And So, The Summer Of 2016 Comes To An End

And so, another glorious and productive summer in the Auvergne region of France came to a close.

It was time to leave our 150 year old stone farmhouse

 to get back to our life in Brooklyn.

As in years past, our time in France was mostly spent working on the house.  By far, the major work we undertook this summer was to replace the entire roof.

This included changing out all the old beams

to replace them with all new 15 meter long wood beams.

There was a lot of cleaning up to do after the job was done,

but the piece of mind that comes with knowing that the house will be protected for the next few decades made it all worth it.

Another job this summer was to replace some old cement steps next to our shed.

We had hired a local stone mason to replace them

with solid granite ones.

Here is what the granite steps looked like once installed.

And because every job creates new ones,

we needed to do lots of digging to be able to create a drainage system in order 

to prevent rainwater from pooling behind the new stone steps.

Everything was then covered up with new pebbles,

which looked very nice.

Also on the list of things to accomplish was replacing the house's last two pairs of old, 

rotten wooden shutters

by making new ones. My husband is getting quite good at this.

And while we were at it, we gave all the other shutters a new coat of paint.

By far, I spent most of my time in the garden, weeding and tending to my flowers

which has always been my favorite occupation.

Though it was a hot summer with very little rain,

everything was thriving

including this little rose which I just planted this year.

Before we left the house, I cut down all the lavender

and made little bouquets to dry and to make sachets.

With all that work, we hardly sat on our garden bench to relax.

However, on the last night, we took time to watch the sun set over the Puy de Dome and the famous chain of volcanos for which the Auvergne is know. How I will miss it all.

My husband and I returned to Brooklyn a few days ago. Slowly, after unpacking the suitcases and going through the mail, I am slipping back into my Brooklyn life and am looking forward to catching up with friends and neighbors.

Many of you are probably back at work or getting the kids ready for another school year today.  Did you have a great summer?  Were you able to get away for a a bit? Are you happy to be back?  Please share.

Stay tuned as I resume posting about Carroll Gardens and life in Brooklyn. Please join me as we shift slowly into fall.



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Shopping At The Ambert Market

Thursday mornings is always market day in Ambert, a beautiful little town in the Auvergne.  During our stay here, my husband and I try to do our shopping there as much as we can since it is one of our favorite things to do while here.
Vendors erect their stands along narrow winding streets, displaying wooden crates filled with the most beautiful fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat and fish.  It is a veritable feast for the eyes and one better not come hungry, otherwise one may be tempted to buy way more than one intended.
The quality of the produce in France continues to astound me.  Everything from the apricots to the melons to the tomatoes and the salad bursts with flavor. The prices are downright reasonable compared to what we pay back in Brooklyn. For example,  an entire wooden box of  16 perfect, juicy, sun ripened peaches was 4 Euros, which is roughly 5 dollars.  Two kilos of nectarines were 3 Euros (less than 4 dollars).
And a fresh  goat cheese made on a small local farm was 1.50 Euros.  Back in Brooklyn, it would be labeled 'asrtisanal' and would cost $6.00
Many of the products offered are organic and don't cost nearly as much as we pay back home.
Ambert's is just one of the food markets in the area. Every day of the week one could visit others in small towns all around the Auvergne and throughout France.
Perhaps the French are more demanding customers, but the choice of produce at the markets and even in the supermarkets is really quite wonderful.
Below are some photos I took at Leclerc, a large supermarket in the area. Just look at the selection of beans and different types of tomatoes.   And look at how large the yogurt selection is. And don't get me started on the cheese.  And its all reasonably priced.  I will miss all this bounty when I get back to Brooklyn.

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