit (in fact Debrah and Nicole were out together on Saturday evening in London) we had the perfect opportunity for a bit of lads night out if only we weren't so grown up and responsible these days.
Michael couldn't stay here in Carcassonne with me because his two dogs back in Lagrasse needed to be let out and looked after. I couldn't stay overnight in Lagrasse because I have to provide breakfast for my clients here at 42rvh.
So we briefly flirted with the Celt Bar and came back here to eat spaghetti bolognese and then Michael headed off back home and I am heading off to bed, very soon.
They arrived two hours earlier than expected so it was a good thing that I was also ready in advance. Having started the day so enthusiastically though, I have become slower and slower as the day has gone on - the short night has taken it's toll.
Don't get me wrong, I could easily have been persuaded to move onto a second late night and early morning in a a row and but for the necessity of looking after dogs and preparing guest breakfasts it probably would have happened.
Michael came over from Lagrasse this afternoon to look at a property here in Carcassonne and dropped in to say hello afterwards. With Debrah back in London and his partner, Nicole, over there for a short visit (in fact Debrah and Nicole were out together on Saturday evening in London) we had the perfect opportunity for a bit of lads night out if only we weren't so grown up and responsible these days.
Michael couldn't stay here in Carcassonne with me because his two dogs back in Lagrasse needed to be let out and looked after. I couldn't stay overnight in Lagrasse because I have to provide breakfast for my clients here at 42rvh.
So we briefly flirted with the Celt Bar and came back here to eat spaghetti bolognese and then Michael headed off back home and I am heading off to bed, very soon.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
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.
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.
Friday, 4 September 2009
Arts and Crafts
My life has suddenly all gone a bit arts and crafts.
Debrah has been designing a wedding for a few months now - a wedding taking place at Chateau Rigaud - a business society wedding, someone high up in one well known business is marrying someone very high up in another well known business. I don't know why I am being so cagey about them or who they work for because they are probably the sort of people that would be very happy with the publicity, but out of respect for Anna and Aib and their business here at the chateau I will say no more.
And as Debrah had to come out to France to oversee the final design arrangements ahead of the big day tomorrow, it was another opportunity for us to get together. So I left my guests in Carcassonne to their own devices and hot footed it up here to help out and see my wife.
Last week when I was in London I found myself ordering ribbon and organising it's delivery to France. Today I got to play with the ribbon - wrapping it around boxes of chocolate and then around little lavender posies. I helped hang paper lanterns and moved boxes of wine and then we all had to thread 650 chrysanthemum flowers on fishing wire to be hung up tomorrow - the fun isn't over yet that's for sure.
Debrah has been designing a wedding for a few months now - a wedding taking place at Chateau Rigaud - a business society wedding, someone high up in one well known business is marrying someone very high up in another well known business. I don't know why I am being so cagey about them or who they work for because they are probably the sort of people that would be very happy with the publicity, but out of respect for Anna and Aib and their business here at the chateau I will say no more.
And as Debrah had to come out to France to oversee the final design arrangements ahead of the big day tomorrow, it was another opportunity for us to get together. So I left my guests in Carcassonne to their own devices and hot footed it up here to help out and see my wife.
Last week when I was in London I found myself ordering ribbon and organising it's delivery to France. Today I got to play with the ribbon - wrapping it around boxes of chocolate and then around little lavender posies. I helped hang paper lanterns and moved boxes of wine and then we all had to thread 650 chrysanthemum flowers on fishing wire to be hung up tomorrow - the fun isn't over yet that's for sure.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Cheeky weekend
What a fabulous little cheeky weekend away that was. Debrah flew down to La Rochelle on Friday and I drove up there from here in Carcassonne. We stayed with the lovely Anna and Aib and family at their summer house rental on the Ile d'Oleron and the equally lovely Tim and Sam had his yacht moored in the harbour.
It was cheeky because it was all sort of last minute and I had guests arriving here so had to make other arrangements for them and it was exciting because I hadn't expected to see Debrah for another week.
Best friends, beautiful location, lovely weather, sailing, beaches, barbeques, and Debrah - it doesn't really get any better.
We didn't arrive until 8ish on Friday night after the 300 odd mile drive, collecting Debrah from the airport at La Rochelle and then queuing with everyone else to get across the viaduct onto the island - but our hosts had dinner on the go and a glass of wine to hand so we soon relaxed into a rather long drunken evening barbeque.
