Written on Saturday, December 17th, 2011 at 11:55 am
festivals, restaurants, traditions
Santons is derived from the provencal and means little saint. They are small terracotta figures dressed in traditional costumes produced in Provence.
Each year Seguret hosts one of the largest displays of santons over the Christmas period. Since 1970 the ‘Amis de Seguret’ have been hosting the display at the chapel of St Thecle. This year the display is open until January 8th and costs 2 euros for adults, free to children. The santons are mainly figures connected to the nativity but also include characters from the village: baker,butcher etc. There is also a display of the Christmas table, the ’Gros Souper’ and the 13 desserts traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve.
Seguret itself is well worth visiting at any time of year, its houses clustered together, precariouly perched on a hillside overlooking vineyards. There is a guided walk around the village with panneaux(signs) providing interesting information about the buildings and local traditions. There is also a good restaurant ‘La Table du Comtat’ which I haven’t yet tried (hard to believe, I know) but which has a wonderful view from its terrace.
Written on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 11:05 am
wildlife
One of the fascinating things about this area is the wide variety of flora and fauna that can be seen – many of which you just don’t see in the UK.
My latest viewing (as mentioned in a previous post) is a wolf which was pretty exciting. I have seen boar on several occasions. They seem to travel in pairs or groups and as they look round in the headlights have the expression of naughty schoolboys caught careering home after an illicit night out on the town.
For a while a badger used to hang around at night in the drainage channel outside my front gate. He looked very cross at being woken by the car and walked across the road very slowly glaring at me! He obviously used to visit the garden quite often judging from the ‘presents’ he left behind. In fact on that delicate subject, I must recommend a book which makes an ideal stocking filler for anyone interested in wildlife – Who Sh.t that? - a vital aid for identification purposes!
Not many rabbits (all in the pot perhaps?) but the occasional deer in the garden. We’ve also had a mysterious animal visitor seen by both my son and me during the day. Our best guess after consulting various books is a pine marten.
We get lots of visiting toads and lizards – one of the toads was so friendly it used to lurk around the front door and knock to come in – I kid you not. One of the most fascinating insects is the praying mantis – they are a hugesize in France and I often find them on doorframes.
The animals here seem to be rather accident prone and several times we’ve had to come to the rescue. A cute French dormouse had fallen into a bucket of water and had to be dried off and a stunning black and yellow striped salamander fell into the pool skimmer. My son rinsed off the chlorine water, put him in the sun to dry and collected dead insects as sustenance for him during his convalescence.
Watch out Doctor Doolittle – your job is under threat!
Written on Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
restaurants, sheep, wildlife, wolves
Sue went to Cafe de la Poste this weekend – doing research for this blog naturally – and when she arrived Sophie and Prosper were deep in conversation with a local she didn’t recognise. It was the local berger (shepherd) who keeps his sheep on the mountains of La Lance behind Venterol. It appears that recently he has lost several lambs to wolves and even one of his dogs who was trying to protect the flock and was forced over a crevace.
When Sue first bought her house a letter came round from the mairie pleading for people to help the previous berger (the uncle of today’s berger) who had had to have his flock destroyed due to a notifiable disease. The sheep who graze on the mountain pastures do a vital job of keeping down the brush and scrubby trees – real eco-warriors! The maire was asking each household to buy a sheep and Sue and her ex Phil did just that. Sadly they never got to meet it (or eat it!)
The news about the wolves seems to solve a bit of a mystery. One evening not so long ago Sue was driving home to Venterol when she saw an animal in the headlights – too big for a fox and more like a wild dog. She did wonder whether it could be a wolf but everyone said that wasn’t possible and how much wine had she drunk anyway?
So perhaps it was a wolf?
Written on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 11:56 am
bureaucracy
This blog is really a plea for help from Sue.
Sue’s Mum lives in Devon and since the spring she has been unable to phone her using her French landline. The number rings permanently as engaged and the same thing happens when she tries another number in the same locality – such as a neighbour of her Mum.
It’s a mystery…
However, the numbers for this particular exchange seem to have one digit less than the norm – maybe that’s a factor but not one that can be altered.
Sue pays for her line through FranceTelecom and her calls through OneTel (much cheaper for international calls). She tried calling FranceTelecom and they weren’t much help (quelle surprise). In fact, they suggested that the only way in which they might help would be if she cancelled using OneTel!!! OneTel were pleasant enough on the phone but nothing they tried did any good. After returning to England she sent OneTel an email saying she might have to change provider. You’ve guessed it – no reply.
She can get through to her Mum on her mobile but it costs a fortune.
So what next? Has anyone else encountered this problem?
Written on Friday, November 11th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
autumn, garden, wood fires
I love autumn in the Drome.
The colours of the leaves changing from green to golden and deep red transforms the views across the nearby mountains. That special soft luminosity at this time of year is such a contrast to the brilliant sharp light of the summer sun. Often when you wake in the morning soft tendrils of mist are still swirling around the mountain tops like the remains of a dying bonfire.
Now is the time to tidy up the garden and winter the pool. At last it’s safe to have a bonfire to get rid of all those prunings. Don’t forget to add your dead leaves to the compost or maybe have a separate enclosure to create leaf mould which is excellent to add to your potting compost or use as mulch around your flower beds. If you don’t have room for a proper compost bin you can always make leaf mould in plastic sacks with holes punched in – just water the leaves as you fill the bag. Time too for any last minute ordering of logs and for me to collect kindling from the woods down the lane. Wintering the pool is Laurent’s domain but basically involves putting in special hivernage liquid, lowering the water level and emptying and blocking up the pipes. I think!
