Chambres d'hotes website

Following our week of snow, we had rain-- quite a lot! The river burst it's banks and all the ditches were overflowing-- but hey--- it's still only January!

This Saturday saw the Asnois 'Soiree Galette & Cinema'.

We didn't make it this year as we'd already been invited out to dinner--which was so superb that I've no regrets at missing out.

A couple of days earlier we went to a 'raclette' evening-- this is a development from the 70's 'fondue'evenings. Like a fondue, all the food is prepared in advance--but not cooked-- and then you sit round the table and can griddle meat, potaoes or bread on the top of the reclette, or grill cheese and meat in the middle section. With a few glasses of wine and good company, it is agreat way to spend a winter's evening.

The galette evening is an annual event in Asnois to celebrate Epiphany. It should really be on January 6th--we call it 'Twelfth Night', but in France it's 'le jour des Rois' and celebrated with a special cake--'La Galette de Rois'. They can be bought in all the boulangerie and the supermarches and consist of 2 layers of flaky pastry, filled in the middle with frangipane. A gold paper crown is included in the wrapping, and inside the cake is a 'feve'. A feve is a broad bean and is meant to bring good luck to the recipient. The feve was later replaced with a porcelain charm--usually a character from the Nativity--and these nowadays are collector's items. Like everything this has now been dumbed down to a plastic Disney type charm--loved by the children, but lacking the 'treasure ' to be prized in the past.

In Asnois there are films-- last year we saw 3 home movies from the 60's showing life in the village. The first was from Roussille farm showing life around the farmyard--everything from milking the cow and feeding the hens to making butter in the antiquated kitchen with the cat sitting on the table and trying to help with the procedings.

Then we saw a wedding. 6o's gear in France was much the same as in the UK. The bride wore a large floppy white hat and travelled from Vielle Metive ( an hameau about 2kms from Asnois) in a horse and cart down to the Mairie--followed by all the guests on foot. She was met by the groom in his best suit with wide, bell-bottomed trousers. Being the 60's we weren't allowed to see inside the Mairie-- but afterwards they all came outside and linked arms in a knees-up and sing-song!

The 3rd film was back to 'life' on the farm. Actually it was film about slaughtering! We saw pigs killed and butchered. Black pudding (boudin) was made. Then we saw the same-- with rabbits, chickens, lambs--- you name it, we watched it being killed and the meat prepared for farmhouse use!

It was fascinating to see the whole village ( everybody from 6-96!) watching this on a Saturday night.

I just cannot imagine such entertainment in England!

Then, when that was all over we had mugs of cider and slices of galette.

That was January 2008-- I suspect 2009 was not so different, but I'll get back there in January 2010 if possible!

Yesterday our website designers came over for lunch and to instruct us on the basic maintenance in order to keep it up to date. We've spent quite a lot of time over Christmas either e-mailing or on the phone. David and Edna have done a wonderful job in creating our website --we are so pleased with it--and it was lovely to meet them in person.

This blog is meant to compliment the website--and I've not yet linked it so:-

http://sites.google.com/site/chambresdhotespoitoucharente/

anybody reading the blog without having started on the website..........VOILA!

I should probably attempt to squeeze it somewhere near the beginning of the blog now--but I've only just sorted how to download photos!(-- and possibly a snowy picture wasn't the best of ideas--it looks a bitcold and dark--I'll find something warmer for the next time!)

(And--to digress--- yesterday I discovered how to'chat' on 'Facebook' with son Tom who's just arrived in Buenos Aries!)

Anybody wanting a website can get hold of David and Edna by clicking on:-

http://websitepublicite.googlepages.com/

They were quick, helpful and instructive and nothing was too much trouble. I can thoroughly recommend them!

SNOW

It's the middle of January. I've just got back from walking the dogs--everywhere is grey and wet-- but it's a big change as we've been snowed ( or rather iced!) up for the last 8 days. It started falling last Monday afternoon, and the next morning we woke up to whiteness. About 10 cms had fallen --- enough for the Beauregard boys to spend the morning wizzing about on sledges, tin trays and polythene feed bags. They are at the top of the hill--- we are at the bottom. That first morning, it was all great fun.

Roland , the farmer, who has a shed full of Limousin cows across the way, arrived by tractor to feed them.
This compacted the snow on the road -- which froze that night, and everynight for the rest of the week! Temperatures got down to -11*C overnight, according to the thermometer in the barn, and barely rose above zero all week--- even though the sunshine was beautiful. One day I hung the washing out in the sunshine---it freeze-dried on the line!

The kitchen and the living-room log burning stoves were kept in 24 hours a day! Fortunately Geoff was prepared and had plenty of wood cut to the right lengths in anticipation of the necessity. There was sufficient food in the freezer and the pantry to prevent any worry of starvation. When the cat food ran out Boris had to have dog food. Once upon a time this would have been fine, but nowadays he is extremely fussy--so he complained.

