Monday 31 December 2012

A Faerie Bridge

On the return route from the airport I discovered a very short, muddy circuitous route through woodland, along a stream called L'Échandon, between Esvres and St Branchs in the Touraine region.
A stone bridge believed to have been built in the 13th century appears to be in its original state or possibly rebuilt or at the very least has been protected from  tarmac.  A revelation!
History says that this was a Roman route.
Legend tells that the Lord of Montchemin required a bridge instead of the ford so that he could cross the stream but no one offered to build one.  Prayers were said. Magically at night faeries built the bridge whilst ladies' backs were turned!
Stories are told that in the 15th Century, Joan of Arc rode with her retinue to see Charles VII in Chinon.  She crossed the ford and bridge on a route that connects Amboise and Poitiers.
The bridge has three unequal arches and as far as I can understand from French websites and poor internet translation, she was travelling to collect a sword from St Catherine of Ironwood or from a church of St Catherine.
Evidently, it is part of one of the four French routes to St Jacques de Compostela in Spain.
I love this bridge which reminds me of Dartmoor. 
I  borrowed this photo from the internet.





Wednesday 26 December 2012

The wind went oomph

whilst I cycled mainly downhill to La Creuse at Lurais, then to Fontgombault,  uphill out of the ravine to return to my village. It was a route, I told myself, I could attempt in perhaps 3 hours. And so the day had arrived!  I could have a Christmas day picnic of smoked salmon in fig bread accompanied by Cheverny white wine, with a clementine followed by strawberry tea! 
Several cars passed me on the bicycle.  I saw one human, fishing, opposite my impromptu chosen spot by the river, where I'd found a proper stone seat under weeping willow trees, with sunshine glittering on water.
On the return journey, three English setters bounded towards me. Fortunately, a fence was between us. A human called, whilst in the woods, to a dog called TempĂȘte.
On the return journey I sang a number of carols badly. Surprisingly this helped the difficult breathing whilst pedalling slowly up slopes which were hills.  I'm out of practice with gears... and unfit! There was no other human creature even in the heart of the village. Back through my gates and the black cloud burst itself and what a downpour there was. Lucky me!
20km or 12½ miles with probably a 20 minute or so picnic break.
Apx 8km per hour!  I was not in a hurry!
I think I might like to walk it one day!


Monday 24 December 2012

Ooh... it's Christmas and the Great Google God has allowed me to upload or download, a photo!

And so in this wonderful wintry season 
I wish my readers
wherever they may be,
the very best of wishes from Restless in France
for happiness, good health, adventure and opportunity, self-development and fulfilment
in 2013





Friday 21 December 2012

Phase Eight - sixth week

It was a tiring week even though shortened to 3 days work. The floor, fully covered with oak parquet, looks glorious. I'm going to give it a light wipe of turpentine, then a good coat of 50% linseed oil mixed with 50% turpentine maybe even 60/40, let it fully dry followed by a light buff. One coat rather than two as  I don't want 'glossy' but do wish to feed the wood before I reclaim the room as a bedroom.  We re-routed the computer and telephone wiring.
I'm not going to further report on this saga, except when I have a final photo. Needless to say jobs to be done are:
Skirting board, fully painted, is ready to be fixed.
Oak cover-strips in 3 doorways are almost ready to be fixed.
External and internal French doors need double glazed unit installment.
The same doors need several coats of paint on both sides.
Various holes in architrave and bay window lambris have to be filled, sanded, painted same colour as skirting board.
Bathroom door on bedroom side to be repainted a different colour.
Chandelier to hang.
I should think we might be finished by end of January!

Mid week I went to the final pottery session of the year to glaze my donkey and made a second donkey with raku clay. We started with a shared lunch! What a feast with several savoury choices and weighed down with gateaux. I made a chocolate orange cake, then there was a delicious to die for macaroon cake  - I'd like the recipe, then someone had made their own Broyeux biscuit cake, another lady had made chocolate and vanilla muffins and someone else produced hand-made chocolates.... plus a non-alcoholic punch to start with, wine, water and laughter!  Of course, we don't always have lunch but a combined pottery with learning to speak/hear French is a wonderful social occasion apart from pottery sculpture looking easy but isn't. Good for the mind though!

Thursday- our prayers were answered. LIDL sold Parkside sanders...we bought two! After a short shopping expedition for food and petrol we headed back to the funny farm to do what we could, tidy up HIS tools and say our blessings on my house being made into a home.

If anyone asks ... do not suggest house renovation in retirement!!!!!!! Unless of course one has no other dreams!

