I’ve had a week or so off from the Blog, partly through total exhaustion after the departure of the grandchildren and partly as there is so much to do at this time of the year.
Holiday with Granny and Grandpa
I took my eyes off the peach tree for a moment and overnight the fruit was lying on the ground. You hear the thud thud of fruit dropping and have to get to work freezing it and making compotes or jam. The courgettes lurk under the foliage, small one minute and like marrows the next. The runner beans likewise went from too small to large and inedible overnight. I have a theory that runner beans are more suited to the soft climate in Leeds, the weather being too nice for them here.
A good year for fruit
Although the end of summer is nigh there are still lots of events. This weekend Cluny hosted a national carriage driving competition. The cross country event on Sunday was spectacular with carriages with two or four horses. I know it looks easy on the westerns but I hadn’t appreciated how difficult it is to drive a team of four round an obstacle course. Sometimes it was a husband and wife team, the husband driving and the wife hanging on the back yelling ‘Allez!’at husband and horses. ‘Typical’ said Chris.
Carriage racing at Cluny
Across the road at the equivallée there was a demonstration of western riding. Anything western is very popular here; every French kid would like to come from the US. And Chris has always hankered after riding in jeans and a cowboy hat! There was a bit of barrel racing too.
Barrel racing
You realize at this time of year that you have to make an effort and go and see things that finish in September. On Saturday night we were enjoying a lovely meal with the committee of the foyer rural at the Hôtel de l’Abbaye when in came a funny little lady (do you remember the poem ‘When I am old I will wear purple…’) to remind us about a show that has been running at the Museum in Cluny all summer. It was ‘Le Chant des Poulies’ – ‘the song of the pulleys’ (not something about chickens as I had thought). So on Sunday afternoon a group of us met and squeezed into the tiny theatre to see this well fêted production. It was performed by two actresses, one of which was the little old lady we had seen at the hotel. They told the story of Cluny Abbey, starting with the battle between good and evil to the monks’ small beginnings in 910 to the impressive Maier Ecclesia which was built a thousand years ago. Hence at each stage the pulleys used to build the Abbey got bigger!
Le Chant des Poulies
The show could be described as a puppet show but French, rather poetic and strongly burlesque. It was written and performed by the two actresses with incredible energy and a huge range of voices. The cardboard sets and groups of figures were wonderful. If you haven’t yet been it is well worth seeing.
This week is the rentrée when most people are back from their long holidays and school starts. Winter activities start for us too. It’s back to riding this week but we are going to try out the riding centre at Cluny which is more convenient for us than Laizé. Badminton starts, as does folk dancing. We are going walking this afternoon; September is the best time of the year for randonnées. I must get on and do some French lessons too. Goodness knows how people have time to go out to work!
