30 July 2014: Farewell to our riverside retreat

After 14 years in Chênehutte we have sold our house.

Now we are no longer living  on both sides of the Channel, I will have to think of another name for this blog.

We will, however, always return to see our French friends, and the area around Saumur which we love. The difference will be we'll be travelling without a toolbox, and we won't be doing any gardening - bliss!

14th - 15th December: London

Friday
In spite of Finners not having had any work from NBAT since April we were invited to their Christmas weekend party in London.

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Looking out of the window in our hotel room, the Post Office Tower was dramatically lit up against the night sky.

While waiting in the foyer to be taken by taxi to Primrose Hill, a dozen pirates raced in through the doors waving cutlasses shouting "Aha Jim lad!" After a few minutes they appeared again and made for the exit without the waving and shouting.

"Wrong f……. hotel" a swarthy buccaneer sheepishly muttered.

There was champagne and excellent food at The Queens and we had a great time joking with some of Finners’ colleagues who we had not seen since last year’s party. Then back to the hotel in the early hours where we sat around chatting with the next generation of NBAT staff.

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Saturday

The next morning, we decided to make the most of our stay in London by going to the National Portrait Gallery – we saw the Hockney self portrait, a recent acquisition which I had been keen to see, and many more.

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There were loads of other interesting portraits in the main gallery. Virginia Woolf, and others of the Bloomsbury set. Lots of writers and politicians and a very good one of Mo Mowlem - well worth the visit!

Stormy weather in south Devon

Friday 7th December
Charlie has been spending a few days at Grandma Pom’s harbour-side flat, starting, of course with lunch at the Nobody! Cooking, shopping and exploring the winding country lanes - it was fun for them both.

Finners and I joined them for Charlie’s last day, and on Friday Charlie drove back to Oxford.

Sunday 9th December
The signs are ominous. It is four o’clock in the afternoon, the wind is getting up, the falling rain chases the late lunchers back into the restaurants for tea. The sky is as black as a crow’s wing and, in the bay, 18 ships shelter from the gale force winds building up in the Channel.

While the ships are coming in seeking safe waters, there are those who court danger. Dozens of black clad surfers are being thrown into the air by 10ft high waves. We cannot hear their shouts above the roar of the surf. We take pictures, and watch in awe until it is too dark, wet and windy to stay longer.

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Monday 10th December
The locals said there were 32 ships sheltering last night in Labrador Bay between Teignmouth and Torquay. Apparently they looked incredibly Christmassy at night with all their lights flickering on the horizon.

1st December 2007: Both sides of the Channel

Charlie and Stelly noticed that Tory and Danny put their Christmas tree up last year before them - they are taking no chances this year and put theirs up today.

The Belfast team have also sprung into action, decorated their tree AND hung up three Santa socks – so it’s a draw!

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Meanwhile, in France.........

The shops here are looking Christmassy

and the Christmas spirit prevails. The Intermarche supermarket had a trolley at the exit where shoppers were encouraged to put items for the homeless, nearly everyone seemed to be stopping there, putting in tins, biscuits and packets of soup.

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For over a year

supermarkets in France have not supplied plastic bags, but offer instead large re-usable bags for about one euro. A few enlightened shops in Saumur, Gamm Vert and LeClerc, supply bags that are vegetable-based and so biodegradable and compostable. (I hope "Gardener Price" is reading this!)
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Our gang of four came to lunch chez nous at 12.15.

We are attempting to repay the hospitality of the last 10 days. Annie and Claude arrive on the dot (Claude is ex-army and was awarded the Legion d’Honneur for his wartime exploits) - he is always on time to the nearest nano second. Marie-Claude and Patrick surprised us all by arriving on time!

None of them speak English, although Claude at 77 spends an hour each morning studying his ancient English textbook.

30th November 2007: France

While the Monty Don of Saumur was tending our neighbour’s garden, we picked his brains about when to treat our lawn and re-sow the bare patches – and he chanced his arm at practising his English with Jennie.

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But, when he came to leave, his car wouldn’t start - he had had his hazard warning lights on all morning and the battery did not have enough juice! As nobody local had any jump leads, Henri (with his new hip) and Mike just had to push! There was a lot of shouting "allons-y" and laughing as they raced down the road – sadly I did not find the camera till it was all over.
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Gale force winds of 120km/hr (80mph) have been forecast in the English Channel for Sunday when we were planning to return - I have persuaded Finners to delay our return until Tuesday when there are only "mild" gale force winds.

26th November 2007 - An important day!

It is Danny's birthday today. Danny and Victoria celebrated last night, in Belfast, with a delicious home cooked meal, a bottle of wine - and Smallfry sleeping soundly.

Charlotte and Stelios spent time roaming
around Oxford and enjoying time with some familiar family figures at the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Here in France we are relaxing after a two nights of aperitifs with different neighbours.

This morning we woke up to find a basket of salad outside our door - that will go nicely with the brie and pate for lunch! Tomorrow we will make soup with vegetables freshly dug from our river garden

Charlotte and Stelios will

be sad to hear that their Greek Deli in Saumur is for sale

- any offers?