A Coincidence

One of the best things my parents ever did for me was give me a love of reading. I have books I was given when I was three years old, and although I don't read them 5 times a day as I did back then, they are still in my possession.

When we kids were older, Mum and Dad used to give us enough money at the start of each school holiday to buy a Puffin paperback. My favourite genre was history based fiction, whether it be ancient, medieval, or even 1950's - which (with apologies to some of our readers) I also used to think of as the olden days.

Although I no longer have most of those books, I remember them fondly, particularly the books of Geoffrey Trease. One I struggled to remember the name of was "The Red Towers of Granada" which I found recently and re-read on the internet archive. 

This led me on a bit of a reading blitz, and it has to be said that the books have stood the test of time. 

However, that isn't really what this blog is about (or maybe it is, who knows). The books on the internet archive are scanned copies of ex-library books, and it's fascinating where the books come from. One of the books I read, "Escape to King Alfred" - the American title of "Mist over Athelney" (a cracking good read, btw) - had a stamp on the title page that is a fascinating and a remarkable coincidence.

Back in November 2019 we met Sally and Gary from the USA, who must have gone to the Châteauroux Dépendent School when their father was posted to the NATO Air Force base at Châteauroux.

I wonder if either of them read this book, which apparently made its way back to the US when the France withdrew from NATO and the American based closed in 1967.

The Sand Dwellers

Any patch of sand in a sunny spot is likely to have residents, especially if it is near a patch of willow. At this time of year, look out for solitary bees, which ironically, may form large colonies in suitable sandy habitats. You may spot these three species in particular:

Grey-backed Mining Bee nest.

Grey-backed Mining Bee Andrena vaga -- a large shining black mining bee with lots of buffy grey 'fur' on the thorax. Abundant and specialising in willow, collecting the bright yellow pollen to store away in its nest hole to feed its larvae. 

Female Grey-backed Mining Bees, with and without pollen loads.

Vernal Colletes bee Colletes cunicularius -- a large dark brown bee with dense tawny 'fur' on the thorax. They produce a waterproofing substance from a gland in their abdomen that they smear on the inside of the underground brood cells that they dig. Colletes can be identified by a distinctive S shaped vein on their wing.

Vernal Colletes.

Lathbury's Nomad Bee Nomada lathuriana -- a parasite of Grey-backed Mining Bees. They have a three coloured abdomen and tawny hairs on the abdomen. The nomad bee lays its egg in the nest of the mining bee and its larvae hatch first. They then eat the mining bee egg and its stock of pollen.

Lathbury's Nomad Bee.

All photographed in early April 2023 in the same few metres of compacted sandy soil on the island in the Loire at Amboise.

Petit Sale aux Lentilles

This time of year is a good moment for putting petit salé aux lentilles on the table.

You will need: A piece of uncooked brine cured pork belly cut into strips, some vegetables for making stock, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns. And lentils. We prefer the local green (or pink) Berry lentils, but any green or brown lentil will do. 

Chop the vegetables into dice and put in a saucepan with a little oil, bay leaves, peppercorns and whole garlic. Heat on medium heat to soften the veggies slightly then put in the petit salé and cover with water. As soon as the water starts to boil reduce the heat so that the water is just moving, cover and leave for a couple of hours. Once the meat is soft remove it from the stock, put on a plate and cover.

Wash your lentils, put in the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and leave until they are almost soft, but have a little bite in them. Add the pork back to the pan for 5 minutes.

There you go - a very traditional French recipe for very little effort.

That'll be Wattle

One of the earliest trees to flower in the spring in France is the wattle. It's a real blast of sunshine yellow in the grey days of February and March, when most of the native European trees don't have leaves. The early blossom - usually some sort of Prunus - may be out, but not much else. The plant seen in France is either Silver Wattle Acacia dealbata or Cootamundra Wattle Acacia baileyana (or a hybrid of the two, Acacia Mirandole), both natives of Australia which are widely planted in gardens, to the extent that both are considered noxious weeds in some parts of Europe. It is a seasonal favourite with florists, who sell tonnes of the stuff by its international floristry name of mimosa.