If hibernation is more your thing, this is the perfect time to start working your way through all that beautifully stacked wood. There’s nothing quite like an afternoon curled up in the library with a good book and a chocolat chaud (or a glass of local red, if you prefer), in front of a blazing fire. The wood basket is filled to the brim so no need to venture out. The thick walls of Colombier keep in the heat like an insulation blanket!
Do take a look at our page A year in the Drome which has some lovely photos – and, of course, read Keats’ poem to get in the mood!
Written on Sunday, November 6th, 2011 at 11:28 am
activities, walking in provence
Another walk that comes complete with information panneaux is found about two-thirds of the way up Garde Grosse the mountain opposite Nyons with its communications aerial on top. In fact, you can drive all the way to the top where there are amazing views out over Nyons and beyond. Be sure to take your binoculars – you can see Sue’s house near Venterol if you look carefully – and on a clear day you can see the mountains of the Ardeche.
Anyway back to the walk which is quite easy, well signposted and takes between 30 and 45 minutes depending on your level of fitness. There is a large car park and the panneaux explain the flora and fauna although sadly some of them are raindamaged and impossible to read these days. Still it’s a good choice for the casual walker and it gives stunning views out towards the mountains of Angele and Cougoir.
There are masses of maps and info on these and many other walks at Colombier and we’re always happy to advise and point you in the right direction – literally and metaphorically!
Written on Monday, October 31st, 2011 at 9:28 am
Cafe de la Poste, epautre, potatoes, restaurants
Potatoes are so last year.
Having waxed lyrical about potatoes in a previous blog I’m about to show how fickle I am.
I’ve always enjoyed epautre – a grain it’s really hard to find in England. My suitcase is often filled with packets of Tipiak which contains a mixture of epautre and a couple of other grains and makes a good alternative to rice or couscous. Dinner guests have all enthused about it. But this summer Prosper at Cafe de la Poste in Venterol got me completely addicted to his sweet potato gratin. In fact, he could have given me it for all 3 courses and I would have been happy! This autumn he’s been ringing the changes with a puree of kidney beans, and, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better he recently served up a breadfruit gratin which was even more amazing. Sadly sweet potato is practically impossible to grow in England and I don’t think I’m going to find breadfruit in my local Waitrose….
And yes – it’s a breadfruit – sorry no prizes.
Written on Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
activities, goats, sheep, walking in provence, wildlife
I always prefer my walks to follow a circuit. Turning back and retracing one’s steps is somehow dispiriting. There are a couple of walks I’ve found that have panneaux (information boards) along the route and apart from providing interesting and educational information they also give a sense of completion as you reach each stage.
This particular walk is found between Les Pilles and Chateauneuf La Bordette and is in an area used for grazing sheep and goats. We can give more precise directions as it’s not the easiest to find! The walk itself is very well signposted along the route with cute sheep signs pointing the way. The terrain is fairly easy with just a couple of downhill stretches that are slightly more tricky, and is very varied with open grassy sections, stony uphill paths and even a densely wooded area. There is a ruined farm with interesting bread oven and terraces once used for growing fodder and mulberry trees to feed silkworms. If you’re lucky enough you may see a flock of sheep complete with bells or a small herd of goats. The walk takes about an hour for the non superfit!
Written on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Written on Thursday, October 13th, 2011 at 8:23 am
bureaucracy, EDF
Or Sue’s meter saga.
Sometime back in may Sue noticed that the disc in her electricity meter was only turning intermittently. On closer examination she could see ants crawling around inside the glass cover. She did the decent thing and phoned EDF to report the malfunction. The operator dismissed the whole tale in that tone of voice that indicates that you’re obviously a crazy Englishwoman. The numbers had increased ergo nothing could be wrong.
In June the meter reader came and the air was filled with loud banging noises. Sue rushed down to see scores of ants tumbling around and out of the meter dislodged by his bangs on the glass. “It’s full of ants,” he said. “I know.” replied Sue, “I’ve tried to report the meter not working properly but they didn’t believe me.” “Profitez,” he said.
However Sue felt she should contact EDF again and this time she tried email, having returned to England. This produced another number to call, which she called from England and arranged a rendez-vous for the beginning of August when she’d be back at the house. Unfortunately at the beginning of July EDF decided to phone the French house to confirm the rdv. Sue’s son was there who knew nothing about the ants or meter and he took it to be a problem with the account – compte – rather than the meter – compteur. Confusion all round! Sue again emailed to explain the confusion and to confirm the rdv.
The date of the rdv arrived – and went – no EDF. More calls revealed that EDF have to call to confirm a rdv – email is not acceptable. However that’s a problem if it’s a maison secondaire and you’re not there. They are not allowed to phone England.
Eventually a very pleasant man came and fitted a smart new meter and Sue was charged retrospectively for the electricity (so no’profitez’). Not sure what the moral of the story is – maybe just another illustration of the complications of running a maison secondaire?
Santons is derived from the provencal and means little saint. They are small terracotta figures dressed in traditional costumes produced in Provence.
