Paul went over to Doug’s place and took “Betty” for a test drive.

Weather was sunny and warm and slightly drier than the Brooklands circuit drive. Doug has worked so hard on this lovely car and it is looking brilliant – well done and thank you Dougie – we are all so excited for this trip!

Paul’s drive

Detail on the car as a tribute to the ladies who won the 1949 Alpine Coupe des Dames Betty Haig and Barbara Marshall

Doug explaining the finer points

Dashboard detail

Rally polo shirts will be arriving soon – some laughter and discussion about the sizes, ranging from small to XXXL!

Less than two weeks to go gang – roll on the 7th June – more news to follow soon!

Doug Nixon has organized what we hope will be an extraordinary adventure through France, Italy and Switzerland with Betty Haig’s beautiful old MGTC car. Roger Farmer has published a marvellous book entitled “A Life Behind the Wheel” which details Betty’s life and to quote Roger “her need for speed!” The car won the Rallye des Alpes in 1946 and Doug will be recreating that trip along with his pals, this summer

Ed was lucky enough to drive the car around the circuit at Brooklands and attended the Q and A session afterwards with Richard and Doug. Paul and Kevin will be testing the car out tomorrow.

Last week was our first meeting to discuss the agenda and what a great night we had at Paul’s pub The Old Pottery Kiln in Witham, Essex. Good time was had by all

We put a WhatsApp group together so that we could share pictures and ideas. Doug however, had a little trouble joining and we posted a few photos of him trying to grasp the complexities of WhatsApp life, including one of a 1970s phone and someone typing messages at three words a minute. Luckily Ian was able to sort his dad’s phone out and Doug is now one of the Alpine Adventure Group!

Kate suggested that we need a playlist for the trip so we all chipped in with our favourites.

Willie Nelson – On the Road Again

Bon Jovi – Living on a Prayer

ELO – Mr Blue Sky

Bowie – Rebel Rebel

Eagles – lying Eyes

Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now

Meatloaf – Bat out of Hell

Europe – Final Countdown

To name but a few – any suggestions, please let us know!

Ed, Maggie and Kate will head off first to France. Doug, Richard and Kevin will be following on the next day, after presenting the car at the Hurlingham Club. Paul and Carol will fly out on the Monday and other friends will join us at various stages. We will all meet up in Allos to start the Rally.

More blogs to follow soon

Although the most important room for us in a house is always the kitchen, next in line has to be the bathrooms.  When we moved into our Maison in Chalabre, the bathrooms were very old-fashioned and forty years out of date.  Madame was living on the ground floor and used the loo and bath next to her bedroom, and the rest of the house remained unchanged from the 1970s.

We decided where we wanted the new bathrooms to be and which of the old bathrooms we would get rid of.  Christian the plumber, helped us choose the new fittings.  We worked out a plan for when he could do the work, bearing in mind we were having a huge house party in the Autumn with all our friends coming out from the UK.  He took it all on board and promised to have it done in time.

We needed to have a few walls knocked down in order to make the bathrooms bigger.  Abi’s room had a fireplace in the corner and an old kitchen next door which all had to come out before we could start the plumbing work.  We were due to go on holiday along the Canal du Midi the following week, (see our story on this in a future blog – including the Bassett walking the plank!) so we decided to hire some local workmen to take the walls down.  Not our best idea!  They knocked down the walls, plus one extra wall that shouldn’t have come down. They killed off Abi’s goldfish and managed to cover the whole house in a thick white dust.  We were not happy and called Christian to come over and see the damage.  He arrived, took one look and shrugged – “Bon, ca va, on y va!  Ok, well that’s it, on we go”. He corrected the errors they had made and built a new wall ready for the bathrooms to be plumbed in the following week.

Christian worked hard and had most of the fittings in place within a couple of weeks.  They looked good and now we had just the tiling and a few other jobs to finish.  Christian arranged for someone to do this work, plus another person to fit the flooring and at the same time, close all the openings for the pipe work.  Our friends were due out on the Friday and on the Thursday, I spent the day shopping for food and supplies.  I arrived back home late that afternoon and started to unpack the shopping.  As I was putting away the provisions, I could hear people singing.  No, actually I could hear men singing.  I walked to the bottom of the stairs and started to go up.  As I got nearer to the first floor I could hear the tune.  It was “C’est si Bon” and all of them were joining in. Christian was leading this spontaneous choir of workmen.  They all knew the words and were singing along whilst they worked – one of the funniest things I have ever seen as I walked into the bathroom and there they were – all dressed in overalls – tiling, plumbing, cutting, nailing and painting.  All singing along and tapping  their tools as instruments to accompany the song.

