Showjumping at Cluny
For the last four days Cluny has been taken over by horses. Over 700 of them aged 4,5 and 6 years are taking part in the inter regional competition which will qualify them to enter the National Finals for young horses in Fontainebleau. The event also includes tests and training to prepare them for their future careers.
I still cannot believe that we live a just a few km away from one of the most exciting venues for horses in Europe. This afternoon two jumping competitions were in full swing at the Equivallée. You can wander round or sit and watch wherever you like. I am always interested to watch the horses in the practice rings and mingle with the owners and riders.
The Haras promises many events for this special year of the Cluny 2010 celebrations. On Tuesdays evenings of 3rd, 10th and 17th August there is the Cavalcade des Peuples, staged in the courtyard of the magnificent Haras stables. This is a procession of carriages and costumes depicting the life of the horse in different countries which promises to circumnavigate the world in 90 minutes. The stunt riders will do their utmost to impress with their daring acts, perhaps in the roles of cowboys, picadors and cossacks.
There are plenty of horse shows at the Equivallée in Cluny during the summer, not forgetting the horse racing at the Hippodrome on the 7th and 22nd August.
By the way, have you noticed those black clouds in the photo? The last few days have been a welcome relief from hot sunshine and temperatures in the 30s. The garden has greatly appreciated the downpours and the melons and courgettes are growing like Topsy.
Marking the way
There are many weather proverbs which have evolved out of the observations of generations of country folk whose lives and work depended on the weather. I used to take such folklore with a pinch of salt but now I am beginning to treat it with great respect
A widespread belief in these parts is that very cold weather, a second winter, can be expected in the middle of May. It’s the queue d’hiver, the tail of winter. I have been told many times not to plant out until after this time. The other day I learned about the sein du gel, literally the breast of frost, which describes the three days of 13th–16th May. The saints who have their days at this time are called the ‘ice saints’. Talking to some Dutch friends I was surprised to learn that there is the same belief in Holland.
Here, as in most of Europe, we have been having very cold wet weather for the last ten days. It is very cold today and will be like that until the 17th which heralds the beginning of a spell of much warmer weather. So those old French farmers were absolutely right.
Today we are having public holiday for Ascension so, despite the cold, there were many people out walking. We went out to help check the signposting of the footpaths in the woods along the ridge as it will be the randonée season soon. There has been a lot of work done in the last couple of years to help walkers find their way and to display maps with the walking and cycling routes clearly marked. Besides the new signposts convenient lampposts and trees are marked with arrows and crosses in bright yellow paint. The flowers were out in the woods and we were told the names and their uses. Flowers like aquiligia and arums grow wild alongside the strawberries, garlic and asparagus. I am looking forward to the latter with my dinner tonight!
Charolais cattle
My friends in the UK tend to imagine that in Burgundy we spend most of the time enjoying the hot weather and sitting by the pool. Well, don’t be envious, enjoy your seasonal high of 20 degrees as here it is 3 degrees with a wind that slices through the thickest of fleeces. I am sitting at the computer unwilling to shed the woolly hat and coat that I had to put on just to hang out the washing.
On the other hand we have plenty of sunshine and blue skies and you can see forever. From the top of our hill you can look across to Taizé which is always bathed in sunshine. I thought this was my imagination but I have checked several times and I’m now convinced that even when it is cloudy the sun shines on Taizé. Look the other way and you can often see Mont Blanc and the Alps glittering in the snow.
Normally Spring in these parts is very cursory and we tend to go from winter to summer without much inbetween. But, because of the cold weather, summer seems to have been put on hold. The countryside is beautiful. The fields are emerald green with the new grass and the woods and verges are full of aconites and primroses. In the last week all the blossom has come out on the trees and hedgerows.
The new lambs and calves are out in the fields around the village. The beef cattle have been moved to higher pastures. The birds are singing their hearts out, the cuckoo is cockooing away and the woodpecker is busy pecking at the concrete telegraph pole outside the house. In Cormatin the housemartins are back. They swoop in and out of our neighbour’s barn, and also his living room when he has his window open.
Chris has gone down to the forest to finish off the last of the splitting and stacking. It’s time now to leave the forest to the wildlife until late summer when we fetch the logs. There are roe deer which are very pretty with their young ‘bambis’. I have never seen a sanglier myself but friends have seen families of boar with their stripy piglets crossing the road by the forest.
In anticipation of some warm weather Chris has uncovered and cleaned out the swimming pool but as the water temperature is only 10 degrees we won’t invite you over with your cossie just yet!
 "The chateau at Pierreclos")