The Bridore Granary

While we had visitors over the long weekend I took them to the marvellous and little known 15th century Chateau de Bridoré. They've made lots of improvements since the last time I was there, several years ago.

 

The gatehouse, with the tower which houses the silo on the righthand end.

One feature I had only ever seen from the outside before is the granary, or 'silo'. Now you can get inside the tower than protects it, and there is a full explanation of how it worked.

 

The gatehouse from inside the bas cour (lower courtyard).

The actual granary itself is a 5 metre wide pit in the floor of the tower. This is already a very old idea in the 15th century. We've seen pits for storing grain at a site visit to an archaeological dig of a Gallo-Roman farm near Sublaine, dating from more than a thousand years earlier.

 

15th century fireplace inside the tower.

The way it works is that the grain is deposited in the pit and trodden down several times to compact it during the process of filling the silo. Then the opening is sealed so the grain is stored hermetically. The top layer of grain will germinate, using up all the oxygen to do so, then die once the silo is anaerobic. This means that the grain is protected from rodents and insects, and so long as it stays dry, will last for years if necessary. 

When the grain was to be used the silo was opened and the grain transferred into sacks. A pulley hung from the beam above for hauling them out. I'm guessing that the silo was small enough that hopping in to shovel grain into sacks was not hazardous in the way it would be in a big modern silo (where the grain acts like quicksand).

 

Display showing how hams, sausages and fish were cured by hanging them from the beams and smoking them in the tower.

In addition to the silo there is a fireplace on the ground floor of the tower. A smoky fire would be used to cure meat and fish hanging from the beams, out of reach of all but the most determined rodents. 

The tower which contains the silo would have been used to station guards above what was the main entrance to the chateau in the 15th century.

 

A pulley used to haul sacks of grain (reconstruction).

In the 1970s the owner of the chateau discovered a human skeleton buried under the dirt floor of the tower, and a 15th century Spanish soldier's metal helmet.

Further Reading: 

My post on the Chateau de Bridoré  https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2015/03/chateau-de-bridore.html

My post about visiting the archaeological site near Sublaine https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2021/07/visiting-archaeological-dig.html

 

Hornet Blockade

We have a colony of feral honey bees living in the void between our attic floor and bedroom ceiling. They installed themselves back in April and really have been no trouble at all apart from me having to call Bernard the Beek to see if he could entice them into a 'proper' hive, and if not, ask his advice about how to manage them. The answer to the latter question is simple: there is no need to do anything at all.

The other day I noticed that there was a large number of bees huddled around the entrance to their hive, and hanging in the air in a thoroughly menacing way was a group of Asian Yellow-legged Hornets Vespa velutina (Fr. Frelon asiatique). These are notorious for raiding honey bee hives and beekeepers get very agitated about them.

Watching the action (or, to be honest, the lack of action) it seemed to me that the problem for the bees was not so much getting captured and eaten, but being trapped so they couldn't fly out and forage. It was a very hot day, and they could not fly off to find water for a drink either, and neither could they effectively fan the interior of the hive to keep it cool. The hornets dared not approach too closely as they would have got overwhelmed by guard bees who would envelope them in a mass of hot honey bees, thus killing the hornet. So it was a standoff, with the hornets presumably hoping that if they waited long enough the honey bees would fly in desperation. 

I don't know how long the situation endured. After lunch I looked again, and there were only a few guard bees at the hive entrance, and no hornets in sight. The next day I did see a hornet bearing off a honey bee.

The hornets will be wanting to catch bees to feed their own larvae. Hornet and wasp larvae are 'carnivores' and will eat the soft parts of other insects, which the adults either catch or scavenge for their young. It could also include bits of dead animals, ham and such from your picnic, and fish from the fishmongers at the market. The adult hornets and wasps themselves feed on sugary substances such as nectar that they forage from flowers, and soft drinks and jam at your picnic.

