BRATISLAVA

Last year we attended a concert in the Eglise-Saint-Michel in Fontevraud. The Chamber Orchestra of Bratislava performed the works of Mozart, Rossini, Vivaldi, and Saint-Saens among others. This year we went again to hear an almost identical programme.
Last year it was cold and wet on the last Sunday of June. We thought the Summer was never going to start. We huddled together in the cold church.
This year things were different, weather-wise. It was a beautiful warm day followed by a pleasant evening. The show was not a sellout, though, possibly because of the big football final between Germany and Spain (Spain 1, Germany 0). Even though there were fewer people I didn’t think there was the intimacy between performers and audience that made the music sparkle last year. It was still a very pleasant performance, especially the flautist.

RICHELIEU

STEVE AND TIM

We were invited to a picnic at the “new” house of Steve and Tim. They recently signed the papers to finalize the purchase of an old farmhouse out in the country, close to Lerné. The house is a mess – it hadn’t been lived in for more than ten years. And when it was lived in 12 people lived there in two tiny rooms and no bathroom (the equivalent of a $1.2 million fixer-upper in the Bay Area). They do have extensive caves on the property that were used for wine production and storage. There is also a barn and a pighouse. Their goal is to get the main house up and running as a temporary living space while they work on converting the barn into their permanent home. The long term goal is to have a gite (farmhouse vacation rental) and a catering and demonstration kitchen where they will be running a cooking school.
The property looks like a hopeless project but they have the vision and the experience (and the money) to transform it into a wonderful center for the culinary arts. Check back here next year for an update.




Karen Normandy took this photograph of “the boys” showing the barn, which will eventually be the main living quarters for Steve and Tim. In the background is the view of the Chateau from the farmhouse.

HOLLYHOCKS

The first time we ever visited Fontevraud the alleyway from the parking lot to the church was lined with tall hollyhocks. That was probably about five years ago. Now the hollyhocks are mostly gone, replaced by an avenue of linden trees (tilleuls). I could find only one remaining hollyhock. We tried to remember if the lindens had always been there in the background or if they have been recently planted. Either way, the tall stately hollyhocks have lost their place in the sun and are bypassed by a world that has found something newer and shinier to amuse it.

BOUNCING ABOUT

I got up early today for my first full day in France. I say that I got up early but the reality is that the bed is so hard that I hardly slept at all. Nevertheless, I was excited to see all the changes that Rich has made to the house. Upstairs we now have one large dormitory style bedroom. The ugly dark built-in closet is gone and the housing for the stairway to the grenier has also been pulled out, revealing a nice small space that will eventually house the shower and toilet. Rich also had part of the wall that formed the entry to the stairs torn out so that now there is a generous access to the upstairs without the door at the bottom.
After breakfast we took a ride into Chinon, lovely Chinon. It was lunchtime so everything except restaurants and bars was closed. We started to walk about. We came across an exhibition of works by a woman named Isabelle Thomas, a friend of Karen’s. She was in the shop arranging things. When she saw us peering through the windows she beckoned us in and offered us a glass of wine while we perused her work. She told us about a group of English and French people who meet upstairs from the shop to practise their respective languages. We went upstairs to meet them. They invited us to the next lunchtime meeting to practise our French (Mondays for French, Thursdays for English).
We continued walking around. We poked our head in to say hello to M. Wilbrun, the barber. He was excited to see me but a little disappointed that my hair is so short. We agreed that it would be at least two weeks before any trimming would be necessary. We stopped to have refreshment at the café in the square.
Later in the afternoon we headed over to Fontevraud. We went to visit the new studio of Gregoire, the stain-glass maker. He had a party of people in the shop and he appeared to be giving a lecture about hisw process and his art. After that group left we invited him to have a drink with us so that we could chat. He told us that he was born in Algeria during the war to parents of Spanish ancestry (his surname is Garcia-Pepin) then when his parents no longer had a country (the Algerians won the war, thankfully) they moved to Ivory Coast for his first seven years before returning to the motherland. He spent some time in London and New York and eventually moved back to Paris and pursued a career as a fashion designer. Now he is tired of the big city and lives outside Fontevraud. His interest in stained-glass has evolved from a hobby into a full-time passion.

CHAPELLE SAINTE-CATHERINE

I got a chance to see inside Karen’s latest project, the Chapelle Sainte-Catherine with its distinctive “lanterne de mort”. The chapel was built in the Plantagenet style and was completed around 1225.
Karen is restoring the chapel and creating a small living space adjacent to it. When everything is finished she is hoping to rent the space to a cultural foundation who could use it to showcase the work of local artists.

CHEZ-NOUS, MONTSOREAU

We are falling into a nice relaxed rhythm of jaunts around the countryside, meetings with friends, afternoon glass of wine at a café, and dinner in our backyard with a bottle of wine.

RECYCLE BIN OF HISTORY

I saw this bin in Eddie’s neighborhood. Obviously, some Sinners (Sinn Fein) live in this house. It’s good to know that the flame still burns in someone’s heart.
The vote on the Lisbon Treaty was quite a shock for the rest of the Union. Ireland voted to reject the treaty. We were the only country that had a plebiscite on the treaty. Now, the wrath of God has descended on the Irish for being so ungrateful for all that Eurpoe has done for us.
Personally, I can’t see why anyone ever thought Ireland would vote to approve the treaty. One major provision would reduce the size of the Commission, a sort of executive cabinet, taking away Ireland’s one representative and giving us a share in a representative instead. The other major issue involved the creation of a European army. Ireland has a longstanding policy on neutrality that prevents us from being part of military alliances.
The French are about to take over the rotating Presidency. M. Sarkozy is poised to visit Ireland to “encourage” us to rethink our vote and fall in line with the plans of the large member states to rationalize the government of the Union in the context of future expansion (currently 27 member states, but Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia are waiting for their invitation).

THREE SISTERS

I went to see Chekov’s “Three Sisters” at the Abbey today. It being Saturday I went to the afternoon matinee show. I was still a bit groggy from the long flight across the Atlantic and the attendant jetlag. The weather didn’t help – cold, overcast, blustery gusts with intermittent showers – a perfect Winter’s day.
The play is an adaptation by Brian Friel. In my mind I was expecting some kind of Irish theme, perhaps a retelling of the life of the Gore-Booth sisters and their part in the Irish Revolution. That was not to be. I could not figure out what it meant for the play to be adapted by Brian Friel as opposed to simply being directed by him. I thought the play was good but the acting was lackluster. I was never convinced that I had entered into a different world. It seemed to sprawl across the stage with no clear direction. I would like to read the play (I wished that I had done that before going to see it acted out) and see it again.

SFO - DUB

Vitaly came by to pick me up. Sharon was busy with Vladimir so I didn't get to see them before I left.
The flight was uneventful. I was sitting beside a Scotsman who was on his way to Glasgow via Dublin. He began to tell me his story but I feigned indifference so he didn't bother. Fortunetly he slept for most of the flight.
The flight was late getting into Dublin. Helen was waiting for me. She filled me in on all the family stuff - Joe, Uncle Victor, Aine and ex. After that I needed to go to bed. I slept for about eight hours. I hope I will be able to sleep tonight to get back on track.