Welcome to Day Six of my
#FrenchVillageBookworm Advent Calendar.
Yesterday was a day of action for
charity that found us on the bikes from dawn until dusk, but where delicious
food was on hand almost nonstop to keep our energy levels topped up. It was the
annual Chef Boutonne Cyclothon, a 60 km cycle tour of the canton raising money
for Téléthon, the fundraising event that takes place throughout France on the
first weekend in December, to support families with children with muscular
dystrophy. Every village we passed through welcomed us like kings and offered a
selection of sweet treats from biscuits to brioche, cake to coffee, sandwiches
to satsumas, mulled wine and more.
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| Defrosting my fingers with mulled wine |
It was a freezing cold start and
despite many layers of clothes I was painfully cold, however this glass of
mulled wine at the first stop (8.44am) soon warmed me up and gets my vote for
the best mulled wine of the day.
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| The biggest brioche I've ever seen |
The best brioche of the day had
to go to this giant that despite the size was the lightest brioche I have ever
eaten.
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| Our village welcomes the cyclothon |
The best hot chocolate of the day
had to be the afternoon stop in our village, not only because it was the first
hot chocolate of the day, and there is only so much mulled wine you can drink
without falling off your bike, but also because it was a proper, rich and milky
hot chocolate that gave me the energy needed to get back on my bike rather than
give up and walk home.
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| Homemade cakes for hungry cyclists |
The best cake selection goes to
the last village we stopped in where there were at least six different homemade
cakes perfectly presented in bite-sized portions, and yes I did sample them
all.
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| Tired but happy after 60km |
It was a challenge, but it was
also an incredibly fun day out and we were rewarded with the most spectacular
sunset at the end of the day.
Today for my French Village
Bookworm advent countdown I am featuring the books of local Poitou-Charentes
author Susie Kelly who is no stranger to tackling tough physical challenges,
like walking alone from La Rochelle in the west of France to Lake Geneva in the
east, or cycling from Versailles in the west of Paris, through Paris and on to
the east following in the footsteps of Marie Antoinette. Susie’s adventures are
well written, entertaining, as she encourages to laugh at her misfortunes and
informative as she shares her knowledge of the France she travels through.
Susie has also written a series of cookbooks influenced from her well travelled
life, that are ideal for those of us who like simple, easy meals. The ebook version of The Lazy Cook book two is currently FREE on Amazon.
Links to my reviews of her books
can be found below and you can read my France et Moi interview here.
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