This week, we heard the sad news that our friend Doug had passed away. Nancy, his partner of 50 years, had taken him back to the USA from Mexico a few weeks back for treatment. Sadly the treatment failed and he died at his sister’s house near Denver. We have the fondest memories of him – a giant of a man. We will miss him. Our love goes to Nancy, who will return to Mexico soon with their dog Susi. RIP Doug in that great Yellowstone Park up above.

From 2021

All during the pandemic, people have had many new adventures, with businesses starting up, and people trying new things they had never experienced before. I’m learning Danish and Spanish, Ed has built a summer house, a pergola and we’ve gained a new dog. Abi has moved back to London, to a new office where doggies are now allowed to visit. One of my brothers has renovated his hair dressing salon which looks incredible.

My other brother has come through major surgery and yesterday we saw some footage of him dancing with his wife. Other friends are moving (in their 70s) to a huge house which needs complete renovation. An Irish friend has decided to sell her place in Ireland and buy a house in France. So many things have happened and the world has changed – some say for good. Watching the film Together (written by Dennis Kelly) with Sharon Horgan and James MacAvoy brought home the brutality of the pandemic but also showed how people have survived and in some respects, become stronger.

On their 41st wedding anniversary this year, our friends Nancy and Doug completed on their house in Mexico. This intrepid couple have travelled extensively and lived in many interesting places in the world. We first met them and their lovely dog, Fergus, in France when they lived in Leran (about 15 minutes from our place in Chalabre).

They worked as rangers in Yellowstone park and built a log cabin, in the mountains of Montana, learning as they went. (See below for details of their fascinating book). During the construction of the cabin, they lived in an Indian tipi which Nancy made, following instructions from a book, aptly named The Indian Tipi.

This new adventure looks so exciting and thankfully as the orange eejit has left the White House, and Joe Biden has brought some stability to the world, they will hopefully have a great life there.

There’s times when I have been bored to tears and at other times, moved to tears. If nothing else, the pandemic has taught us to be very grateful for what we have and for our family and friends. If we can just get back on the road again and be able to travel, life will almost be back to normal. Fingers crossed for the 19th of July!

With thanks to our dear friends and looking forward to visiting them in their new home – HASTA LUEGO

Do we remember when we were out and about and had fun? Although it has been hard for all of us, it’s been even harder for young people. As the rules are now coming out for the summer, thousands upon thousands of young people are looking forward to going back to festivals. They are not my thing as I’m not a fan of big crowds but so many people enjoy them. As of yet, no one is sure how they will work, either with a test beforehand or the much talked about vaccine passport, and tickets have already sold out at many open air venues.

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My idea of a festival when I was younger was going camping with the Catholic Club or attending the church disco. The place to be was the Corn Exchange but at the time, I was too young to go. I had to be content listening to my older brothers who were fortunate enough to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Small Faces and the Animals with a maximum crowd of around 400 people. Ed knew my brothers before I met him and would often be at the same gigs. He would later relate to me how great these nights were and also just how easy it was to talk to the musicians either on stage or in the pub afterwards.

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As a girl in a Catholic family, my parents were very strict with me. The only places I was permitted to go to had to be run by the church. Amazingly, the local nightclub suddenly became “Catholic” and I would go with my best friend to many “Catholic” venues. During this time we would dress up in our finery with mini skirts and lots of eye makeup and meet up with other friends to dance the night away. I would return home in the cover up coat that I went out in. I would often bump into one of my six brothers on these jaunts. One brother was very understandable and if he saw me he would usually buy me a Coca Cola, but another brother would always threaten to tell my parents, forcing me to leave the disco early and sadly head home, leaving him to chat up my pals.

At our school disco to mark the end of term, we decided it would be a good idea to bring some drink to school and have a little party before the event. I had never taken an alcoholic drink in my life so I asked my school chums what to bring. Anything was the reply, so I duly went to my dad’s drinks cabinet and filled up an empty medicine bottle with Cherry Brandy, Sherry and Whiskey. I thought it made a pretty colour.

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On the day of the dance, I duly arrived at school in my mini dress with the bottle in my satchel and my pals and I congregated behind the cricket pavilion. Out came the drinks. Mine tasted sweet so I happily drank the contents of the bottle. BIG MISTAKE! Not only did I miss the disco, but I missed the next three days out of my life and was nearly expelled. Apparently I tried to chat up the history teacher who we all fancied and refused to get in the taxi when my mother came to pick me up. My mother would not believe I had taken a drink and gave the headmistress a telling off as she endeavoured to help me into the taxi. Nobody messed with my mother! 😂. To this day, I only have to smell whisky and I feel ill. Hey ho, happy days.