Sunday 16 December 2012

La Fausse Compagnie

A little while ago I was fortunate to share a lift with friends to see and listen to  Le Chant des Pavillons produced by La Fausse Compagnie. 
If you go to their website you can access a document written In English that explains their philosophy, plus the work in progress as they study these instruments, bringing the songs of the horns to people in the street as public entertainment.



Saturday 15 December 2012

Phase Eight - fifth week

Monday: Checking the two French doors which access the courtyard, we realised they would not skim the surface of the new floor tiles and oak floorboards, both planned to be at the same level, as there was a miniscule rise in the chipboard level.  Slight planing necessary. Then, realised that bridging the gap between the oak and the tiles will be the oak cover strip and this will be a few millimetres deep. So it necessitates a greater amount to be removed from the bottom of the doors.  The doors came off and on, off and on, off and on, until down on our hands and knees yet again, we felt confident there would be no problems.  Problem solving, mathematics, anxiety, professional expertise, caution and two heads ensure the job WILL be successful.  If we hadn't spent time we would never have managed to remove the doors off their hinges. It really is not as easy as it looks!  Meanwhile, the rows of oak lengths have been chosen for one half of the room.  Lengths have to be considered so that the ends meet at staggered positions to avoid horizontal joints being visually displeasing.  I've mixed up the lengths from the packets so that a variety of colour, knots and grain look more interesting. I've tried to use the longer lengths as much as possible. Then they have to be stacked in reverse order.  We started at a central length in the room and went to the south wall.  Then he made a new oak splint to be the tongue so that we could go to the north wall. This was not easy as power tools are failing!    Each plank receives a number of screw holes, proportionate to length.  After ensuring the edge of the previous row is straight with the plumb line, which it normally is, he knocks the plank into position, ensures it is straight and level and screws home.  This not easy as the wood drill bits keep breaking....We've bought some recently and some were his older ones.  Got to buy more. Repeat along the length. Final piece has to be measured and sawn to create corrected length. A strap connected to the south wall edge pulls the plank into position onto this newly splinted tongue but which needed tiny splinters of oak to be pruned off with the stanley knife. 
End of Thursday - the 20th day: ¾ of oak parquet laid... but annoyingly two clicks at joints have occurred in two different places....I should have walked up and down each row as I did in the other two rooms!!!!

Thursday 6 December 2012

Phase Eight - fourth week

Continuing to get chipboard as flat as possible. I'm really impressed how my friend uses a straight metal bar to find the very slightest of rises on the cement floor. Although he used the grinder to make the cement more level, the chipboard began to move up and down very slightly in some places. Ingeniously, he manages to put 'mousse expansive' below the chipboard to counteract the problem.  Lots of vacuuming lifting every particle of dust made us seem obsessive but any minor particle can create a problem with floor level. We re-painted the walls with the same colour to erase the minor grubby marks. It was first painted 29 months ago! Day 3 - lengths of oak parquet are arranged on the floor starting at a central line.  Important consideration has been given to measuring and problem solving, so that doors can be trimmed to open and close above what will be the new floor level. there is a slight change of floor level between rooms.  Day 4 was a rest day but I took advantage to attend a pottery class. Day 5 - DIY shopping day and the TAX MAN!!!!!!

  • I still won't pay to update Google Legacy storage plan.  HENCE even though I have just deleted some photos from Picasa, the system will not allow me to upload photos for this posting.
  • Why has Picasa absorbed all the photos from my laptop?
  • Does it mean this blog is full and I have to start another?
  • How can I stop it doing that?
    Do I really have to pay to enter photos onto this Google Blog?


Sunday 2 December 2012

Black Banana Bread

with thanks to Nigel Slater for inspiration. However, my version is slightly different:
  • 180g brown sugar and the same of butter 
  • 3 eggs  
  • 180g flour with a teaspoonful of baking powder
  • one old banana at least a month old. For about two years, I haven't felt inclined to eat bananas, because they don't seem to have the correct taste, texture and ripeness.  This one was left in my cold larder when a visitor arrived at the end of October. 
  • a handful of salted almonds (you could use walnuts)
  • a large handful of chocolate GOJI berries
  • a handful of oats
  • drops of vanilla essence
  1. Preheat a HOT oven and an oiled loaf tin or line with a baking paper container.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar. 
  3. Add eggs to butter and sugar mixture, then mix in toasted crushed ground almonds, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, mashed banana and goji berries.
  4. Mix well and pour into the tin. Dust with demerara sugar. Bake for about 1 hour.

Phase Eight - third week

Exterior and Interior doors have been adjusted to accommodate the new flooring. Interior ones need  double glazed units but otherwise these 4 doors are ready for painting. The new boiler had to have a new pressure valve so I may have to investigate a water softening system. Plastic film and chipboard are laid but we ran out of floor screws. The week skittled past fast.