
It’s raining figs
Hello everyone
Another fun filled week here at le petit château, as usual not quite doing what we had set out to do as yet another unexpected occurrence pushed our agenda aside! You have to laugh as this seems to happen virtually every week. Still worse things happen at sea as they say, which was actually what a couple of our rooms almost turned into, but more on that shortly.
A highlight this week was a fabulous meal, a wedding present that we hadn’t been able to enjoy due to lockdowns. As time was running out for the gift voucher we decided to book. On Tuesday evening we had the opportunity to dress up, (not that frequent these days as we are usually in decorating clothes), and head out for a meal à deux. I even painted my finger nails – not sure I have done that since our wedding! Château de Salettes is about 20 minutes from us, deep in the Gaillac countryside, surrounded by vines. We almost missed the turning in spite of the sat nav and arrived a tiny bit later than booked. I had phoned ahead so all was well. I have probably mentioned that since the pandemic we rarely go out. The last time we had a meal out in the evening was at least 18 months ago!
The building was beautifully lit as we entered through a courtyard. After showing our passes sanitaires, we were ushered through to a lovely minimal modern space. The welcome was warm, everything was done with care and attention to minimise the risk to everyone, masks until seated at table, all tables distanced and only 19 people eating in the restaurant. We were due to have a 3 course meal with accompanying wines, paired with each course.



We started with an aperitif, their own vin mousseux served with a couple of tiny cheesy biscuits – a promising start. We both chose the same from the menu, œuf en croûte de pistaches, mousseline d’épinards et œufs de truite (an egg encased in a crust of pistachio served on a bed of spinach purée and topped with trout roe), followed by slow cooked duck with pommes Dauphines, each delicious course paired with a fabulous local wine. Pudding was a visual and tastebud feast and accompanied by the château’s own dessert wine, not too sweet but exactly right for the fig and vanilla delight we tucked into (croustillant de figues, crème légère vanillée). Coffee came with two gorgeous little sweet nibbles, as if we hadn’t eaten enough already. A fabulous evening, great to try some new wines and so much food. I have to confess though I have quite lost the habit of 3 course meals.



We got home just before a storm broke and having finally found the last of the cats and settled them all safely inside, we went to bed to the rumble of thunder. In the early hours, I woke to a cacophony of sound, the storm settled directly over the house and rainfall as if we were at the base of a massive waterfall. We had a sudden worry about water flooding in to the house, such was the extent of the downpour. We are prone to blocked gutters and now that the leaves have started falling, a bigger concern. We checked the room my son studies in to find water flowing across the floor and pouring through the beam and above the window. Not the time to check gutters, but definitely the time to stem the flow. Max rushed around finding waste bins, buckets, anything that would hold water to be placed under the dripping ceiling. I grabbed towels, tablecloths and whatever came to hand to prevent major damage and water reaching my son’s paperwork. Hastily moving boxes and clothes from rails as the water steadily poured through the ceiling. Windows shook with each clap of thunder, darkened rooms momentarily lit by streaks of lightening. Nervous cats for once glad to be inside and rainfall similar to someone tipping enormous bathful after enormous bathful over the house. In the morning we saw that the water had carved a new path across the fields, filling a lower field with silt such was the volume of water flowing down the hill overnight. Needless to say the cellar took in some water but weirdly also the souillarde (utility room). We found a huge puddle in the middle of the floor, the water having passed under the shutters and under the door to reach the centre of the room. It turned out the gutters were fine and had nothing to do with the leakage upstairs, just volume of water and a couple of dodgy tiles.
Later in the week after a quick trip to Albi for DIY products, we returned to find 2 crates of produce from our lovely neighbours across the way. On scrutiny I found mountains of fresh figs, tomatoes and a white aubergine. That set the agenda for the weekend – one of my pastimes which I find very therapeutic and satisfying – preserve making! I set to on Saturday afternoon, after having been persuaded by the same neighbour to pop over and collect more figs. Over the weekend I made curried fig chutney, fig chutney with apples and raisins spiced with nutmeg and ginger, a fig clafoutis and an absolutely delicious fig compôte following a suggestion my neighbour made. I added cardamom, vanilla and grated lemon zest to quartered figs and just a tiny bit of vanilla sugar. A big hit in my household, so one to add to my regular list! There is something deeply satisfying about rows of jars of homemade preserves, ready for the winter ahead, even if I did smell like a chutney factory by the end.





Max spent the weekend sorting out lighting, so the hall, kitchen and attic now have new lights – a beautiful glass shade in the hall, a light over the island in the kitchen (more lighting to sort out in this room) but at least I can see what I am doing now and the final light in the attic/workroom. Very exciting! These little steps all add up to progress, ever slow but progress nonetheless.

It has been ages since I recommended a book or a film. This week I am going to do both, plus some music! If you haven’t seen the film La vita davanti a sé (The Life Ahead) with Sophia Loren, do watch it. A beautiful story with a gorgeous theme tune Io si, sung by the very talented Laura Pausini.
On the book front, I have just finished Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, a magical and thought provoking book, one I will read again. It looks at life and how it might have played out if you had made a different decision or choice at various points in your life. In the end life is full of possibilities and it is up to us to make them happen. If you haven’t read any of his books, they are well worth a try. Reasons to Stay Alive came at just the right moment for our family, given to me by a very dear friend, both of us dealing with struggling family members. We met Matt Haig at an event once, a charming man helping to raise the profile of mental health, so important. He took the time to have a chat with so many of us, exhausting for him but a real treat for us.
Before I leave you – a moment of Nina cuteness:

See you next week and I hope you enjoy this week’s post. The vineyard visit is not forgotten but we are hoping to return to see the wine making process, so more on that very soon.
A bientôt
Ali xx

