Godin Stoves - death traps!

After shopping this morning in St G, I decided to quickly sweep the chimney. The Godin fire in the living room has a back outlet which supports the flue. Most stoves of this type have a removable fire back which allow you to access the flue. You sweep the chimney from the top and all the soot etc ends up in the stove - you remove the fire back, clean out the detritus and hey presto, job done.

My nodel of Godin appears to have a removal fire back, but on closer inspection it can only be removed after removing the top of the stove. To do this involves dismantling virtually the entire stove. After two hours of skinned knuckles, searching for hidden nuts and bolts in the gloom, drilling out rusted fixings, and eventually having to dismantle the flue, I finally gained access to the hidden area between the firebox and flue connector. It was 75% blocked with soot and tar (and that was before I swept the chimney). It appears the designer at Godin forgot that fireplaces need to be cleaned regularly and as a result they have built a stove which is impossible to clean (without dismantling the entire fireplace or throwing away the flue connectors they provide and finding some that will allow for flue cleaning without disconnection). The stove is a potential death trap. If the flue is completely blocked one risks CO poisoning and if partially blocked there's an increased chance of a chimney fire.

I wondered why neither the literature that came with the stove nor the Godin website has any information about how to clean their stoves....you can't! My advice - think very carefully before buying a Godin.

Des grandes problemes avec la nettoyage d'un pôele marque "Godin", trop compliqué d'expliquer en Francais! - jamais achèter un Godin!

Then there was a stampede outside as 40 odd cows stormed down the road - escapees from Courex. I managed to herd them out of my front garden and away from the vegetable patch and after much effort fenced them into the field in front of the house. There's a mixture of females, calves, males and bulls and they're big animals all with horns, so one has to be careful. I called the farmer whose cows I thought they were, but when he arrived he told me they belonged to another farmer 'La Pancharde'. Unfortunately he doesn't have a phone!! Incredible. So the cows stay here until they realise there's no electricity in the fence wire, then they escape again.

Il y a un débandade dehors comme 40 vaches approchent chex moi! - elles ont échappé de Courex. J'ai réussi de les chasser hors ma potager et mon jardin et après des efforts j'ai les enclôturé. Il y a un mélange des males, femelles et petites, toutes avec les cornes! Donc prudence! J'ai appellé Alban mais quand il est arrivé il m'a dit que elles ont les vaches de "La Pancharde". Malheuresement, il n'a pas un téléfon! Incroyable. Donc les vaches restent ici jusqu'au elles aperçoivent de il y a pas de courant dans la clôture éléctrique!

Images of today

The view I never grow tired of

Field 5 after some tree clearance/felling this afternoon

The beautiful beech woodland below the house

An orange birch bolette found there this evening

Sheep in the barn

Stuff

Busy last few days.

Preparing plans for Philippe and Sophie.

Usual sheepy business.

Plasterboarding at Pont de la Taule.

Laying oak flooring on the balcony at Justin and Emily's.

Hunting for deer (none) and mushrooms (loads).

J'ai été occuper les derniers jours.

J'ai fait des plans pour la maison de Philippe et Sophie.

Soigner les brebris, comme d'habitude.

J'ai mis les placoplaitre à Pont de la Taule.

J'ai mis les planchers de chêne à chez Justin et Emily.

Chasser des chevreuil (rien) et champignons (beaucoup).

After the rain

Pic de Montabone

A big day in the mountains with Ian, Kaz and Patrick. We set off early into the Cirque de Cagateille following the classic circuit to the Etang Hillette and Etang Alet. Just before the Etang Alet Ian and I left the others to make the ascension of Pic de Montabone, keeping west of the Roches des Plagnoles. There are no paths and the going was tough over the rugged granite wilderness, but easier I think than the normal route via the Etang de Montabone.

