Week 4 2023

 Hello!

I just can't keep up with the weather.  Last week we had snow, but this week I spot a daffodil growing in the centre of the village.

Looks like we have some cold weather ahead of us though.

Whatever you do in the Gironde and Dordogne regions, keep warm and enjoy yourselves.

Best wishes,

Helen

notjustfortheholidays@orange.fr

Week 4

Coming up...

In Sauveterre at the Maison des Artisans, all these workshops are available.  Follow the link below to find out more.

https://www.les-ateliages.fr/stages/

And finally...

Here's an update on the mosquito coil holder.  This is what ceramic pieces look like when they are glazed and before they go into the kiln for the second firing.  Fingers crossed (and a quick message to the kiln gods) that all will be well.

Week 3 2023

 Hello!

Something magical happened this week... it snowed!  I hadn't realised how long it had been since the last snow, but we had children coming into the Maison des Artisans yesterday who had never seen falling snow!

Here's a photo of Sauveterre-de-Guyenne in the snow...

Whatever you do in the Gironde and Dordogne regions over the next week, keep warm and have a good time.

Best wishes,

Helen

notjustfortheholidays@orange.fr

 

Week 3

 

  Coming up...

And finally...

It's early days... but things take a long time to come to fruition in the pottery studio.  Last summer we were plagued by mosquitoes, so I've been developing a mosquito coil holder because anything is more beautiful and more sturdy than those little metal stands.  What do you think?

Week 2 2023

 Hello!

In case you missed it, Friday 6 January was the last day of the Christmas season and traditionally the day Christmas decorations get taken down and packed away for next year.  The 12^th night is the day that the 3 wise men arrived in Bethlehem, taking gifts to the baby Jesus.

The French celebrate this day with a special cake called the ‘Galette des Rois’ (the King’s cake).   

Note the plate with numbers to ensure it's divided equally!

This frangipane filled cake is served up according to tradition on 6^th January.  A lucky charm – known as a fève (originally a bean, but now more often a little porcelain figure) is baked into the cake.  As story goes, the cake is divided into enough slices as people present, and one extra, for the first poor person that passes by.  The youngest person in the group decides who has which slice, and the person who finds the fève is crowned king or queen for the day.  When you buy a Galette des Rois it usually comes complete with a paper crown.

 

You can still find them in the shops and the bakeries, and each year more exotic flavours are added to the recipe, a hit this year was the chocolate chip brioche style galette!

 

Whatever you do this week in the Gironde and Dordogne regions, have a lovely time.

Best wishes,

Helen

notjustfotheholidays@orange.fr

 

Week 2 

 

Coming up...

And finally...

 

 

The Winter sales 2023 have been set by the préfecture for a period of 4 weeks starting on Wednesday 11th January at 8h00 until Tuesday 7th February.
During the sale period, shops are usually allowed to open on a couple of Sundays. 

So, now's the time to bag a bargain... 

Week 1 2023

 Hello!

Sending you all the very best wishes for 2023.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch and send information about events and activities in and around the region, I'm always happy to include things going on in the region.  JPEGs and GIFs are good, or text that I can cut and paste.  This is a platform to share events, so share away.

Contact me via my email, notjustfortheholidays@orange.fr

From 

Helen

 

Week 1 

 

 

 Coming up...

And finally...

The pottery workshop has the program for the Saturday activities for the next few months... contact me to book a place, or for any other pottery workshop requests.