lots of active verbs and lots of activity over the next week.
The weather was great.
We found the 2 crumblettes who got misplaced on their walk back from Nyons on the first day.
They are loving the walking. Walking in in this area of Provence is amazing. We are compiling our own book of local walks for all walking abilities, and for different times of the year.
Never believe someone who says that crumblettes don't eat much. They will eat everything that you put in front of them. And be very appreciative, which is great.
And along with everything else, Jean continued to transform the garden ... last remnants of rubble was cleared, plants were bought and planted, including roses, lavenders and a variety of shrubs.
And we eat the first radishes from my vegetable plot.
Tuesday 24 April 2007
Monday 23 April 2007
The birthday cake
Your mother is only 80 once. If you remember, she and Anne had been out at Christmas. In the couple of days of solitude (bliss!) after everyone had left in early January, I dusted down Delia Smith (if you want a traditional recipe - she'll have it) and set to to make my first ever rich fruit cake. The works. And it worked. So it had been sitting gently maturing since January.
Oh yes - a hint if ever you decide to embark on the chatelaineship of a domaine such as Le Colombier. In the cold winter months the mice don't have a lot to eat. You can't keep them out of the cave. But you would be advised to store home made christmas puddings in a thick safe deposit box. Aluminium foil alone hadn't managed to repel the advances of the christmas pudding hungry mice a few years back. Lizzie had made 2 puddings 12 months previously. On christmas eve we found that one had been half eaten through. Lizzie was not amused. Nor were we as our portions of pudding had to be re-calibrated.
So anyway, the cake had been maturing, wrapped in foil, in a tin, inside another sealed box, for a few months. I had spent the previous night adding marzipan, icing it, and decorating it with 80 marzipan balls. Yes, at 2.00 in the morning, I made them and counted them all.
It was actually going to be the actual birthday the day after the group left (28th April) - but my plan was that if we did the stuff with the candles etc on the first night - they could take a piece of cake with them each day for their picnic on the walk.
So cake was produced, candles blown out, slices distributed. Jean arrived. The house party retired to bed. And Jean and I took a bottle of wine out to sit under the tilleul tree and watch the stars. All, finally, was peaceful.
Oh yes - a hint if ever you decide to embark on the chatelaineship of a domaine such as Le Colombier. In the cold winter months the mice don't have a lot to eat. You can't keep them out of the cave. But you would be advised to store home made christmas puddings in a thick safe deposit box. Aluminium foil alone hadn't managed to repel the advances of the christmas pudding hungry mice a few years back. Lizzie had made 2 puddings 12 months previously. On christmas eve we found that one had been half eaten through. Lizzie was not amused. Nor were we as our portions of pudding had to be re-calibrated.
So anyway, the cake had been maturing, wrapped in foil, in a tin, inside another sealed box, for a few months. I had spent the previous night adding marzipan, icing it, and decorating it with 80 marzipan balls. Yes, at 2.00 in the morning, I made them and counted them all.
It was actually going to be the actual birthday the day after the group left (28th April) - but my plan was that if we did the stuff with the candles etc on the first night - they could take a piece of cake with them each day for their picnic on the walk.
So cake was produced, candles blown out, slices distributed. Jean arrived. The house party retired to bed. And Jean and I took a bottle of wine out to sit under the tilleul tree and watch the stars. All, finally, was peaceful.
Saturday 21 April 2007
Crumblettes - the arrival - Phase 2
the crumblette group is at Le Colombier. The rented Zafira is at Le Colombier. Jean is en route to Marseille. Clare's Kangoo is in the car rental parking at Nimes airport. Clare is 150 euros lighter from taxi fare for Anne and luggage. Clare is cooking dinner - and very frazzled.
I ring Nimes - and am told that - as long as Jean can arrive by 10.30pm, the car park will remain open. There is an extra flight coming in.
Jean arrives at the Hertz car hire desk at Marseilles at 8.00pm. And thank goodness for computers - they can pull up the car hire details for the Zafira and add her details to it (because a photocopy of a driving licence for an additional driver on a car hire policy isn't acceptable - so I couldn't do it an Nimes).
I serve dinner while Jean is belting across to Nimes. She arrives in plenty of time ... but the car park is locked and the airport is closed up. I had obviously been misinformed. Undeterred, Jean spies a light, and starts to make a lot of noise, beating on the door. The security man comes out - and with wit, charm and a lot of body language, the keys to the car park are produced, the hire dropped off and the Kangoo - with Jean - is en route to Le Colombier.
It's going to be a long long week!
I ring Nimes - and am told that - as long as Jean can arrive by 10.30pm, the car park will remain open. There is an extra flight coming in.