Une grande journée aux montagnes avec Ian, Kaz et Patrick. Nous sommes parti tôt dans la Cirque de Cagateille suivant la boucle "classique" à Etang Hillette et Etang Alet. Un peu avant l'Etang Alet, Ian et moi avons laissé les autres de faire l'ascension de Pic de Montabone, restant à la Ouest des Roches des Plagnoles. Il n'y a pas les sentiers et le terrain granitique n'est pas facile de traverser, mais je pense que il soit plus facile que la voie normale vers l'Etang de Montabone.

Typical granite slabs on the ascent of Montabone

Several parties where making the traverse from Pic de Lasaugede to Pic de Montabone.

Plusiers equipes ont fait la traverse de Pic de Lasaugede à le Pic de Montabone.

Climbers on the ridge

Montabone (left) and Lasaugede (right)

Having made the summit we descended back to the Etang to rendezvous with Kaz and Patrick and then descend back the car. 1970m (6400ft) or so of ascent but it felt much tougher with the heat and difficult terrain.

Après le sommet nous sommes revenu à l'Etang afin rendezvous avec Kaz et Patrick et puis nous sommes descendu ensemble à la voiture. 1970m de dénivelée mais ça sens plus avec la chaleur est terrain malcommode.

Latest progress at Pont de la Taule

The sitting room takes shape.
La salle de sejour avance un peu.

Before

After

Hottest day at Quélébu...so far

Today in the sun the thermometer read 47 degrees...I think that's the hottest I've seen here though temperatures are set to continue so who knows if we'll make 50 degrees. Amazing sunset after a threatening storm which never materialised.

Stalking deer between 6 and 9 this morning but saw nothing. So far all the deer (4) I've tracked since the start of the stalking season (comprising weekends in August) have turned out to be females - I only have permission to shoot a male.

Then field one got a good shortback and sides, before the heat became too much and I retreated for a siesta. Mini got her horn trimmed in the afternoon (it was growing towards her head) which she didn't like. Still no chicks.

This courgette may not be the biggest in the world, but I thought I better pick it before it deflected the earths crust! Its over well 50cm long and weighs 12 lbs (5.5kgs).

Chicks

Afternoon clouds spill over from spain

Still no chicks! Some more russian roulette of the most doubtful looking eggs produced only bag eggs and eggs. Took the broody hens off the nest but they were so distraut I didn't have the heart to take the eggs away. I culled those that looked doubtful and reassembled the remaining eggs (18) in two seperate nests, on which the two broody hens are now sitting. Hopefully the hen which has now been broody for nearly 4 weeks will be able to give it up, leaving the other hen on her eggs for another week.

Perhaps the hot weather has cooked the eggs, or maybe the first hen let the eggs go cold at some point? Of course Captain the cockerell's potency could be doubtful or as this is the hens first time sitting, maybe they haven't quite got the hang of it?

Yesterday I was helping at Justins and today some work at Pont de la Taule followed by an afternoon walk collecting mushrooms.

Still no chicks

Its been 24 days and still no chicks (they should be born at 21 days). There have been a few bad eggs which have exploded in the coup, so fearing that "captain" the cockerell was sterile I decided to take the eggs and candle them to see if any had chicks inside. Couldn't see anything in any of them so tried the russian roulette approach!

The first egg I cracked was just an egg.

The second was bad and exploded.

The third had a chick inside nearly ready to be born!

Hurriedly I washed the eggs and put them back under the hens.

The rest of the day was taken up with scything, tool sharpening and a trip to St Girons to see the DDE with Philippe. A definite return to hot weather after a few days of cloud and showers.

Potato harvest

90 kgs! Enough for the year I hope.

90 kgs! J'espère qu'il y aura assez pour douze mois.

A bumper haul of mushrooms this afternoon too - but no sign yet of chicks.

L'après-midi une grande recolte des champignons - les poussins n'arrivent pas encore.

Pic de Montaud and Lane Formente

A day in the mountains with Dommy and Iona. Up early and a climb upto the Port de Salau on the frontier with Spain before heading for Pic de Montaud. Iona had a few nerves/slight vertigo but she managed to overcome it.