So Boris has spoken and it looks as though we may be lucky enough to have some sort of normal life this year. People have asked what would you do when lockdown is lifted? There were many responses and the vast majority wanted to see their families and friends with another huge proportion of people wanting to travel and I’m with both of those, hug my family and my pals and as Chuck Berry would say, heading Down the Road A Piece.

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Maybe we will take the Eurotunnel through to France, stay overnight on the way down and then arrive in Mirepox to catch up with our pals. After a couple of days, drive along the coast road, down to Spain and stay there for a few weeks, swimming, eating and visiting all the lovely friends and places we haven’t seen for many many months.

Alternatively, turn left at Calais and head to Amsterdam to see Allan, Maite and their little boy Ander. Then on to Denmark to see our dear friends Henrik and Gitte. Back through Germany into Austria and the wonderful Spielmann family.

These are merely hopes of course, because we have no idea when Europe will be willing to accept travellers and indeed, when they will have had all their vaccinations.

Obviously, the UK is another choice. We have friends in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England, so maybe a tour, seeing family and friends could be good. The weather of course, is the bigger issue as we are not known for long hot summers in the UK whereas France and Spain have glorious weather.

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So on we go, planning ahead and making sure there is a cancellation policy for everything we book, but it’s a plan and something to hope for.

First thing we will do in France is have a lovely meal at the Chalet du Foret hotel in Vierzon, which is usually steak tartare for Ed and catch of the day for me (think he’s called Louis). Next day heading to Mirepoix where the first meal will be at the Commerce for their delicious fish soup and scallops to follow. Drinks on the square first with Pierre and a few other pals.

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On down to Empuria in Spain to the villa. Unpack and head to Tony’s bar for tapas and drinks. Over to the wonderful El Capitan restaurant for a meal of lobster ravioli and griddled squid.

Breakfast at Montserrat supermercado next day and a stroll along the beach before heading off to see our friends Grainne and Con, who have just had a lovely granddaughter. We will also catch up with Kelly and Marzouk who have a little daughter born during lockdown. Kelly’s mum Vivienne runs Captains Cabin pub and we will be drinking a few of her famous Mojitos for sure.

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So that’s our dream and if all goes to plan, we’ll soon be seeing our pals and enjoying the sun, sea and shellfish – Hasta Luego Amigos!

PS just had several invites for dinner/drinks/lunches after the 21st June – the only problem is I have no diary to write them in! I have now put them into my electronic diary, which means I’ll have to buy a physical diary to remind me they’re in the electronic diary 😊

I watched Rick Stein’s tour of France programme recently and it brought back great memories of living and travelling in France. One of his trips was to Leucate on the Mediterranean coast, near Narbonne and we pass through that area on our way down to Spain. The bar, Le Biquit is amazing, and as mentioned in the programme, the place is built in April and taken down in September. The food is delicious and the drinks great. They serve a piscine of rosé, which is a huge glass, filled with ice and wine and hits the spot on a hot Mediterranean day. One of their dishes is pan con anchois (bread with anchovies) – see recipe below.

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We visited another small bar just along the coast from Leucate on the beach in Narbonne on a freezing Sunday in Spring a few years back. It was even smaller than Le Biquit and consisted of a tiny kitchen and a few tables. We arrived at 1pm which is late for lunch in France (usually 12pm sharp), so were glad to get a table. The owner is a former French rugby player who dreamt of having his own bar on the beach, once he retired. The food couldn’t be more fresh and comes directly from the boats right next to the bar. We had a dish of griddled prawns, catch of the day which was Loup de Mer (sea bass) and a plate of cheese with fresh crusty bread. All served with the local rosé. The wind nearly took the roof off but no one seemed to notice as they tucked into the delicious food.

Rick stein was asking various chefs and customers if they thought that maybe French food was losing its place in the world and being replaced by fast food. Some of the chefs agreed, saying that people want to open up quickly and hire chefs with no formal training, whereas classically trained chefs would throw their hands up in despair. Obviously at the moment, it’s hard to say, but on any trip through France we have generally found the quality to be good or excellent. I guess its knowing where to eat plays a huge roll so we always listen to the indigenous population and follow their noses!

This week I made Raymond Blanc’s celeriac gratin. It is a simple dish especially if you buy the mayonnaise instead of making it like Raymond. Simply grate the celeriac into a bowl. Then grate a green apple adding lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix the two together and add the mayonnaise. Place on a plate of mixed salad leaves. Drizzle a little walnut oil over the dish and finish with a few chopped walnuts. Delicious.

