Saturday 8 June 2024

As we are expecting Jenny and Alyssa next week, we went into Saint Jean d’ Angeley market for some of the fresh fruit and vegetable supplies. In the town we also discovered two otherwise hidden squares which were buzzing with people and had all sorts of shops and restaurants along the streets. It has the same population as Surgeres (<8,000).

A great shop of artisanal cheeses and salami, fruit and veg, including white and green asparagus and some local wines, then home for some lunch, a nap and more planning for a little excursion to Paris at the end of June and the birthday bash for Joanne in Saumur-Liore Valley, at the end of July.

Sunday 9 June 2024

The Lapin au Vin is in the slow cooker for 10 hours, with a whole bottle of Chardonnay and the usual suspects. Once the rabbit is cooked, the liquid will be reduced and enriched with mushrooms and cream and let sit with the boned rabbit for another two hours. This will happen Tuesday. I think we will serve it with puy lentils.

The concreting was finished today with Lady P’s help. Not a bad job either. Except both of us trod on the wet concrete at one stage. Luckily the surface could be re-troweled. Then it was time to wash the car. The little red Peugeot looks great and is a good car size wise for country lanes and city parking. Flashy cleaned up the lawn mower and sprayed WD40 about. It does need a service though. The ground here is very uneven and takes a toll on machinery. Sitting in the afternoon sunshine with a beer. I deserve it!

Monday 10 June 2024

Today I convinced Lady P to shop slowly at the Intermarche Hyper! Aisle by aisle we went, discovering all sorts of things and buying much more than was on the list. We now have goodies for Jen and Alyssa’s visit tomorrow, including some beverages and platter food.

Once home, Flashy made salmon rillettes and chilled the champagne. We cleaned, washed and did all those things you do when visitors are arriving and finished the day on the terrace with the GnT.