Une journée aux montagnes avec Dommy et Iona. Nous nous sommes reveillé tôt et avons fais l'ascension au Port de Salau et le frontière Espagnol pendant deux heures. De là nous avons suivi le crête vers Pic de Montaud. Iona a souffert un peu de vertige mais elle l'est surmonté.
From the summit a lovely grassy ridge with occasional rocky outcrops sweeps down to Lane Formente from where we descended steeply through the cloud to Cabane de Pouill and our route of ascent. 1800m of ascent in the day.

Du sommet une belle arête herbeuse descendrais à Lane Formente. La descente raide à la Cabane de Pouill etait dans les nuages. 1800m de denivilée.

Near the Pas de St Girons the ridge from the sub-peak after Pic Montaud in the background

The start of the descent

Onions

Strung up in the kitchens.

Potato harvest today, first signs are for a bumper crop...more later.

La recolte des pommes du terre plus tard aujourd'hui.

Visitors

Dommy sings "the sound of music"

Bridget doesn't

Dommy, Bridget, Martha, Oscar and Pearl are staying here for weeks holiday, camping at the barn.

Dommy, Bridget, Martha, Oscar et Pearl sont ici en vacance pendant une semaine, faire du camping À la grange.

Yesterday we went for a walk and mushroom hunting and in the evening Bridget cooked some mussels whilst Dommy barbequed some sea food.

Hier nous avons fais un promenade et trouvé les champignons. Le soir Bridget a préparé les moules marinier et Dommy les poissons sur une barbeque.

Update

The weather has stayed mostly hot this week (though today is cooler). At Pont de la Taule the new chimney is taking shape (photos soon). Here at Quelebu there's a new toolstore/composting toilet taking shape down at the barn - almost finished.

Les beaux temps (chauds) toutes la semaine. À Pont de la Taule j'ai avancé les travaux de la cheminée. (images plus tard). Ici il y a un neuf abri/toilette sèche à côt&é de la grange - presque fini.

Yesterday Justin came over with a ham, a liver and a pigs head, left over from a recent order. The ham went straight into salt to cure and today after a little more work on the bog and harvesting the rest of the onions I made some sausages (pork, wild boar and venison).

Hier Justin m'a visité avec un jambon, des foies et une tête du cochon. Le jambon est entré le sel tout de suite, puis après la recolte des oignons, j'ai fait des saucisses (porc, sanglier et chevreuil)

Hottest day of year so far

36 today, but not humid like the previous weeks.

36 dégrées aujourd'hui mais moins humide que semaine dernière.

More mushrooms

Hot again today. Early in the morning I adjusted the rifle scope after taking some shots at a 50m target, then after tidying the ruin ready for iminent rendering of the gable, I harvested half the onion crop and dug over the ground ready for the second sowing of spinach. The dried cep from yesterday were threaded on a string and hung up in the kitchen.

Il fait chaud encore aujourd'hui. Tôt le matin j'ai ciblé ma lunette à 50m et après nettoyé la ruine à côté de chez moi, j'ai recolté des oignons, et preparé la terre pour un deuxième semence des épinards. Les ceps d'hier, sont mis dans une ficelle à sécher.

Through the middle of the day it was too hot to do anything. The clouds came in in the afternoon and things cooled a little, so I did some exploring and was rewarded with some cep, boletus queletii, some hedgehog of the woods and a tawny grisette.

L'après-midi il etait trop chaud à fait quelques chose. Plus tard, il etait moins chaud et j'ai trouvé des ceps, des boletus queletii, et pieds de moutons et une grisette.

Today I passed 40,000 visits to the blog since Nov 2006.

Plus que 40,000 personnes sont lu mon blog depuis Nov 2006!

Hot

It's been hot, hot, hot these past few days. Strong southerly winds last night brought even more heat. At Pont de la Taule (the confluence of two valleys) the hot air arrived from two directions and it was sweltering.

A short walk this evening and I found half a dozen ceps which are now sliced and drying in the sun. At last one of my hens is sitting on some eggs, so who knows in another two and a half weeks I might have some chicks!

