Living and Gardening in Brittany

My Two Grandsons Richard 28 and Jacob 1 year old

I spent most of it worrying about my garden and wishing I was in it. I had some time off from baby minding (I was there looking after my one-year-old grandson). I had a meal with my 28-year-old grandson, and we walked by the canal which brought back memories of my childhood. My grandmother lived by the same canal and my Saturdays were spent playing around the lock, running under and over the nearby bridges of which there are many as it sits at the junction of the Trent and Mersey and the Cauldon. It was near to the Harecastle Tunnel built by Brindley and one of the longest canal tunnel in Europe. I had two special meals (produce from the garden) at the home of my gardening Guru. We toured the garden both times and I noted the Latin names and the cultivars of some of the flowers he grows. Will my garden ever be anywhere near as amazing as his? I watched the sunset one evening from Mow Cop ridge with a friend who is so generous that she lends me her house and car whenever ...

Last week I went to Becherel which is a book town reputed to be as  good as Hay-on-Wye. It isn't but it is very different. We began with lunch of course and we had the classic Breton gallettes and crêpes. We ate here which is the only restaurant in the town. Then we visited as many shops as we could. I had no intention of buying any books but of course did. I bought two brilliant books. One was a detailed book on flowers and the other was a gardening book with a different slant. It linked plants to chakras and spirituality. It is a classical Breton Town. I had to take lots of photos Some of the many bookshops After buying it was teatime and we found a really exceptional shop with a Salon de Thé which had extraordinary views and a lucky black cat.

Me in Last Year's Coif Every Summer we have a picnic to celebrate the end of year Breton Dance Class. We all make 'coifs' which is a traditional head dress made in lace or cotton. Each commune had their own design in the past but we find our local one a bit plain so we go to town and design fantastic creations. Isabel's coif which wouldn't look amiss on a wedding cake We begin in the morning with a visit to the local 'Maison de la Retraite'. After dancing for the residents we take aperitifs and a chat with them. Then we leave for the picnic location. This is right in the middle of the country next to an old chapel. There is a newly built three-sided wooden structure which has a kitchen and toilets and a store-room with tables and chairs. The latter are quickly set up and out come more aperitifs provided this time by the club.        Then everybody finds a place to unpack their picnic baskets. The first time I attended one of these ga...

I forgot to report on the last quiz. Partly I suppose because they have become routine for us. This one was in a new venue and was very successful. Mandy came with her fish and chip van and people ate their fish and chips before the quiz began. Our President who is French but reads the English Questions This time we changed the format a little since we are getting quite experienced now. The questions were organised into categories and each team had a joker which they could play in their chosen category to earn double points. Committee members supplied cakes (because French people have to have dessert apparently) which were sold to help funds. There were more French players than English, so we had teams made up of 4 French people and 2 English. There were 6 teams which meant the jackpot was worth winning. The winning team enjoying their fish and chips before the quiz For me it was a very late night but then I think I am getting too old for evening events. ...

Hydrangeas in our new Community Park  There are lots more , Madam le Maire said 200 varieties.  

Just got back from a champagne breakfast. Lucky me. We ate outside too. Then I went to a rehabilitation hospital to take a radio with longwave so my friend who has had a stroke can listen to radio 4. It's at times like this one counts ones blessings. I am so lucky.

Yesterday we celebrated the newly created Community Park. It was an important event and was attended by about two hundred people including a great number of dignitaries most of who took the mike. There was rather too much speech making but I was impressed by the fact that they all found a different angle to speak on and we were given a great deal of imformation about the funding. We were given precise amounts of every aspect and the source of the funding. We were informed of all the people who did the work including the volunteers. The park has been planted with 200 species of Hydrangea. The hydrangea is symbolic of Brittany. It is an amazing achievement for a small commune and proves to me yet again that here in Brittany our taxes are spent on us and the quality of our environment is paramount. Of course there was music provided by the local Music School. There were the usual refreshments-crêpes, far-breton and tarte aux pommes with kir breton (cider with caissis*). B...

Picked two big bowls of fruit with a friend. We picked strawberries, gooseberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. I was feeling generous and gave them all away thinking that there would be more in a few days. Unfortunately that was the last crop.So that was a lesson well learned soft fruit has a very short season. I should have known.  I read this in most of the recipes on 'Summer Pudding.' I did manage to make a 'Summer Pudding for my family before this. A friend invited me to gather her redcurrants too luckily. Next harvest will be plums followed by apples. The two cherries have still not produced. I must learn how to prune correctly.