Week 19 2016

Hello!

Have you ever wondered how they make the barrels that we see all around us, the ones they put the wine into?

We went and visited the Tonnellerie Nadalie in the Medoc to see how they are made.  They have a wonderful tour and as we walked through the barrel making workshop we learnt all about them.

Starting with the oak, sourced from French forests, through the cutting of the staves, the toasting of the wood and the forming of the barrels, it was almost all done by hand. It’s a great tour, there a super restaurant next door, and there’s wine tasting too – after all, you need to find out what goes into the barrels.

Whatever you do this week (a week of not 1, but 2 jour ferie) have a great time in the Gironde and Dordogne regions.

Best wishes,

Helen

notjustfortheholidays@orange.fr

Week 19 2016

Quinconces. – The big Brocante in Bordeaux runs  from 22 April – 8 May, there’s still time to get there.

 

Monday 2 May

Tuesday 3 May

Wednesday 4 May

Thursday 5 May

5 May : Brocante Vide Grenier at Coutras

5 May : Vide grenier and flower festival at St Martin de Gurson

5 May : Flower festival at Grezillac

Friday 6 May

6 May : Vernissage for the painting exhibition by Marielle Bouillhac and Jean-Jacques Prade at The Vitrine  Tourism et Vin, in Pineuilh.  Exhibition runs from 2 – 30 May.

Saturday 7 May

7 May : Vide grenier and flea market at Castillon school (next to the graffiti covered swimming pool)

7 May : Peformance arts in Creon. Presented by the students of the ChoreArt et L&Culture de Latresne in Creon at the Centre Culturel.  Tickets €10

 

7 May : St Emilion Boxing night at the Espace Guadet

Sunday 8 May

8 May : Brocante and Vide Grenier at Colombier

8 May : Sale of organic and heirloom vegetables at the Ferme d’Escambert Naujan et Postiac.  It’s not far from the Orchid Farm

8 May : Bonhoste Portes Ouvertes.

 

8 May : Vide grenier and flea market at Montpon Menesterol

8 May : Vide grenier and more fleas at Pessac sur Dordogne

8 May : Omelette a l’aillet in Lamothe Montravel.

8 May : Portes ouvertes and flea market a Pineuilh

Coming up…

And finally…

Eric the coffee man, a friend of Mr Notjustfortheholidays has  been spotted by AR.  Thank you for the photo and text.

Amazing coffee preparations! The lad at the back is roasting raw Ethiopian coffee beans over a wood fire in a bean roaster he had to keep turning by hand. The guy with the hat is hand-grinding the beans using a coffee grinder made 120 years ago by the Peugeot brothers. The final results of this hard labour were stunning!

These guys have been smoking the Ste Foy market out for months every Saturday morning, but only today have I finally given them a try. Will definitely be back...