The weather has been marvellous. There has been some rain, just enough to encourage the plants, and much sunshine. Driving to Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde this morning to buy vegetables at the market, I was distracted by the greens of the view: trees in pale spring-leaves, grass growing madly, and the deep rich green of young wheat. It's the only time of the year that the landscape is so rich in green-ness, because soon the grass will fade in the sunshine and the fields will turn delicate shades of yellow as the cereals mature, followed by the bright yellow of the sunflowers. The trees will carry the banner of verdure, of course, and so will the vines, but nothing will match the sprouting wheat.
A friend said he doesn't see all the different greens. He likes the countryside, but to him it's just one shade of green and a lot of brown. I wonder if that's one reason why some people don't appreciate rural views so much: they can't see the colours?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Spring and song
Or perhaps Flowers and I Fagiolini.
The Striggio Mass in 40 parts is doing splendidly in the charts. It's so exciting. I am very much looking forward to collecting my CD next month. Robert's videos are a wonderful bonus: I particularly like the new one in which he gives us hints on listening (I'm not sure that was the intention). With his usual enthusiasm, he appears to lose himself in the music towards the end, and I could imagine the people on the desk saying oi Robert, that's enough and then cutting off the recording ;).
I was so privileged to be in that central spot during part of I Fagiolini's rehearsal: it's a memory to treasure.
And the flowers? As well as all the joyous blooming in the garden, there is a vase full of highly-perfumed and strongly-coloured hyacinths in the kitchen, a present from Ginette.
The Striggio Mass in 40 parts is doing splendidly in the charts. It's so exciting. I am very much looking forward to collecting my CD next month. Robert's videos are a wonderful bonus: I particularly like the new one in which he gives us hints on listening (I'm not sure that was the intention). With his usual enthusiasm, he appears to lose himself in the music towards the end, and I could imagine the people on the desk saying oi Robert, that's enough and then cutting off the recording ;).
I was so privileged to be in that central spot during part of I Fagiolini's rehearsal: it's a memory to treasure.
And the flowers? As well as all the joyous blooming in the garden, there is a vase full of highly-perfumed and strongly-coloured hyacinths in the kitchen, a present from Ginette.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Equinoctial
I've been to the Naw-Ruz celebration in La Rochelle. Lovely people, much fun, and much Persian food. The first two courses were on-diet, but after that... ahem. The spread included the best Persian bakhlava I've ever tasted, and some excellent cheese with pain ancien, the wonderful French bread made with dough fermented for ages. I just couldn't resist. First bread since November!
The drive home took a lot of concentration under the spectacular moon. Fortunately there's hardly any traffic in the middle of a Sunday night, and if I felt like stopping at the side of the road to admire it I was inconveniencing no-one.
Happy Naw-Ruz/New Year/Ostara/Equinox, everybody :)
The drive home took a lot of concentration under the spectacular moon. Fortunately there's hardly any traffic in the middle of a Sunday night, and if I felt like stopping at the side of the road to admire it I was inconveniencing no-one.
Happy Naw-Ruz/New Year/Ostara/Equinox, everybody :)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Furniture, fowl, and friendly neighbours
Fasting does strange things to my time-sense (such as it is). I've only just realised how long it is since I posted, and now I can't remember what's been happening.
A friend sold me a big sofa, a single bed, and 8 dining chairs. The old sofa and armchair have been moved upstairs to make a sitting-room. Friend also donated an aged 2-seater sofa which can be split into two chairs, and which is now on the terrace for comfy seatage. It's a shame that since the furniture was delivered it's been cool, windy, and generally unsuitable for sitting outside.
Payment for the furniture almost emptied my bank account. There has been income into my UK account, so I shall be able to transfer money across, but the pound is once more very unwell. Please encourage MPs and pundits to make pound-supportive statements (for a change). Just until the transfer is done, ok?
I went to the opening of the new shopping area at Jonzac, just to look: not having any money, I couldn't buy any tat, which is a Good Thing.
Ginette seems to like the new sofa: she's been stopping off for a rest and a gossip a couple of times a day when she passes on the way to feed the rabbits and hens. The hens don't think much of the weather; the other evening when the wind was howling she found them huddled against a tree, looking very pathetic. Of course, they haven't been laying. Shop eggs just don't compare; however, she just brought over six little eggs from the bantams, which appear to be hardier. When you eat them, think of me, she said :)
Denis has hurt his shoulder and can't cut more wood. There is enough for five or six days, so it's fortunate that warmer weather is returning next week. I hope he recovers soon, because he gets very bored if he can't be busy.
A friend sold me a big sofa, a single bed, and 8 dining chairs. The old sofa and armchair have been moved upstairs to make a sitting-room. Friend also donated an aged 2-seater sofa which can be split into two chairs, and which is now on the terrace for comfy seatage. It's a shame that since the furniture was delivered it's been cool, windy, and generally unsuitable for sitting outside.
Payment for the furniture almost emptied my bank account. There has been income into my UK account, so I shall be able to transfer money across, but the pound is once more very unwell. Please encourage MPs and pundits to make pound-supportive statements (for a change). Just until the transfer is done, ok?
I went to the opening of the new shopping area at Jonzac, just to look: not having any money, I couldn't buy any tat, which is a Good Thing.
Ginette seems to like the new sofa: she's been stopping off for a rest and a gossip a couple of times a day when she passes on the way to feed the rabbits and hens. The hens don't think much of the weather; the other evening when the wind was howling she found them huddled against a tree, looking very pathetic. Of course, they haven't been laying. Shop eggs just don't compare; however, she just brought over six little eggs from the bantams, which appear to be hardier. When you eat them, think of me, she said :)
Denis has hurt his shoulder and can't cut more wood. There is enough for five or six days, so it's fortunate that warmer weather is returning next week. I hope he recovers soon, because he gets very bored if he can't be busy.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Sun and stars
Clear skies.
Riding Broomstick into town wearing a short-sleeved tshirt.
Curled up on the front steps in the sunlight, reading.
Driving home from rehearsal, cresting the hill into Le Rivalard was as if plunging into the crowded stars.
I stopped and turned off the lights, and remembered Van Der Posts's description of the Kalahari desert sky where the hunting stars make a hissing sound. These stars are not hunting: they are majestically, aloofly still.
Riding Broomstick into town wearing a short-sleeved tshirt.
Curled up on the front steps in the sunlight, reading.
Driving home from rehearsal, cresting the hill into Le Rivalard was as if plunging into the crowded stars.
I stopped and turned off the lights, and remembered Van Der Posts's description of the Kalahari desert sky where the hunting stars make a hissing sound. These stars are not hunting: they are majestically, aloofly still.
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