Rosemary flowering in the back yardIt's gray and threatening to rain this morning, but yesterday was beautiful. We were out working to pull some weeds, cut some high clumps of grass, and generally clean up a little. I brought a garden hose out of the garage and hooked it up for the season.
Sage plant making new leaves, with a gendarme bugWe put the patio furniture back out on the front terrace, in the hope that we might actually have weather warm enough to allow us to enjoy sitting out there over the next few days. I also washed a couple of fleece throws (lap blankets) that we use in the wintertime and was able to hang them and some other laundry out on the line to dry in the sun.
New growth on a rosebushToday and tomorrow I'm making a blanquette de veau so that we will have food in the house for the weekend when John and Candy arrive. That's braised veal, mushrooms, and onions in a creamy white sauce, served with noodles or rice. For Sunday's dinner, Walt plans to make an asparagus and ham tart.
A very red tulipThe weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow (Friday) but rainy on Saturday. But that's OK — Saturday will be catch-up-on-jet-lag day and then late in the afternoon we are going down to the Domaine de la Renaudie for our wine tasting.
New, bright green leaves over a water hole in the vineyardThis is our life in Saint-Aignan and we are happy to have visitors coming to enjoy it with us. Being with them makes us enjoy it that much more. Walt will drive over to the eastern side of Tours tomorrow morning to meet J & C at the train station. Then they'll scoot on over to Vouvray to buy some wine and to get some food (quiches, rillettes, ham, and so on) for the afternoon at one of the area's best charcuteries, Hardouin.
If you're heading Vouvray way for wine, allow me to recommend you collect a bottle or two of Château de Pocé Sauvignon 2006. We picked up a bottle at Intermarche's wine sale last year, and it is very nice indeed. It must be fairly inexpensive, too, because I bought it.
ReplyDeletePocé-sur-Cisse Is just across the river from Amboise, so you will be passing it on your way.
Santé!
Simon, thanks for the suggestion. We once stayed in a gîte in Pocé and know the people there that we rented from. We also have a favorite place to get Vouvray: Aubert in the Vallée Coquette between Vouvray and Rochecorbon. Also not expensive. We've been going there regularly since 2000.
ReplyDeleteI can vouch for Aubert--we found some nice wines there.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your company. Lewis and I are off to Austin in a couple of hours.
Amazing the colourful world you can find even on a foggy, muted day. As you say one needs to look closely at everything. I enjoy both sets of photos. The spider web reminded me of my childhood when I would watch a spider for hours fascinated by his intricate spinning.
ReplyDeletePlease send along your recipe for blanquette de veau, when you get a break from your company. Glad to see the vines starting to do their stuff.
ReplyDeleteone of the secrets of the dog walking peoples is that early spring shoots during grey weather are among the most beautiful -- the chartreuse and gray. thanks, so pretty.
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