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PAN CON ANCHOVIES

Sourdough baguette or similar, sliced into 8 thick slices

Olive oil

Tin of anchovies, drained

Two large ripe tomatoes, chopped and deseeded

Tablespoon of chopped coriander or flat leaf parsley

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and toast for a few minutes, turning once. Remove from grill.

Add the chopped tomato to each slice. Top with an anchovy and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

This can also be served with burrata cheese, cream cheese or mozzarella.

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Bon appétit

In January, Joe Biden was inaugurated alongside Kamala Harris and the world sighed with relief as the orange man passed into history. We live in hope that the world becomes a calmer place under President Biden’s steady hand at the rudder.

The month was also tinged with sadness as we lost two dear family friends. My Auntie Pauline and Papa Spielman. Pauline was in her 90s and a great character, with a wonderful sense of humour and so much energy. Until not long ago, she was still cycling, and helping with our local church. She loved to bake and made a wonderful coffee and walnut cake (my favourite) for me, every time I visited. She was an important member of our local church and along with my mother and several other ladies in the Catholic Women’s Institute, would regularly clean the church. Afterwards, the ladies would have tea and cake in the presbytery, putting the world to rights and enjoying a gossip. I remember her dancing at Abi’s christening with my brother and enjoying a few drinks. We will miss her.

Papa Spielman (Hansjorg) was also in his 90s and walked and skied the mountains he loved in Ehrwald, Austria until very recently. In 1924, Christian and Josefine (Hansjorg’s parents – first generation) built the hotel which had its first customer in 1926. In 1950 Papa Spielman and his first wife Marga, took over the hotel (second generation). We first visited in the late 70s and were greeted with Hansjorg at the reception who proudly showed us around his hotel. We fell in love with it and from that day, have gone back many times for both winter and summer holidays.

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Christian (Hansjorg’s son – third generation) and his wife Margaret took over the hotel in 1991 and we celebrated our 25th wedding there and retook our vows in the local church, with friends attending.

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Since 2017 Christina (Christian’s daughter – fourth generation) and her husband Martin, have run the hotel. They now have a daughter Laura who is the 5th generation of Spielman in this lovely hotel.

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We have enjoyed so many summer and winter holidays with friends and family over the years. A magical place and we can’t wait to return.

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I was able to work out in the garden this week as the weather was good for a couple of days – cold but bright. As I tidied up the latest havoc wreaked by the dog (the lavender – she loves the smell of this bush), I noticed the winter clematis is just coming into bud. It has taken two years to get to this point and it’s looking lovely. The Cornus with it’s bright red stalks stands out against the other sleeping plants as does the Callicarpa with it’s bright budding purple berries. In the kitchen, two orchids are also about to bloom and give us a bright glimpse of the future.

My mother had the greenest fingers of any one I know. She could pinch a cutting from any plant and get it to grow (I guess having eight children had something to do with it). Her house plants all thrived and I could take any casualties to her so that they would recover with her green fingers. We were often embarrassed as children, when at a plant nursery or a in a friend’s garden, she would deftly nip a piece from a plant or shrub and put it in her pocket. Within weeks, she would have another successful addition to her garden.

January is one of the most difficult months for people to get through, especially this year. We normally take off to France and Spain but of course, this is not possible at the moment. One of the reasons we celebrate this month, is the fact that our daughter Abi was born in January. So, for us, January is always special. This year it will be just the three of us but we will make the most of the day although we can’t make up for Abi having all her pals together on her birthday.

We are planning a special dinner for Abi on Sunday but for now, the weather has turned for the worst, so I’m making Swede Pie for supper tonight. It’s a recipe from Ed’s mother and we love it.

SWEDE PIE

1 medium swede

(if you’re making the sweeter version, use half a swede, two medium carrots and two medium parsnips).

Shortcrust pastry

Butter and seasoning

Peel and chop the swede (or carrots and parsnips) into small squares. Boil for around 40 minutes until soft. Drain, then mash the swede well, adding butter and salt and pepper. Place the swede into an enamel pie dish, top with shortcrust pastry and bake for 40 minutes at 180C Fan

For the sweeter version, add the carrot after the swede has been cooking for ten minutes and then add the parsnips five minutes later. Once soft, mash as above and add pastry.

This can also be served with any meat or fish, but we prefer it just on it’s own.

Bon Appetit!

Ed carried the Christmas tree over to the village hall and the space left behind looks very empty now. After 12th Night we like to fill the house with candles. It’s such a cold time of year and the brightness of the candles, warms the body and soul.