True to his word, Christian finished the work in time for our house party.  Our friends arrived and were impressed with the work that had been done and a good time was enjoyed by us all. (See previous blog  SPAIN AND SEAFOOD  on the food served at this party)

We had a great weekend with our friends and after they had all left we sat down for a while and started making plans for the next part of the house to be renovated.  The sitting room.   I took out the sketch pad and started drawing.

We started looking at kitchen suppliers. We had priced up several different places but eventually decided on our usual provider – IKEA. Ed has fitted so many kitchens in his life (for friends, parents, and many for us) that he can do the job almost blindfolded. IKEA kitchens are practical and (for Ed), easy to put together. There is always a great choice, and the store was only an hour away in Toulouse.

We took our trusty Volvo and three pages of measurements with us (Ed’s an engineer and he measures twenty times and cuts once!) and off we went. We collected up all the necessary pieces from various areas in IKEA –  fittings, shelves, pullouts, hooks, baskets and worktops and loaded the volvo. We would source the sink and taps from the DIY near Aigue Vives – a small village ten minutes away from Chalabre.

The car was so heavily laden, it looked like a speedboat coursing through the waves, front up and back down.  Volvos – we love ‘em, the work horse of the middle class haha.

We unloaded the boxes the next day and put them in the kitchen. Christian still had some work to do but the space was so big, we could leave them against one wall and still have room to seat ten people on a table in the middle.

During this period we went back to the UK, to see our friends and family. It seemed a little surreal as we drove from Stansted to our friends’ house.  The roads were incredibly busy compared to France and all the cars seemed very new and in good order.   Most of the cars in the South West of France are fairly old and the children at Abi’s school called me Madame Wood with the limousine. (a six year old volvo!). It was always refreshing to see how differently these children lived. No designer clothes at school here,  nor iphones or ipads until they were older.

Ed decided to take down the big stone cupboard in the kitchen before we started fixing the units. I decided to go out. Between him and Ian (the carpenter) they knocked it down in a day and carted the stones up to the local déchetterie (waste centre). The next job took slightly longer as they wanted to cut a large square in the wall to connect the dining area. The walls are more than 18 inches thick in our house and it took a while.  Eventually after a couple of days hard work, the hole was there and we could see the dining area.

When we had some French friends over for dinner, they asked us why had we cut a hole in the wall.   Ed replied that now everyone can see us when we are preparing meals and we can see them. Why? They asked, the kitchen is for cooking!  We laughed at this. It was yet another aspect of French culture that made our new life so interesting.

One morning whilst I was working, the doorbell rang and standing on the doorstep,  was a small dapper man with hair greased back like Elvis, wearing  blue overalls.

“Bonjour madame, je suis le Ramoneur”

“Pardon” I said?

“I am zee chimney sweep”. He explained in pigeon English.

“But we don’t need them swept” I replied.

“Yes madame, it is the lew”. He said,  sounding like Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther.

I told him to come back another day.  I checked with the guys who were working on the top floor, painting, and they said yes, you need to have a certificate for your insurance. The chimney sweep came back again after a couple of days and I left him to clean the two chimneys.  Only months later, did we find out that Christian our plumber was qualified to do the work and would have made a much better job of it.  The sweep broke some tiles on the roof and didn’t tell us. He stole some of the fire grates and for the pleasure of that, he  charged us  double the normal price!  So some things weren’t so sunny in France.

The kitchen was looking good and gradually taking shape.  We added a run of cupboards along the back wall which gave us great storage.  Ian and Ed fitted the worktops and we were almost done – in the kitchen anyway.

The space had gone from this ↓

To this↓

and from this↓

To this↓

Next job – the bathrooms!

We have been friends with Olivier and Benedicte Llobet since we moved to Chalabre.  They run the wonderful Llobet Restaurant in Mirepoix.  We met Benedicte when we were looking for somewhere to have lunch on Abi’s first day at her new school.  We had decided that Chalabre school was not working out for our daughter and her work was suffering, so we  looked around for somewhere more suitable.  After some detective work and advice from friends, we found a place at St. Maurice, a great little private school run by Madame LeRasle, with a really good reputation. (See future blog on this school).

We looked at the menu at LLOBETS and Benedicte greeted us at the door.  She politely asked if Abi had just started at St. Maurice school as she had seen us in the playground when she dropped her son and daughter off that morning.  I said yes and couldn’t believe that someone had already recognized us.  She was so friendly and pleasant and made us very welcome and we had a great lunch, all cooked by Benedicte and served by Olivier.  The two of them ran the whole place, with extra help only at peak times in the summer.

