What a party!

We just had some guests at the gîte for the weekend for a 40th birthday celebration. A great party, with a wonderful atmosphere. Everyone got on really well, talking 19 to the dozen, making good use of the pool, the champagne and the surroundings. It began with lunch on Friday, increasing in pace over the weekend, culminating in a grand meal on Saturday night, followed by a disco. The guests left for home, tired by happy, after breakfast on Sunday morning.

It was a challenge, because our normal maximum number of people for a dinner is 24, but this party had 28, and for five courses instead of the normal four. And since this was a special birthday, we wanted the meal to be special too.

The dinner menu ran like this: Terrine of salmon with cream and cucumber, served with a dry white Bordeaux, followed by scallops on a bed of rice with gently spiced butter and vermouth sauce. The main course was stuffed fillet of pork with lettuce and peas and croquet potatoes served with a wonderful madeira sauce and accompanied by a 2005 Bordeaux red. A course of local cheeses then followed with a light salad, and finally the birthday cake was served with a sweet Bordeaux white.

Once the meal ended at about 11:30, people wandered over to the disco which was set up in the big conference room, and danced until about 4:00 AM. What a party!




We commissioned the cake from a local boulanger, who did a fine job.

Clean Piscine!

One of the challenges in running the gîte is responding to last-minute customer requests. Our first customer of the new year asked on Monday if he could change his mind and use the pool after all. The challenge is that the pool is "hibernated" over winter, and before its first use in the new year, needs to be drained, cleaned and refilled, and then heated. Draining and cleaning takes a day, and refilling it takes another. Leaving just three days to heat it, which I hope is enough.

I wear my old windsurfing wetshoes to stop me from slipping on the wet pool liner, and to keep my feet warm in the water which is cold. But once in the pool I can give it a good scrub and it's satisfyng to see the pool all nice and clean.

Before I fill it up again, I have to tell the water company what I'm up to, so they don't think the water network has sprung a leak. But the result is a ready pool, warming nicely. I hope to have it over 25 degrees by Saturday afternon.




Clean piscine