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As we are housebound again, we’ve been catching up with TV and films. The latest (and sadly last) series of the French series, Spiral, is now streaming on BBC Four. We watched this French drama when we lived in France and really enjoy it. The main characters are Laure, Gilou and Josephine and it is set in the back streets of Paris as opposed to the elegant streets we all associate with the City of Lights. Audrey Fleurot who plays Josephine, is a talented actress whom we first saw as Magalie in The Untouchables. I would recommend anybody to watch this film, which is uplifting and very funny and is based on a true life story. Watch the original French one with subtitles, NOT the American remake which is not a patch on the French version.

A trip to Rolfes, our local butcher, to stock up on their excellent meats, brought another spark of brightness into this dark January week. Rolfes have been running their shop in Walsham Le Willows for 130 years. They source their meat locally and have expert butchers to advise customers on cuts of meat and how to cook them. They have the best sausages, big fat juicy ones that make a great toad in the hole or served up with champ (mash and scallions – see below). Their short beef ribs are delicious and I slow cook them for several hours until the meat falls from the bone. Their rolled pork joint roasts beautifully with the best crackling ever. The chickens are excellent, big and very tender and there’s always plenty left over for sandwiches and soups (and dog treats!)

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Every year around Christmas time, Rolfes invite their customers to attend a tasting evening, where people can try samples of their delicious food. On offer are cured, smoked, sliced, baked or roasted meats. The hot sliced rib of beef, carved from a huge joint is delicious, as are the turkeys, venison, hams and smoked salmon. Customers can sample sausages wrapped in bacon, sweet ham from a huge joint, cheeses of all flavours, pâtés, pies, puddings and local wine. It’s a great start to the season and gives customers a taste of the wonderful Christmas fare on offer.

FAT SAUSAGES AND CHAMP

Serves 2

Champ was a meal my mother cooked for our large family (10 of us) and to this day, I adore potatoes. Soft mashed creamy potatoes, mixed with chopped spring onions (scallions we called them) and topped with a chunk of butter. Sometimes served with a fried egg but usually just a plate of this food, served up in a large bowl, set down in front of us when we came home from school, shouting, laughing and fighting with each other as we sat at the table.

4 fat sausages

Bunch of spring onions, chopped into small pieces

Butter and milk to add to the mash

600gm Potatoes – I use King Edwards or Maris Pipers

Peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters and put them in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until soft. Drain them and mash with butter and milk. Add the chopped spring onions

Whilst the potatoes are cooking, put the sausages in the oven and roast them for about 35 mins until they are brown and juicy. Turn them a few times until the whole sausage has browned.

Spoon the creamy mash onto the middle of a plate and add the sausages. You can serve this dish with any green vegetable, baked beans or onion gravy. I served it with sliced Brussels spouts and sautéed them with chopped smoked bacon.

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Taitneamh a bhaint as do chuid beile (enjoy your meal!)

A few nights ago, we saw the new year in. The local fireworks terrified Polly so I had to sit in the dog’s bed to calm her down. Lola thought it was a great game. We played Rummoli and sat up til 2am.

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Friends from all over the globe spent New Year’s Eve doing much the same, in small groups, with food and drink and games. Ed made a delicious curry, other friends’ menus included crab starter, fillet steak and salted caramel ice cream. Steak was popular, as was beef wellington, venison and fish. Some friends went to bed early, unable to think of anything to celebrate in 2020. We were glad to celebrate the end of it, even if we didn’t have the F.OFF gin they were drinking in New Zealand. Our Danish friends spent New Year’s Eve in their wooden cabin right beside the sea and we shared a zoom call with them. How we miss that lovely place.

I have been reading Nigel Slaters’s Christmas Chronicles which is such a delightful book. I made his cauliflower and leek soup and I’ve put the recipe at the end of the blog. It was truly delicious, served with thick sourdough bread, dripping with cheese. It reminded me of the French Fondue Savoyarde that a friend of ours cooked for us a few Christmasses ago up in his beautiful Chateau near Foix in France. The Fondue was so strongly flavoured with white wine, we were tipsy after eating it! That was the year we prepared a four bird roast for him, starting with quail, then partridge, then pheasant, all inside a turkey. It was hard work, boning all the birds. In previous years, our friend Peter, the local gamekeeper, would expertly bone the birds for us, making it look so easy. We have spent many a memorable evening with Peter and his wife Brenda eating delicious food – Canadian goose and venison chops to name but a few.

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Today the weather has been lovely – cold, bright and crisp. Abi practised her roller blading and I walked the dogs, made some soup and Ed extended the entrance to the back garden and tucked his little red Corvette safely away for the winter.