Storm

Pic de Seron (4)

Today dawned beautifully clear so we made the most of it with the ascent of Pic de Seron (2489m) and then a circuitous return via Etang d'Aube and Col de Cerda. Windy in the morning then very hot in the afternoon. Saw a frog, a vulture and a ptarmigan.

Still snow below the summit

Thirsty?

Visitor

Clare is back at Quelebu for a week. After a fairly lazy day in the sunshine on Monday, today (Bastille day) we went for a walk in the woods and collected a bumper haul of mushrooms (mostly chanterelles and Hedgehog of the Woods) and a punnet of bilberries from beyond Coumes. A tasty Risotto and Fool for dinner.

Clare est revenue chez moi pour une semaine. Après avoir passé une journée assez feignante au soleil le lundi, aujourd'hui on est allé se promener dans la forêt et ramassé un panier de champignons (principalement les girolles et les pieds de moutons) et une boîte de myrtilles de coin de Coumes. Un risotto délicieux et une crème de myrtilles.

Just one more clue still to get on the Financial Times Cryptic Crossword.

Il ne rest q'une seule indice a résoudre des mots croisés du Financial Times.

My Rayburn (for Weequizzie blog readers)

It's 27 years old. I bought it on e-bay from N Wales and after some loving restoration I brought it here in my little trailer. The story from the original blog posts in 2006 are here and here

Elle a 27 ans. Je l'ai achèté sur e-bay et je suis allé la chérché du Nord du Pays de Galle. Apr&egraves avoir la restoré je l'ai amené ici dans mon petit remorque. L'histoire de cette affaire en 2006 se trouve ici et ici

Makeover

Yesterday was a productive day at Pont de la Taule - kitchen is now 95% finished.

Hier c'etait une journée productive à Pont de la Taule - J'ai presque terminé la cuisine.

Back at Quélébu, after changing the bathroom door a few days ago, today it got a coat of varnish. The bathroom got a mini makeover too. Fresh paint, pictures and towel rails rearranged, windows washed.

À Quélébu, après avoir changé la porte de la salle de bains il y a quelques jour, aujourd'hui je l'ai mis une couche de vernis. En même temps j'ai refraîchi la salle de bains. Avec la peinture, les panneaux et j'ai aussi nettoyé les vitrages.

And now the weather...

Low pressure sat over Norway means we will have a second week of hot, very humid and very thundery weather in the Ariege.

Une dépression rest au dessus Norvège donc une deuxième semaine de temps chauds, humids et orageuse en Ariege.
Yesterday evening and this morning I busied myself in the house, I got rid of the horrible flush door to the bathroom and made a new ledged and braced door and frame and installed it on the kitchen side of the doorway so there's more room to get in, you don't bang into the central heating pump, and the door lines up with the threshold between the wooden floor in the house and the tiled floor in the bathroom. I'll finish the door once the humid weather has gone and the wood has dried out a bit more.

Hier soir et le matin je m'ai occupé à chez moi, J'ai enlevé la porte de la salle de bains (moderne et moins chère) et j'ai fait une nouvelle (renforcé en 'Z') et installé sur la face cuisine du mur - comme ça il y a plus d'espace, et plus propre. Je vais vernir après le temps humids sont passé et les planchés sont seché un peu plus.

On the bike

Skipped the mountains today in favour of doing some laundry and then cycling to Pont de la Taule to do some more work, just as well as the mountains were full of thunder and lightning this afternoon. The climb back up from Castet to my house is still a killer, 450m (1500ft) of height gain mostly at 1 in 6 and 1 in 7. The profile below is from my house to Pont de la Taule - left to right takes an 1hr, amazingly right to left takes 1hr 10mins, thought it would take much longer. Je ne suis pas allé aux montagnes aujourd'hui (heuresment parce que il y a des orages), plustôt j'ai lavé des vetements et puis allé à Pont de la Taule en vélo afin continuer les travaux. L'escalade entre Castet et chez moi etais très pentu - 450m de denivelée à 18% et 14% le pluspart. La silouhette au dessus est chez moi à Pont de la Taule - gauche à droite me prend 1 heure, droite à gauche (seulement) 1 heure 10 mins

Beaucoup trop

Epinards, salade, courgettes, soleil, mouches!!

