Night Visitors

During the recent warm spell we have had our windows open at night to cool the house down. This works really well, but it does get fluttery.

I don't know what this medium sized (about 3cm across) moth is, but it's quite pretty. Most of the other moths (and there are a lot of them) are quite plain.

The Pieta of Jean Fouquet

Nouans Les Fontaines is a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. And yet it holds a great medieval treasure. In the church, behind the altar, in the space it was created for, is a large 15th century painting. The church is open to all who know of the painting's existence and who want to see it. 

 

The church in Nouans les Fontaines.

Just recently I was passing and had time so I popped in. I was not the only person who had done the same. The two men already there knew it well and we had a lovely chat.

 

Detail of the priest's hands.

Jean Fouquet was a native of Tours. He was a painter, illuminator, miniaturist and highly regarded portraitist. Today, in art historian circles, he is recognised as one of the greatest creatives of his age. Outside of art history though he is forgotten.

 

Detail of the priest's robe.

At the confluence of influences coming from the Flemish and Tuscan artists who dominated European painting at this time, his art profoundly changed French painting of the 15th century.

 

Detail, showing Joseph of Arimathea, Christ, John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary.

Several versions of the story of the origins of this painting exist, but it was probably commissioned by the unknown white robed canon (priest) on the right in about 1450. It was rediscovered in 1911 by Paul Vitry, Curator of Sculpture at the Louvre, who came from the Touraine. The painting at that point was situated in the tribune of the church.

 

Pieta by Jean Fouquet (dimensions 2.36 m x 1.47 m).

 Paul Vitry only brought the painting to the attention of the authorities in 1931, and it was very quickly classified as a historic monument. Then in 1932 it was shown in London as part of a major exhibition of French art.

 

The interior of the church, with the painting behind the altar.

The painting was fully restored in 1980 by the Museums of France Research Laboratory, before an exhibition at the Louvre of the works of Jean Fouquet in 1981.

The Origin of la Carotte de Tabac

Most newsagents in France have a bright orange red elongated diamond shaped sign with flashing lights hung above their door. In white letters down the middle it says 'TABAC'. What does it all mean?!

Since 1906 bureaux de tabac (shops selling tobacco) have been obliged to display the carrot sign to show they sell tobacco. But why?

 

The 'carrot' in Veigné.

 

One of the explanations of the origins of this symbol that you will often hear is that being stored with a carrot allowed tobacco to keep better. And it is true that people did put a piece of carrot in their tobacco tin to keep it fresh. But this isn't the real explanation for the sign.

The 'carrot' has evolved over time. Initially it wasn't necessarily orange. It was sometimes brown. Today it has to be shiny and illuminated.

 

The 'carrot' in Preuilly sur Claise.

 

The number of newsagents selling tobacco is decreasing, and especially in rural areas the 'carrot' is disappearing. Newsagents today often want to modernise their offerings and don't necessarily want to sell tobacco. Today there are 24 000 newsagents in France, down from 49 000 in 1970. Those that still exist have done so by following the trends of what their customers want.

The real origin of the shape of the sign comes from how tobacco was sold in the 16th century. In those days tobacco was sold as leaves that you chewed or smoked. The leaves were not attached to their stalks, but in rolls that were wrapped in calico and tightly wound round with string in a way that made them resemble carrots. In order to use the tobacco one grated the 'carrot'. Later, the form changed to cigars and cigarettes, but the carrot symbol for shops stuck.

The first tobacco shops in France opened in 1716. The French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot, had introduced it to France and grew it in his own garden more than a century earlier. He gave powdered tobacco (snuff) to Catherine de Medici, to give to her son François II to cure his migraines in 1560. At the time, tobacco was often called the 'Queen's herb' or 'Nicot's herb', and was considered medicinal and drunk as a tisane (herbal tea).

In 1906 it became a legal obligation to display a 'carotte de tabac' outside any shop selling tobacco. The 'carrot' must be illuminated and in the shape of a diamond. It has to be either red, or tricolour (red, white and blue), and can contain the word 'tabac'.

These days the carotte de tabac is part of French cultural heritage.

The Noisiest Time of the Day

I was up at 6:30 this morning, opening up the house in an effort to get it cooler before the sun kicks in. As I went around opening the ground floor doors and windows it occurred to me how noisy it was.

