Written on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
The pool cover is great – it’s safe, it keeps the pool clean, and – most importantly – the greenhouse effect helps heat the water up, and stops it cooling down at night.
OK – swimming for 15 minutes at 15 degrees on the 15 of March this year was a bit excessive. But the temperature of the water has been well into the 20s since early April. Actually, during the recent heat wave (temperatures in the 30s for a week) the water has been too warm.
However, the cover also has its disadvantages. Mainly that it’s heavy, and needs 2 people to push it open and shut. And that’s not that easy an job even with 2. For 1 person it’s almost impossible.
So – it’s got to be motorised. But you could almost buy a small car for the cost.
Do you think I can start to charge visitors a pool cover motor service charge?
Written on Monday, May 11th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Drome, local produce, wine
Sometimes you can land yourself in it following on from conversations with friends.
Random exchanges and chats with Anne (during her recent wet and cold trip wine tasting to the Languedoc) means that I have set myself a challenge for food and wine weekends here at Chateau Colombier.
My plan is to create 26 “amuses bouches” (little tasters – think tapas) to go with 26 different regional wines and drinks.
Why 26? Because that’s the number of the department of the Drome.
I’m very happy for visitors to help – in ideas, in preparation, in sourcing products and wines, in wine and food tasting, and for the photos and tasting notes.
Written on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 10:51 am
A blog Happy faces, Happy places by Matthew Taylor reminded me of a conversation with Josef Gehrmann from Muenster – he and his family were house guests here at Le Colombier this easter.
On the dining room wall I have a picture of Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters. It’s a dark and sombre picture – and I just liked the contrast with my environment here in Provence.
It’s a reminder that I’m here, not there.
It was Josef who pointed out how much the darkness – and depression – of this Van Gogh painting contrasts with the brighness of, for example, his famous sunflowers, painted, of course, in the light of Provence.
The light of Provence is almost a cliche – it is amazing, and undescribable. But the effect it has on your emotions – and your happiness – is very real.
Written on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
fitness, lakes
They’ve been doing a make-over at the lakes at Cornillon. More trees, parking bays, and more picnic benches. And a great adult outdoor fitness circuit, complete with little signs showing you how to use the equipment.
Personally, I’ll stick to the swimming and the picnics. But it adds to the multi-generational activities that the lakes offer.
Any volunteers to construct a fitness circuit on the terraces and in the wood at Le Colombier?
Written on Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Pool at 15 degrees. So with a wetsuit, and upbeat music, I officially opened the swimming season. Managed 15 minutes. Can’t be bad.
Written on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 12:39 am
I read an article a while ago about a new credit crunch way to get fit. It seems you dump your expensive gym membership, and head out to your local potato farm. There you get to spend the morning picking potatoes; you get a healthy workout in the open air; and the farmer gives you a healthy lunch of soup and home made bread.
Somehow I’m not sure that you’ll be back everyweek. However, start a vegetable patch to grow your own potates – and the rest – and you’ll soon discover muscles you didn’t know you had.
So if you fancy a workout – of the muscles during the day, and the tastebuds in the evening – come and try your hand at gardening in my green and blue gym!
Written on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
arle, classical heritage, nimes, orange, pont du gard, vaision, valreaseasarle
Vaison is your first stop for things Roman: its ampitheatre and its museums. Further afield you have Orange, Nimes, the Pont du Gard and Arles.
Going further back, how about visiting Le Pegue, the archeological museum dedicated to the celts and the greeks in Valreas. See http://museearcheoloepegue.com.
The collection comes from an archeological dig at Saint-Marcel from 1956 – 1985. The dig found the traces from 6000 years ago, and an abundance of remains from the Iron Age (725 bc). The museum is open saturday and sunday 14.00 – 18.00 the first weekend of each month in the winter; and everyday 14.00 – 18.00 except Wednesday June – September.
Written on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
antiques, brocante, markets, vide greniers
The Saturday Times last year declared Nyons market to be the best in France. Every Thursday morning. And there are often specialist Sunday markets – crafts, brocantes, books etc.
Look out also for the evening markets in the summer time in the villages around. And you’ll find an abundance of “Vide-Grenier” (literally, empty the attics – what we’d call a car boot sale) village sales over the summer. It’s worth getting there early for the bargains.
If you can’t make the Thursday market, here are some of the other ones around.
Monday
La Motte Chalancon (july and august)
Tuesday
Crest, Grignan, Vaison
Wednesday
Buis les Baronnies, Remuzat
Friday
Dieulefit, Taulignan, Visan
Saturday
Buis les Baronnies, Montbrun les Bains
Flea Markets and Brocantes:
Art market 1st Sunday of the month (Vaison)
Brocantes 3rd Sunday of the month (Vaison)
And Isle Sur la Sorgue is well known for its 160+ antique shops and regular markets; plus an extended easter antiques market
Written on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Haribo, lavender, museums, nougat, silk
This area of Provence has always had its local industries – as well as its food, wine and olives. It has become home to many individual artists and craftspeople. And over the summer months you’ll find lots of them selling their crafts on the local markets. Look out for pottery, mohair, jewellery, wood working, soaps and lavender products, jams, honey and chutneys, leather goods and the rest.
There are also plenty of small museums that attest to the industrial heritage of the area – for example the Silk museum at Taulignan (www.musee-soie.fr), and the botanical museum at Buis les Baronnies which has an informative chronology of the developments of lavender and tilleul (linden flower) production (www.maisondesplantes.com).
Nyons has its own working lavender distillerie and shop (Distillerie Bleu Provence). And also in Nyons you can visit La Scourtinerie – hand crafted provencal rugs and baskets made from sisal / coir,
If you’ve got a sweet tooth – check out the Nougat at Montelimar – and its museum www.nougatsoubeyran.com. And Haribo has its factory – with visits – close to the Pont due Gard
Written on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
activities, Ardeche, canoe, Drome, kayak, quad biking
It’s raining, so rather than gardening I thought I’d prune the mountains of paperwork that accumulate over the months and years. So as I find useful information, I’ll now put it on the blog and tag it … and bin the paper.
Perhaps 2009 can be the year of the paperless chateau?
Quad bikes – from age 16; for hire at Aubres for 1, 2 or 3 hours. Costs (2008) 35 euros, 60 euros, 80 euros. Also day and overnight trips.
Reserve: tel 04 75 26 60; 06 88 86 31 58
Kayaks and canoeing; at Saillans on the river Drome (90 minutes drive from Le Colombier); see EVA www.eauxvivesaventure.com tel 04 75 21 55 71 or CapPlein Air www.cappleinair.com tel 04 75 40 60 60
Bring swim wear, sports shoes, hats, drinking water, picnic, sun screen and sun glasses. Age 7 and over; Open March to October
There’s also great kayaking on the Ardeche.
Rock climbing (escalades); lots all around. Also Via Ferrata – the rock climbing routes
Hang gliding instruction at Mevouillon www.provence-parapente.com
