That’s the particularly high pitched sound a tiny bat (une chauve-souris) makes, when it’s taken a wrong turn and found it’s way down the flue and into our combustion stove (which was, thankfully, not lit at the time..)

We could see it’s ash covered and panicked little face peering at us, through the glass. And the sound was heart wrenching.  But what to do? A quick google search meant that opening the door and trying to remove him was out of the question, as it suggested bats in France can carry not only rabies, but also the Lissavirus so, not wanting any frothing of the mouth, madness, seizures or hallucinations, we elected to rug up instead of lighting the fire, and keep our fingers crossed that he somehow found his way back out of the flue again. And very fortunately he did, so there was no barbecued Monsieur Chauve-souris on our watch, thank you very much!

We took a little overnight trip away, to the beautiful little town of Bénévent-l’Abbaye, which is in the Creuse region of France and a little over an hour from our town. The reason? In this land where food, wine and lunch, in particular, is so important, it was because we wanted to attend a cooking course,  presented by a wonderful French cook, Mireille. The scenery on the way was spectacular, with rolling green hills and contented cows, sheep, horses and donkeys around seemingly every corner. Limousin beef (boeuf) is prized and it was very clear to us why the meat would be so flavoursome and therefore sought after. You are what you eat, after all!

We stayed at the very comfortable and quaint Hotel Les Remparts, which, as the name suggests, has a wonderful view of the battlements which once surrounded the town. Just a short walk into the town centre, it is also perfectly placed for strolling.
The following morning, at 9.30am, we were at the ready, with pens and pads in hand, for 3 hours of our ‘cours de cuisine’, followed by ‘nous mangeons les résultats’ . It was a wonderful day and we met some wonderful people. I now have the recipes for Soupe du Potiron avec les Marrons, Bœuf Bourgogne et Gâteau Creusois. Tout était délicieux ..

So, hands up, who wants to come for dinner, when we get home?

We wandered down to a local bar in town, Le Pont du Bois, to watch the final of the Rugby World Cup, between England and South Africa. The atmosphere, as you can imagine, was initially electric and emotional, but of course the game wore on and the outcome became very clear. Bad luck England, the Springboks ruled the day. I learnt a new word too. No, not rude, nor even French, but in Afrikaans.  Apparently the result was very ‘lekker ’  😃 .

Stéphan, the owner of the bar, is friendly and welcoming. He made sure that, while the wine and beer were flowing, everyone was also well fed, with terrine, baguette, pizza, saucisson and quiche on every table. He had baked a special bread for the occasion. It was a convivial few hours, in lovely company and, irrespective of the outcome, everyone was in good spirits….

Festivities for Guy Fawkes night were held at le Salon de Thé, La Terrasse on a cold and, unfortunately wet, 5th November night. Thankfully though, the rain held off, (or just about), so that the fireworks and sparklers were enjoyed by everyone. Kim the owner is, in our opinion, a huge bonus to the town, as she initiates regular soirées and special events. Plus she is just an all round lovely person, with a smile for everyone.  It was a fantastic night, made more special by the people we enjoyed it with. It was a revisit to our childhood for Jeff and I too, since bonfires and fireworks, apart from the huge, very much monitored, events put on for New Year or Riverfire in Brisbane, have been banned for many, many years, due to the bushfire risk. It made us reminisce about the excitement we had as kids though, of watching the pile of old wood grow over several weeks, in preparation for a huge bonfire. My Dad, being arty, was often responsible for making the Guy Fawkes, which was placed on top. And everyone in the neighbourhood would congregate together on the 5th November, all of us oohing and aahing over the spectacle of the Catherine Wheels, Tom Thumbs, Sky Rockets, Roman Candles and Squibs…

No photos, I’m afraid, we were too busy with the afore mentioned, oohing and aahing, yet again…

Bisous