SCHOOL DINNERS

We had the French neighbours up for dinner on Saturday evening, and wanted to give them somethin gvery English for dessert.

So here it is, although the photo is crap..

Golden Syrup sponge served with custard.

We have not had that in 20 odd years.

The French loved it!

XMAS MARKET

Sunday we helped run the "tea house" for St Barts Anglican church at a Christmas market in the grounds of of a huge chateau near St Malo.

About 400 people turned up at various points during the day, and we worked in the kitchen doing hot pork rolls, cheese on toast, along with many types of cake, tea, and coffee.

Only minor problems in running with this function, mainly electrical.

Like..Turn the kettle on, then the oven goes off, and vice versa.

We just about coped for 4 hours, and the stall took about 800 euros.

At least the weather held up.

NEW BUSINESS

Well, work has suddenly changed in the last week.

Andy upped and left and headed back to England post haste.

No need to ask where my cut of the October money went, that's right, back to Blighty, never to be seen again. Still, that's friends for you.

It will be a small chicken in the Gard household this Xmas instead of Goose!

So, after rapid talks with Bill Wignall we went round and salvaged one of the main contracts at the Celtic residence on Pen Guen beach, right opposite the golf course. It has many high standard self contained flats and appartments, and extremely busy from march to Sept.

We are reponsible for maintainance of the large grounds, and also 3 tennis courts.

Having taken the contract from the holding company, it seems we might get the swimming pool contract back at Ruca next summer, a job I have enjoyed doing for the past 2 years.

Here is Bill on day one of leaf clearing with his leaf buster machine.

A short video of the history of the site can be found here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMHdzJL8c5Y

Onwards and upwards. This time next year we'll be millionaires!

AUTUMN CLEAN UP

Much cardboard and clipped tree brances had accumulated in the main garrage and wood store, so for 5 afternoon's on the trot now we have been burning the rubbish in the garden.

I don't care what you think about the enviromental issues, all the French do it, so we have at last joined them.

Anyway, I didn't sign up to the Kyoto agreement.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

As usual we went to the remembrance day ceremony in the village.

1130 local time, people walk from the mayor's to the church.

The bugler calls the minutes silence.

A citation is read out from the French President, and flowers laid.

Then it is back to the village hall for a vin d'honneur.

Always an important day to all that served no matter where you are in the world.

RESTAURANT ROAD TEST

I went with Bill, Sharon, Derek, & Sue to look at a possible venue for an RNA function for next year.

I had been given the tip about this restaurant by our oldest members Pip and Kaye Piper, having had this business card thrust in my hand at the Trafalgar lunch.

The card said L'Abri Des Flots, Pleudihen Sur Rance.

To cut a long story short, after a bit of searching and seemingly lost, I went into a restaurant just to find directions, only to find out that this was indeed the place we were looking for.

The place had a new conservatory at the front and had changed it's name to La Cale de Mordreuc a few years back.

God knows how old that card was that I had been given!

Anyhow, a very pleasant lunch with cracking views over The Rance has put this place onto the "Must Go" list

If anyone is coming to this area in the near future, give it a go.

Website is here: http://www.lacaledemordreuc.fr/

GATEAU ITALIANO

Marie looked after a cat belonging to some friends in the hamlet for a week whilst they went to Naples.

And as a gift they bought back these truly excellent orange frangipane cakes.

These need marketing in the UK...Delicious!

WINTER IS COMING

It's turned chilly very early here in Brittany.

The oil has been delivered, extra wood is coming Saturday, so we are pretty much set.

The rule of thumb in this house is, the colder it is outside, the more the dogs want to go in and out the house, hence releasing all the heating about 20 times a day. 

There are quiet times, and that involves taking up the sofa so no human can have a seat in the warmest room in the house.

Marie's pumpkin carving was an owl this year.

All the flesh made plenty of soup and a pumpkin pie.

So now we come to the quiet time of the year.

There is a Beef Bourguignon night in the village on Saturday 17th to raise funds for the local football team, and that is about it.

We have decided to have Xmas day at the Auberge du Manoir in the village.

Unlike the UK, prices stay the same for the festivities, so it is well worth doing.