Saturday January 2nd
Saturday morning was a trip to Rochefort where we strolled in the strong winter sun, wrapped with hats and gloves and scarves. We had to clear a hard frost from the car windows before we set off. we should try and remember to put the car in the garage tonight. It is about 40km from here and on an off season morning it was little more than a 35 minute drive.
Rochefort centre buzzed with locals doing their Saturday morning shopping and there was a decent street market on a road that intersected with the main shopping street. It looked as if it was a regular Saturday morning thing rather than anything seasonal.
On the square outside the Hotel de Ville an ice skating rink was in full swing and a rink side cafe was doing brisk business both inside and out. Elsewhere everything else was closing for lunch. Praise to provincial France that still believes a two and half hour lunch break on a Saturday is the best way to run a shop. I hope they don't hear of this in Dulwich.
A little bit of shopping for Sunday was needed on the way home and then back to tackle that kitchen heater. It was 14c in the kitchen when we came down this morning but after three goes we gave up trying to get the heater working and left for our trip to Rochefort. The most annoying thing is that when we got back and went through the same routine to light the thing, it fired up first time. A good thing too as the weather forecast indicates that it will only get colder throughout the rest of our stay.

Restaurant de la Paix, Chez Chocolat, Esnandes.
Lots to say on this, all quite positive. On the lunchtime we popped in and made the reservation the dining room was well populated with merry looking folk in groups of six and eight. The "winter" dining room would do about 24 covers and our corner table, laid for two, could easily have accommodated two more. I called it the winter dining room as we found out (on a trip to the loo) that there is a much larger dining room with big windows that overlooks a terrace, that overlooks the car park. In addition they have a pretty big function room. Another discovery was that in the vestaire of the main entrance (from the car park) there are two pinball machines and an arcade game.

Back in our pleasantly appointed dining room they where serving a restricted set of three menus as part of the Christmas and New year service. We knew this before we arrived as they had pointed it out to us when we made the reservation. We chose the 25euro (no choice) menu - the cheapest -this was smoked salmon, confit of duck, cheese, dessert but they happily accommodated Anika/Angela not eating duck with a fish alternative. It was certainly good enough to suggest a return visit, not least because it is only a five minute drive from Nantilly. We had made a reservation for 8.00pm but arrived about 7.45, this did not phase them and we went straight to our table. We found ourselves back in the car park just after 9pm. Ah did I mention - we were their only customers and a sign had appeared saying they would be closed for the next two weeks.

Sunday morning is 2c but feels like -2c and there is 60% chance of precipitation, thank goodness the Leeds v Manchester football match is on a TV channel we can get on the telly!

We did remember to put the car in the garage overnight. This turned out not to be too bright an idea as Peter managed to clip the front wing on the garage door post - such a small car and he was stone cold sober!

Rochefort Carousel

And not just bread - another home made pizza

Who needs pizza a porter around here?

New Year's Day 2010

The local ostriches take it easy

A cold but sunny start to the day although a sharp wind by the shore made things feel bitter. Not surprisingly a slow and lazy start to the day.
Peter did get his carcass out for a walk this morning, just around the village and its environs. A sign has appeared for a new ZAC " Motte Brûlée" - I am sure about the two "e's" but might have the accent wrong? Anyway I am sure these names are not meant to mean anything "burnt earth"? We followed the sign but there is no sign of anything except "works access" signs that lead back to the bit of land under development mentioned previously.

What is clear is that the boundary of the commune of Marsilly is tightly drawn and any parcel of land within that boundary is hotly pursued for development. There is a small parcel of land (just over 3000 square metres, just around the corner from Rue de Nantilly that was portioned up into five lots with planning permission in February 2009. Already two have house on them. The lots are adjacent to the organic, free range, chicken farm that carries with it a distinctive and acrid farmyard smell. So, unless the remaining plots are actually the farmyard and that activity and smell will disappear, those taking up the plots will need to enjoy a strong countryside aroma.
As I write this note Angela is once again baking - I am worried that it is becoming a compulsion - but on one of the few days in France that the boulangerie do not open, having fresh baked bread is a real treat.

Last night's Coq Au Vin worked pretty well although not true to traditional recipe's. Peter fell asleep through the french new year chimes but managed to rouse himself to get to midnight with the UK before crashing out until 9.30 this morning. Which is pretty much were we came in.

