July 2018

Although the garden is suffering from lack of water, the vines are green

Juillet 2018

Mid summer, and hot days. The heat wave is strong and alive here in France. Our days have been 30-35 degrees and little or no water in the form of rain.
We had one short and voracious storm the 15th of July. Here in Gevrey we had pea size hail. Further south (Corgoloin), some vines were completely wiped out. We still have the month of August to worry about.

With the hot weather and company passing through, this has been a slow month for major accomplishments! But that is summer.

I did walk through a few villages for photos (the ongoing photo book on the 16 villages of the Hautes Côtes). The project is taking longer than I thought, but hopefully the final book will be worth the pain.
Here are just a couple of photos.

Bévy under the hot sun

Old rusty wagon with a little vignette 

These stone buildings often found in the vines
as a shelter, called Cabotte. This is in the back of
a house garden

Détain...a friend  of MT had animals in the village

Détain... animals

Détain... animals

Lavoir de Détain -
where you knelt on the stone floor and
washed your cloths. Usually it is spring fed 

Little chapel of Détain

At Détain et Bruant. Michelin made wall plaques
  in the villages . Few are left here and there
This is a rare square post by Michelin

Tried to take a little walk one day from the abbey of Citeaux. Did not find a the path, but found mosquitoes.  I took a few flower photos while walking.

Raiponce

Chicory

Blackberry flower- Elmleaf Blackberry

While company was here, we did some wine tasting, what else.

One night, one of our guests and I sat on the lawn taking photos of the darking sky. The storm never materialized, but I played with the photos that I took. Every so often I head into the land of experimentation. Same photo, just different black and white effects.

dark and dramatic

lighter version and a vignette 

Our friend from London area was here, and the two of us went south and explored Arles. Only had 2 nights there, and  so much to see. Arles is steeped in Roman history. Gaius Marius started a canal in 102 BC and Caesar used it as a trade center (it is on the river Rhone which empties in the Mediterranean sea). So it has some old Roman ruins.

The old forum is now a vibrant restaurant Place

The theater, still used

Amphitheater... Chariot races, gladiators and more
Still used today for events. Could empty 25,000
people in 10 minutes (or said a guide I overheard)

Lions  guarding the entrance at the bridge
 (the bridge is no longer there)

Overlooking Arles from the Ampitheater tower

The morning before our train left Arles, we walked in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh. It was an interesting tour, and if it hadn't been 35°, and we may have viewed a few more sites if it hadn't been so hot. But alas, it was hot and we ended the tour at the café shown below for a well deserved refreshment. We actually had seen more, not all photo worthy. And we missed some sites because they were farther out, and time (had to catch a train) and heat.

I took a photo of the panel with Van Gogh's painting and then of the reality of today.

Pont 

Bridge today....car in the way (on the right)
Boxes piled at the arch, tree is bigger by alot
and the bridge totally redone for cars
Stairs still there

Van Gogh painting_ Place de Forum

And here...I am standing in the restaurant next to
Van Gogh's ..with the glass partition and a huge umbrella
to my right, impossible for the same angle

Hosptial where he spent time

Beautiful garden, I could not get the same angle
He painted  from the second story
Trees grew a lot too.

Keith and I went out to dinner at a restaurant in Nuits Saint Goerges. Just had to add one photo.

My starter was  cold mushroom soup with summer truffles
on top and croutons.Note that the bowl is ice! It was wonderful
Duck for the main course..miam

Then to end the month, we went to a wedding (Saturday) and a picnic on Sunday (part of wedding festivities).

There were FOUR lambs roasting for the Sunday picnic!
One great chef working hard

Recipe of the Month

It is hot and cooking in a hot kitchen is not pleasant. It is the time for cold soups. Try this refreshing soup.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. Greek yogurt
• 1 c. vegetable broth
• 2  cucumbers,peeled and diced
• 4 green onions chopped
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill 
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. salt

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt and  broth; set aside. 
2. In a food processor, blend about one cucumber, the green onions,  dill (save a sprig for each bowl to decorate), and parsley. 
3. When smooth, add the rest of the cucumber and pulse a few times to leave some small chunks of cucumber in the soup
4. Add the cucumber mixture, fresh lemon juice, and salt to the yogurt mixture
5.  Whisk to combine. 
6. Refrigerate for 1-2  hours. 
7. Put in bowls and top with dill sprig