In addition to the usual suspects - sparrows, collared doves, poultry, blackbirds and the like, there is at least two sets of farm machinery working the fields above town, and the roofers who are working at the top of the street have just rattled past. 

Preuilly, this morning.

By midday all of this will have stopped. The birds will be hiding, the farmers will be inside, the roofers will have stopped work, and all our windows and shutters will be firmly closed against the heat. I haven't yet seen any prohibitions on farm work, but they can't be long in coming.

At the moment (7:00am) it's about 20°C outside, with the slightest of breezes. Inside it's slightly warmer, but once the outside temperature reaches 21° we'll be shutting the house up in attempt to keep the house bearable.

Only another two days of this, and the maximum temperature will drop to mid 30s. It'll feel like a cold snap.

Oysters at the Guinguette

Our guinguette (riverside summer pop up bar) Le Lavoir knows how to pull in the crowds. Recently we went down for their special oyster service. The oysters themselves were amongst the best we've ever had, and the condiments were good too. Normally I just have oysters nature (plain), but the shallot vinegar and the citrusy dressing were both excellent and both enhanced rather than overpowered. 

 

Opening oysters as fast as he can. The bowls contain condiments -- 'caviar', citrus, shallot vinegar.

The oysters came from the Ile de Ré, off the Atlantic coast, raised and served by the Dealer d'Iode (chasseur d'huitres) https://dealerdiode.com/. Guinguette Sommelier Louise was taking orders and serving a carefully chosen white wine. The oyster farmers are fifth generation and the family have been producing oysters since 1920. As ever when I've had really good oysters, they were not large. These ones had a very impressive algal fringe too.

 

 Louise taking orders, customers taking their oysters. The little bottles contain smoked vinegar.

COVID was a real turning point for the business, and they decided to develop oyster bars and host events and visits.

To keep up with the guinguette's news, follow Guinguette Le Lavoir on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/guinguettelelavoir/

It's Hot

And it's going to be hot for a week to come.

This past week the daily high temperature has been somewhere between 30°C and 38°C, and the minimums between 17°C and 22°C. To keep the temperature in the house tolerable we keep the windows open overnight, and close them in the morning when the outside temperature is higher than the inside temperature. This is working well, the temperature in the house remaining between 22°C and 24°C.

The forecast for the coming week at 08:50 this morning

The western wall of our house is also unfortunately the longest wall. It absorbs a lot of heat directly from the sun, and as there is no shade and we're surrounded by roads and buildings, heat reflected from hard surfaces. The temperature there can be really toasty, and unfortunately this is the temperature of the air that enters the house if we open the back door.

This was the back door temperature on Friday last week.

The insulation installed last year is really doing its job. Whereas in previous heatwaves the heat absorbed by the western wall has raised the temperature in the bedroom to the level where we can't sleep, this year (with the aid of a fan) the temperature hasn't yet been an issue.

For those of you still dealing in the old money here's a converter.

Twelve Months Ago

A year ago today I had my prostate removed. No photos, because no-one needs that.

My treatment continues because the operation didn't 100% solve the problem. Now my kidney stones have been attended to I have another trip through the atomic donut scheduled, followed by 7 weeks of radiotherapy.

Gentlemen, get checked. It may seem undignified, but the alternative is much worse.

Tour de France Banner

 

Local textile artist Daniele Deletang has produced a 4 metre x 5 metre banner in patchwork to celebrate the passage of the Tour de France through Preuilly sur Claise on 13 July this year. It is hanging from the front of the gallery she and her husband curate. Very conveniently it is situated directly in front of the bridge the riders must cross, before they turn hard right around the Abbaye and head for Bossay sur Claise. 

It's in lovely bright colours and very much in the spirit of the race. I hope it gets lots of air time when the helicopters come through to do their travelogue shots.

Christ is Re-Risen

Back in April I was out with Les Galoches walking group from Yzeures sur Creuse and we passed a large stone cairn at an intersection. I asked what it was, which resulted in gales of laughter.

The plinth in April.

The cairn is a plinth for a crucifix. Yzeures sur Creuse hosts a very successful rock festival every year in the summer. I'm told that last year, during the festival, a somewhat inebriated young man seeking to impress his girlfriend climbed the plinth and hung off the cross, which promptly came crashing to the ground.

The newly repaired crucifix.

