Friday 1 December 2017

Cold Snap

Today was a bit of an unexpected cold snap - temperatures dropped to -3°C overnight and then it snowed! Just as November finished too - it has been a cold month.




According to our meteo-map, we are in a bit of a depression here with temperatures lower than other places nearby; for example, Limoges reported a lowest temperature of +4°C and we are probably at a slightly lower altitude. Even Bourgeneuf was warmer. Weird.

Anyway, a snow covered North Charente is pretty as a picture, snow-encrusted hedgerows with some trees in the background still orange with their autumn plumage. The starkness made it real easy to spot the raptors, some of them huddled up against the cold. I really need to figure out how to search and capture these fabulous birds.

Friday 19 May 2017

Lunches: May 2017


Judy & Drew in Auberge St. Jean
Nearby, there are plenty of great restaurants. Some in fabulous locations, others offering extraordinary grub or beer or wine. Still, we each have our favourites and this choice is rarely rational. And the best thing is, its a no-brainer when we have to go somewhere for lunch - provided there is no discussion!


Nanteuil-en-Vallée



A summer lunch in Nanteuil is usually at my favourite place - Auberge Saint Jean. Across the road from the village eglise, sitting on the terrace or perhaps sheltered from the sun under an over-hang of the medieval timbered wall. The menu du jour has always been good and their regular menu is available if you fancy snails or some other local delicacy.

Verteuil Château
You can take-in the village at leisure or at pace viewing some extra-ordinary ancient stone work; if the 8th century abbey happens to open for viewing, you might write-off the afternoon.

But if there is still time in the sun, nearby Verteuil-sur-Charente has a spectacular photo opportunity and a chance for some pink-champagne with or without a dob of ice-cream

Civray

On days when the weather cannot make up its mind, a trip to Civray is always a good bet.

First stop is usually Charroux to visit the Charlemagne Tour. It is supposed to be open for strolling about behind the fence but we have never got our timings quite right: either arriving at lunch-time or, as as happened this year, in the middle of one of those typical French rain storms that deluge for 10 minutes just as you step out of the car.

 Café Gourmand in Civray
Friday is a good time to arrive in Civray when the morning market is on; plenty of great produce on offer and then pop into the restaurant on the corner - if its damp - or enjoy the heat of the day on the pavement when its warmer. This has become Pauline's new favourite because of the Café Gourmand.

And after a lunch its only a step across the street to one of the most unusual romanesque churches in France; the external sculptural work is extra-ordinary but that doesn't prepare you at all for what is inside. Even if you might be teetering on being "churched-out", St. Nicholas will impress.

Wednesday 17 May 2017

Saint Pardoux Revisited

Judy Swimming
Water is never far way in the Charente; allegedly over 16,000 lakes or ponds in the department. Of course, there are the rivers too - the Vienne & the Charente. The Vienne is dammed at Jousseau, just above Availe-Limouzine, to make a decent boating location which we have yet to test, and there are the Lacs de Haute Charente down toward  Dordogne. But, so far, Lac de Saint-Pardoux has been our go-to place when the weather is hot and cooling water is required.

This year, in early May temperatures have already crept well into the 30's so on Wednesday we packed the car with picnic grub, camp furniture, swimming gear, a canoe and a new battery-power cool-box; definitely a day for properly chilled white wine! Off we set for Saint-Pardoux.

Paul Cooling-off
It was fairly quick up to Bellac, even after a minor distraction via Confolens & Saint-Germain, but after that, the roads shrink; it takes another 25 kilometers or so tacking north and south through fabulous country-side sometimes blazing yellow from blooming broom. Eventually we reached the quaint village of Saint-Pardoux itself. We drifted on past more popular locations to a small car park close to one of the bridges across the lake. Perhaps not the most scenic places but by the time we dandered through the trees to the lakeside, the real world had retreated far enough to be forgotten about altogether.

Down by the shore, a wonderful breeze blew in from the lake to keep us cool and causing the water to lap, lap, lap on the granite stones. A perfect day for a silent sailing dingy drifting across the lake from side to side, leaning into the wind. Perhaps not too auspicious for the canoe, but out it came regardless. Sadly one of the main flotation chambers had a serious leak and it deflated quickly listing fearfully to one side. Trying to find the leak was a major exercise - trying to dunk a boat in search of escaping bubbles is not too easy. I was able to identify a slow leak in the bottom chamber but nothing in the main one. So the boat came out of the water and the valves released. It was then, unexpectedly, I could hear the air escaping and was able to hunt down a centimetre long rip close to one of the seams joining the side to the floor. Although a puncture repair kit was handy, I reckoned additional tools would be needed for a permanent repair. More canoeing will have to wait.

Splash!
There was plenty to do despite this. A few of us popped in the water for a swim. Then of course we had to test the temperature of the chilled wine - which was perfect - with the old faithful egg'n'onion samiches. The seats too were perfect for a post-prandial doze in the shade. I had taken quite a hit from the sun apparently while trying to trace the leak - it definitely was not the wine.

The only interruption to our idyll came when a few local youngsters walked part-way over the bridge and then - in some trepidation - jumped in to the water below bobbing up with squeals and laughter. Days like this are hard to beat.

Abbaye de Saint-Savin

Abbaye de Saint-Savin from the river-side garden T he church bells announced 2 o'clock and there was already a sizeable crowd of fol...