Expect the unexpected...

 

The four-storey building in the middle of the photo above has featured here before,this is it back in March last year when we were down helping Richard and Francoise get the house to the left of it ready to be rented out. Coincidentally we had guests at 'Les Balcons' way back, who used to holiday in the house every year as it was their friend who owned it. It is now owned by a lovely Irish/English couple who were kind enough to invite us along with Richard and Francoise and other French neighbours to give the village its first experience of a 'high tea'!

It proved to be a great success with the delights served up by Fiona and Leon in beautiful surroundings, going down a treat.

Petit foire aux vins and coals to Newcastle.

Mormoiron  had it's 'foire aux vins' yesterday,it was a quiet affair made even more so with rain in the morning. But the sun came out in the afternoon which allowed us to check out Richard's competition.

 

 This is him talking 'viticulteur vigneron' with the new owner of the small estate that was Francoise's former family home. They have changed the name to 'Domaine Les Chancel'  and are investing heavily in promoting their new wines - which are, as we found out. very palatable. We bought some of the first rosé produced on the estate, aptly named 'Le Rosé No1' which we had to accompany our evening meal last night - very nice! We sampled and bought from a few other growers - as if we need any more wine?

Taking steps to return home to Touraine...

We are heading home tomorrow after a great stay here with family but you may not be surprised to here that I did a little work while here...more on that later. 

R&F are renovating another house in the village - it is the one to the left of the lovely four-storey house in the background above and he had a couple of projects they needed my help with.

We will miss Monmoiron and Provence but are looking forward to being back in Southern Touraine in these uncertain times.

A walk around the village of Mormoiron under a blue sky..

Working among the vines...

Spent yesterday morning helping my brother Richard tie back some of his vines here in Provence. As the sun was beating down on us I was thinking, 'who would have thought way back in our 'Ardgour Road' days in Kilmarnock that we would one day be tending vines in the south of France under Mont Ventoux?' and just as the thought filled my head Richard actually expressed the same!

Looking back towards the village from his'cabin'

A neighbour walked past as we were working and although he was walking normally, turns out he was Kléber Leduc who was in the Guinness Book of Records for walking backwards! 

     

          

Woke up this morning in Provence...

Beautiful...