Hot and humid again today - 35 degrees and close to 100% humidity - thunder, a brief shower this morning but no storm. Lots of clegg flies. Tomorrow I'll escape to cooler altitudes.

Chaud et lourd encore aujourd'hui - 35 dégrées et 100% humidité - des tonneurs, des petites averses mais pas l'orage. Les taons partout. Demain je vais échapper vers l'altitude plus frâiche.

Tonight for tea a spicy concoction of spinach, mince, leeks, courgettes and garlic with rice plus the last of the ham from Barker. 18 months since he was killed, a bit of salt, no sight of a refrigerator or freezer but it's still delicious. In today's supermarket world of preservative injected meat that survives in it's packet in the refrigerator for a week maximum and certainly should be eaten within 3 days of opening, it makes you realise that something is wrong.

Ce soir un recette de epinards, steak hâché, poireaux, courgettes et d'aile avec riz et le dernière morceau de jambon de "Barker" (mon cochon). Dix huit mois depuis je l'ai tué, un peu de sel, pas de frigo, pas de congelateur, mais delicieux encore. Au supermarché tout la viande sont injecté avec conservateurs et on doit consommer avant une semaine ou trois jours si ouvert.

10.15pm still very hot, but bilberry fool has hit the spot!

22.15 chaud encore, mais crème aux myrtilles etais exact!

Things I didn't 'twig' until recently

A Courgette is a Marrow picked young.

Bilberries are Blueberries.

Busy and hot

After yesterday's session with the chainsaw I was hoping for a calmer day today. I had thought to go for a another walk in the mountains, but I met Paul in the woods mushroom hunting yesterday afternoon and he asked if I was going to the Fête du Feu de St Jean in Castet d'Aleu in the evening? I hadn't realised that there was a fête but decided to go.

Après j'ai pris tout hier travaillé avec la tronconneuse, j'esperais un journée de repos aujourd'hui, peut-être un rando aux montagnes? Mais j'ai rencontré Paul dans le bois (il cherche les champignons)et il m'a demandé si j'irais à la fête du Feu de St Jean à Castet d'Aleu le soir? Je n'ai pas lu les fiches sur le Panneau à Biech, mais j'ai decidé d'aller.

As is normal here you pay 5 euros and bring your own plate, knife, fork and glass. Thereafter everything is free and it's l'apero followed by an al fresco meal at about 9.00pm - three courses, wine and l'Eau de Vie. As this was the Feu de St Jean, there was a bonfire at about 11.30. A nice evening but after a little too much to drink a walk was ruled out today.

Comme d'habitude ici, on paye cinq euros, porte ton plat, verre, couteau et fourche, puis toutes sont gratuites. L'apero, un repas dehors à neuf heures (trois plats), vin et l'eau de vie. À onze heures et demi le feu a allumé. Un soirée sympa, mais après un peu trop de boire, pas de rando aujourd'hui.

This morning I collected the thinnings from the tree clearance which I had put aside and used them to repair the hazel fencing around field number 2. Then M. Larcher arrived - the owner of the ruin beside my house, my front garden and many of the surrrounding fields some of which I have cleared and use. He was clearing some of the scrubland beside my vegetable plot and he said if I wanted I could fell the ash trees which were there. They threaten to fall on the telephone lines and here ash trees are like weeds. As he was there to help, I decided that there was 'no time like the present' and by 2.00 we had felled and logged the dozen or so trees and tidied up. It was hot work as it's been about 34 degrees all day, plus there was the nuisance of clegg flies biting all the time. In the late afternoon I went for an explore beyond the hamlet of 'Coumes' just down the road (possible deer stalking terrority). Afterwards I traversed the back of Joubac high above the Arac river before a long and steep ascent to the summit of Joubac with it's amazing views. I managed to collect plenty of myrtilles, but alas too late for the fruits of the forest summer pudding that I made last night to eat tonight.