All of which didn't really prepare us for the early start needed to get the yacht out of the harbour on the tide at 9am the following morning - but we all made it down to the harbour in time and bought lunch on the way. To be honest a few of the band were a little dubious about spending all day out on the yacht - we couldn't get back into harbour until after 5pm on the next tide - such is the way of the sea it appears.
It turned out to be a wonderful day out - the weather got better as the day went on and a couple of stomach settling/hair of the dog cold beers at 11am cheered everyone up. When we anchored we swam in the Atlantic (can't remember the last time I did that) and then had a fabulous buffet lunch and swung the kids out over the side on the bosun's chair before heading back to port across the bay.
Today we sat on the beach at St Denis while the kids played/moaned about being bored, before having a beachside lunch at the cafe. It all reminded me so much of many beach holidays when I was young boy many many years ago - in North Wales and Devon and my first ever overseas trip to Portugal when I was about 10 years old.
Sadly I had to leave the party this afternoon and return here. Debrah is staying on for one more night before going back to London and happily we will see each other again next weekend after a busy week for us both.
Fabulous weekend though with top chums - and just a few weeks until I see them all again for my 50th birthday in August here in Carcassonne - excellent.
It was cheeky because it was all sort of last minute and I had guests arriving here so had to make other arrangements for them and it was exciting because I hadn't expected to see Debrah for another week.
Best friends, beautiful location, lovely weather, sailing, beaches, barbeques, and Debrah - it doesn't really get any better.
We didn't arrive until 8ish on Friday night after the 300 odd mile drive, collecting Debrah from the airport at La Rochelle and then queuing with everyone else to get across the viaduct onto the island - but our hosts had dinner on the go and a glass of wine to hand so we soon relaxed into a rather long drunken evening barbeque.
All of which didn't really prepare us for the early start needed to get the yacht out of the harbour on the tide at 9am the following morning - but we all made it down to the harbour in time and bought lunch on the way. To be honest a few of the band were a little dubious about spending all day out on the yacht - we couldn't get back into harbour until after 5pm on the next tide - such is the way of the sea it appears.
It turned out to be a wonderful day out - the weather got better as the day went on and a couple of stomach settling/hair of the dog cold beers at 11am cheered everyone up. When we anchored we swam in the Atlantic (can't remember the last time I did that) and then had a fabulous buffet lunch and swung the kids out over the side on the bosun's chair before heading back to port across the bay.
Today we sat on the beach at St Denis while the kids played/moaned about being bored, before having a beachside lunch at the cafe. It all reminded me so much of many beach holidays when I was young boy many many years ago - in North Wales and Devon and my first ever overseas trip to Portugal when I was about 10 years old.
Sadly I had to leave the party this afternoon and return here. Debrah is staying on for one more night before going back to London and happily we will see each other again next weekend after a busy week for us both.
Fabulous weekend though with top chums - and just a few weeks until I see them all again for my 50th birthday in August here in Carcassonne - excellent.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Mousstades
The busy busy month of June finally feels like it is coming to an end and things worked out very nicely today to enable me to have lunch with friends, watch the Lions match and go out to the festival in Villemoustassou this evening.
June has probably been the busiest month of all since we opened last year. I have been letting out the main bedroom in my apartment as a third suite so we have had even more guests and I have done the whole month on my own because Debrah has been tied up with her work in London. It has been absorbing, non-stop, hectic, exciting, fulfilling, exhausting and good fun - and a bit lonely in-between when in my quiet moments I have quite been missing my wife.
The Dubai based Irish family who arrived on Wednesday (Mum, Dad and three grown up daughters) left this morning. They were a lot of fun and great guests and if Debrah and I ever find ourselves in Dubai we will have an inside track on what goes on there. I cooked dinner for them all on Thursday evening which went on a bit. They were all planning to replicate different courses when they got home which was a nice compliment - but it wasn't all straightforward with one being gluten free and one lactose intolerant. Dad just seemed to accept it all with a smile on his face and heavily used wallet. Nice people and it's great having nice people come to stay.
They kindly moved their stuff out of the Studio suite this morning before they headed down to the market which allowed me to get in there and clean it out before taking Dad up to the airport to collect his hire car, which was just as well because when I got back my new arrivals (mother and daughter from the USA) were sat on my doorstep waiting for me.