At the back door, the Asian Hornets are staking out the German wasps too, but here they are themselves having to fight off European Hornets Vespa crabro (Fr. Frelon), who also fancy a waspy snack.

European Hornet dismembering a European Wasp Vespula germanica on our door mat. The hornet has stung the wasp in the head and has already removed the abdomen.

The Choir Stalls in Poitiers Cathedral

The Zodiac character Sagitarius.

The choir stalls were put in place during the time of Bishop Jean de Melun in the mid-13th century. They are amongst the oldest still extant in France and are a beautiful example of Parisian Gothic.

 

 Bat.

A misericord.

Entrance to the upper tier of stalls on one side.

One of the misericords.

One end of one side of the choir stalls.

The back of the choir stalls.

Looking down the full length of one side of the choir stalls, towards the altar.

One end of one side of the choir stalls.

Cat and kitten.

 

Originally there were about a hundred seats but nowadays 37 each side remain. Even reduced to 74 seats they remind one of the importance of the Cathedral Chapter here.

 

Virgin and Child, with angels either side holding crowns.

The spandrels of the arcade above the high backs are adorned with angels holding two crowns, alternating with a multitude of varied subjects -- familiar animals, scenes from everyday life, allegorical decpictions of vices, an architect and his instruments, and a Virgin and Child with a slightly mannered grace.

Ratatouille

Organic heritage tomatoes at the Jardins Vergers de la Petite Rabaudière, where I buy my veggies.

It's ratatouille season in France, so here is a recipe to use up your tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and zucchini.

 

Organic homegrown zucchini (photo from our archive).

 

Ingredients

A big aubergine, cut into 2cm chunks

Olive oil

2 medium zucchini, cut into 2cm chunks

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 red and 1 yellow sweet pepper, cut into 2cm chunks

3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

4 medium tomatoes, cut into 2cm chunks

Pinch red pepper flakes

Pinch of sugar

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp dried thyme leaves

Ground pepper

 ¼ cup torn basil leaves

Method

1. Salt the aubergine and allow to drain for 20 minutes. Dry with paper towel.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the zucchini for a few minutes.
3. Add more olive oil and the aubergine to the pan, cook for a few minutes.
4. Add more olive oil, the onion and the peppers to the pan, cook for a few minutes.
5. Add more olive oil, the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and sugar to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar, thyme and pepper to the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Stir the basil into the pan contents and serve.

 

Garlic drying in a shed on one of our walks.

 

Tomatoes.

 

Organic heritage tomatoes.

 

Organic tomatoes at the market in Preuilly.

 

Onions drying in a shed on a farm near le Petit Pressigny.

 

Chillies drying at a specialist herbalist.

 

Ingredients for ratatouille.

 

A serving of ratatouille.

Organic green and yellow peppers at the gardens of the Chateau de Villandry. Visitors can take these for free (you are encouraged to leave a tip for the gardeners if you do so).

Australians in the Touraine

If we post at the weekend, it's usually about Australia. This time, something different.

Last weekend we were visited by my brother Jon, his wife Rosy, and mate Jan. We were doing a scenic drive through la Guerche, parked to take in the view and saw a friend out front of his house. He offered to take a photo of us all, so here it is.

We had an excellent weekend of sitting around in the heat, and having far too many picnics. It was great having family here, and we can't wait for the next time.

Jersey Grasshopper

 

This Jersey Grasshopper Euchorthippus declivus (Fr. Criquet du brome) joined me at the swimming pool the other day and posed obligingly on my towel. Thanks to Luxembourg based entomologist Raoul Gerend for identifying the species for me. I knew it was a grasshopper, but beyond that I was baffled. That's partly because it isn't in my go to general insect guide (Michael Chinery's Insects of Britain and Western Europe) and partly because it turns out to be a long-winged variant. These are apparently not uncommon, but not the norm, so most pictures online show a grasshopper with wings that are shorter than the abdomen.

This is a species of tall dry calcareous grassland. Raoul says that the white stripe was the indicator for him to be able to suggest an identification.

