No, I’m just not ready for
September, for La Rentrée (back to school), for the shorter days and cooler
nights, for autumn or for our lovely summer to end, especially as the weather
is giving cloudless skies and warm, sunny days again.
We have been out and about as
much as possible this summer, despite August being an unsettled month and a lot
cooler than we have ever known it in the ten years we have lived here. I
appreciate I have been a bad blogger, but there just aren’t enough hours in my
day, sorry. The weeding, ironing and housework are also suffering from neglect,
but family time together was our main reason for making the move to France and
this summer we’ve made sure we have taken the time to explore more of the
French countryside, often with our bikes. With Ed back to school tomorrow there
will be plenty of time for dusting and writing. My head is full of words and my
notebook full of half written posts almost ready to be shared.
My freezers are filling nicely
with healthy homemade food to keep my spirits up this winter. My jams and
chutney supplies are stacking up, but keeping on top of the freshly picked
produce has almost been a full time job, especially as I hate to waste any of
it. The tomatoes were hit with the dreaded blight, but quick action meant that
we still have a good quantity of ripening fruits; the pears have been an
amazing crop both in quantity, quality and flavour, we have had more beans than
ever and the courgettes and squashes are superb. The one upside to
disappointing August weather has been the lack of watering required in the
potager, although the weeds too have benefited from the warm, wet conditions.
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| The Marais Poitevin |
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| Picnic time |
To celebrate the end of the
summer holidays we spent a day in the Marais Poitevin yesterday. We have been
returning to this tranquil gem since 2005 and whether on foot, by bike or by
barque are never disappointed. Yesterday we hired a barque to explore the
waterways around Arcais for an hour and a half, stopping to picnic along the
way, before taking to the bikes for a 20km ride. Now Ed is a teenager and
taller than me I sat like a queen at the front of the boat and let the boys do
the rowing. With the arrival of September we are just out of season so we
pretty much had the place to ourselves, which is no bad thing. Taking a boat
out with Ade is a bit like a military operation and Ed and I have been drilled
in how to row in an efficient manner and keep a steady pace. When the waterways
are busy with families going around in circles (an unacceptable manoeuvre for
our boat) and causing hold ups, it can get a little stressful on board. Halfway
through the bike ride we stopped for a beer in a pretty riverside location
complete with artwork and a chatty Poitevin mule in the field. Once back at the
car we treated ourselves to an ice cream before heading home. It really was one
of those great days out that for just over 30€ had ticked so many boxes;
picnic, boat trip, bike ride, beer stop, ice cream, beautiful scenery, great
weather, wildlife and family fun in the fresh air. I’m already looking forward
to the October school holidays.
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| A barque from Arcais on the Marais Poitevin |
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| Riverside artwork Marais Poitevin |
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| Poitevin Mule |
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