Excellent. Departing guests out, arriving guests in and all sorted by 12.30pm. A quick phone call to see what was happening and soon after I was sat at a table in the square with friends having a leisurely lunch, which was followed by the ultimately disappointing Lions Test against South Africa. Oh well, but a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon knowing that I had no further guest responsibilities to worry about until the morning.
As an aside, whilst I was waiting up at the airport for my guest to collect his hire car so that I could show him the way back into town, I watched with fascination the newly arrived visitors leaving the car hire depot and it didn't fill me with confidence. Some decided not to follow the tarmac road and turned off onto the dusty dirt roads looking for the airport exit, some were just driving on the wrong side of the road, some were going 10kph at most and some had a look of complete fear on their faces as they approached the roundabout that would unleash them onto the French highways. Scary to say the least but no doubt they will all come through their experiences unscathed - well let's hope so.
The 'Mousstades' at Villemoussetassou is one heck of a name for a festival event but is in fact just a lovely French village fete dressed up as a competition for 'bandas' that goes on for three days. It is a circulade village, so one can either find a spot to sit and watch each band in turn as they play two or three numbers and then move on or you can keep walking round and round in the opposite direction to the bands and see each one in turn whilst picking up food and drink on the hoof as you go.
We actually did a bit of both, ate some oysters, drank some white wine, clapped and foot stamped and shouted along with everyone else. When the blue sky turned to black and the strings of lightbulbs were turned on it all took on a very different late night South of France feeling that is hard to replicate anywhere else with the aromas of shellfish and sausages on the barbeque and frying 'frites' and shouts of 'Ole' in response to the trumpeters fanfares.
Well after midnight we carried the very tired Lara and Louis, Daniel and Cecile's children, back to the car. I was quite done myself - but there was no-one to carry me.
June has probably been the busiest month of all since we opened last year. I have been letting out the main bedroom in my apartment as a third suite so we have had even more guests and I have done the whole month on my own because Debrah has been tied up with her work in London. It has been absorbing, non-stop, hectic, exciting, fulfilling, exhausting and good fun - and a bit lonely in-between when in my quiet moments I have quite been missing my wife.
The Dubai based Irish family who arrived on Wednesday (Mum, Dad and three grown up daughters) left this morning. They were a lot of fun and great guests and if Debrah and I ever find ourselves in Dubai we will have an inside track on what goes on there. I cooked dinner for them all on Thursday evening which went on a bit. They were all planning to replicate different courses when they got home which was a nice compliment - but it wasn't all straightforward with one being gluten free and one lactose intolerant. Dad just seemed to accept it all with a smile on his face and heavily used wallet. Nice people and it's great having nice people come to stay.
They kindly moved their stuff out of the Studio suite this morning before they headed down to the market which allowed me to get in there and clean it out before taking Dad up to the airport to collect his hire car, which was just as well because when I got back my new arrivals (mother and daughter from the USA) were sat on my doorstep waiting for me.
Excellent. Departing guests out, arriving guests in and all sorted by 12.30pm. A quick phone call to see what was happening and soon after I was sat at a table in the square with friends having a leisurely lunch, which was followed by the ultimately disappointing Lions Test against South Africa. Oh well, but a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon knowing that I had no further guest responsibilities to worry about until the morning.
As an aside, whilst I was waiting up at the airport for my guest to collect his hire car so that I could show him the way back into town, I watched with fascination the newly arrived visitors leaving the car hire depot and it didn't fill me with confidence. Some decided not to follow the tarmac road and turned off onto the dusty dirt roads looking for the airport exit, some were just driving on the wrong side of the road, some were going 10kph at most and some had a look of complete fear on their faces as they approached the roundabout that would unleash them onto the French highways. Scary to say the least but no doubt they will all come through their experiences unscathed - well let's hope so.
The 'Mousstades' at Villemoussetassou is one heck of a name for a festival event but is in fact just a lovely French village fete dressed up as a competition for 'bandas' that goes on for three days. It is a circulade village, so one can either find a spot to sit and watch each band in turn as they play two or three numbers and then move on or you can keep walking round and round in the opposite direction to the bands and see each one in turn whilst picking up food and drink on the hoof as you go.