The "old" year comes to a close.....

Wednesday turned out to be as wet and windy as the previous days and the short bursts of dry and sunny weather did not encourage much outdoor activity. A shopping trip to Esnandes and the Intermarche in Nieul sur Mer was about as much as we managed.
On the way back we took an excursion to see what activity there was on the development site that runs parallel to Rue des Ecoles. There are several lots where building has begun and a couple of house look completed and occupied. There are also two "blocks" that are up with rooves on but no "glass" as yet. (see the photo) and we reckon that these are the homes for rent to local people that we saw designated as part of the overall planing permission. It is a big site and will take quite some time to finish at this rate.

We took lunch in Le Relais de la Poste in Marsilly and thought eh bar was quiet lively we were the only two in the cafe. Two more people turned up before we left. Once again they are catering a do in the village hall for St Sylvester and this year's menu is focused on venison at 47 euro a head excluding drink. We are planning an evening at home.

In the late afternoon Michael Miller and Anne Marie came on a social visit on their way back from shopping in La Rochelle. We served them tea and scones and chocolate cake that (winter) Angela had baked in the afternoon. This was the first time we had met Anne Marie. They are very convivial company and we spent a pleasant hour with them. Thunder and lightening marked their departure.

We settled in front of the the log fire for an evening of reading, me White Tiger and AA (Angela/Anika) The Girls Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, music, and a bit of telly.

It is early afternoon today December 31st and we have ventured out to make sure we have all we need for tonight and tomorrow. We dropped in to take a look at the restaurant at Chez Chocolat in Esnandes. We have made a reservation there for Saturday night so more on this later. AA has just set about lighting the kitchen heater and we pan a snack-lunch and Coq Au Vin for our very own St Sylvester feast tonight.
Of course somewhere in the world such as Sydney it is already 2010
Cheers
Happy New Year to all our readers

A close neighbour demonstrates their understanding of the true meaning of Christmas

It is Santa and his helpers

Marsilly church has pulled out none of the stops!

I will try to get a snap of this when it is dark.

Le Relais De La Poste, Marsilly

The local lunchtime restaurant really knows how to "big" the festive season.....

Tuesday December 29th

Well today has been much warmer and much dryer. In fact so much so that we had to turn off the kitchen heater that we left on as the only source of heating in the whole house. When we came down the room temperature was 23c.

We took the chance of the better day to pop in to La Rochelle and enjoy a stroll around the town. Anika (in summer) is transformed in (winter) to Delia/Julia/Elizabeth/Angela so we had to buy a new mixing bowl (bread making) and baking tray (bread and pizza). I will be breaking off from drafting this to enjoy the spinach and cheese pizza and watch the loaf of bread finish off in the oven.

Peter had a stroll around Marsilly and a few snaps will decorate the blog entries. For those of you reading this as an email if you scroll to the bottom of the email and you will see "Posted By Peter to Nantilly Notes 17137 on 12/27/2009 06:46:00 PM" The bit "Nantilly Notes 17137" should be a hyperlink and if you click on it you will go to the blog it self.

Fantastic late lunch, the spinach and cheese pizza (courtesy of Good Things Cookery School) is excellent and really rather filling.

It has been a lovely afternoon and I reckon we will be settling in to an evening with a(nother) good book in front of the fire.

Amsta 90100 Delle

If you Google the above you will find a number of people in France and Belgium selling their oil fired domestic heaters of that brand and model. We think we know why. They are ugly, noisy and smelly and very difficult to get going.

However, after many trials and tribulations, SOR achieved ignition at 2.50pm today. It has now been going for 17 minutes, which is 16 minutes more than we got on the other seven goes at getting the thing lit. Weather wise it is very wet and rather cold and we are glad the thing is going - we are likely to leave it on the whole time we are here, especially since storms are forecast for later in the week.

We only ventured out one and a half times and that was to do a domestic shop at the nearby Carrefour. It had to be done as we had nothing but store cupboard provisions but we were joining a lot of locals going to the shops for the first time since the Christmas break and it is clear that everyone is preparing for the celebration of St Sylvester's day on Thursday.

By venturing out one and a half times I meant that when we got home and realised we had forgotten to get some milk so Peter popped out locally and got some.

Next on the schedule - light the log fire and settle in for the evning with a good book.