The Fabulous Fruriouge. Friday 10th July 2009.

Our 10am appointment with the lovely Isabelle and Sylvain at La Ferme Fruirouge was not too far from home, a meander in the little red shoe, as AJ calls it, through the sloping vineyards between Beaune and Dijon. It was bit of a shock to the system to be ready and out the door by 9.

Fruirouge specialise in organic production of all things yummy using tiny red fruits. There is one ring in, wine peaches which are very different to the eating variety, and the team at Fruirouge transform them into alcoholic Peach Creme.

Production was well under way when we arrived. Staff sat around a honey toned, wooden table, checking piles of cherry pulp for pips that the hand turned machine had missed. The surface of the wood shone under the slick of sweet cherry juice.

In a room to the side, the sunlight shone through a window in delicate streams, onto a big copper pot filled with bubbling strawberry jam. The aromas of the sweet jam filled the room and became more complex and intense during our visit. It was distracting and persistent in vying for my attention.

After hours of chatting with Isabelle and Sylvain, we went out into the fields, to see the blackcurrant bushes, almost bare after the recent harvest. There was enough fruit on the bushes for us to gather a handful and taste, the little orbs burst in our mouths releasing their juice. We scoured a few raspberry bushes too and found a few late bloomers. I love fresh raspberries plucked from the bush and eaten straight away under the warmth of the summer sun.





Late in the day Alex poked his nose into the locked shed in the back yard. He came inside with a grin from ear to ear saying, "There are bikes in the shed you know." We knew the shed was locked and full of pool chemicals, but a bit of investigating from the Mumster revealed the key. JR pumped up the tyres and AJ dissapeared around our little enclave of houses and along the dirt track at the back of the house.

It was nice to have our bums back on bikes again and we three rode through Combertault and onto the next village of Levernois. I was riding along thinking how lucky we all were, to be riding bikes through the quiet little villlages of France, with the breeze in our hair and the sun on our backs.

Beaune, the capital of Bourgogne. Thursday 9th July 2009.

We have been living five minutes out of Beaune for one and a bit weeks now and have hardly scratched its surface. We had no agenda, no list of things to see, so we just wandered the streets seeing whatever we saw.

The exterior of the Collegiale Notre-Dame in Beaune was a lovely sight, inside was another matter. The parishes collection must have been saved for years and years to afford the hundreds of new chairs that sat in perfect lines replacing what I suppose must have been old timber pews. What a shame it was, it spoiled the ambiance although I am sure the congregation enjoy a more comfortable service every Sunday.


We have noticed that no one in France has tongs in their kitchen. This has both puzzled us and frustrated us. I will not bow to pressure and buy a pair (I am determined to live as a local in every way), especially not at the prices they charge here. These tongs were the first pair of plain metal tongs we have seen since leaving Oz, at €30, (AUD $60) my reselve to live as a local is making more and more sense every day.

We sat at a cafe on a table under the awning before going in search of a butcher. They are a little thin on the ground in Beaune, quite the oppoite to carniverous Lyon. I stopped a chef in the street and he pointed me in the direction of his recommended butcher. We bought some mustard, herb and plain sausages to throw on the BBQ tonight.

The fridge was almost bare and needed restocked so we all went in different directions at the supermarche with our list of things to fill the trolley. My big discoveries at the supermarche were round zuchinnis and Kumato Tomatoes, known for their dark skin and intense flavour.

And look at the heartwarming Aussie tribute I found in a little chocolatier!



I don't know about your supermarket, but my supermarket has never had a contraption like this to bag a lettuce, what a great idea!

Back at home, JR cranked up the barbie and threw on the snags, they were absolutely brilliant. We will be back for another round of the mustard ones. I threw together a greek salad and we roasted JR's favourite rosemary potatoes with sea-salt from our visit to Guerande.

Fossicking In The Pantry.

To me, a French pantry looks more romantic and enticing than an Australian one, even if the ingredients inside are just ordinary. Look what I found today while fossicking in the pantry in our little home in Combertault.

Crozets are tiny pasta shapes made from buckwheat flour and are typical of the French Alps region of France...

This beautiful tin of Cocoa from Austria caught my eye...

Every French home has decorative tins of sugar cubes, brought to the table to add to coffee and tea. The contents of this tin have been infused with vanilla. They transform an ordinary cup of tea or coffee into quite a treat...

Hmm, gingerbread syrup, how delightful...

Pastis, the aniseed aromas lurk in every bar, on every corner, and no French home I am sure is without a bottle of Pastis for a pre-dinner aperitif.

Every French home we have lived in has had a packet of instant potato puree in the pantry, and if I'm going to be honest, I just love the stuff!

Ponderings...

Europeans have quite a fascination with Australia.

We have been asked, "Is it always dusty?", "Do you have grass?". I imagine from this line of questioning that some people think we live in a desert... interesting.

On more than one occasion the topic of dangerous animals, spiders and snakes has come up. We have noticed in the homes we have lived in, that in preparation for their holidays in Australia, the families have viewed education on this topic as an essential part of their preparation. The homes have had books on the subject stored on bookshelves beside their Lonely Planet guides, and videos/DVD's to watch.

As we know Australia so well, it is hard to get inside foreigners heads and imagine what their idea of Australia is. I think the questions they ask us go a long way to explaining the views they have.

Meandering along the Route des Grand Crus. Wednesday 8th July 2009.

We were easy on ourselves today. We slothed a little, well, alot actually. It was nice.