Every morning, I would drive Abi the fifteen minute journey to school, park in the square near the magnificent Mirepoix Cathedral and walk to the school gates.  After Abi had gone inside, I would head to Benedicte’s and have coffee with her in the restaurant kitchen. We would talk about everything, especially the children and their progress at school.

The  morning coffee became a daily habit and when I eventually bought a business in Mirepoix (Abigail’s Boutique), my first stop would always be to LLOBETS  for coffee and a chat. Some mornings, I would stand at the bar talking to Olivier and his pals about politics, work, food and life in general. It was comical at times to see some of the mens’ reactions to a woman actually having a view on French politics!

More to come about Mirepoix, the LLOBETS and other aspects of this medieval town!

Christian our plumber had been working on the house for several weeks and we were pleased with the results.  Every morning I would make him his usual cup of strong espresso and he would take ten minutes to discuss life, his work and most importantly  – food.  He was a real gastronome and every Monday he would relate the latest restaurant he had visited.  He would tell us about the chef, the food, the wine, the setting.  He had us drooling at some of the dishes he was describing.

One morning he was talking about a restaurant near Carcassonne at the Château de Cavanac.  He said it was one of the best he had ever tried (and he had tried many, having lived in Paris before coming down to the South West of France).  I asked him for the number but he said he would book it and take us.  We looked forward very much to the evening.  We were delighted with Christian’s work and wanted to show our appreciation and a trip to the restaurant would give us a chance to do this.

On the following  Saturday evening, we arrived at a beautiful Château, set just below Carcassonne, next to the golf course.  We drove through two enormous metal gates, into the courtyard.  The place was stunning, beautifully restored and was a hotel and restaurant.

We were greeted by a young lady, who showed us into the bar.  It was a beamed stone building with flagstone floors. The room was furnished with large comfortable chairs and sofas.  We sat down and within a couple of minutes, a waiter presented us with a tray of aperitifs. We sipped the drink.  It was a peach Kir – delicious.  Several dishes of amuse-bouche were left and we nibbled on those as we studied the menu. www.chateau-de-cavanac.fr

We were struggling with what to choose, so took Christian’s advice. We ordered and then asked about wine.
“C’est compris – tout est compris”. Said Christian

“Vraiment?”. I asked

“Oui – everything is included in the price”. He said

We were seated after about ten minutes, at a table in the main building.  It had a beautiful coloured glass window looking out to the courtyard and each table was laid with white linen and flowers from the garden.  Christian explained that nearly everything was produced at the Chateau.  The wines, the vegetables, the fruits, flowers, bread and even some of the meat came from their land.  We were impressed.

Almost as soon as we were seated, the waiter brought three bottles of wine from their vineyard.  A chilled to perfection Rosé, a crisp white and a perfect room temperature red.  There was water and soft drinks for the girls and freshly baked bread.

Up came the first course –

Foie gras with Muscat jelly for the men. Half a lobster for me. The girls chose crevettes, and Christian’s wife had oysters.

Next course was a choice of three hot dishes – snails in Carcassonne sauce, seafood gratin or crayfish in a spicy sauce.

And then the main event. Ed and Christian chose the suckling pig with honey. The girls had duck breast char-grilled. I had leg of lamb roasted in a wood oven. Christian’s wife had roast pigeon.  All delicious, cooked by Lois Gobin (the owner) and his team in the converted stable kitchens.

We were offered a selection of regional goats cheese, served with honey or a choice of desserts.  The men chose the cheeses and we had a chocolate mousse. The meal ended with coffee or a tisane.

After we finished, I asked Christian where the ladies loo was.  He got up and took me across the courtyard and showed me the WCs.  When I came out of the building, I was surprised to see Christian waiting for me.  He took me by the arm and said he wanted to show me something.   He opened the door to the men’s loo, it was empty.  I wondered what the hell was going to happen next.  He took me over to the huge antique sink and with his great big hands, started to explain just how beautiful this sink was.  To him it was a piece of art and he loved it. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted.  But I laughed and had to agree with him and we stood there, admiring this piece of sanitary ware in a men’s loo, in a Chateau, in South West France.

When I returned to the table, Ed told me that he had asked for the bill but Christian had already paid it.

One of the most enjoyable nights we have ever experienced.

Vive la difference!

Next story – Out with the old and in with the new

Madame’s old kitchen transformed

 

May 2016

The Pentecoste Fete arrived in Chalabre this week with thrills and excitement for families and friends alike, along with the music entertainment which continues into the small hours for four nights.  After the second night of revelry, we headed down to Spain for some sun and chill time.

 

This is the view en route to the Mediterrean. The French are always keen to make the most of their holiday weekends.  As the Fete days normally  fall on a Thursday, the French will take the Friday as “Le Pont” (the bridge) and make a long weekend of it.  The journey from Chalabre to the coast is under two hours and less than an hour to Narbonne.