Jean arrives at the Hertz car hire desk at Marseilles at 8.00pm. And thank goodness for computers - they can pull up the car hire details for the Zafira and add her details to it (because a photocopy of a driving licence for an additional driver on a car hire policy isn't acceptable - so I couldn't do it an Nimes).
I serve dinner while Jean is belting across to Nimes. She arrives in plenty of time ... but the car park is locked and the airport is closed up. I had obviously been misinformed. Undeterred, Jean spies a light, and starts to make a lot of noise, beating on the door. The security man comes out - and with wit, charm and a lot of body language, the keys to the car park are produced, the hire dropped off and the Kangoo - with Jean - is en route to Le Colombier.
It's going to be a long long week!
Plan C
Did I say that Plan A had involved me preparing a picnic, so that we could visit the Pont du Gard en route back to Le Colombier?
So picture me at Nimes airport. It's only the end of April - but in retrospect it was probably one of the best summer days visitors from the UK were to have.
5 crumblettes with Anne. Me, a bit harrassed. Jean somewhere between Luton and Stansted. 2 cars. Lots of luggage. A picnic. And I'm the only driver (crumblettes don't drive outside of their native habitat. Anne doesn't drive.)
No-one wants to be without their luggage possibly overnight. Anne had tried to fit everyone into the Zafira with luggage. This was never going to work. After 20 minutes Anne was forced to agree with me. So Plan C was to put Anne with luggage into local cab to go straight back to Le Colombier. An air-conditionned Mercedes. She was ok to miss out on the picnic at Le Pont du Gard (she'd done it a Christmas on a trial run).
One down; luggage sorted. Just 2 cars, 5 crumblettes, a picnic, and Jean still somewhere between Luton and Stansted / Marseille. And me, of course.
Nimes is not an international airport. The arrivals/departure hall and the 2 car hire desks close when there aren't any flights.
I went to reclaim the keys to the Kangoo I'd left with Hertz ... preferring to leave them on the wheel so Jean could get them if the hall was closed.
So we set off to the Pont du Gard. We had the picnic. The crumblettes did the tourist bit. We returned to Le Colombier. Luggage was distrubuted, bedrooms allocated, pots of tea made and drunk, and as I prepared dinner I had the phone to my ear organising Phase 2 ...
So picture me at Nimes airport. It's only the end of April - but in retrospect it was probably one of the best summer days visitors from the UK were to have.
5 crumblettes with Anne. Me, a bit harrassed. Jean somewhere between Luton and Stansted. 2 cars. Lots of luggage. A picnic. And I'm the only driver (crumblettes don't drive outside of their native habitat. Anne doesn't drive.)
No-one wants to be without their luggage possibly overnight. Anne had tried to fit everyone into the Zafira with luggage. This was never going to work. After 20 minutes Anne was forced to agree with me. So Plan C was to put Anne with luggage into local cab to go straight back to Le Colombier. An air-conditionned Mercedes. She was ok to miss out on the picnic at Le Pont du Gard (she'd done it a Christmas on a trial run).
One down; luggage sorted. Just 2 cars, 5 crumblettes, a picnic, and Jean still somewhere between Luton and Stansted / Marseille. And me, of course.
Nimes is not an international airport. The arrivals/departure hall and the 2 car hire desks close when there aren't any flights.
I went to reclaim the keys to the Kangoo I'd left with Hertz ... preferring to leave them on the wheel so Jean could get them if the hall was closed.
So we set off to the Pont du Gard. We had the picnic. The crumblettes did the tourist bit. We returned to Le Colombier. Luggage was distrubuted, bedrooms allocated, pots of tea made and drunk, and as I prepared dinner I had the phone to my ear organising Phase 2 ...
No Anne, we can't fit the suitcases in as well as driver and 6 passengers - and the picnic
First the times of the flights from Liverpool were changed to 3 hours earlier. Not a show stopper - we're resourceful.
Original plans of me driving over from Le Colombier to Nimes, meeting up with the Liverpool contingent; waiting Jean to join us 30 mins later from Luton had to be changed.
Not a real problem ... we're resourceful. My workhorse Kangoo was never going to do the group of 6 crumblettes (plus Jean and me). So we'd booked the rental of a Ford Zafira. I'd drive over .. and we'd have 9 people, 8 sets of luggage, 2 cars. No problems.
Change of schedules? I drive over. I do the paper work for the Zafira. We put all the luggage in the Kangoo. I leave the keys for the Kangoo at the Hertz desk - where Jean can show her passport to be put on to the Zafira hire - she picks up the Kangoo, and meets us at the end of our picnic and trip to the Pont du Gard.