Local social media groups apparently had a good deal to say about it, of the 'young people today!' variety, but it seems that the young man was instantly mortified, and first thing the next morning, turned himself in. He went to the town hall to 'fess up, and they were completely sympathetic. They commented that the metal rod fixing the crucifix to the plinth was so badly rusted that they already had it on their list to deal with. In their view the young man was just unfortunate and they were glad no one was seriously hurt. The crucifix has now been repaired and is in tip top condition for further festival highjinks next month...

Baked Korean Chicken Wings

When we get the chance we always try to cook a big batch of something tasty, interesting, and almost as importantly, quick to turn into a meal after taking out of the freezer. This is a recipe I prepare three or four times a year, with chicken wings and drumsticks. Lately I have been adding turkey wings to the mix, because you can occasionally buy them in bulk at the supermarket.

Whatever meat you use, it needs to have a bone in it, because it's a meal best eaten with your fingers. If using turkey, cut the wings lengthways.

Ingredients 

1 kg poultry wings (2.2 pounds), drumettes & wingettes

In a bowl;
1 cup milk (250ml)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Marinating and basting sauce (mix these together in a large ziplock bag)
1½ Tbsp gochugaru (or 1tsp chili flakes)
3 Tbsp gochujang
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
2½ Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ Tbsp rice wine
3 cloves minced garlic
1 bird's eye chili minced

Instructions

Put the meat into the bowl of milk. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Drain and let it sit in a sieve for about 5 minutes.

Once drained, put the wings into the bag containing the marinade. Seal the bag and vigorously shake and massage so that the sauce covers the meat. Marinate it for at least 4 hrs in the fridge (24 hours is better) and massage occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius.

Take the chicken out of the fridge. Lay baking paper on top of the baking tray and line up the pieces. Make sure they are not stacked up on top of each other.

Put the bag of excess marinade to one side for later.

Put the tray into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take the tray out, turn the meat over and put it back in the oven. Bake for 10 more minutes.

Transfer the meat for immediate consumption to an air fryer (or preheated oven). Brush with some of the excess marinade using a basting brush.

Cook at full blast for 2 minutes or until the skin is charred. Turn the meat over and brush again, and give it another 2 minutes.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

If, like us, there's only two of you and you're trying not to eat too much, 1kg of meat is too much for one sitting. I usually cook a double batch, and freeze the majority for later use.

Divide the remaining cooked (but not air fried) and cooled meat into servings, and put in freezer bags with divided up excess marinade. Keep in the freezer.

When you're using the frozen meat, you have two choices:

For salad composée: defrost, then baste with the marinade, and heat in the airfryer at 160°C for 15 minutes basting continually. Turn over after 5 minutes.

To have hot: defrost, then reheat at 160°C for 10 minutes in an airfrier. Then turn up the heat to maximum, baste liberally with the marinade from the bag, and give them 2 or 3 minutes a side, basting with the remaining marinade when you turn them.

Who Goes There?

 If I told you the genus I'd only be guessing. The furthest I'd be prepared to go is Macropod. I think.

The Co-operative Bakery

Fabrice Doucet is our remarkable local historian, and his depth of knowledge about Preuilly's past is incredible. He's meticulous about accuracy and sources, and maintains a very extensive personal research archive of clippings and photos. He's active on Facebook, and every now and then I cheekily 'steal' one of his posts and translate it for the blog. The story of the co-operative bakery on what was then known as Place du Marché (today Place des Halles) is one such post.

 

The co-operative bakery was to the right of the angle in this building. Now a private home, the windows have been altered so it is not so obviously a shop front.

 

"In the wake of workers movements in the 19th century, co-operative societies appeared all over France. The aim was primarily to get the price of sales as low as possible. This was the case in Preuilly, and from 1909 there was a co-operative bakery on Place des Halles, just down from the current co-operative grocery store.

In 1928 the co-operative society had 280 members. The term Place du Marché was still in current usage and was what appeared on the bakery's invoices. In 1931 the co-operative bakery was taken over by Roger (Gaston) Nibeaudo, and he ran it until 1946. The co-operative was dissolved at an unknown date. Following this the baker was Roger Dubreuil (1957)."

Fabrice also includes a newspaper clipping reporting on the new bakery on 19 September 1909.

"A co-operative society has been formed in Preuilly, with M. Clément as president, for running a bakery outlet. 

The sale of bread will start at the beginning of next month and the depot is installed on the Market Place. The oven has already been built and the workers are putting the final touches to the storefront. Different local workers were employed for all the improvements, and the creation of this co-operative bakery is an important event for our area."

