Magical May

Lautrec garlic

Making hay

It's been a fantastic May with the recently arrived nightingales singing day and night  We have at least six territories at La Bastide, so I can listen to the birds as I cut the grass.  I have recently seen Honey buzzard, Hoopoe and Red backed shrike. Watched hares and deer, and as I write this I can hear a nightjar churring.

It's a busy time for farmers checking the garlic crop and removing flowers by hand!  Also with dry weather cutting, turning and baling hay.

Meadow with orchids

The cottage is almost finished, just painting and snagging.  The fabulous island kitchen has a four burner gas hob, Neff oven, microwave, dishwasher and black granite worktop.  We have added two glass cabinets to complete the upgrade.  French doors open on to the five by three metre terrace built of Douglas fir and Chestnut.  With its great view of the meadow and valley, I am sure it will be well used throughout the season.

Micro-station

The apartment now has a micro station and an even better view as some of the elder trees were removed.  The bathrooms are being installed.  The tiler starts soon.  The  kitchen was collected and shipped on nine pallets from the used kitchen company.  It's a showroom kitchen and we like the idea of getting real value for money and this one will be my fifth!  http://www.theusedkitchencompany.com.  It arrived at the end of May on a huge lorry with no tail lift or pallet truck.  Luckily I have a few local friends who helped to man handle the kitchen to the car for a trip down the lane. Two and a half hours later it was under cover in the play-barn.  It was then time for tea.....

Malaga harbour

Lobster in paradise

During May, I visited Malaga for a few days to see a friend however he was having more chemotherapy treatment, so I spent some time on the beach and eating great food with my friend John.  The highlight lobster and tuna at the Elvira restaurant washed down with a cold bottle of Albariño wine white wine. We visited Marbella and then Malaga and the Picasso Museum.  We will go back once the therapy is over and our friend is up to a visit.  Flying on the way back with Easyjet I crossed the Pyrenees bathed in incredible evening sunlight.

Malaga old town

The kids had two weeks school holiday.  Only marred by the fact they all had gastro, so the pony riding had to be cancelled.  They are sturdy, so hardly complained.  We still managed some cycling, table tennis and film night!

They were back at school for a week, then a Bank holiday with a bridge (basically another week off). We enjoyed the pool 20+ degrees and the great weather.  My daughter had three play dates and two sleep-overs.  The boys a party, rugby and swimming.

I collected vegetable plants from the local organic farm.  Evie and I planted all the tomatoes.  Next we plan to plant the other varieties in the potager (vedge garden), some courgettes, aubergine, cucumbers, melon, basil and thyme for cooking and a few edible flowers.

This year looks good for fruit with trees laden with cherries and figs starting to appear yum! nothing better than picking and eating straight from the tree.

2CV engine rebuild

Evie and her friend Anna and I visited a neighbour for breakfast.  The girls ate crepes made with eggs from the chickens, local flour and local honey from hives five metres away.  I drank coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.  I sat on the deck enjoying the countryside, chickens, ducks, dogs and cats, enjoying the French way, while the girls picked and ate cherries

In the garage was a typically French car having an engine swap.  Easy if you know how.

For me the best news was our Sussex hens started to lay. Today three eggs from three chickens....OK they did lay in a nest, in the grass.

Our first Sussex eggs