Gosh - no problems. A doddle really.
Yes - but. As I was leaving Le Colombier I had received a phone call from Jean. Though they'd set off with hours to spare (her husband Pierre was being the gentleman and driving) - the motorway between Leicester and Luton was closed. They were probably going to miss the flight.
They missed it.
Jean will not be beaten. They had found there was another flight - from Stansted to Marseille. They'd head off to catch it.
So now I am at Nimes with the group of 6 and their luggage; my Kangoo, the 7 seater Zafira; and our picnic.
The only reason that the Zafira is a 7 seater is because it's an estate car with 2 seats in the boot. With 2 seats in the boot, there's no room for even a picnic, let alone lots of luggage.
So, no, we were not going to fit everything and everyone into the hire car. No, I can't guarantee that Jean will be able to pick up Kangoo with luggage tonight.
Plan B ... but it's hard to sell the benefits of Plan B to people who had in their mind Plan A. Plan B is to continue with Plan A, but you might not get your luggage until tomorrow. Can you make do for one night with just a toothbrush? No! You're sure? OK...
No Anne, it won't fit. OK - try if you want. But it won't fit. Plan B is not to fit it all into the Zafira.
The die was cast. The holiday had begun!
Original plans of me driving over from Le Colombier to Nimes, meeting up with the Liverpool contingent; waiting Jean to join us 30 mins later from Luton had to be changed.
Not a real problem ... we're resourceful. My workhorse Kangoo was never going to do the group of 6 crumblettes (plus Jean and me). So we'd booked the rental of a Ford Zafira. I'd drive over .. and we'd have 9 people, 8 sets of luggage, 2 cars. No problems.
Change of schedules? I drive over. I do the paper work for the Zafira. We put all the luggage in the Kangoo. I leave the keys for the Kangoo at the Hertz desk - where Jean can show her passport to be put on to the Zafira hire - she picks up the Kangoo, and meets us at the end of our picnic and trip to the Pont du Gard.
Gosh - no problems. A doddle really.
Yes - but. As I was leaving Le Colombier I had received a phone call from Jean. Though they'd set off with hours to spare (her husband Pierre was being the gentleman and driving) - the motorway between Leicester and Luton was closed. They were probably going to miss the flight.
They missed it.
Jean will not be beaten. They had found there was another flight - from Stansted to Marseille. They'd head off to catch it.
So now I am at Nimes with the group of 6 and their luggage; my Kangoo, the 7 seater Zafira; and our picnic.
The only reason that the Zafira is a 7 seater is because it's an estate car with 2 seats in the boot. With 2 seats in the boot, there's no room for even a picnic, let alone lots of luggage.
So, no, we were not going to fit everything and everyone into the hire car. No, I can't guarantee that Jean will be able to pick up Kangoo with luggage tonight.
Plan B ... but it's hard to sell the benefits of Plan B to people who had in their mind Plan A. Plan B is to continue with Plan A, but you might not get your luggage until tomorrow. Can you make do for one night with just a toothbrush? No! You're sure? OK...
No Anne, it won't fit. OK - try if you want. But it won't fit. Plan B is not to fit it all into the Zafira.
The die was cast. The holiday had begun!
another birthday party at Le Colombier
Barely had we recycled all the empties from the visit of the Scousers ...(more the mal of the guelle de chien than the fleurs du mal of the Baudelaire Brothers and fellow festive companions)
..when it was the return of the Crumblies. Or rather, the Crumblettes.
Of course it became a classic. What else do you do for your mother's 80th birthday but invite her and some of friends to partake of the delights of Provence at Easter.
Mum and my sister Anne had been here at Christmas, and had tried out lots of the walks (downhill all the way). I'd sweet-talked Jean into coming to do the spring blitz on the garden, and to help me with some of the to-ing and fro-ing.
Flights were booked. The crumblettes with Anne from Liverpool. Jean from Stansted. All Ryanair. Both flights due to arrive within 40 minutes of each other.
Then of course, things changed.
Now I remember why this blog site has been silent - the challenges started to stack up ..
..when it was the return of the Crumblies. Or rather, the Crumblettes.
Of course it became a classic. What else do you do for your mother's 80th birthday but invite her and some of friends to partake of the delights of Provence at Easter.
Mum and my sister Anne had been here at Christmas, and had tried out lots of the walks (downhill all the way). I'd sweet-talked Jean into coming to do the spring blitz on the garden, and to help me with some of the to-ing and fro-ing.