This could be Acacia dealbata, although it might also be Acacia baileyana. Shepherd's Lookout, November 2024.

Wattle is a really ancient plant, at least 23 million years old and which pre-dates Australia's separation from Antarctica. Each of their fluffy spherical pollen rich flowers are actually a group of dozens of tiny individual flowers and they have hard seeds which can survive and germinate after bushfires. Some of the species are frost tolerant to -5 Celsius or lower, why is why they also survive in France. Surprisingly, the genus Acacia has been discovered to belong to the pea family Fabaceae. Nevertheless they are not all that closely related to the plant called Acacia in France, which is also in Fabaceae, and should more properly be called Robinia pseudoacacia.

Silver Wattle was first introduced to France in 1864 and planted in a garden in Cannes la Bocca. Soon after, demand from the wealthy winter residents of Cannes meant that hundreds of plants were imported and planted in the area. In 1880 Antibes and Cannes planted Silver Wattle as boulevard trees. By 1930 there was extensive cultivation of Silver Wattle in the Alpes-Maritime, at first for the perfume trade, but from the Second World War most growers concentrated on the floristry trade. Since the 1980s the area of cultivation has halved from its peak of 800 hectares. There is currently much talk about declaring Acacia dealbata and Acacia baileyana as invasive species in France.

Wattle Day in Australia is 1 September, the first day of the Australian spring. Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha is Australia's floral emblem.

A Long Way From Home

Back in summer 2019 we visited the Domaine de la Garrelière, near Richelieu. We wrote about it here. When we were in Australia last year we had lunch at Sunny's Kiosk, which we wrote about here. 

Those two incidents are linked by something in this photo. Can you see it? I am amazed that I spotted it and identified the style from across the room.

Of course we had to take it down just to be sure, and no, we didn't buy it.

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

Edit: after writing this I checked, and we still have 5 bottles in our cellar. It's an older vintage, though.

How Are 'Our' Ukrainians Getting On?

The Association d'Accueil et Accompagnement ddes Réfugiés en Sud Touraine, of which I'm a committee member, has been working with displaced Ukrainians since the beginning of the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

 

Nataliya and Anna, both of whom have moved to bigger cities where there are more opportunities.

So it is three years already since the sad exodus from Ukraine and the arrival in Preuilly sur Claise and surrounding villages of 'our' Ukrainian families.

Since April 2022 AARST has striven to accompany the Ukrainians in the different aspects of their lives here -- housing, health, administration, learning the French language, education, employment, transport and leisure.

 

Franco-Ukrainian Christmas party.

Today there are 24 Ukrainians in Preuilly, 6 in Yzeures sur Creuse, and 10 in la Roche Posay. So 40 people in all, of which 14 are children.

The children speak better and better French, and receive a mostly normal education. All of the women work -- at the retirement home, home help, local businesses, restaurants, school cantines, the town hall, and some have their own businesses (eg as couturiers). They have become independent. One family has left for Tours so their older children can continue their education. Another family has emigrated to the United States.

 

Our beautiful Ukrainian women.

Some families have had their share of bad news from Ukraine or have had to face serious illness. They all hold their heads high, despite the war that goes on and on. AARST entered 2025 knowing that the uncertainties are likely to persist. But there is always some hope that the war will end this year.

'Our' families still have numerous needs to be met by us, but our team of volunteers is wonderful, always ready to help, and we have the support of the town halls of Preuilly and Yzeures, other charitable associations and donors.

 

Ukrainian children playing at a picnic I organised.

Thank you everyone.

 

Mainly translated from Christiane Beau's annual report for AARST. She is the president and founder of AARST.

Cycling to Scandiwegia

Last year at the end of May I was on my way to buy bread when I encountered the tail end of a little ceremony taking place at the town hall. It turned out to be for a young man setting off to cycle to Scandinavia, and I never got round to recording it on the blog. 

Paul Brault, the 20 year old grandson of the owner of the hotel l'Esperance in Preuilly sur Claise, cycled 4000 kilometres in 8 weeks, from Preuilly through seven countries via Amsterdam and Stockholm to Trondheim and Oslo in Norway. 