The adults are at their peak in August, and can be found throughout France. This one, with its long wings and white submarginal strip on the elytrae, is female. The colour can vary between individuals, from brown and grey to yellowish and greenish.

The House at the Sign of the Rose

In rue de la Cathédrale in Poitiers there is a rather grand looking student residence at Number 49. It is popularly known as the Hôtel de l'enseigne de la Rose (the House at the Sign of the Rose). It has a plaque on one side of its grand gateway saying Joan of Arc stayed there in 1429. But in fact, it turns out that not only did she not stay there, as the building is not old enough, it is not even actually on the site of the building she did stay in. That's two doors up, and has a different plaque. 

 

Student residence, known as the  Hôtel de l'enseigne de la Rose, but not the building by that name, nor on the site, of where Joan of Arc stayed.

Joan had come to Poitiers to see the King, Charles VII. She was interrogated by a group of theologians, who established that her divine mission was legitimate. 

 

The building on the site of the original Hôtel de l'enseigne de la Rose, where Joan stayed.

The English and their Burgundian allies had taken control of Paris, so Poitiers had become one of the the capitals of the 'Kingdom of Bourges'. The Royal Parliament was operating from the current Courthouse. Joan (Fr. Jeanne d'Arc) stayed in the home of Jean Rabateau, President of the Parliament, for a month in March and April of 1429, before she went off to break the seige of Orléans. 

Not a Drinker

The other day I found what I first thought was a Drinker in the bank. That's a type of moth, not an alcoholic. It turns out it wasn't a drinker, but a Plum Lappet Moth, Odonestis pruni.

This is the Plum Lappet in the bank.

I photographed it then helped it outside.

The wing colour ranges between yellow and orange, with reddish and brownish markings. On each forewing, there is a distinct white dot in the centre, near which lie two darker bands. It's considered a bit of a pest, due to the larvae's consumption of various crops. In french it's known as La Feuille-morte du prunier.

Whereas....

The Drinker Euthrix potatoria (Fr. la Buveuse) is a nocturnal moth in the fabulously teddy bearish and furry Eggar moth family Lasiocampidae.

This male Drinker is from my archive, photographed in Essex in 2002, in our garden.

The curious name, the same in French and English, comes from the caterpillar's reputation for sipping the morning dew off leaves.

 

Male Drinker on Simon's hand, from my archive.

The species is present in the whole of Europe and as far as Japan. In France it can be seen everywhere except some of the Mediterranean habitats. The adults are in flight from June to August. Eggs are laid on the host grass species and the caterpillars emerge, grow a bit, then overwinter. They finish their growth in the spring then spin a yellow coccoon attached to a grass stalk.

 From the archives.

They like damp grassland and forests, heaths, woodland clearings and roadsides. The caterpillars eat sedges Carex sp and grasses such as Cock's-foot Dactyla glomerata, Couch grass Elymus repens and Barren Brome Bromus sterilus.

You can see why I was confused.

The Western Facade of Poitiers Cathedral

The facade sits recessed between two towers and dates from the middle of the 13th century. The main features are a 9 metre wide central rose window and three great doors set into gables. The style is Northern Gothic. The rose window resembles that of the south transept of Notre-Dame de Paris.

 

 Western facade of the Cathedral.

Over the central door is depicted the Last Judgement carved in three rows. The dead are rising from their tombs in a mass movement. Saint Michael, sword in hand, separates the damned, who are thrown into the monsterous jaws of Leviathan. Christ the Judge shows his wounds. Kneeling at his sides are the Virgin and Saint John as well as angels displaying the instruments of the Passion. Characters from the Old and New Testaments are carved around the mouldings. 

 

 Central door.

The left door is similar, but with two rows, depicting Mourning the Virgin and the Coronation of the Virgin. The characters who crowd around Mary, attending her deathbed at the moment of the Assumption, are remarkable for the elegance of the their silhouettes, by the depth of carving and fluidity of their drapes, and by the dignity of their poses. Above, Christ blesses his mother, crowned by angels. Taking their place in the mouldings are saints and clerics. 

