‘En Route’ to Work

Going to work is worth it for the journey alone. I wonder how many can claim this much prettiness during their 20 minute drive to work. Sometimes I wish I could take my bike – but maybe 20km is a little too much considering the steep inclines up out of the seine valley, and the nasty sweat it would produce by the time I’d reach the office!

As I descend the steep winding forest road towards Orival I am daily ‘wow’ed by the stunning view of the Seine which hits me as I reach the bottom of the incline. After that it is a matter of turning right and hugging the Seine all the way to the office.

Sometimes there are Peniches (barges) and sometimes not, but there is always the drama of the steep chalk ‘falaises’ (cliffs) which leave a stretch of waterside only wide enough for a road and an occasional row of houses.

The cliffs are so typical to the Seine as it winds and cuts its way through the Normandie countryside. The Seine twists and turns on itself so rising to the region being known as the ‘Boucles de Seine’.

The chalk cliffs are really dramatic towering above our heads at the side of the road.

 

And I have a feast of Normandy timbered houses scattered along the route…

whilst the road passes between the church and the river.

But if the car breaks down…

…I can always get there on foot. It may be a little slow- but worth it.

Good thing the job is great too.. otherwise you’d never get me through the door!

Thanks to Google and Le blog de Remy for their pictures

Even under a black cloud the Loire is a prettier North/South divide than Watford Gap.

A few years ago, having arrived larger than life (as usual) at a cluster of gites in the Cahors region of France we met and befriended a couple of other temporary resident families after discovering an unbelievable string of coincidences. Of the six adults we had either been to the same university, the same rowing club, grown up in the same town in Africa, become architects, adored sailing, and ended up with children the same ages who all unbelievably liked each other. Understandably several further joint holidays have followed.

Last year we headed off for a gite in Le Loir together. Sometime during the trip, one of the husbands grumbled that his wife was always inspecting the meteo on her mobile in order to plan the sunniest trip for the day and what was wrong with encountering a bit of rain? Needless to say, I was too cowardly to own up to being her partner in crime! Despite our best efforts, a blazing blue sky and a lack of rainclouds was not always forthcoming. Whilst nodding sympathetically at said husband, I, and the female contingent bowed to the local advice that for consistently good weather one has to be South of the french version of the Watford Gap – the river (LA)Loire. Sadly we had picked LE Loir, the inferior and northern version, and strategically placed on that occasion too far North to make any inpact on the quality of sunshine.

With the vacances de Paques looming this year, and the return of my ‘husband a l’etranger’ I settled down to locate a gite south of LA Loire. Its location was significant, sufficiently south to provide a week’s blazing sunshine and in close enough proximity to Futurescope to enthuse the kids. I settled on La Grande Metairie near La grande Pressigny in Touraine.

The weather had other plans!

During the four hour drive the rain did not ‘let-up’.

Nor did it for the following two days: and then miraculously we woke to a clear blue sky and the beauty of the surroundings for a precious three days before the storm clouds rolled back in.

The owners house was beautiful with a huge beamed sitting room running under the roof. We were welcomed in with a glass(or two) of kir by the roaring fireside (Yes it was raining again!)

The overhang at the end of the barn sheltered a superb barbeque area. (Which was useful as it was raining!)

But when the sun did come out there was this delightful track to the pool..

..which the boys threw themselves into at the first opportunity despite the fact that it was only 14°

In case of boredom there was also a tennis court and a croquet lawn… and even  badminton to entice the idle!

and the long sweeping drive led down to the river for the fishermen …

But if all that wasn’t enough there were beautiful villages to explore nearby.

Angles de L’Anglin with its incredible chateau and river..

and La Grande Pressigny, a satisfyingly French little town with it’s imposing chateau converted to a museum of Prehistory..

Despite the rain La Grande Metairie was beautiful, enticing and welcoming…and I would have given my right arm to stay there another day, enjoying the gardens and the pool rather than visiting Futurescope.

But if you prefer not to give your right arm but have a nest-egg hidden away, La Grande Metairie is ‘For Sale’, though it is hard to think of it without it’s owners who added to its charm.

I’ll race you for it! Its just as good in the rain!

Egg Hunt at Miromesnil and a Souris of Lamb.

What to do with a couple of adolescents on a  damp Easter sunday afternoon? Offer plentiful chocolate  with a ‘catch’ of course.

I had been promising myself a trip out to the Chateau de Miromesnil, near Dieppe since I first came to France. Its potager is legendary; and what better opportunity than an Easter egg hunt to make the visit accessible  and appealing to adults and adolescents alike!

It was disappointing  to wake up to a Normand mist this morning after a week of glorious sunshine.  It was the kind of mist that seeps into every corner and dampens every last bit of undergrowth, plant and flower, and yet sparkles on spiders webs without a drop of rain actually falling.

