Signs of Summer

Are these the first signs of the coming summer?

The fruit trees are blossoming!

The charolaise are out of the barns and back in the fields!

Then rape on the hill is turning yellow!

Dandilions flowering in the fields!

 

We are past the spring equinox and have had a very mild winter, so are hoping that there is not a cold snap before the summer as this would reverse these signs and damage the crops.

Watercolours in Burgundy

I have just got a new camera which really ups the potential I have to take better photographs. At the same time I've found a technique that allows the photographer to become a painter.

The St Catherine's bridge in Salornay su Guye takes on another look with a touch of watercolours, as does the main steeple of the Cluny Abbey.

Both these images are based on photographs taken by ChigyTweet and are available. Six megapixel versions of these files, which should make good prints are available by email on request.

 

Autumn on the Chigy / Salornay Road

This shot across a field alongside the Le Gros Chigy to Salornay sur Guye was also take in late October 2010.

photograph by ChigyTweeter

published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

The photo is a panorama using two photos taken with a Canon G7 at f3.2 for 1/100th.

Things To Do In The Clunisois Area

The image below is from a map showing Cluny and surroundings, which can be found on the Cluny Tourism Information Office website. The darker brown area which we call the Clunisois Area (Communauté de communes du Clunisois) offers a range of attractions centered on Cluny a major religious centre of the Middle Ages.

Click Image to Download Complete Map

The map shows the villages within a short distance of The House at Le Gros Chigy that have interesting buildings and facilities although the keys to these is not on this extract. Click the map to access the full PDF document with the key.

Although even the church and grounds of a little village church like Massey are interesting, Cluny, Brancion, Cormatin and St Hippolyte are better known and offer more to the visitor.

The map is well worth downloading or getting a copy of as it holds much useful information.

First Peach Blossom at Main Bedroom Window

This photograph taken from in the main bedroom on a non seasonal coldly, shows the first blossoms on the peach trees. The cherry trees are in full blossom - if we are luckier with the weather than last year we should have a great crop within the next months.

photograph by Joel
published under a Creative Commons license.

 

What Can We Expect on the Cluny Market and When?

As winter runs its course, it's nice to start thinking about all that fresh local fruit that will become available from friends and neighbors and the local markets. I found these interesting graphs on line.

I'm not knowledgable enough to know how well this applies to Le Gros Chigy, but its a nice picture to put in your kitchen anyway.

This and other charts on vegetables and herbs are available online at Chasing Delicious, who apparently designed them and can also be bought at The Sweet Tooth Paper Goods Company.
What about developing our own chart for Bourgogne or even a part thereof?

Unfamiliar Products in Supermarkets

Of course the brands and the products differ between France and South Africa. There is also a difference in the emphasis on and length of shelves for the different types of food. For instance many more wines, cheeses, chocolates and coffees but fewer juices, sweets and snacks. But also totally, quite surprising totally different products - we will start with two that are rather peculiar.

Purple chips, are not something I'm waiting for in South Africa with bated breath:

Image by Gros Chigy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

These chips are still sold into the natural no artificial additives, because the purple colouring used is natural. Added to this, like many other chips in France, it is emphasized that the chips were fried in sunflower oil. The chips are sold on the basis of how great they will look as a snack at a special party!

The other item that amused was the toilet paper with the flushable centre roll.

Image by Gros Chigy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

This seems rather unuseful in South Africa where recycling is much less developed. Also in France the shops offering organic chemicals to promote the functioning of Independent sewage disposal systems illustrates the lack of robust waterborne sewerage systems that South Africa has in many areas.

Having got over the inevitable settling in period, I hope to be offering more frequent blogs in the future.

Renting the House at Le Gros Chigy

The time has come! Now that we will have finished the first round of renovations, its time to think about renting The House at Le Gros Chigy.

photograph by ChigyTweet

published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

The first thing is to decide what kind of business we are going to run. Could be a bed & breakfast, Gite, self catering, home away or vacation rental. We feel that we want something that does not put large day to day demands to serve the holiday maker. Therefore, it will most likely be a week by week rental which are variously called Gites, vacation rental, vacation rental, home away etc.

We feel we are well placed being close to Cluny, Taize, Macon and Montceau les Mines. Burgundy or Bourgogne seems to be a popular area. The Clunoise area in particular offers many attractions and activities, especially during the summer.

We would appreciate your ideas and thoughts on this, so please email us using this link. Have a look at the start of the advert here an give us feedback.