A hint of things to come
Hello from a rather damp corner of South west France.
The last week has whizzed by as usual amid a return to work, the annual vet’s visits for the 4 rescue cats – not something they enjoyed at all (nor us for that matter when trying to get each one into a cat carrier)! We visited a different market this week for a change, as well as the rather long trip to the supermarket. My mother loved all the variety in the supermarket but as it is the size of a football stadium she found it quite tiring too.
We have had some lovely mild weather during the week, which has allowed a bit of outdoor work. Max has been chopping up fallen trees in the copse, I have done a bit in the garden and enjoyed some utterly spectacular skies, sunrises and sunsets. Magical.
Epiphany has just passed so the Christmas decorations have been stowed away. In France the tradition is to eat the Galette des Rois to celebrate the coming of the three wise men. To round off a period of eating there is something else to eat! The galette des rois (The Kings’ Cake) is a flaky pastry confection traditionally filled with frangipane, although nowadays you can find them with a variety of tempting fillings. In the south of France it can also be a sweet brioche style cake studded with candied peel. Each cake comes with a crown and contains a hidden charm, known as la fève (literally and traditionally a bean – actually now a ceramic or plastic ornament). The cake is cut, with slices for each guest as well as one spare for the unknown visitor. Whoever finds the fève is king or queen for the day. This tradition dates back to the 14th century and the galette des rois has been served on 6th January in households across France since then to commemorate the arrival of the three kings at the manger.
There are lots of traditions here, many around food and drink. It is wonderful to keep these going and in our case adopt them too!
We are currently experiencing some welcome rain. The local lakes are still so low and many of these are used to water the fields around them, so a good topping up during the winter months after last summer’s incredibly hot and dry conditions, is essential. Having said that we rather enjoyed the mild sunny weather with many a coffee and lunch in the garden, even if it is sadly a sign that all is not well with the climate. The cats much prefer their new cosy furry beds (a Christmas gift) when it is a bit cold and damp outside.
Big rescue dog Bear went off to the vet’s yesterday for an x-ray under sedation. He has done something to his leg and is limping quite a bit. We realised on leaving him that it was the first time we have actually left him somewhere that is not home and without us since November 2019! He was quite unimpressed and insisted on following us everywhere on his return with his little purple bandage, including sleeping outside our bedroom for the first time, just in case we disappeared again!
As promised I have been planning blog posts for 2023. I will post once every two weeks at the weekend on the comings and goings of our day-to-day life, along with all the unexpected happenings along the way and interesting elements of life in France! Features for 2023 will continue to include a monthly seasonal food and recipe post (citrus focus this month), an update on renovation projects featuring our many brocante finds and doing them up/putting them to use. As we begin to finish rooms and get a final house plan in place (it has taken a while and changed many times) we will reveal all, showing you the start and end of room projects and the fun along the way as our little chateau takes shape. It will be just wonderful to feel like we actually live here rather than the current camping approach! I have enjoyed introducing you to the various places we have visited. There are so many gorgeous towns and villages around here, so to tempt you to visit look out for further information. Long promised is more about the local wine – Gaillac – one of the oldest in France and not short on great wines, many using some less well-known (to me anyway) varieties of grape. I also love French houses, their architecture, features and history – in January we will look at shutters – I’m a huge fan which is lucky as we have a few here! We will also continue to work on the garden and enjoy a few coffees and chocolatines.
I hope this is enough to entice you to follow our slightly haphazard story. The last couple of years have been challenging for us all and we have had a few things to contend with along the way. 2023 is a new year and one where we should try to value every day we have. As I read somewhere ‘our tomorrows are never guaranteed’ so make the most of each and every day, for what it is and for what it could be. Life is short – enjoy.
Coming later this week, a quick round up of favourite moments in 2022, with many a sky picture!
A bientôt
Ali xx