He says the journey allowed him to reconnect with the simple things of life, and his days fell into a rhythm based around finding food and drink and somewhere to sleep. The warm welcome he received all the way along touched his heart as much as the immensity and diversity of the fjords. He called the adventure Project Rejsen (bicycle trip in Danish).

His idea was to challenge himself, inspire other young people to take up similar challenges, and to travel in a way that was sustainable.

The Environment Police

A big part of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) responsibilities is policing the environment. Their officers are part of the decentralised State administrative and judiciary system (which is to say, they are not a branch of the military like the gendarmes are, and they are appointed by the prefectures). As such they have police powers to step in to manage issues of disruption of public order, taking either preventative or ongoing action. Their areas of responsibilities can be quite broad, taking into account environment laws and the penal code, but also laws specific to forests, rural areas and marine fishing.

Their roles include checking that the detention and health of wild animals; the development of natural areas; and water quality, all meet the requirements of the law. They may work in a marine or aquatic environment, in natural areas (where they are concerned with nature protection, and the circulation of motor vehicles), protecting wildlife and geology, hunting, fishing, education and outreach, and infractions involving littering and fly tipping. So they might be booking someone riding a quadbike on a dirt track where motorised vehicles are banned, or they might be investigating the dumping of tyres in a ditch, or they might be checking the health of circus animals. According to a friend who has had cause to call them a couple of times they will arrive to investigate situations as diverse as your dog being poisoned to a farmer burning used plastic 'mulch' on a melon farm.

 

Environment Police in the Pyrénées National Park, photographed by me in 2023.

They work closely with the gendarmes in rural areas, and with customs officers in relation to the international trade in wild animals.

There are 3000 environment police in France and every year they conduct 20 000 checks to ensure individual or businesses are complying with the law. This work makes up two thirds of their activities. Most of these checks (31%) are conducted on hunters. Checks on the preservation of aquatic habitats are 16% of their work, and checks on water quality are another 16%. 

Of those checks, 44% were on private individuals, 19% on farmers, 10% on organisations, 11% on businesses and 6% on property owners. Many of the checks (40.5%) are regular and scheduled, 22.3% are unannounced and 34.4% are in response to a complaint. Those found to be in contravention of the law will be issued with a warning or a fine (3600 in 2021). The environment police may also conduct a judicial enquiry (5900 in 2021).

In the field the officers may be expected to intervene in potentially confrontational or even violent situations. To protect themselves they wear uniforms with distinctive logos and clearly identifiable branding. They also carry handcuffs, telescopic batons and pistols, which can be used only in self-defense. They receive firearms training when they are recruited, and undergo frequent training on behaviours to adopt when dealing with the public.

The fact that they are armed is somewhat controversial, and has been a target of criticism by farmers unions, who feel it is inappropriate and unnecessarily threatening for officers to turn up armed when they visit farms. I've also been told of a case where an officer turned up at a conservation association meeting wearing his side arm (we assume because he couldn't leave it in his car, but my source commented that it seemed inappropriate).

Three Spring Flowering Cinquefoil Species You Can See in the Loire Valley

Cinquefoil plants look a lot like strawberry plants, and that's because they are in the same family. These three flower in early spring and you can see them around the forest trails and hot dry environments.

Vernal Cinquefoil Potentilla verna (Fr. Potentille printaniere) -- favouring dry short grassland, roadsides and sunny slopes, the five segmented leaves are velvety and the flowers bright yellow. It is abundant but localised here on dry gravelly or sandy sites.

Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis (Fr. Fraisier sterile) -- this one looks a lot like a Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca (Fr. Fraisier des bois), but its fruit is dry and does not resemble strawberries. It is frequently mistaken for Wild Strawberry by my walking companions and I have to disabuse them. It is easy to tell the two species apart once you know how though. The leaves of Barren Strawberries are toothed along the edge like Wild Strawberries, but with Barren Strawberries the terminal tooth is shorter than the two either side, unlike Wild Strawberries. It is a good nectar plant and attractive to pollinating insects. It is abundant in the Loire Valley, growing in the semi-shade in cool deep neutral soils, in woods, hedgerows, forestry parcels, heaths, grasslands and along tracks.