Le matin j'ai ramassé les batons de bois que j'ai gardé depuis hier, et réparé mes clôtures en noisetier au tour de pré numero 2. Puis M Larcher est arrivé - proprietère de la ruine à côté de chez moi, mon jardin et des prés pres d'ici (un moitie de la nouvelle extension de prés numero 1 par example). Il a nettoyé le terrain à côté de mon potager et il m'a dit que si je veux je peut couper les dizaines frênes la (ils ont poussé sur les lignes de la téléphone). Nous avons travaillé ensemble et par quartorze heures toutes ont fini. il fait chaud (34 dégrees) avec les mouches nuisibles - les taons. L'après midi j'ai fait un exploration plus loins que l'hameau de Coumes. Un peu après l'hameau j'ai contourné le versant nord de Joubac bien au dessus l'Arac (rivière) puis un longue et raid ascension au sommet - vue panoramique des Pyrènees Ariegeoise. Beaucoup des myrtilles, helas trop tard pour un dessert des fruit du bois j'ai fait hier.

I didn't get home until 8.00 but it was still a comfortable 25 degrees. Tonight mince stuffed homegrown marrow with homegrown spinach and pine nuts followed by the summer pudding and cream.

J'ai rentré à vingt heures, 25 dégrees encore. Le repas, courge farci avec steak haché, epinards, pignons et après mon dessert des fruits "summer pudding"

Even after a hard days work this was too much for me to finish!

Tree felling

Field no 2 got a short back and sides on Wednesday, then yesterday I was working at Pont de la Taule and today I was tidying the fields again - mostly pruning, felling and logging trees which were either blocking the sunlight to the fields or had fallen in the storms last winter. A big oak in field 1 proved a complicated affair with three huge horizontal boughs tangled around each other. It eventually came down but it took all afternoon - the sheep enjoyed the fresh oak leaves and ivy.

Le Mercredi pré numero deux a reçu un coif, hier j'ai travaillé à Pont de la Taule et aujourd'hui j'ai nettoyé mes prés encore - coupant et abattant les arbres qui bloquer le soliel ou qui sont tomber dans la tempête hiver derniere. Un grande chêne dans pré numero 1 etait une affaire compliqué avec trois branches enormes qui sont tout embrouillé. Enfin je les abattues mais cela a pris tout l'après-midi. Les brebis aiment manger les feuilles.

Rainbow and lightning at 6.00am

Pic de Soune, Pic de Coulliac

Looking back along the ridge from Pic de Soune to Pic de Couillac (on the skyline extreme right). On the return I crossed the huge snow slope in the middle of the picture. I started from the piste on the extreme left of the picture in the middle distance. (Click for a bigger image)

Didn't sleep too well last night, but as I was up at 6.00 and the weather was perfect, I took a day in the mountains. From Gerac (behind Guzet ski-station) I climbed over into the Turguilla valley then up to the Pointe de la Hillette, but instead of following the ridge towards Pointe de Rabassere I veered right onto a lovely path which traverses high above the Etang de la Hillette to enter the huge coombe above it. A long rising traverse brought me to the Port de Couillac (2416m) and views across the border into Spain. From here I turned right following the crest which marks the frontier over numerous peaks including Pic de Couillac (2601m) and Pic de Soune (marked as 2655m on the map but I'm sure it was slightly lower than Pic de Couillac). I thought of pressing on to Pic des Certescan but after the poor nights sleep decided to take it easy.

