Book yourself some 'me time' this holiday

Here at Gites and Antiques HQ, we do our best to ensure everyone has a great holiday and that includes you!
All too often the focus is on the children and ensuring they have fun, but parents sometimes need a little break too.
Why not squeeze out a bit of 'me time' this holiday and enjoy some of the new things we have to offer our guests.

 Furniture Painting

Discover how to transform old furniture using paint and wax during a 3 hour workshop. Learn some of the key techniques used to recreate the French country look. You may want to look at Chateau Chic for inspiration

Unlock your creativity, have fun and go home with a new skill and a pretty jewellery box.

Read more here..

                                                                            

On your bike

I have to admit that I'm not the most enthusiastic cyclist during the winter months but this current warm and sunny spell has had me poking around the garage to dig out my rusty ( and trusty) old bike. It has been hibernating for some time and needed a bit of a dust off. Know the feeling.

Whilst my old banger of a bike may not glide through a cycling 'M.O.T', it does the job and is really all I need. I'm not into torching the calories or a full cardio workout. To be unglued from the computer screen for a while to embrace the countryside, breathing in a few lungfuls of fresh air along the way does me a power of good. I do admire the stamina and drive of the Lycra clad crowd but if like me you enjoy the slow pace and not the race then this area is a cyclist's dream.

Poitou-Charentes is a relatively flat region that boasts over 1000 km of marked cycle trails making it an extremely bike-friendly place to come for your French holiday.

One of the best things about cycling is that you see things. Lots more things in fact than if you are whizzing by in a car. Sheep, birds, flowers, architecture. And you hear things too. Birdsong, the low hum of a lawnmower and, if I'm passing his way, the friendly 'hee haw' greeting from my favourite donk. Being mindful of the beauty surrounding us is a very uplifting feeling. It's good to be reminded occasionally of how lucky we are to live here.

If you are coming to France for a holiday, then cycling is the perfect activity for the whole family. The lovely people at Bike Hire Direct make it ridiculously easy for you by delivering and collecting bikes and equipment direct to your accommodation. It has to be said that their bikes are far more covetable than mine. All of them undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they meet very high standards and are cleaned and spruced up prior to delivery. They supply quality bikes for all ages, helmets, tag-a-longs, baby seats, car bike racks, even paniers to hold your picnic basket. All at very reasonable prices.

One of my favourite quotes from one of last year's gîte guests reads...

"A lovely fortnight! We will always remember the pool water polo, loom bands, boys morning cycle rides to the boulangerie and Grace and Kirsten’s show. Many wonderful memories"

So go on. Aller sur votre vélo!

Rochefort sur Mer

Driving back early on Sunday morning through Rochefort sur Mer, it struck me just how handsome this town is. On a crisp, clear, blue skied morning with not a soul to be seen, the architectural backdrop seemed so much more apparent.
Rochefort might not always feature on a tourists 'to see' list, being a little overshadowed by it's cosmopolitan seaside neighbour La Rochelle, but it is totally worthy of a visit with abundance of cultural and fascinating attractions.
Situated on the Charente river, it was built by Jean Baptiste Colbert as a place to supply and defend the French navy. Place Colbert is the central square where you can pause for coffee ( or something stronger), and ponder which attractions to see. 

Here are my top 5, in no particular order...


Musée Corderie Royale 

An astonishing and very long building built in 1670 that was once the centre of the docks in the town and also the centre of ropemaking for ships across France. At the corderie you can learn about the history of the site and also about the techniques involved in ropemaking. Well worth a short visit. You can even stop for a spot of lunch.

                           

                              

Pierre Loti Museum 

This highly regarded novelist was the French answer to Charles Dickens. He was accorded a state funeral when he died in 1923 and his house has been preserved as a museum featuring collections from his extensive travels. The museum is being renovated so will be looking more polished than ever.

Musée des commerces 

This fascinating museum will take you back 100 years to see superb replicas of shops, chemists, dentists and of course, a boulangerie. Perfect for all ages. I find it invaluable as it helps me to date many of the items on Chateau Chic. If you need further reason to go, it's ranked #1 on TripAdvisor.

L'Hermione 

Twenty years ago, a small group dreamed of reconstructing an exact replica of General Lafayette’s 18th-century ship called the Hermione. Today, the majestic vessel is the largest and most authentically built Tall Ship in the last 150 years. The Hermione has set sail in France, launching an adventure that comes to the USA in the summer of 2015 for an unprecedented voyage. An extraordinary project combining huge talent and dedication.