As the afternoon sun became soft, spreading its warm light across the landscape, JR and I headed along the Route des Grand Crus. He turned to me in the car and asked, "Do you want a surprise?" Well, what girl doesn't like surprises? "If you could have just one thing in the world right now what would it be?" he asked. "Chocolate" was my quick reply, that answer was easy. He put a Bouchee chocolate in the palm of my hand and smiled. "I knew you would say chocolate" he said. I hope I am not that predictable in every facet of my life!




We took the main road until the turn off to Couchey. The village streets were quiet except for a lady on her way home with a golden baguette tucked under her arm. Baguettes are surely this seasons fashion accesory, I had to have one. Mine was flecked with seeds and lightly dusted in flour and would be a great addition to tonights relaxed dinner of whatever was in the fridge.

The sun was still above the hill that is the backdrop to the vineyards of the Route des Grand Cru. While it peeked over the hill, its rays touched the tendrils that reached skyward and danced in the breeze. The new season's grapes were still secreted away under the lowermost leaves on the vines, much like a mother penguin protects her chick from the elements.

We stopped the car at every postcard moment. The old gates to the vineyards that have been here for so long, stood like gateways to paradise. The name of the vineyard was sometimes stamped into the aged stone and sometimes it was forged in metal that joined one pillar to the other. These old gates are one of my favourite things about Burgundy - and the food (escargots, fromage), and the wine (soft Burgundy reds), and the people...

l'Ouche Canal de Bourgogne. Tuesday 7th July 2009.

Oh how I love thee Burgundy! With vineyards at our doorstep and the canals of Burgundy a mere dander away, what is not to love?

We began exploring Burgundy's famous canals at the loch of La Pont d'Ouche and finished on the outskirts of Djon. The canals are a manmade river sytem originally created to transport items around the region, now they are a source of pleasure for all who navigate them, ride along them, or like us, follow their journey by car, stopping at every opportunity to drink in life on the beautiful waterways.


The rain came down and life was scarce at every loch we stopped at. There was no denying their beauty even in the teaming rain. Each loch sported expertly tended gardens filled with bright blooms.


When the sun shone, life returned and we took the opportunity to have lunch beside a little river at Ste-Marie-sur-Ouche. An old stone bridge arched over the bridge, under which ducks swam to take part in our picnic fare. We didn't mind, they were full of character, some being the first to grab every morsel offered and the more quiet ones who hung around the back of the gang. I always make sure these guys get some of the bounty.

As we were leaving we heard a racket. It turned out to be a goose enjoying exercising his vocal cords and a leisurely afternoon wander, . He was lucky not to be skittled on the road as he took his time to cross and arrive at our picnic site.

The loch at Pont de Pany was busy as we arrived. We were just in time to see a gaily decorated boat sitting low in the loch, the loch gates were wound open and the captain navigated his craft from the loch with barely an inch to spare either side. It was a lovely sight to see.

Along the canal further I met the lovely Juliette, a loch keeper of five years. She was happy to tell me her loch keeping stories and all about her unique life style. Her Loch keeper's house is as neat as a pin, her garden is in full bloom and her vegetable garden is full of tomatoes that will be left on the vines to ripen, zucchinis with flowers attached, salad leaves ready for the table, strawberry plants yet to show their fruit, and more.

We meander home along the back blocks and along the Grand Cru Wine Road, it is heaven sent with too many lovely sights to tell about.


The vine filled fields give way to fields of wheat and sunflowers and beyond was the welcome of home.

Wine villages. Monday 6th July 2009.

We are living in the heart of the Burgundy wine region here in Combertault. A short drive in either direction finds us amoungst the lush vines.

Today we explored a few nearby wine villages, all were brim full of beauty and the romance you would expect of the Burgundy region. The roads of tiny Volnay were barely wide enough to drive the car through, and believe me, out car is a tiny one! We all just hold our breath in instinctively, somehow hoping it will decrease our girth at the narrowest parts. Silly I know.

In the heart of Volnay is a small square, defined by a park with sweeping views over the vine covered slopes, cut down wine barrels filled with flowering geraniums, a church, and Vignerons, one of which was industriously cleaning his wine barrels. Just above Volnay is a gorgeous panorama view of the village of Pommard, looking like a desert surrounded by an oasis of vines.

Driving along the narrow roads, I am sure no one but us and the wine makers use, we stumble across Meursault, it is gorgeous and has the prettiest Mairie (town hall) I have ever seen. It's roof is made of the unique coloured tiles so typical of the Burgundy region. Back-pack laden cyclists cruised into the village heart with sweat on their brows, cycling is a popular way to discover this area. I bet they have no trouble negotiating the narrow village streets.

JR scoots around the village to snap his beautiful works of art while AJ and I wander our own path of discovery. We sit together in the shade and eat the plumpest, most succulent and juicy French cherries known to man.

We eat early tonight, a salad of bursting fresh lettuce, eggs, smoky lardons, blushing tomatoes, croutons delicately seasoned with freshly ground pepper and Guerande sea salt, drizzled within an inch of its life with a delicate mustard dressing. JR goes out to capture Burgundy in magic hour, he loves this time of day. Thomas arrives with a replacement BBQ which may not be needed as we have been told the kind of electric BBQ we are using actually requires the water in the bottom to enable it to work - what the??? AJ and I have a long chat to the lovely JC, our December home-exchanger from Brussels. It is only 3 weeks until he visits us here at Combertault. We share our excitement about cooking his recipe of 'painted chicken' together. Can't wait to meet you JC!