 

 Left hand door.

 

The tympanum of the door on the right is dedicated to Saint Thomas. This choice of theme is rare in Gothic sculpture. If the scene of the incredulity of the Apostle is traditional, the iconography of the upper register uses the version of the story told by Jacques de Voragine in the Legende Dorée (the Gilded Legend) involving the celestial apparition of a palace which the Apostle must construct for an Indian king. You can make out a building in the form of a tabernacle above the scene showing Saint Thomas preaching, baptising and distributing alms. This scene shows that the real palace is spiritual and not material. In the mouldings are the figures of angels, saints armed as knights, as well as the parable of the Wise Virgins and the Foolish Virgins.

 

Right hand door.

Executed around 1250 by one or several workshops, certainly including those who worked at Charroux, the collection of sculptures around the great doors of Poitiers Cathedral rival those of Paris, Bourges and Reims.

The level above the tympanums is dominated by a great rose window.

The gallery and the gable above that were added in the neo-gothic style in the 19th century.

The Mystery Revealed

 What, we asked on Friday, is this object?  [link to be inserted]

Further rummaging around in the cupboard at the gîte revealed that the object had a twin, with an extra piece that explained all. 

It's a cruet set! The trilogy (triptych? triumvirate?) of little revolving bowls are for salt, pepper and mustard. No doubt you can pick them up at any broccante...

A Cut Glass Mystery

We were invited to apéros with the cousins of friends the other day. They were staying in the gîte that we had stayed in before our house was habitable. So it was intriguing to see how much the building has changed in 20 years, and with three successive owners. 

And there was another intrigue. In the kitchen cupboard the cousins had found a curious cut glass object. They brought it out and we discussed its possible purpose. Was it a bell that had lost its clapper? Turned the other way up, was it a specimen vase, of the sort that went in a wall bracket or even some models of old car? 

Eventually we figured it out, but you'll have to wait until Monday to see the answer. Please submit your guesses over the weekend in the comments or by email!

Fundraising Trunks

Many French churches have what they call 'un tronc' (a trunk). They are boxes with a slot so people can make donations in cash. It can be connected to lighting a candle and the money is often destined to be alms for the poor (generally managed by Caritas), or sometimes to cover expenses linked to the parish or the maintenance of the church. There will usually be a note somewhere saying what the funds collected are to be used for. Sometimes the collection box will be associated with a particular saint.

 

A typical 'tronc'. This one is in Poitiers Cathedral. It seems to be raising money for the Cathedral bookshop, but I don't know to what purpose the money will be put.

Because they are left for the public to access, without surveillance, they are vulnerable to theft. So they are often inserted into a wall or floor, and locked, with the key held by someone responsible in the church.

 

One of my clients hammering a tack into the trunk in Loches.

In some churches the trunk is a literal tree trunk and those who wish to give 'buy' a tack and hammer it in (in lieu of buying a candle). This had a resurgence in 2010 when a priest in Dordogne revived the practice, but Saint Ours in Loches is one of only two churches to have an 'original' trunk, dating from the 1960s.

 

The porch of Saint Ours in Loches, with the 'tronc' on the left.

I read an account of a man convicted in the 19th century of robbing a 'tronc'. Apparently he used a 'baguette' smothered in glu* and poked it through the coin slot to laboriously pick up a few coins at a time. It took me a few seconds to realise that in French a 'baguette' can be a variety of long thin things, not necessarily a loaf of bread. So of course he was using a stick, but in the meantime, before I remembered, I'd laughed out loud at the image in my mind.

*Glu is the dreadful sticky concoction that is used to trap birds such as thrushes. Notoriously, holly bark is the source of glu. The bark is left to ferment in spring water and after some manipulation a greenish water resistant paste is produced. This is mixed with poultry fat, vinegar, oil, and turpentine, boiled whilst stirring and when ready spread on fruit trees.