Cakes, Bakes, Books, Bloomsbury, Artists and Authors..........

Angles as a theme for the Cake Club happening in Angles sur L'Anglin lead to reflections about and learning about artists, authors and the River Ouse.

A source leads water to form a river to the sea.
An idea leads the mind to form a river to learning and information.

Because I set the theme for the Loire Valley Cake & Bake Club,  I only had myself to blame to make or construct my idea.  I couldn't wriggle out of the challenge.  I had to make a chateau gateau.

Eventually the agreed theme was "Angles at Eastertide".  I thought people could take their own angle ' idea on which cake to bake for this wonderful place.   In my village, I think it was in the 13th century,  that the Anglo Saxons or French related English, however one defines them in that era, ransacked and governed the now in ruins chateau until they returned it or passed it on to THE LUSIGNAN family.  As one can read my memory of historical events is rather poor. 

In “un des plus beaux villages de France ” with its “castle in the air”  come share your dream of baking. Create an angle of your own idea, be it

a château gateau,

a cake for a prince or princess, king or queen

a cake for a prehistoric cave carving

food for a picnic by the River Anglin

an angle on the theme of Easter

a geometrical angle.

It was a privilege to host for the first time in six years. The organisers cradled the event.  Everyone helped. There were about 19 people, 10 cakes + 4 savoury bakes. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy. Most of the rain was stopping as the afternoon proceeded but the woodburner alight was welcoming. Later in the two allocated hours, the sun began to shine and some people ventured to sit at the table in the courtyard and chat. All too soon people had eaten their fill after Cremant de Loire bubbly and tea, helped themselves to portions of cakes they wished to take home and whatever was left of their own.  Crumbs were swept away.  It was the end of planning that which had taken some time to get my head around but what an incentive it was for Spring Cleaning and controlling my own untidiness! And what an amazing pleasure it was to welcome so many people who had welcomed me into their homes over the last 10 or so years that I became associated with expats over the border of the departments.

First of all the chateau gateau. The previous week I made two square chocolate lemony cakes and two very thin lemon rectangle cakes, wrapped in grease-proof paper and foil and kept in the freezer. 

The morning of the event a construction took place with chocolate butter cream and the power of invention.  I melted lemon drop sweets into spikes -  supposed to represent flags!  Four ice cream cones were lazily not iced.... they would suffice to represent four towers showing how rich the chateau builders were.  I read once that in the past the KING of France would gift a tower to his entourage.. the more one had the richer one was said to be, that is,  more in favour with the King! 

I dashed to the Tourist Office and bought a winged faerie rider of a white horse, not a unicorn, to represent the Magic of Melusine in regional castles or castles in the air type dreams.  

It was also a house warming party cake for my house to celebrate that on the last day of April, just a few days after the cake club afternoon, it would be the 9th anniversary of me owning my French property. Looking back on the last 9 years in this blog and the years before that on my previous blog, this is the second gathering of friends and acquaintances I have hosted in 14 years. the last was when I was 60, catering for 60 people, and soon I shall be 70 but there is absolutely no intention of a 70th birthday party... this is it!!!!!!! 

I had no knowledge of R.Fry that Gaynor talked about... it was clever of her to take this ANGLE of decorating the cake with a copy of the painting found at: https://www.courtgallery.com/exhibitions/51/works/image_standalone180/

Roger Fry was a member of the Bloomsbury Group... and friend of Virginia Woolf....

When I was in England I bought myself four books as I have intended to read Virginia Woolf for some time.
That evening, I started to read:  ORLANDO. In the Preface , Virginia writes: "To the unrivalled sympathy and imagination  of Mr Roger Fry  I owe whatever understanding of the art of painting i may possess."
I never knew such important artists had come here but it is not surprising... Imagine being here if they were both here and where did they stay? 

I have also purchased TO THE LIGHTHOUSE and WAVES.  I ought to read them in order.

Whilst in Waterstones  book store, I was first drawn to the book TO THE RIVER by Oliver Laing. I bought that as it is about the River Ouse between its source and Newhaven Harbour where I often travel to from Dieppe and stay with my cousin at Seaford in the next seaside town.   Virginia drowned herself deliberately in this river!

Isn't it interesting how many links there are in life and how one things leads to another....
How coincidences of events and situations sometimes arise!

I am enjoying reading these two authors. I must find out more about Roger Fry and his connection with this village in which I now live.