Tomorrow we will celebrate taking down the tree (not actually 12th night but as near as). We will leave the lights on til the last minute as we unload the ornaments, remembering fondly where they came from and who gave them to us. Then place them back into their various boxes and packages until next December. The lights are the last to come off and then Ed will drag the tree over to the village hall where the council will collect them all next week, ready for composting. We’ll have a drink whilst we do this job, hot chocolate with Stroh rum from Austria.

After we will eat a roast dinner and make a toast to the year ahead. I’m cooking roast pork with hasselback potatoes and lots of green vegetables. Ed will have his HUGE Christmas pudding. As he is the only one who likes this, I ordered a small one – not realising it was about the size of a mince pie, so he will have at least two of those with custard! Abi and I will finish up anything left that has chocolate in it.

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CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK SOUP WITH TOASTED CHEESE (Nigel Slater’s Recipe from The Christmas Chronicles, with a few changes)

Serve 4

3 medium leeks

30g butter

2 tbs olive oil

1kg cauliflower, trimmed and cut into thick slices

1 litre vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

Handful of parsley leaves

4 thick slices of bread (sourdough if possible – I make my own but you need a good sourdough starter for this)

100g of cheese (any good melting type)

Chop the leeks roughly, discarding the tougher green leaves. Melt the butter with the oil in a pan. Add the leeks and cover. Cook until softened but not brown.

Add the cauliflower, stir and add the stock. Bring to the boil, add bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 mins until soft. Take it off the heat and add the parsley. Blend it until smooth.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to the sourdough and toast on one side. Turn over and add the cheese, toasting until melting. Chop into squares. Pour the soup into bowls add a grind of pepper and the toasted cheese. Eat!

And so, once more unto the Breach dear friends. Roll on the vaccine and freedom of movement again. Stay safe, warm and happy. A tres bientôt

Hi friends, as we’re heading out of this unbelievable year, I thought I would share a few thoughts with you.

WINTER

The last time we were out of the UK was in winter 2019, to Denmark and we can’t wait to go back to see our pals.

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Ed built the new summer house last year and finished it in time for Christmas 2019. It became our saviour during lockdown and has been many things since, from a party house and a gym, to a sewing room and a laundry. Like the rest of the world, we never imagined what we would be dealing with this year, so here’s a few reminders.

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A year ago, our daughter held a great party with her pals in the summer house. We were at another party just down the road and came back at midnight to see in the New Year together, not realising it would be a long time before we could all be en masse. We miss all our lovely friends. This year it will be the three of us.

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SPRING

The spring saw Abi come back from London to live at home, and fortunately able to work from her computer. Before she left London, her company asked everyone to send pictures of where they were working from. Abi and her housemates obliged.

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Ed carried out lots of work around the house and the weather was glorious. I cooked and sewed and gardened and wrote. Made masks for friends and family (some couldn’t work out how to wear them!!) We went cycling together, and met some new friends on our journeys. We had outdoor drinks with our neighbours – each bringing our own glasses and bottles and standing the required obligatory 2 metres apart. Our local DIY heaven, Finbows Yard was closed at the beginning of lockdown much to the distress of all the men in the area. Luckily now open again.

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SUMMER

My brother had two major operations – this was a really tough time as we weren’t allowed to visit him. Fortunately, he came through both ops and is recovering well. God bless the NHS. Another brother managed to keep his business going and pay his staff, thanks to the furlough scheme and my sister lost her job but managed to find another one.

During this period, we were able to visit friends and family which was wonderful. I even managed to get to Thorpeness beach on my birthday (albeit a stony beach, but hey, it was a beach!).

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We gained a new puppy Lola, who is delightful and very active! Our other little dog Polly, who is 12 is not amused at all. Lola seems to grow by the day and is getting huge.

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AUTUMN

We managed to book the Leaping Hare in Wyken Vineyards for Ed’s birthday – a lovely evening with great food. As the summer madness came to an end, the spikes started to emerge. So along came the tier system. Our plans to visit Europe moved further into the distant future. The orange man was voted out and the Irish man was voted in. Only in America!

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WINTER

Christmas this year was quiet but one of the most peaceful, relaxing times we have had. We were able to dine out just before the next tier came into force at Maison Bleu. The food is superb, and the closest we could get to France this year – Bon Appetit!

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So here we are, full circle, New Year’s Eve upon us and we are still awaiting our escape. Fortunately, with the vaccine just around the corner, the world will, hopefully, start recovering and we will all be able to see our friends and family once more.

We wish you ALL a better and kinder year and hope to meet up with you sometime in 2021.

With love and hope – CHEERS!

LOLA GOT BIGGER

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