The Chateau of Miromesnil, near Tourville sur Arques is famous as the birthplace of Guy de Maupassant in 1850. I have just put down ‘Pierre et Jean’, his novel written in 1887, wonderful for his depiction of the values and hardships of society, and his colourful descriptions of  the towns and villages of Normandy in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s.

The chateau was built in 1600 in the style of Louis XIII. The generosity of Armand Thomas Hue de Miromesnil, its owner during the 18th century, to the local population allowed the chateau to pass unscathed through the Revolution.

Plan in hand we headed off to decipher the first clue.

Enticed by the knowledge that 2kg of  cacao were used to create the prize draw chocolate egg, the adolescents of the party engaged internet access on their mobiles to determine the exact distance from the chapel to the chateau. ….400m.

The goats were protecting the pink eggs hidden in the undergrowth….and the next clue was hidden behind the woodpile.

The identity of the ‘recolte des tetes blanches en été’ (gathering of white heads in summer) gave us a few problems…. we narrowed it down to mushrooms. Another family asked us for the french translation for dandilion. (Aren’t dandilions yellow?) There was some foot shifting, no-one was quite sure whether to discuss the clues.  The prize egg was, after all, pretty enticing. We were inclined to give them the translation rather than share the mushroom theory.

Google translate and Wikipedia came in very handy in determining the vegetable under the plant genus ‘Alliacé’ ….. onion. We noticed another competitor reach for his mobile.

Over to the younger members of the family to count the  54 shutters on the rear face of the chateau which the butler had had to close daily. Though by the looks of the concentrated expressions, the adolescents were keen to check the numbers.

The spring garden was in full bloom.

and I caught my first glimpse of the potager…

and admired the view back to the park where we’d collected the moss, bark and feather.

We changed our mind about the mushrooms and decided on garlic, before impressing on the staff that we live just down the road and that collection of said egg would not be a problem…..

‘Were we really there two hours’, said the adolescents ‘ we thought it was only one!’

The beauty of a good day out is to arrive home damp but rosy cheeked to find dinner ready and waiting. What better than slow roast ‘Souris d’Agneau’, with tomato and avocado salsa, couscous and mint yoghurt, and a generous glass of wine.

As for pudding, we’re waiting for the phone to ring…

Happy Easter!

Winter White-Out in Rouen.

Every-one is doing it – I know! But this is a special post for my husband roasting away in the tropical temperatures of 40° during the day and 24° at night. He’s wishing for our weather and we’re wishing for his! Are we never satisfied?

When he sees me on Skype bundled up in jumpers he says I am making him feel too hot! So here are some pictures of the snow in Rouen to put things back in perspective.

These are views along Rue Jean d’Arc as I enjoyed a stroll last sunday. The best part is that all the cars have stayed at home so for the first time I can walk right in the middle of the road.

All the ornate tracery stonework of the Palais de Justice is accentuated by the fall of snow ….

….and my favorite shop, ‘Au Nom de la Rose’ which sells only roses – of course. Look how they’ve sprinkled rose petals on the snow- l’esprit français!  If you are really lucky, on non-snowy days they have little bouquets of roses called ‘garden roses’ set out on the table which are ones that they consider past their best, and sell for a snip at 4€. But if you select carefully they last at least a week and never droop.

and so should I….. at minus 5 its far too cold to stay out any longer!

Au revoir!

Christmas Walk – La Bouille at dusk.

The fog came down early in the afternoon, yet it seemed a beautifully atmospheric time to head out for a walk along the Seine before returning home to sit in front of the fireplace with a book.

La Bouille is the first pretty village on the Rive Gauche heading out to Le Havre from Rouen. Tucked under the steep chalk cliff faces that alternate bank to bank as the bouclés of the River Seine coil through the countryside, it is also port to the small ‘Bac’ ferry boats which traverse the river.

Incredibly, these little car ferries run constantly during the day from the rive gauche to the rive droit and are free of charge for both cars and passengers, only stopping for the drivers to take their lunch. During the summer, after walking the river bank we returned to the terminus to wait for the Bac. Realising that the driver had stopped for lunch, we took the opportunity to take a drink in the cafe on the water’s edge. Some half hour later the driver returned to find that the tide had turned whilst he had been away and a large expanse of water lay between the shore and the ferry ramp. Taking off his shoes, he took a flying leap, safely landed on the boat and drove it back to shore.

We profited from the eerie gloom to visit the Chateau de Robert le Diable which is fabled to have been constructed in 1200 by the duc de Normandie and father of William the Conquerer. There is no proof to this claim. It has a particularly strategic position towering above the cliffs of the Seine with, on a clear day, a spectacular panoramic view of Normandy. Partially ruined by fire in 2007, a renovation project is underway with a view to once more opening to the public the interior. For now we content ourselves with an atmospheric walk beneath its walls.

We make our way back to the centre of the village as the misty afternoon turns to night and take in the darkening streets and riverside path before returning to the bac.