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 ..

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)

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.

Golden Door and the Director

It's amazing how far around the world you can travel from a cinema seat in Nyons.

A couple of films for you to track down. Golden Door is about a group of Sicilians making the move to the US and going through the immigration procedures at Ellis Island, New York. Ellis Island really moved me when I was there 6 years ago ... good to see the whole process shown in such a film.

And then it was to modern Scandinivia, and the comedy The Managing Director, by Lars von Thiers (also directed Dancer in the Dark with Bjork in it). I found it highly amusing, but got into quite an animated debate with Olivier - a film critic - who while appreciating the technical side of the film, felt that it was overly manipulative of the audience... I didn't feel that at all.. Obviously I quite like games!

Mongolian Ping-Pong and Little Red Flowers

The weather has turned overnight from great sunshine, blue skies and early summer temperatures to cold, rain and snow across a lot of France.

So I took myself off to the cinema this afternoon to transport myself to Mongolia and China.

Mongolian Ping-Pong (director Ning Hao) is charming and funny. I'm always amazed at the creativity of film directors and writers - who would have thought of a film about a ping pong ball in the depths of the Mongolian steppes ...

Quick cup of coffee and ready for the next trip to China. This was Little Red Flowers (director Zhang Yuan). It's a chronicle of Qiang's experience (at not yet aged 4)of being thrown into "boarding nursery school" 24/7 ... Even in a strictly controlled Maoist institution, Qiang's character - his highs and his lows - play themselves out in this beautiful film.

A great way pass a winter's afternoon.

waxing lyrical - or should that be limerical?

Big sister came from the UK
And went walking almost every day.
Good food and good wine
And lots of sunshine
Made it a most delightful stay.

Each morning she took all her pills
To cope with her various ills,
Then she put on her boots
And enjoyed the routes
Especially if they were downhills.

She's coming again in the spring
When Mum her friends is to bring.
The itinerary is fixed
It's a little more mixed
With both walks and some sightseeing.

Phew .... home alone

The fact that I haven't blogged since 23 December is not because nothing has being going on (sorry, a few too many negatives happening); but because there has been too much happening in terms of The Chatelaine's duties.

The final house guests leave tomorrow - the airport run is scheduled for 9.00am - to leave us time to do a quick visit of the Pont du Gard enroute to Nimes.

And then - bliss - I'll just have myself to look after. The book is waiting; the wine is chilling, the fire is laid.

... but it's been good, the weather has been great.

Best moment? Apart from my superb Christmas dinner? Probably Margereta and Nellie (from Gothenburg)'s Swedish drinking songs around the piano!