[Source: Opening of the co-operative bakery at Preuilly, la République, weekly newspaper, Indre et Loire.] 

According to another source, this is where the baguette first made its appearance in provincial Preuilly sur Claise.

I've Done Some Decorating

Susan has written in the past about her large REG vases. That's not the only REG ceramics she owns.

Yesterday, while she was out shopping, I grabbed my tools, drilled a hole and hung a mirror. I must have been feeling competent, because I didn't stress about it - but it is an over engineered hook.

I'm impressed that 35 years ago Susan bought pottery that perfectly colour matches a house she first saw 19 years ago.

What the Heck is That?

Many Linden trees in the Touraine are currently sporting weird red growths on their leaves, like tiny fingers pointing upwards. 

 

Underside of a leaf.

They are called Nail Galls (Fr. Galles cornues) and they are caused by microscopic mites in the Eriophyes genus. There are not just a few galls on affected trees, but several dozen on the upper surface of each affected leaf. The galls can be up to 15 mm long and range in color from pale green and yellow to red. On the underneath of the leaf you can spot a tiny hole, and inside the gall's hairy centre there will be an invisible worm like mite measuring 0.2 mm long.

 

Upper side of a leaf.

The galls start appearing at the end of spring. The mites are present all over Europe, but particularly in France and Great Britain. Each species of Eriophyes is particular to one, or occasionally two, species of Linden. The galls pictured are on a neighbour's Common Linden Tilia x europeus (Fr. Tilleul commun), so they are probably caused by Eriophyes tiliae. But it's impossible to say for sure without expert knowledge of the group and microscopic examination. Common Linden is a hybrid, so it can be affected by several species of mite, which also affect the parent Linden species.

If your tree is affected, don't worry. There are biological controls (other predatory mites) but they are not very practical to apply, and normally it is not worth employing them. The Eriophyes mites and their activities do not hinder the growth of the tree or harm it in any way. They just make it look a bit weird for a while.

Visiting the Manoir de Clos Luce in June

Recently I visited the Manoir de Clos Lucé, a privately owned historic site in the old heart of Amboise, open to the public and most famous for being the last home of Leonardo da Vinci. 

 

A crowd gathers around the resident peacock.

A reconstruction of a bridge designed by Leonardo da Vinci in the grounds.

Reconstruction of a two storey bridge designed by Leonardo da Vinci in the grounds.

View from the terrace.

Formal gardens on the terrace.

Entrance to the tunnel which links the Manoir de Clos Lucé and the Chateau Royal d'Amboise. After a rockfall in the 1970s access to the tunnel is forbidden.

Raspberry, Rhubarb and Custard Cake

For people like us who love raspberries, rhubarb and custard, a cake that combines the lot seems like a brilliant idea. So I've made it several times and sometimes even serve it with extra custard as a dessert. 

 

 

Ingredients
150 g rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into 3 cm lengths

300 g frozen raspberries
Cake release paste (blend equal quantities of flour, vegetable oil and cooking margarine)
250 g butter, softened
200 g custard
250 g flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250 g caster sugar


Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Place the rhubarb and raspberries in a non-stick frying pan and sauté for about 10 minutes, to cook the rhubarb and reduce the moisture content.
3. Allow the fruit to cool.
4. Coat a 30 cm springform ring tin with cake release.
5. Put aside half a cup of custard.
6. Beat the rest of the custard with the butter, flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
7. Spoon a third of the batter into the tin, top with a third of the fruit, then another third of the batter, another third of fruit, the rest of the batter and finally the rest of the fruit.
8. Dollop the reserved custard around on the cake.
9. Reduce the heat of the oven to 180C.
   
10. Bake the cake for 40 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
11. Cool in the tin.
12. Serves 16.

 

Western Circular Quay (and Beyond)

There's a lot to unpick in this photo.

The long brick building in the centre of this photo is Metcalfe's bond Stores. A bond store is where imported goods are stored, without paying import duty. If the goods are then released from the store for import the duty is paid, or the goods can be re-exported without attracting the tax. It was constructed in the 1870s in brick and stone, and has now been repurposed for modern use, hosting boutique stores, cafes, and galleries.