Mountain Cinquefoil Potentilla montana (Fr. La Potentille brillante) -- white flowers and trifolate leaves. Despite its name, this is a lowland species of flinty soils. It is rare enough that its presence on a site will allow you to declare a Zone Naturelle d'Intéret Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique (ZNIEFF). I've only ever seen it once, near Etableau.

Everything You Need to Know About French Pink Radishes...

Anyone who has ever been to France will have noticed that French people love small pink radishes. Except in the depths of winter they are piled high at the markets. French consumers describe them as cool, crunchy, thirst quenching and a bit spicy. They are very much a feature of spring salads here and liven up the palate after winter. 

 

Organic radishes at les Jardins Vergers de la Petite Rabaudière last week.

They've been cultivated for at least 4000 years. Charlemagne was a big fan and recommended that one cultivate them in abundance. They are indeed very easy to grow, and very prolific. You can grow them almost year round, and they take about a month from sowing the seed to harvesting. The best are grown between March and June, and this year they are now in full swing at our local organic market garden, les Jardins Vergers de la Petite Rabaudière. The worker I spoke to said they are particularly good this year too.

 

Organic radishes being washed at Les Jardins Vergers de La Petite Rabaudière last week.

These little pink radishes come in a number of guises. They can be more or less spicy, spherical or long, pink all over or bicoloured pink and white. The larger ones grown in the summer and autumn are hotter, and they are prone to splitting or being hollow and fibrous. If they go soft it means they are not fresh. When you are buying, choose small, hard, vividly coloured radishes, with green leaves that are not showing any sign of wilting or rotting. And don't discard those leaves -- use them in soup!

The central and western Loire Valley, from Orléans to the Atlantic coast is where most French radishes are grown commercially. So living where I do I have access to the freshest and best. Shame I'm not really all that fond of round radishes. I prefer daikon, and only if it's pickled...

 

Organic radishes at Les Jardins Vergers de La Petite Rabaudière.

France produces nearly 50 thousand tonnes of pink radishes a year, second only to Germany in Europe. French people consume on average 1.5 kilograms each per year of pink radishes.

Pink radishes are mostly water, so they aren't very calorific. They are a good source of fibre, Vitamin C, folic acid (Vitamin B9), potassium and polyphenols (antioxydants).

 

Fabrice Lecomte with his radishes from Villandry at Loches market (photo from our archive).

Ideally, eat them the day you buy them or the next day, while they are as firm and crunchy as possible. They will keep in the fridge in a perforated plastic bag for a week maximum. If they turn out to be spicier than you would like, then pickle them.

To prepare them cut the leaves off so that a tuft of stems remains. Pinch off the hair root at the other end. Use a knife to scrape off any bits that look unappetising. Wash in cold water, scrub with a brush if necessary, drain and dry. Eat with gusto.

Mostly they are eaten with a pinch of salt, a dab of butter and some good bread, but they can be enjoyed in other simple dishes.

• chop finely and add to a creamy dressing for salad greens.
• chop roughly and add to potato salad.
• use instead of cucumber to make a different version of tzatziki.
• fry in butter with thyme and serve with chicken.
  

 The black winter radish and the white daikon are also popular in France.

On Guard

When we were in Wagga Wagga I asked that we visit the Royal Australian Air Force base, and the small museum by its gates. I had seen the gate guardians on G**gle street view and wanted to see them for myself.

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet-engine fighter, and the first jet used by the RAAF. It saw action in the Korean War.

The English Electric Canberra Bomber served in Vietnam, carrying out bombing and reconnaissance missions. It was built under licence by the Government Aircraft Factories from 1953, and served until 1982.

The Aermacchi MB-326 (Macchi) jet trainer arrived in Australia from Italy in 1967. Later examples were built under licence in Australia. It was in service until 2001.

The Dassault Mirage III-O was a third-generation fighter used by the RAAF in operations across Asia. It was licence built in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. It was in service from 1963 to 1988.

The General Dynamics F-111C is remembered for the long and expensive procurement. It's an "Australianised" version of the American plane, and the alterations caused a 10 year delay in delivery. I can remember the fuss.

