financial turmoil

well, this recession is starting to have repercussions even in the deepest darkest part of rural France that is St Fraimbault. Customers just aint coming, companies are going bust left, right and centre and everyone is starting to look a little pinched and worried.

We are hanging on in there by the skin of our teeth and knuckles, but who knows what the future holds. Still, I am totally addicted to Facebook's Word Challenge so that keeps me busy when things are quiet :)

http://apps.facebook.com/wordchallenge/

a garden fit for a king

Sunday found Gregoire and I on a stall in a trade fair in Versailles hosted by the Remarkable Food Sites of France association....having set off at 6am we arrived in Versailles remarkably early, mainly due to high winds literally blowing us east towards Paris. The gardens of Versailles, and particularly the Potager du Roi (the king's vegetable garden) were hosting the event, and we Domfrontais folk had a stand shared with the Beaumes de Venise crowd. Spent the day being blown around, eating many many many truly scrumptious oysters with the lovely and friendly people from the bassin de Thau, tasting the best St Nectaire in the world, the most delicious garlic soup, and fabulously tasty red wine....Gregoire wowed the crowds by cooking up a fantastically yummy filet mignon of pork with poiré and cream sauce .....oh how the crowds flocked as the odours wafted over the gardens - carried along by a most helpful gusty wind. A tiring, chilly, blustery and most of all extremely enjoyable day was had by all.....

la quete de la fete de Saint Denis

twill only mean something to those (un)fortunate souls who live in St Fraimbault. 10am ce matin Franck F came to pick me up and off we went a-door knockin'. 5 hours later and we had gathered much dosh and many items - some useful (2 coffee machines, litre of wine), some practical (2 rabbits, lots of chickens) and then lots of more interesting, slightly more esoteric donations - pair of turtle doves, a giant pumpkin, 5 kilos of potatoes....

Still, it got me out and about and I have now seen parts of St Fraimbault that I never even knew existed.....

tres interessant mes amis....