 

We arrived around 3pm to the villa we always stay at in Empuriabrava. The resort has dozens of canals with houses and boats either side.  From our balcony we can see the boats glide past on their way to the Mediterranean.  The weather is glorious and we decide to walk down to the center to have a drink and something to eat.

Tony’s  bar has a great selection of tapas, from huge sweet olives to a platter of cured ham and slices of manchego – a sweet strong hard cheese. We ordered one of our favorites – tortilla (a dish of sliced potatoes cooked in an omelette and served in cake-like slices). Anchovy toasts, prawns wrapped in crispy strings of potatoe and baby squid in tomato sauce. All washed down with rosé and San Miguel.

We walked down to the beach afterwards and sat looking out to sea with the town of Rosas in the distance.

We have visited the French and Spanish coast every year since living in France.  It is easy to get to, lovely weather and excellent food, particularly fish, fresh from the local suppliers.

We have always adored seafood and for Ed’s birthday in 2006, we had the biggest paella we have ever seen, cooked by Didier at Hotel du France in Chalabre (www.hotel-de-france-chalabre.com)

We had about thirty people coming to the party and discussed with Marielle and Didier  what dishes they could provide for us.  We decided on a dish of Paella and some seafood platters.  On the Saturday afternoon, Ed and two of his pals, went over to the hotel to collect the food.  They came back almost immediately and we thought that maybe the hotel was closed.

“No, it’s not closed” Said Ed.  “We just need the car!”

They took the car and came back in five minutes.  Out of our large estate car came the biggest paella dish we have ever seen.  About three foot in diameter!  It covered the entire old hob in our yet-to-be converted kitchen.  Following that dish, came four huge oval platters of seafood.  Crab, langoustine, shrimp, crevettes, moules and smoked salmon.  They covered one entire table.

All we needed to add was fresh, crusty, Ancienne loaves we had bought from the local bakery, salad, and of course, wine!

It was night we will never forget – Vive La Vie

  

NOVEMBER 2005

We spent several enjoyable holidays in South West France, looking for the right property and eventually we found what we were looking for in Chalabre, one of the prettiest villages in the area.  There was a school for Abi, a bank, a doctor, several cafes, two butchers, two boulangeries and several other shops. One hour from Carcassonne and not much further from Toulouse. We agreed a price and set a date for completion around three months later.
In November we flew out to Carcassone and collected our rental car. As we reached the other side of Montreal, (a hill top village 15 minutes from Carcassonne) there it was. The view of the Pyrenees – in all its splendour. Snow clad mountains with the winter sun dancing off the peaks.
Soon we were in Chalabre and pulled up outside the Hotel de France. We introduced ourselves to the owners – Marielle and Didier. That was the start of our friendship which has lasted for more than ten years and is still as strong as ever today.
We told them that we had booked a room for three nights but Marielle looked confused as she didn’t speak any English. My French was good, so I explained and showed them the email.

Marielle said it wasn’t possible as they didn’t open on Sunday evenings – it was their one day off each week. There must have been a mix up with the bookings.

We were both surprised, as generally we were pretty efficient with our travel arrangements. We discussed it and decided that we would have to either go back to Carcassonne or find a local hotel. It all seemed a bit daunting as we were tired and hungry and didn’t know enough about the area to find a hotel easily.

Marielle was talking very rapidly to her husband. Then she turned to me and said in French.

“Ok, Mme Wood – please, we can give you a room. We won’t be here tonight but you can have the key”

“To the room?” I asked.

” Yes of course – I will give you a key to the hotel AND to your room.” Said Marielle.

“Really?” I was astounded.

“Of course, Madame. I’m sorry the restaurant isn’t open, but I can leave you some food and you can just write down any drinks you wish to have.”
We were flabbergasted and could hardly believe our ears. Just imagine that happening in UK – unthinkable. We looked at each other and smiled. Abi asked us if we were going to stay in Chalabre for the night. We hugged her and said yes, and probably for many more nights to come – very soon.

May 2016

We had a great trip down to our house in Chalabre.  We stopped overnight at the Chalet Du Foret in Vierzon, always a pleasant stay and dog friendly!

We arrived at the house with the sun shining and threw open all the windows and doors and stood looking at the snow capped Pyrenees glistening in the distance.

We walked over to the Hotel De France and were greeted with a huge welcome, kisses all round and a drink at the bar.  Good to be back.  We spent the evening catching up with their news about the village, their son Julien and  French life in general.  The meal was excellent with Didier’s usual attention to detail. Cassoulet for Ed and Steak for me.

 

Next the story of the first night we spent in Chalabre and just how accommodating the French can be ……