I remember seeing all of these aircraft flying, with the exception of the Gloucester Meteor, which left service before we arrived in the country.

Condor Creek Hut

When we were in Canberra last year, I went with SuperBro for a little drive in the mountains behind Canberra. This has become a bit of a tradition between us — growing up when we did, the mountains behind Canberra hold many memories. The Brindabella Mountains form part of the Great Dividing Range and, in many ways, are Canberra's playground.

The Brindabellas on a rainy day

One place I never visited back in the day — probably because it was too easy to get to — was Condor Creek Hut. It's directly opposite the turnoff to Blue Range Hut, the beginning of many youthful adventures. Constructed in the early 1930s as a forestry camp, by the late 1940s the hut provided accommodation for immigrants, reflecting Australia's post-war resettlement efforts. A picture of the hut as it was can be found here.

Condor Creek Hut, last year

The hut was surrounded by pine plantations, which were harvested shortly before the devastating 2003 bushfires. The clearing didn't save the hut, which was destroyed by the fire, and it hasn't been rebuilt.

The Youngest Cyclist Ever in the Tour de France

This year, on Sunday 13 July, the Tour de France will be whizzing through Preuilly sur Claise, as it did in 1998 and 2008 [https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2008/07/circus-hits-town.html]. We are very much looking forward to it, as we try to witness a stage every year, and it is nice to have it on one's doorstep (almost literally -- we'll only have to stroll about 50 metres to be in the thick of it). To get us in the mood, here is some history that you probably don't know:

In 1904 a young man named Camille Fily lined up at the start of the second Tour de France, in Montgeron, near Paris. He had just turned 17, and he was born in Preuilly sur Claise. The youngest of five children born to Henri Fily, a cutler, and Marie-Louise Bourin, an umbrella reparer, he was also the youngest competitor there has ever been in the Tour de France. His parents showcased their work at various local markets and Camille helped out. He and his brothers were mechanically minded and very interested in bicycles.

He became a father at a very young age, but nevertheless completed his obligatory military service with the 32nd Infantry Regiment. When the 1914 mobilisation order was issued, Camille, now aged 27, was sent to the Front with the 80th Infantry Regiment. He was attached as a runner to a Colonel's staff, and was regularly cited as having accomplished his mission with a remarkably cool head and was described as a brave, conscientious and energetic soldier. As a messenger he cycled from one trench to another all along the line. He was killed in Belgium, two days before his 31st birthday.

Camille started racing when his parents moved to Loches and he joined the Société vélocipédique. In 1904 he was signed up for the Tour de France, at that point a six stage race over 2428  kilometres. It was a real physical challenge, where competitors raced day and night. There were 80 riders, and they were regularly 'welcomed' with showers of stones, or nails scattered on the road.

In 1905 Camille competed for a second time in the Tour de France, which in that year was 2994 kilometres. The rules had evolved, so there was no more riding at night, and classifications were made on the basis of points, not times. The welcome in the villages had not changed though and the spectators were not happy. Amongst 60 racers Camille finished 14th, and was the first in his team, Guérin Cycles. The same year Camille came 10th in the Bordeaux-Paris. He set off at 2 am and arrived about 14 hours later, having raced the 600 kilometre course virtually non-stop.

The next year his first child was born, and he gave up racing. He was just 19 years old.

 

This post is essentially my translation of an article by Patricia Pillorger for the Centre Généalogique de Touraine. 

Further Reading: The very good entry on Fily in Cyclists in the Great War Wikia (including a photo of the dashing young Camille).

https://cyclists-in-the-great-war.fandom.com/wiki/Camille_Fily

 

Photos in this post are all from 2008, when the Tour last passed through Preuilly, from our archive. They show the peleton passing the end of our street.

Les Espaces Naturels Sensibles (Sensitive Natural Sites) in the Touraine

 Pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris (Fr. Anémone pulsatille), one of several rare and protected plants that grow on the ENS des Puys Chinonais.

There are 21 of these nature reserves in the Touraine, all open to the public and carefully managed to preserve their unique natural characteristics. 

 

Ile de la Métairie. On the banks of the Loire, offering a rich and diverse native flora, with many annuals and wooded aluvial habitats.

