May still in isolation

La Bastide from the fields below

The world is slowly getting back to the new normal.  The Covid-19 rules in France started to lift from 11th May, with movement lifted from 100k to unlimited at the end of the month.  Restaurants and bars will re-open early June.  Masks are recommended, however it seems to be 40% of people are ignoring the advice.  It is good at last to see friends and have the odd Apéro.  I still talk to my friends around the world via Zoom who are either in lockdown or starting to come out, albeit slowly.

Roses climbing on Grange

It's May and we would normally have our first visitors, however due to most people postponing until next year I am taking the time to become a social introvert.  Friends due in May have had to cancel due to the crisis.  Also due to travel restrictions our bookings in June have either been moved to next year or cancelled.  Our policy is to fully repay any deposits.

I'm reading books by Umberto Eco, Tom Robbins and on cookery, as I am bored of Netflix who had Contagion and a number of apocalyptical virus movies and TV series on the go!  There are also only so many Marvel shows you can put up with.

The kids school started on the 18th, however we have elected not to send them back for a few weeks, as they breakup for the summer holidays soon.  It seems to jump start the economy, the government needs to get kids back to school, however Covid will probably move faster through the school system.

Grange stairs

This means home schooling, dips in the pool, playing table tennis, riding bikes and more baking.  Evie has made more cakes including raspberry and cherry cupcakes with cherries from our trees.  We are however running out of decoration, sprinkles and sparkles!  It's quiet here, but we are enjoying the solitude.

I am cooking more interesting food and getting the kids away from favourites like spaghetti bolognaise, chilli con carne with rice or wraps, chicken nuggets and pizza with a Jamie Oliver - Easy Jools chicken, coconut and lentil curry which went down surprisingly well.   Thank goodness they like salad and fresh fruit.

Slower life here is really slow, the sleepy village was deserted when I did the rubbish run.  I do see the odd farmer working the fields and cutting the hay or working the fields.  The barley and wheat sown in the fields is growing fast.  The Lautrec garlic looks fantastic sown in rows in some fields and is over a foot high.  Next the pain staking removal of flowers prior to the harvest.  I have however heard of plants normally sold in the markets dying in the fields and greenhouses due to no customers!  Evie and I have planted climbing beans and seven varieties of tomatoes.  Next chillies, peppers, cucumber, courgette and melon.

The weather has been very changeable with hot sunny days, thunderstorms and rain.  We had a storm all night and day on Monday 11th, with so much water we ended up with a flood in the kitchen which came through the back wall (it's below ground level).  There is an agricultural lake that we can see from the terrace, the water level rose three feet that day!  Time for a French drain above the house.  Work on the Under-barn has started again and I hope to complete by the end of June.

What a fragrance

Rose on Terrace

The roses are blooming everywhere, we have six roses growing at La Bastide.  The white rose on the terrace fills the Farmhouse  and Grange with great smelling perfume.  The garden at this time of year is full of flowering orchids, red hot pokers, lavender and pots of red and white geraniums.

Lilies by Grange

Bee Orchid

The meadows were mown at the end of May, however a few Bee Orchids survived.  Next after a few days drying in the sun (it's 35 degrees in the shade) the hay will be baled into large wheels and covered with plastic to keep out the elements.

Conehead Mantis

Pool invader - Lacerta viridis

It's like the Durrell's here with a foot long Green Lizard joining Charlie and Evie in the pool.  One night the kids left on a light in a bedroom, the next day we had loads of moths and a Conehead Mantis.  Much to Evie's delight.  

I saw Roe deer in the field one morning and hares are seen everywhere, there are Honey buzzards over La Bastide as well as Bee-eaters, Hoopoe and I regularly see Little owls on the wires in the next village.  We have nesting Golden oriole that visit the cherry trees, Melodious warbler, Blackcap and Nightingales all bringing up young.

Well that's it for another month, keep safe and I hope the blog helps to envisage the peacefulness of La Bastide.  Back to my coffee on the terrace and more grass cutting.

Pyramid Orchids grow on the verges