We actually did a bit of both, ate some oysters, drank some white wine, clapped and foot stamped and shouted along with everyone else. When the blue sky turned to black and the strings of lightbulbs were turned on it all took on a very different late night South of France feeling that is hard to replicate anywhere else with the aromas of shellfish and sausages on the barbeque and frying 'frites' and shouts of 'Ole' in response to the trumpeters fanfares.
Well after midnight we carried the very tired Lara and Louis, Daniel and Cecile's children, back to the car. I was quite done myself - but there was no-one to carry me.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Grateful Guests
I had a disturbed night's sleep last night. I kept hearing noises and woke up a few times but then all was quiet - I'm not sure if the noise was real or imaginary. No matter, when it was finally time to get up and the alarm was ringing in my ear, it was the last thing I felt like doing.
I was a bit sluggish for the whole morning. The cloud cover that persisted made the day humid and oppressive which didn't help either. I would have happily sat down and meandered through the day without really doing anything, which we all feel like sometimes, but that wasn't really an option. Three breakfasts, one set of guests leaving, a bit of ironing, some business admin and a supermarket trip took care of the morning.
In case you get the impression that it's all work, work, work well it isn't all the time. After I got back from the supermarket I wandered down to the square and bumped into Patrick and Rafaele, just back from their three week holiday in Thailand. After Rafaele had gone back to work (she is the source of all our town info and gossip because she works for Cherie FM, the local radio station) I mentioned to Patrick that I might go out on my bike and he jumped at the chance to come with me.
I have always cycled on my own here but now realise how much better it is with someone else. It's not rocket science. It's more convivial because you chat all the way, more competitive because neither wants to be the one to turn back first and ultimately more enjoyable.
We had a good 90 minute ride down a lot of routes, lanes and country paths that I hadn't been on before. I had a 'petite chute' when I lost the front wheel off the edge of a narrow track down by the River Aude - slightly bloodied and bruised but no serious or permanent damage. At least I think not but three hours after getting back my left ankle has swollen up a bit and I spent the evening serving dinner trying to disguise the pain and a slight limp which will probably have made it worse. Of course, I could have just twisted it getting up out of my chair. I'm sure it will be fine in the morning.
This evening it was to back to work but the enjoyable sort of work - preparing a dinner for two of my guests. It was a pleasant but quiet evening and they went away happy, I think, to pack their bags for an early departure back to Edinburgh tomorrow.
More happy guests - like the ones who left a few day ago and have left the most wonderful review of 42rvh on www.tripadvisor.com - bless them - it is comments like those that make it all worthwhile and keep you going when you aren't in the mood.
I was a bit sluggish for the whole morning. The cloud cover that persisted made the day humid and oppressive which didn't help either. I would have happily sat down and meandered through the day without really doing anything, which we all feel like sometimes, but that wasn't really an option. Three breakfasts, one set of guests leaving, a bit of ironing, some business admin and a supermarket trip took care of the morning.
In case you get the impression that it's all work, work, work well it isn't all the time. After I got back from the supermarket I wandered down to the square and bumped into Patrick and Rafaele, just back from their three week holiday in Thailand. After Rafaele had gone back to work (she is the source of all our town info and gossip because she works for Cherie FM, the local radio station) I mentioned to Patrick that I might go out on my bike and he jumped at the chance to come with me.
I have always cycled on my own here but now realise how much better it is with someone else. It's not rocket science. It's more convivial because you chat all the way, more competitive because neither wants to be the one to turn back first and ultimately more enjoyable.
We had a good 90 minute ride down a lot of routes, lanes and country paths that I hadn't been on before. I had a 'petite chute' when I lost the front wheel off the edge of a narrow track down by the River Aude - slightly bloodied and bruised but no serious or permanent damage. At least I think not but three hours after getting back my left ankle has swollen up a bit and I spent the evening serving dinner trying to disguise the pain and a slight limp which will probably have made it worse. Of course, I could have just twisted it getting up out of my chair. I'm sure it will be fine in the morning.
This evening it was to back to work but the enjoyable sort of work - preparing a dinner for two of my guests. It was a pleasant but quiet evening and they went away happy, I think, to pack their bags for an early departure back to Edinburgh tomorrow.
More happy guests - like the ones who left a few day ago and have left the most wonderful review of 42rvh on www.tripadvisor.com - bless them - it is comments like those that make it all worthwhile and keep you going when you aren't in the mood.
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