Shrinkwrapped Roof

The roof on the Chateau of Candé has been shrinkwrapped! They are once again undergoing major building works, having received a substantial grant from the Conseil Général (along with the other sites run by the departmental council, such as the Prieuré de Saint Cosme). Presumably this and the various temporary structures to protect people entering and leaving the building is a prelude to getting a new roof. We will watch developments with interest as this is one of our favourite chateaux. We were most impressed with how discreetly the building works has been blended in so the visual disruption and potential disappointment for visitors is minimised.

******************************************

A la cuisine hier: Pollachius virens (aka Atlantic Pollock, Coley or lieu noir), brined and poached in an oriental style broth made from sherry, rice vinegar, canola oil, soy sauce, ginger and garlic (see recipe here). A great way to treat a cheap, fragile and unexciting fish like coley.

****************************************************

Supporting Our Local Orphans: Yesterday we went to the annual plant fair held at the Chateau of Verneuil sur Indre. The chateau is home to a horticultural college that takes disadvantaged kids and trains them to be horticulturalists, landscapers and gardeners. Most of the kids are sans papiers ('without papers'), meaning they are refugees. Most have arrived in France as minors with few or none of their family with them. They raise many of the seedlings for sale at the fair, but other nurseries are invited to have stalls as well. We bought red and white bedding plants for our window boxes and I won an ornamental sage plant in the tombola. We timed our arrival and departure perfectly, being in the greenhouse for the duration of an almighty downpour.