Tuesday 31 March 2015

Week 14 2015



Hello!



Cassie








Last weekend we went to the dogs!  There was a friendly race meet at Mouliets et Villemartin.  Never having been to the dogs before we had nothing to compare it with, but despite the freezing blustery weather it was fun to watch.

2 dogs race round the course chasing a plastic ‘hare’ which looks like a big plastic bag pompom.  The ‘hare’ is pulled round on a wire which was re-laid after each race. There were Greyhounds, whippets and Salukis. We met a lovely owner and his beautiful whippet Cassie who explained all the rudiments of the sport.  Many thanks.

Easter is coming up, whatever you do and wherever you go this Easter week, have a great time.
Best wishes,
Helen

Week 14 2015


Monday 30 March


Tuesday 31 March

31 March 14h15 : The Voices is showing in VO at the Grandecran cinema in Libourne.
In this comedy crime thriller, a likable guy pursues his office crush with the help of his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date.  Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick

Wednesday 1 April

1 April 18h : Balkan Way Acoustic group are performing at Chai Pascal in St Emilion.  Live music with a glass of wine and a plate of Tapas, a great way to spend a Wednesday.  Click the link to get a taste of their music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzy_CK3MGYg

1- 30 April : 18 Photographic Exhibitions open up in Bordeaux.  To find out who is where and when, go to http://www.itiphoto.com/

1 - 30 April : Exhibition at the Vitrine du Pays Foyen (next to the big Leclerc on the Ste Foy bypass) featuring artist and poet Gisele Gall



Thursday 2 April


Friday 3 April

3 April 21h30 : Concert at Le Chai Bar in Ste Foy.  Featuring 3 bands – Decembers – Maniard – Kick Kung Fu.  Entrance €3, Proceeds to the ESMI




















3 April : Big Ed & the RedBalls in concert at La Cave des Chevaliers in Villefranch de Longchat.

Saturday 4 April

4 April : Vide Grenier in Frontenac

4 April : Journee Vins et Chocolate.  Chocolates from la Maison Guinguet join with Les Guinots wine Co-operative – 2 of my favourite things! Held at Les Guinots in Flaujagues.

4 April 15h : Birdman is showing in VO at La Breche in Ste Foy la Grande.
A washed-up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play.  Starring Michael, Zack Galifianakis, Edward Norton

4 – 5 April : La Charrette Bleu on the D936 below Velines is organising a Brocante vide grenier for Easter weekend.

4 – 5 – 6 April : Castillon hosts the big Easter Fair.  A travelling funfair fills the village square right from the stone bridge up to the train station.  On Monday the weekly market is there too.

4 – 6 April : Photo Exhibition at the Salle Cascante in Castillon

4 – 5 – 6 April – Printemps de Duras.  A whole host of events and activities in and around Duras this weekend, tours, visits, meals, wines, entertainment and brocantes.  Find out the full programme here http://www.paysdeduras.com/ 

 







 







 

Sunday 5 April

5 April : Easter Egg Hunt at the Chateau de Vayres.

5 April 20h45 : Birdman is showing in VO at La Breche in Ste Foy la Grande.










Coming up…




















And finally…


Pâques (Easter) is celebrated with a plethora of chocolate, including eggs, bunnies, chickens, ducks, fish and bells. 
Hmmm… fish and bells?  Well, apparently, the fish are carried over from the 1 April which often falls on or around Easter weekend and tradition dictates that mischievous children stick paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting adults – who reward them with chocolate fish!
The bells - Cloche volants – Flying Bells have a religious significance, because on Good Friday all the bells in France fly off to the Vatican in Rome taking with them the grief of those mourning Christ’s Crucifixion.  The church bells in France are then silent until Easter Sunday when they return and ring out to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  They also spread chocolate and decorated eggs over the gardens of France which the children collect when they hear the bells.
So, chocolate fish and bells – who knew?

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Week 13 2015



Hello!
Bordeaux start

The silence was shattered this weekend with over 120 classic and collectable cars joining together for the annual trip from Bordeaux to Castillon and then time trials around 3 courses amongst the vines.   

The day started at the Allees du Tourney in Bordeaux with overcast skies and the rains held off until late afternoon.

Cars racing through the vines is quite a sight.  Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a bit of an armchair petrolhead, so cars whizzing right by my house was (quite literally) just up my street!

Have a great week in the Dordogne and Gironde regions, I’m looking forward to the longer evenings from next weekend.
Racing in the St Emilion vineyards

Best wishes,
Helen

Week 13 2015


22 March – 25 March all cinema tickets are €3.50 to celebrate spring. 
There are loads of films coming up this week – please check with the cinema for the timings as sometimes they change. http://www.grandecran.fr/libourne/

Monday 23 March

Tuesday 24 March

Wednesday 25 March

25 March 21h45 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne
Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind. Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Kyle Gallner

25 March 21h45 : Selma is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.
A chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.  Starring David Oyeowo, CamerenEjogo, Tim Roth.