Flights were booked. The crumblettes with Anne from Liverpool. Jean from Stansted. All Ryanair. Both flights due to arrive within 40 minutes of each other.
Then of course, things changed.
Now I remember why this blog site has been silent - the challenges started to stack up ..
Monday 9 April 2007
Eight (and often nine) go mad in the Drome
Chateau Columbier has the three R's as it's strapline, but don't be fooled into thinking that it's some kind of Dotheboys Hall. The three R's in question are Relax, Refresh, Renew, and it does what it says on the tin.
This is an environment where you can express yourself and our company certainly felt able to do so in many different ways. The natural thespians amongst us found inspiration in the Chateau's ambience and slipped with ease through a gamut of characters including mafiosi, sectarian bigots, Cockney wideboys and endless variations on a theme of Inspector Clouseau.
Without doubt this is God's Acre, and we have seen flora and fauna in abundance: a swallowtail butterfly, vultures, kites, lizards (paying homage to their Lord and Mentor Long Don, the Lizard King) a hoopoe and a scorpion being highlights. A leisurely walk by the nearby River Eygues ended in the hospitable auberge in Les Pilles where a beer or two quenched our barely earned thirst. We have sampled two of the local restaurants and have found both to be of the highest quality. As a digestif we entered the House of Horrors in the travelling fair in Nyons - truly terrifying. A wine tasting trip to Vinsobres was very satisfying - and siesta-inducing.
We have been forced to delay the celebrations of La Fete de la Valise Retrouve as the missing case has still not arrived. The bunting has yet to be hung out and the bacchinalean feasting must wait - Ryan Air plays God with us, and I cannot wear my Martin Chuzzlewit underpants. It's a hard life to be sure.
Avignon was splendid and atmospheric, enhanced greatly by listening to Radio Nostalgi on the way there and back - how can a wonderful country like France produce so much tacky music?
We have graduated from Chateau Colombier with honours in laughter, madcappery, kir royales, fine wines, haute cuisine, music and much conviviality. We intend to return for postgraduate studies in the same subjects before too long. I strongly recommend that you, dear reader, consider doing the same.
Jimmy Baudelaire (of The Baudelaire Brothers)
This is an environment where you can express yourself and our company certainly felt able to do so in many different ways. The natural thespians amongst us found inspiration in the Chateau's ambience and slipped with ease through a gamut of characters including mafiosi, sectarian bigots, Cockney wideboys and endless variations on a theme of Inspector Clouseau.
Without doubt this is God's Acre, and we have seen flora and fauna in abundance: a swallowtail butterfly, vultures, kites, lizards (paying homage to their Lord and Mentor Long Don, the Lizard King) a hoopoe and a scorpion being highlights. A leisurely walk by the nearby River Eygues ended in the hospitable auberge in Les Pilles where a beer or two quenched our barely earned thirst. We have sampled two of the local restaurants and have found both to be of the highest quality. As a digestif we entered the House of Horrors in the travelling fair in Nyons - truly terrifying. A wine tasting trip to Vinsobres was very satisfying - and siesta-inducing.
We have been forced to delay the celebrations of La Fete de la Valise Retrouve as the missing case has still not arrived. The bunting has yet to be hung out and the bacchinalean feasting must wait - Ryan Air plays God with us, and I cannot wear my Martin Chuzzlewit underpants. It's a hard life to be sure.
Avignon was splendid and atmospheric, enhanced greatly by listening to Radio Nostalgi on the way there and back - how can a wonderful country like France produce so much tacky music?
We have graduated from Chateau Colombier with honours in laughter, madcappery, kir royales, fine wines, haute cuisine, music and much conviviality. We intend to return for postgraduate studies in the same subjects before too long. I strongly recommend that you, dear reader, consider doing the same.
Jimmy Baudelaire (of The Baudelaire Brothers)
Thursday 5 April 2007
Flora and fauna
Spring is definitely here. The blossom is out all around, the grass is green and needing mowing once a week, and the radishes, lettuce, spinach and onions in the new potager are doing well.
Yesterday I saw a Hoopie in the garden, obviously migrating back north. But of course the camera was upstairs.
And this morning 11 vultures from the local colony in Remuzat were out enjoying some joy riding on the thermals on the hill behind Le Colombier. And the hoopie flashed by as well.
Remember to pack your binoculaurs when you come.
Yesterday I saw a Hoopie in the garden, obviously migrating back north. But of course the camera was upstairs.
And this morning 11 vultures from the local colony in Remuzat were out enjoying some joy riding on the thermals on the hill behind Le Colombier. And the hoopie flashed by as well.
Remember to pack your binoculaurs when you come.
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