May Days

Mutabilis roses filling in behind the garden bench, just as I hoped they would. They have taken 3 years.

In northern France, as well as in many other parts of Europe, les Saints de Glace (Frost Saints) are reckoned and respected in mid-May. St. Mamertus, St. Pancras and St. Servatius have feast days May 12-15 and are reputed to bring a sudden cold snap. Gardeners are warned that tender plants, especially tomatoes, should not be planted out of doors until after les Saints de Glace have been on their way—in other words, only after May 15. This year has not followed convention, and cold and rainy weather in April and early May has only now given way to some real warmth and sunshine.

The countryside between our house and Chablis, with clouds, rain and a ray of sun.

Earlier in the week we had a visit from my brother-in-law Andy Wilson and his wife Marsha for a few days, a most congenial couple who we haven't seen for far too long. It was a great pleasure for us to have them here and to share some adventures, some meals, much pleasant conversation and also some slightly unpredictable weather.

Photo by Andy of our village church which has recently been cleaned and renovated.

James and Daniel organized a trip to Chablis with a wine tasting at Domaine Brocard, a renowned vintner. This is a father and son team (Jean-Marc and Julien) who have their separate vines and produce their products differently while selling under one label. The father tends towards traditional ways, making for a clean, crisp flavor, while the son uses more modern techniques, creating a somewhat more complex and sophisticated product.

Brocard Winery

Oak barrels impart their influence on wine while stainless steel yields a cleaner, flintier taste. Jean-Marc and Julien use both. Chablis Chardonnay is special because of the terroir. Kimmeridgean marl, which was deposited in the Jurrassic Era, when the sea covered this area, is distinctive and particularly effective in producing crisp, dry, mineral white wines, which are my preferred.  

Oak barrels in the Brocard

cellar

The local village church of Sainte Claire makes a graceful landmark in the middle of the vineyards, just next door to the winery. The Brocard wines are therefore known as Sainte Claire wines.

The church of Sainte Claire

It was pleasant to sample paired wines side by side, one made by the father, the other by the son. We liked some from each generation/style and came home with a mixed case of our favorites.

Andy, Marsha, Daniel and James making their

evaluations

No visit to the area would be complete without a trip to the UNESCO Heritage site of Vezelay. So we wanted to be sure that Andy and Marsha would go there. The drive is about 40 minutes, so with the six of us, plus the dog, we took two cars. Rick and I entered the city by a forested pathway we had never discovered before, while the others used the normal gateway by the parking area. We had chosen to walk further up the road outside the city walls and happened upon this little entryway. It leads through trees and steeply upward into the town at the top level of the cathedral, over cobblestones and past secret gardens.

Charming stone walls and a cobbled road point the way toward the side of the cathedral.

We visited the church, which is magnificent, but for me the view from the hilltop town is the most interesting part. The valley below is perpetually green and the rolling hills, patches of trees and occasional small villages dotting the landscape create a sense of expansive tranquility.

Rick, Marsha, James (with Louÿs) and Andy

We brought a picnic and had a most enjoyable lunch overlooking the misty landscape. There were many other people about and surprisingly a stray donkey who calmly strolled the hillside and chomped at the grass while Louÿs observed him with interest from a safe distance.

Picnic lunch, French-style

Our way home brought us southward where we made a few detours suggested by James, map-lover and inveterate adventurer. The Morvan is a national park which is a mountainous area at the northern edge of France's Massif Central and begins here. It is full of natural wonders, waterways, hiking trails, rock formations with small rustic villages nestled in between. It is one of the most charming features of our area.

As we passed over a tall stone bridge, just outside the hamlet of Pierre-Perthius the Cure River flowed below us. When we stopped to investigate, we saw another small stone bridge in the river valley below surrounded by what looked like a very pleasant park. We did not have time to explore it, but definitely put it in our minds for next time. I discovered that the small bridge was build by Vauban, Louis XIV's military engineer, in 1770. What was he doing way down here?

An ancient stone bridge over the River Cure

While driving through this idyllic countryside, it was not difficult to fall into a reverie in which the problems of the everyday world fell away and to find myself in a dreamy innocence or fairy tale, imagining magical adventures just around the corner. The next stop wasn't far from that.

The hilly Morvan landscape inspires calm

We arrived at La Roche Percée (the pierced rock), a geologic marvel formed approximately 185 million years ago. This is apparently an excellent example of something known as silification. The stronger outer rock has withstood the erosion that the inner part succumbed to. Once a part of this cliff formation, the less stable stone has since crumbled away leaving a large hole.

La Roche Percée

Our last stop was the Vallée du Cousin, that we like to get a glimpse of whenever we are in the vicinity. This is where we spent our honeymoon and it holds a special place in our hearts. The Cousin River is more a babbling brook during the summer months, but this time was full and rushing.

The bridge over the river Cousin

On Wednesday Emily and family arrived. They had a long weekend holiday and joined the party. We did some gardening, starting with getting our vegetables in the ground. We planted tomatoes, squash, peppers, strawberries and lots of herbs.

Quinn and Zinnie supervised by Daniel

Our co-owner/residents, have been doing a lot of plant purchasing and planting. So many new garden shrubs and flowers have joined the front yard. We are looking forward to seeing who they turn out to be.

Daniel planting some wildflower seeds next to the pathway

This week we also celebrated Daniel's fortieth birthday with sparkling wine and a sparkling dessert. We had a lovely pizza dinner at our favorite local restaurant after which all three waiters clustered around to sing Daniel a happy birthday song. There was hilarity all around.

Photo by Marsha. Daniel was taken by surprise