                           

                           

Pont Transbordeur

Transporter bridge The last of it's kind in France. This will appeal not only to engineering geeks but to the whole family. For a modest sum you can take the 'ferry' across the Charente river, grab an ice cream or cold beer at the café and come back again. 

So that's just a glimpse of what Rochefort sur Mer has to offer, but there's plenty more where that came from!

Of Cakes and Kings

For many of us, today is the day the Christmas decs come down and the house looks a little forlorn. Bereft of sparkle and embellishments, our dining room will be restored to it's former unglamorous self. The upside is that I won't have glitter on my face/hands/clothes for another year. Some even made it's way into my handbag this year?!

Our fresh tree has been very well preserved, not losing one needle so I am a bit reluctant to dispatch it to the local déchetterie but best not risk any bad luck eh?

Since the beginning of January (and usually until the end of the month), the supermarkets here stock abundance of cakes sold with a gold crown. Why? Well. Twelfth night or Epiphany marks the end of Christmas, when the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. In France, this festival is celebrated on or around the 6th January by sharing a Galette Des Rois. This sweet buttery pastry pie is traditionally filled with frangipane but recipes vary according to region. Some are made of a brioche dough, encrusted with sugar crystals and studded with jewel like glacé fruits.

Whichever is your galette of choice, it will contain a fève which, if discovered in your slice, permits you to wear the crown provided and be King or Queen for the day. Originally the 'fève' was a bean but now they are small porcelain figurines which are quite collectable.

In a cold, damp month that doesn't have much going for it, a Galette Des Rois, shared amongst friends or family with a nice cuppa can be a soul soother for a day.

Daily Grind

Vintage coffee mills or moulins à café are familiar sights at the brocantes of France. All shapes and sizes can be found, round, square or wall mounted. It seems every household once owned one. Often uncovered in poor condition now, occasionally we chance upon one that is a little more unusual or appealing to the eye.

This red one was a recent find which has ended up on our 'keep' shelf where it sits with its navy blue partner and I am now on the lookout for a third. Three isn't always a crowd. Art Deco collectors would love the all chrome version.

It may seem surprising to see the Peugeot lion emblem on a coffee grinder when we associate it mostly with cars. In fact, Peugeot Frères started producing grinders in the 1840's long before cars were thought of and they were made up until the 60's when ground coffee became more widely available. This lovely soft green one is sadly missing its label but the colour said ' buy me anyway'.

Below is a beautiful antique one from the late 1800's that is very rare. Any that survived are likely to be in the Peugeot museum or fetching a good price on Ebay. We may stumble across one one day. Here's hoping!

Borage the Wonder Herb

It's easy to see why the beautiful star shaped flowers of the borage plant are such a bee magnet.

This old fashioned plant self seeded in my vegetable garden and since flowering it has been visited all day long by bees busying themselves collecting pollen. I had no idea it was such a useful plant for culinary and medicinal use.

Borage is in fact a herb and has a lot going for it other than it's bright blue petals. It is very undemanding in terms of soil and conditions so will thrive in most gardens and reseeds readily.The flowers are edible and can be used to decorate salads or cakes. Ice cubes made with a borage flower look really pretty in summer drinks, especially Pimms where it was traditionally used before cucumber and mint. The smaller less fuzzy leaves work well in salads and taste very similar to cucumber.

As a companion plant borage enhances the growth of tomatoes by repelling the tomato hornworm and many other fruit and vegetables such as strawberries and squash seem to benefit from nearby planting. Anything attracting bees can only do good as they increase the pollination of neighbourings plants and as we all know, we need bees.

It is worth growing for the flowers alone but in medicinal use borage excels. The seeds are made into GLA, an essential fatty acid which is said to be useful in treating depression, rheumatism, fever, colds and flu. The leaves contains high levels of vitamins A, C, calcium, iron and zinc and can be crushed to relieve insect bites.
I have even heard that it can be used to treat a hangover. Perhaps that's why it's added to Pimms!

Café au lait

Antique café au lait bowls are something I always look for at brocantes. It's rare to find two the same and they come in an assortment of colours, patterns and shapes. Some are fluted with stripes and others have beautiful stencilled floral designs. It's hard to pick a favourite from my collection but I think if I was pushed I'd say the blue stencilled ones. 

I always try to find ones in really good condition so I can actually use them. They are just the perfect size for dips, snacks and soups. At a recent lunch I served gaspacho in them and when the table is laid with each place having a different one they really do look pretty.