25 March 21h45 : The Voices is showing in VO at the Grandecran cinema in Libourne.
In this comedy crime thriller, a likable guy pursues his office crush with the help of his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date.  Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick

Thursday 26 March
 
26 March 19h15 : Selma is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.

26 March 19h30 : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne
A drama about the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s. Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Walz and Krysten Ritter

26 – 27 – 28 March : MADS production of Run for your Wife.  John Loved Marriage so much he had 2 of them. Tickets for this comedy available at mads.bookings@gmail.com

Friday 27 March

27 March 13h45 : Selma is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.

27 March 14h : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

27 March 14h : The Voices is showing in VO at the Grandecran cinema in Libourne.

27 March 16h10 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

27 March : Dinner and a concert at the Comptoir de Genes.  TexMex dinner followed by a Country Blues Concert.  Reservations recommended 05 57 47 90 03

Saturday 28 March
 
28 March : Belves de Castillon invites you to join them on their Pathway to a healthy heart (Les Parcours du Coeur) A full day of events and activities centring on the wellbeing of your heart.  See the poster for the full details.


 








28 – 29 March : Clocks change tonight, we may lose an hour in bed, but all of a sudden we get nice long evenings!
 
Sunday 29 March

29 March : Vide Grenier and Flea Market at Langon

29 March : Vide Grenier and Marche des Puces, Lac de la Cadie in Mouliets et Villemartin

29 March 11h : Greyhound racing at the Lac de la Cadie in Mouliets et Villemartin.



















29 March 15h : Recit’Phonie 4 at Salle Rene Chauvin at Le Fleix.  A concert with songs and stories focusing on life along the Dordogne River.

29 March 20h30 : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

29 March 20h30 : Selma is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.

29 March 20h30 : The Voices is showing in VO at the Grandecran cinema in Libourne.

29 March 20h30 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

Coming up…

30 March 14h15 : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

30 March 14h15 : Selma is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.

31 March 14h15 : The Voices is showing in VO at the Grandecran cinema in Libourne.





















And finally…

It's not quite Easter, but it is spring, and here are our hens... not really spring chickens any more, but still great layers.





Tuesday 17 March 2015

Week 12 2015



Hello!

One of the wonderful things about living here is the wine!  And I admit… we get rather blasĂ© about the choice and the price and the variety, all just within Bordeaux.  So, it was great to focus our minds and taste buds on just one region.  A very pleasant evening was spent working our way through some very reasonably priced wines from Blaye.

Are we getting too complacent about the wines on our doorstep? I don’t know, but now I have even more favourite wines!

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

Best wishes,
Helen

Week 12 2015


Plenty of films in VO in Libourne this week… something to do with the Oscars…

Monday 16 March


Tuesday 17 March

17 March 14h15 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne
Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind. Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Kyle Gallner

17 March : St Patricks's Day 

Good evening all, don't forget that we are celebrating Saint Patrick's Day, bring your instruments with you and join in with the festivities at the Gensake in Gensac.

17 March 20h15 : The Libourne/St Emilion Rotary Club are hosting a special showing of Cinderella at the Grandecran in Libourne in Aid of la Recherche sur le Cerveau, connected with combatting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s etc.  Rotary Clubs throughout France are supporting this cause.



17 March 20h30 : Bonnie and Clyde is showing in VO at La Breche in Ste Foy la Grande.

Wednesday 18 March

18 March 21h45 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

Thursday 19 March

19 March 19h15 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

19 March 19h20 : Birdman is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne
In this comedy drama a washed-up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play.  Starring Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis and Edward Norton.

19 March 19h30 : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne.
A drama about the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s. Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Walz and Krysten Ritter

19 March 20h30 : American Sniper is showing in VO at La Breche cinema Ste Foy la Grande.

Friday 20 March

20 March 14h : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

20 March 20h : Concert with French Songs at the Centre Culturel starts the Fete du Printemps in Castillon

20 March 20h30 : Soiree poetico – gourmande at the Mediateque in Gensac

Saturday 21 March


21 March : Les Guinots in Flaujagues takes delivery of their 2014 white and rose and are offering for this one day only 6 bottles for the price of 5.
For the 2013 rose and white you can buy 6 bottles for the price of 4 until the 2013 runs out!
Open from 9h30 - 12h30 / 14h30 - 18h30

21 March : Fete du Printemps in Castillon includes a Classic car exhibition and Rally, a photographic and Painting exhibition  at the Salle cascante and a dinner dance in the evening.

21 March 13h45 : Birdman is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

21 March 20h : Dinner Dance at the Salle des Fetes in Rauzan.
 

21 March 18h : American Sniper is showing in VO at La Breche cinema Ste Foy la Grande.
































21 – 22 March : Les Puces Bordelaises.  150 stands at the Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux. http://fr.bordeaux-tourisme.com/offre/fiche/les-puces-bordelaises-au-parc-des-expositions-de-bordeaux/FMAAQU033V503YYP

21 March 20h30 : A Musical Evening discovering the works of Gaetano Donizatti at the church in Saint-Geraud de Corps.

Sunday 22 March

22 March : 27th Salon de la Collection in Bergerac including an Exhibition of the history of Cinema and Photography.


















22 March 20h30 : Birdman is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

22 March 20h30 : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

22 March 20h30 : American Sniper is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

Coming up…

23 March 13h45 & 20h15 : Birdman is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne

23 March 14h : Big Eyes is showing in VO at the Grandecran in Libourne




















And finally…


Do you remember when there was a M&S in Bordeaux?  Well, there was when we first arrived in France and now there’s a petition to try and reinstate one back in Bordeaux.  Follow the link below to sign the petition to encourage M&S to come back to Bordeaux.