Harvesting walnuts

October is a busy month for harvesting fruit and nuts. I have been picking walnuts for over a month now. I have to be quicker than birds and squirrels!

Nuts drop naturally when their husks soften around September/October time. This year they were about 2 weeks early because of the hot weather we have had in Brittany.

You don’t actually pick them from the trees! If some nuts are on the floor still in their husk, use gloves otherwise you will get black fingers and nails for days!

My neighbour’s walnuts are huge!! See the above photo!

I will post recipes with walnuts on this blog soon.

Fresh quails eggs

When you live in the countryside in France, you always end up swapping excess fruit and veg or other things with your neighbours !

Last week, we got a dozen of fresh quails eggs (oeufs de caille). Our neighbours just had new additions to the farm, a couple of quails! A few days earlier we had goose eggs. Not quite the same size!

I served the quails eggs with other nibbles with the aperitif. I simmered the eggs for 5 minutes and they were perfect – that is what the guests said as I didn’t get a chance to taste them! They disappeared very quickly!

No doubt, I will get more from my neighbours very soon so if you have interesting recipes with quails eggs, please feel free to add them to this blog.

Evran car boot sale today

Evran is having a braderie all day today. Mainly children cloths, toys, books, etc, but you will also find anything there!

I bought a few books and DVDs for a few euros.

I will have to organise another film night with the girls!

Evran is 10 min South of Dinan in Brittany.

Plousane Exhibition

At Plouasne Cultural Centre...

There is an exhibition of the work of seven local artists: a calligrapher-illustrator, a glass painter, a ceramist, a sculptor, a graphic painter and a paint-engraver.
The exhibition is on until October 2nd 2011. It will take you to the heart of our territory with its legends, anecdotes and stories, with many photographs old and new and a collection of objects used every day in the past.

€2/person.

Plouasne is 15 min South of Dinan.

Special offer - gite in Brittany

We are currently offering a special offer on our Brittany gite for our last 2 weeks left for the 2011 season!

From 9th to 23rd July:
350 euros for 2 people
450 euros up to 4 and
550 euros up to 6.

For more information and photos, please visit www.evrangite.com.

The price of French stamps is increasing!

As from 1st July 2011, the prices of stamps in France are increasing.

It will be €0.60 for France (increase of 2 cents) and €0.77 for Europe (it is currently €0.75).
If the stamps you have at home don't show any prices on them, you can still use them. If they do have a price on them, you can get some 1 cent stamps.

For more information regarding the services offered by La Poste see this link here.

Gite in Brittany - Last minute booking!

Special offers on a beautiful gite in Brittany located near Dinan!

We are currently offering up to 150 euros off!

Bookings between 4th June to 2nd July 2011:
395 euros instead of 500 euros.

From 9th to 23rd July: 450 euros instead of 600 euros.

Special tariff for couples: 295 euros in June and 350 euros for July. Price for 2 adults.

For those seeking the countryside peace, there are opportunities for country walks around the pretty lanes that surround the gite or along the canal that runs through the town nearby.

For families there are plenty of distractions for the children, as the villa has a play area in the garden and the accommodation is baby, toddler and child-friendly.

Activities nearby: golf course, lake, swimming pools, horse riding, theme parks, water sports, zoo, parks and gardens, tennis, historic/medieval towns, etc.

For more information about our gite in Brittany, please visit this web site here.

Make use of this last minute special offer! Book your gite in Brittany now!