These nature reserves allow the protection and understanding of Touraine heritage by combining ecology and teaching. In protected surroundings, enticing for walking and immersing oneself in nature you are invited to discover the diversity of the Touraine's landscapes.

 

 Domaine de Candé. A 230 ha country park encompassing forest, damp grassland and streams, surrounding a chateau dating from two main construction periods.

The objective of the policy of creating ENS is to preserve the quality of these sites and landscapes by ensuring the safeguarding of natural habitats. They are developed so as to be open to the public. Altogether the sites constitute a network of diversified spaces, representative of the Touraine.

 

Eperon Barré du Murat. A yellow tuffeau (limestone) ridge with prehistoric structures, where you can see a remarkable number of orchid and insect species.

The majority of ENS are former extensive agricultural zones (pasture, arable, forestry, fishponds) where the management by farmers over hundreds of years has contributed to maintaining a variety of flora and fauna. The abandonment of these activities has led to an imbalance and a degradation of the spaces. Maintenance carried out by volunteers has allowed the biodiversity to be restored.

 

 Les Grandes Fontaines. These vast calcareous grasslands which stretch out to the north of the Champeigne Tourangelle plateau offer a rich biodiversity. In summer you can encounter lowland bird species such as the little bustard, Eurasian stone-curlew and Hen Harrier.

I've been to about half of the sites, so the photos are from my archive.

 

 Etang du Louroux. Bordered by woods and grasslands, this site of 110 ha (of which 60 ha is the étang/dam itself) offers a mosaic of natural habitats which attracts great numbers of birds all year long.

The complete list of sites in Indre et Loire:  https://espacesnaturels.touraine.fr/espaces-naturels-touraine.html

A Bat's Life in the Touraine

 Sometimes they are fast asleep.

 

 Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Fr. Pipistrelle commune).

From November to April they hibernate in stable cold places with high humidity. By spring they will have lost a third of their body weight. Their hearts beat 15 times less rapidly and they only breath once every hour and a half.

 

Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Fr. Grand rhinolophe). This bat may look asleep, but it knew we were there. It has drawn itself up a bit. A relaxed bat hangs on remarkably long legs.

Photo courtesy of my sister.

 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to not disturb hibernating bats. If you disturb them to the extent they fly then they are using the energy they need to get them through to spring alive. Do no speak if there is a bat present. Make as little noise and movement as possible. Do not deliberately go into a hibernation site just to see the bats and photograph them. If you want to see bats, do what I did, which was join a survey group, with an authorised person in charge.

A Common Pipistrelle in flight over our garden.

Sometimes they are active.

 

 Greater Mouse-eared Bat Myotis myotis (Fr. Grand murin). This is the largest bat species in France.

In spring they put the weight back on, before heading for their summer roosts. Some of them migrate just a few kilometres, others will go more than a thousand.

 

 Daubenton's Bat Myotis daubentonii (Fr. Murin de Daubenton).

 

In summer the females gather in maternity colonies. The mothers give birth to a single offspring per year, sometimes two. Only the females are involved in raising the young. The males live alone during summer or in small groups. Just as you must not disturb hibernating bats you must not disturb nursing mother bats.

This Daubenton's bat entered our bedroom when the window was open but the louvred shutters were closed. The best method of encouraging a bat in this situation to go back outside is to turn the light out, close the door and wait for them to fly or crawl back out of their own accord.

 

In autumn the males and females join one another and mating takes place and start checking out their hibernation sites.

 

 A Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotis auritus (Fr. Oreillard roux) hunting in our graineterie. I gather from an excellent lecture on bats that I attended recently that the population of this species is in freefall. It made me realise that I haven't seen one, or picked one up on the bat detector, for some years.

All the photos in this post are poor quality because I was being careful not to disturb the bats. No flash on hibernating bats, just the briefest possible time with a torch shone on them by my companion. 

 

A maternity roost of  Lesser Horseshoe Bats Rhinopholus hipposideros (Fr. Petit rhinolophe).

Photo courtesy of my sister.

All bats are protected in France, so it is illegal to disturb them or their roosts.