A new term of French classes, and dance-fit classes , just starting that week, had to be abandoned. I was quite relieved to find I wasn't the only chicken--in fact nobody out in the countryside managed to get anywhere.

We walked miles with the dogs. Usually I do the morning walk & Geoff the evening--or vice-versa, but with such beautiful sunny mornings we both tramped miles going along footpaths that were previously untried. We found a new 'lavoir' ( originally a spring that was used for washing clothes), but then decided to keep away from water. All the lakes and even the River Charente was frozen. Rabbit footprints could be seen on the frosted ice, but we didn't want the dogs trying it out! Rosie is a pretty solid labrador, and Battie is a Welsh border collie.

Thursday afternoon saw me and the dogs pottering along the riverbank, when Rosie spotted a coypu standing on the ice about 10 metres from the bank. She rushed at it ---I screamed 'NO--COME BACK!'
Amazingly she grabbed it before galloping back to me! I'm afraid to report the coypu's life was finished at that point, but I was horribly aware of all the stories one hears every year of people falling through ice and drowning when trying to rescue dogs.

In future, during freezing weather, all walks will be in the woods, footpaths and fields well away from any water!

Friday we got the car out by going along the grass 'chemin' ( footpath) at the back of the house. We were amazed how little snow had thawed, particularly along roads surrounded by trees. We stocked up ( with cat food!) and decided driving was still very unpleasant.

Saturday morning was the new Maire of Asnois's New Year's welcome party. We walked, and arrived to find only 1 other English person there. There are about 10 English families in our village. Every one is at an outlying cottage or farmhouse. This made us heroes, and everybody was impressed that we'd made the effort. French ettiquette requires that the women kiss everybody on the cheeks at least 3 times ! Men shake hands, but kiss women.--- and you say 'Bonne Annee' and 'Bonne Sante'--it's all very time consuming and everything stops for late arrivals to go through all the process too!
The Maire then makes his address-- basically letting us know where all this year's taxes will be spent. It's quite hard to follow while little ones are running around, and he mumbles on in his very fast French, but I gather this year Rochemeneau's lake is to be re-walled by the commune as it is next to the road and so of local necessity. More interestingly we are to have a new doctor in the village--but I think I'll save that for a later date.

Then we all drink champagne and eat biscuits and chat before tottering home for lunch!

It rained last night and all is back to normal!

2009-- Happy New Year!

It is January 2nd and I'm sitting in the office felling awfully Sundayish!

Yesterday we had all the friends who'd fed and entertained us over the Christmas period come and see us for a small New Year's Day buffet lunch.

It was a pleasantly gentle affair. Some people had stayed up very late the night before.

We filled our plates and sat in the lounge, chatting and nibbling--and sipping Geoff's mulled wine. It was such a great success ( thanks to Jamie Oliver, who recommended heating the sugar and oranges together, nearly to the point of caramelisation, before adding the wine) that he went and made a second batch.

Those feeling delicate ( and at least 3 people who couldn't even make it!) had been to the Charroux New Year's Eve bash.

Eating starts about 10pm. Seafood--fruits de mer and particularly oysters! The French eat tons of oysters at this time of year. ( We had some on Christmas Eve but I really don't see the attraction.)

Many courses later ( with a bit of singing and dancing in between! ) --- about 5 am on New Year's Day, onion soup is served and everybody goes home!

Geoff and I refrained from this marathon this year knowing that we were entertaining the next day ( not to mention the 48 euros per head cost!)

In between feasting and sleeping we've walked the dogs.

Sometimes we go together-- in which case we usually chat and so don't notice --or scare off-- anything of interest. Walking alone and we make an effort ( particularly since deciding a nature blog might be of interest to would-be Maureville holiday -makers) to observe the wildlife.

Birds spotted during the last couple of weeks include:-

A goldcrest. Oh to have had the camera! It posed, only a couple of feet away, for an eternity!

A woodcock. This took some research to identify, but i've since been told they are

A large group of long-tailed tits--all settling in the branches of a hazel tree growing on the bank of the R Charente, that meanders alongside the field at the bottom of our garden

A pair of mistle thrushes--eating mistletoe berries! The mistletoe is prevalent on the trees in the river valley.

A flock of fieldfares flew over the back field last night.

Numerous lapwings can be seen on the corn stubble.

Buzzards are regularly hunting the fields, --the rabbit supply is plentiful!

Our resident kestral--who angrily squalks at us for walking round our garden!

And numerous geese, ducks and cranes--too high to be readily identified flying overhead to heaven knows where!

But roll on summer when the summer visitors return!