Je ne dors pas bien nuit dernière, mais si je me suis reveillé a six heures et il fait beau, je profiterais - un journée aux montagnes. De Gerac (derriere Guzet Neige) je suis monté dans le vallée d'Turguilla, puis avant faire l'ascension de Pointe de Hillette, plutôt que continuer vers Pointe de Rabassere, j'ai suivi un sentier à droite (bien balisagée en rouge) qui contourner l'epaule bien au dessus l'Etang de la Hillette afin entrée la grande combe au dessus. Une grande traverse ascendante m'a deposé sur le Port de Couillac (2416m) avec des bellevues à Espagne. De la j'ai tourné à droite et poursuivre la crête de la frontière traversant des pics (Pic de Couillac 2601m et Pic de Soune 2655m). J'ai reflechi de continuer à Pic de Certescans mais après un mauvais nuit j'ai decidé de rest tranquil.

Looking from Pic de Couillac towards Pic de Soune. The three big peaks on the skyline are Guerossos (left), Flavisella and Pic de Certescans (middle) and Pic de Montabone (right). The lake on the left is Lago de Certascan the biggest natural lake in the Pyrenees and at 100m deep, one of the deepest.

On the return I skirted below the peaks I had just climbed on a huge area of nevé (snow) before crossing back more or less to my route of ascent. Spotted two hikers about a mile away but other than them, I had the mountains to myself.

En retour j'ai contourné en dessous les Pics sur des grandes nevés vers ma route de l'ascension. J'ai vu deux randonneurs à deux kilometres mais sauf qui, je suis seule dans toutes les montagnes.

Etang de Montabone

On the way I found a dead seagull minus it's head - not sure what it was doing this far inland and what bit it's head clean off but left the rest of the bird untouched?

J'ai trouvé une mouette mort sans tête - je ne sais pas pourquoi elle etait plus loin de la mer et qui arraché sa tête mais laisser sas corps?

Field 4

Field 4 (down in the woods) often gets little attention in the summer as there's so much grass for the sheep nearer the house, but today it got a good clean up...I'll put the sheep down there next week.

Prairie numero 4 (dans le forêt) est souvent mal entretenu pendant été parce que il y a beaucoup des herbes plus prôche de chez moi, mais aujourd'hui elle a reçu des entretiens et tout est propre.

Wild Food

After spending the morning almost finishing off the Financial Times cryptic crossword (2 clues still to get), a walk this afternoon provided wild mushrooms and strawberries.

Le matin j'ai fais presque les mots croisés du "Financial Times" (deux définitions à faire), l'après midi un petit tour et j'ai trouvé des champinons et des fraises des bois.

So for dinner tonight...wild mushrooms (cep, girolles and trumpet de la mort) and home grown courgette and onion thingamajig with rice and a little local goats cheese followed by wild strawberries and yoghurt.

Donc le repas ce soir...champignons sauvage (cep, girolles, et trumpette de la mort) avec courgettes et oignons de la maison, riz et un peu de fromage du chèvre. Le dessert - des fraises et yaourt.

Now off to the Fête des Musiques in St Girons.

Maintenant la Fête des Musiques à St Girons

Update

After 5 days of hot humid weather, local walks, entertaining and being entertained, hay making, late nights and late mornings, cheese, wine and much catching-up, Clare has returned to the UAE Hopefully we'll see each other again much sooner than the 20 years since we last saw each other!

Après cinq jours des temps humids et chaudes, randos, recevoir et invitations, faire du foin, soireés tard et matins tard aussi, du fromage et beaucoup de remettre au courant, clare est parti à Dubai. J'espère que nous nous recontrerons plus tôt que les vingt ans depuis le dernière fois!

I have discovered that I have developed an allergy to "chicken of the woods" fungus which now makes me violently sick...shame as I love it. We found the first cep mushroom of the year mid-week though as a consolation prize. Lots of lettuce, courgettes, onions, strawberries and spinach from the garden - first potatoes and tomatoes soon but no sign yet of the carrots and the cabbage/cauliflowers are still teeny-weeny.

J'ai decouvri que j'ai une allergie à le champignon polypores panés...dommage parce que je l'aime. Nous avons trouvé le première cep du printemps/été comme un prix de consolation. Beaucoup des salades, des courgettes, des oignons, des fraises et des epinards de mon potager - premières pommes du terre et tomates tôt mais pas des traces des carrottes encore et les choux/choux fleurs sont petites.