The low set honey coloured brick building in front of it is Campbell's Store. It was originally built in stages from the 1830s to the 1880s by Robert Campbell, a prominent early merchant and shipping entrepreneur. The sandstone building was part of a larger warehouse complex used for storing imported goods, wool, and general cargo. It reflects the Georgian architectural style and is one of the earliest examples of bonded warehouses in Australia. Today, Campbell’s Store houses restaurants, shops, and art galleries.

Behind the Metcalf Store is the Sirius Building, a brutalist apartment building designed for the Housing Commission of New South Wales in 1978–1979 by commission architect Tao Gofers. Notable for being the only high rise development in The Rocks, Sirius housed 79 apartments with one, two, three or four bedrooms, generally with single storey apartments to two and three storey walk ups. The complex was built to rehouse displaced public tenants after a controversial redevelopment of the Rocks during the 1960s and 70s. From 2015, the Sirius building was at the centre of controversy over plans to remove the residents, sell off the building and possibly redevelop the site, with opponents of the plans seeking to secure its protection as a heritage building. Following the NSW Government's decision to refuse heritage listing in 2017, against the advice of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, the building was put up for sale.

On the right of the photo the dark brown building with the chimney is a former electrical power station, built between 1902 and 1909. The principal building on the site is the Former Mining Museum and Chemical Laboratory, consisting of a six-storey building and a detached 61 metre high chimney stack, which has been recessed into the side of the rectangular plan of the building. In 1996 it was fitted as offices, but it is still mainly empty.

There's a tall building on the left, a very controversial casino/hotel development. Barangaroo hasn't been out of the news since it was first proposed in 2013, both before and after its construction.

Risky Ramparts

 In February 80 people were evacuated by the police from their homes in rue Victor Hugo under part of the ramparts of the Chateau Royal d'Amboise as the ramparts were found to be at risk of collapsing.

At the time experts estimated they wouldn't be allowed back for at least three months.  Work on the ramparts started immediately but they are going to take time. A public meeting was held to inform people.

 

This is the best photo of the works I've been able to get.

The town hall initially issued a warning notice after cracks appeared in the rampart walls, but after the experts had assessed the site they realised that the situation was worse than first thought. Residents affected by the evacuation order only had a few minutes to collect personal belongings and get out. They are staying with friends or in hotels. 

According to the Director of the Chateau Royal the cause is mainly due to the rain in 2024, when we had 30% more rain than average for the year. 

 

Carefree tourists at the other end of the Chateau Royal in Place Michel Debré.

The Chateau Royal has remained open throughout the works and visits can be conducted as normal. Only a small part of the south-east corner of the grounds is out of bounds.

In late May a helicopter was used to deliver a metal 'exoskeleton' to the worksite. Unfortunately we missed that excitement. It took 27 trips to deliver all the elements and modules. The heaviest piece weighed 950 kg. 

This 'exoskeleton' is necessary to stabilise the ramparts sufficiently so they can support a huge drill, which will be used to insert giant metal pins to provide the final anchoring system.

The work is due to be finished by the end of June, and only then will residents be allowed back into their homes, nearly five months after they were first evacuated.

Visiting Chenonceau in June

 I've been to the famous Chateau de Chenonceau multiple times in the past few weeks.

 

Wild native Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera.

Wild native Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae.

Floral arrangement in the entry hall.

A small early instar Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis larva.

Roses.

Bee hive. Further reading: Teaching Hive at Chenonceau.

This swathe of pink 'wild flower' or 'prairie' planting is new for this year.

Young Japanese women enjoying their visit. I love how they are channeling their inner 19th century wood block print artist.

On the Sheeps Back

Chateauroux has had its ups and downs, but for several centuries it rode high on the back of its sheep. Chateauroux was wool country and its factories famous for making French military uniforms, and later flags. As I was walking through the city centre recently with Jean-Louis Cirès the City Archivist (on a completely unrelated historical quest) we passed a rather grand building with a carved scene above the door. According to Jean-Louis the building was the headquarters of one of the wool producers syndicates. I need to do much more digging into this fascinating period so more blog posts may see the light of day in due course. 

 

The relief sculpture depicts two women in work smocks and caps with a sheep at their feet. They are bottle feeding a lamb on a bench.

Nowadays one barely sees a sheep around Chateauroux, and the old woollen mill is converted into the University campus. The new mill is out of town and makes carpets, carpet tiles and acoustic tiles. I assume it no longer works with wool but synthetics.