Ireland

25th May. 
After a pleasant overnight with family in Dublin, we set off south to Wexford to visit Jeremy and Rosie Hill at Monksgrange.  The weather is wonderful and flowers and colour everywhere.  The gardens are beautiful.  We are surrounded by the colour of rhodendrons, azaleas, bluebells and primroses and listened to the delightful sound of a happily flowing stream between the rocky paths. The parklands around the house are dotted with new lambs and foals amongst the grand old trees.  At the stables we watched while a mare was being scanned for pregnancy and could see the tiny 16 day fetus inside her.  We had to wait on the driveway while a mother shooed her new baby lamb across in front of the car.  

sculpture garden 

Now we are in Mallow, after an uneventful journey from Monksgrange to Cork.  Great new bridge bypassing Waterford - what a difference that makes to time and comfort compared with the last time we were here!

Contemplating the River Lee in Cork - looking over towards Grenville Place

Cork was fine, we just parked in a car park and wandered around doing our bits of history research.  Visited St Finnbarres, and St Peters, but found no trace of the Lombard name anywhere.  A major problem was that it was practically impossible to read the weathered inscriptions on the old tombstones.  Also a new organ was being installed so the cathedral was very restricted inside. Interesting the connections with France, the Hugenots were in that area, and of course the gothic style of building inspired by the French gothic.  It reminded us of Chartres on a smaller scale.   However the stained glass a windows are a bit cheerier than the French Catholic - much softer in subect.  The French stained glass seem to be full of martyrs, torture, blood and guts hanging out, suffering of every description - just an observation. 

Had a very pleasant time watching an otter catching and eating fish in the river - it was very lively and looked up at the admiring crowd as if to say "watch this one!"

Summer seems to have come with us!  

Lombardstown and Kilshannig:

What a very successful and exciting day was coming up.  

We set off first for Lombardstown and called into the Post Office to make some enquiries about the history, also to ask where we could find Lombardstown House.  There we met the Post Mistress, Catherine Healy-Byrne, who was very taken with our story and delighted to help us. We were devastated to hear the news that Lombardstown House had burnt down only a couple of months ago.  The present owner who did not live locally, had rented the house out and a few months ago it was destroyed by fire.  No one knows what happened, and everyone was very sad to see such a magnificent house destroyed.  We tried to find access to the house but the gates were chained and padlocked, and we couldn’t see the building from the gates.

We asked for directions to Kilshannig church to visit the graveyard there.  The locals have that very complicated Irish way of giving directions:  we listen madly to the detailed directions only to be told, "no, don't go that way...  go on ahead..."The church has been deconsecrated, and now belongs to the Cork County Coucil.  The grounds and graves are very overgrown.  We waded through nettles and brambles and with great excitement John found the Lombard family tomb. The massive stone cover was carved with many generations of the names of the Lombard 


family who were buried there.  Names, dates of birth and dates of death, where they were from and their wives were from, were carved into the stone slab.  It was very hard to read as the carving was extremely weathered.  However, we felt a great sense of achievement having found it.

With difficulty we clambered unto a tomb near the side of the church so we could peer in the windows.  The inside has been painted and used for some gallery or some such thing, so nothing much there.   We decided not to bother looking for the key.

After that we needed a rest, and took ourselves to a small village pub at Gortroe.  A lovely pub, with a football theme, and car registrations from all over the world covering the walls, along with wisecrack sayings, such as: “Would you like to speak to the man in charge, or the woman who knows what happens?”  A chatty friendly host and locals at the bar, were delighted to discuss the history of the place and hear about our search.  We picked up some good information there.

Shortly afterwards we had a phone call from the kind Post Mistress telling us that her neighbour Tim Ring had the keys to the house gates.   We dashed back to Lombardstown and met not only Tim Ring, but another local historian Donie O’Sullivan.  They are all fascinated by our search, and we exchanged contacts and had a long chat. 

We proceeded up the road and picked up Tim Ring who took us to the house.  He unlocked the padlock on the massive iron gates and with difficulty we pushed them open.

The house appeared gaunt and ghostly. It is an ugly picture presently, the walls are still standing, with gaping holes where the windows had been and the ground around is covered in smashed fragments of grey slate from the roof. The structure is extremely fragile.   A smell of burnt wood and old ash still hangs about the air.

It was a strangely narrow house, four stories high, built of red brick imported from England, evidently because it was ‘cheap’. 

The remains of an ornate front door arch, and a window frame above it, copying the same shape are still there. Fireplaces hang out of the walls above.  But not one trace in the house of anything personal, I could not see any remains of wall paper, or beams, or any furniture.  The only thing that seems to have survived is a dog kennel out behind the kitchen.

We finished up the day by calling in to see a woman called Patricia Foot on Tim Ring’s advice.  However, she could not tell us anything more than we already knew.  Her family have lived in the area for 300 years and they also have a vault in the Kilshannig churchyard.   She was very kind and gave us a cup of tea and delicious orange cake!  A nice pick-me-up at the end of a long day.

We are now back in our room, uploading photographs and sipping a white wine before going out to dinner.

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We have just had a delicious breakfast at the B&B, cereal, fruit and yoghurt, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.  Had dinner last night at a local Indian, hot vindaloo, pretty good. 

Off to Lombardstown again today!

Rainy days!

I felt really trapped indoors yesterday, rain, rain and more rain, but managed to pass the day working at my computer and doing some carding of Maria's black fleece.   

We had dinner last night with some local friends who run a gite here, and had a great catch up on general local news.

Today, more rain and grey, and we leave for Lyon airport at midday to fly to Dublin.  We'll pick up a car and drive to Glencullen to my sisters house for an overnight there, tomorrow to friends in Wexford and then on to Cork for the big Lombard research project, where we will stay for three days in Mallow.   We will follow on to Galway, and call in to Monivea and perhaps visit the mausoleum.  Two nights with John's cousin in Galway, and a visit to the house at Ballyglunin - John's mother's old home.  

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We watch the French news in the mornings, there is a good 24 hour news program which we like.  Reports of the Italian earthquake and recovery are broadcast each day, what a tragedy.

Then there are the G8 reports and analysis of the new French President and every move he makes, what he wears, who he speaks to, etc.

A significant time for the new President, his first encounter with other world leaders in an official role, it must be so very intimidating for a new boy on the block feeling his way.  Whatever he does, there will be someone saying he should have done something else…..

Sunday – a bit warmer at last.   Had a lovely walk this morning followed by a great Sunday lunch at a local bar/restaurant with a friend.  Sunday lunch in a restaurant is a great French tradition, not something we often participate in.   We had four courses - delicious food and great value and only 10 minutes drive from here. A good result, we will try it again during the week for a “working man’s lunch” (Euros 15!!)

The only problem is – the rest of the day is a write off -  all we can do afterwards is have a long siesta and then wander around doing light bits and pieces.

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We are despairing of spring ever coming.  The blackbirds and robins are singing away as if the sun was shining and warm, but it is grey and damp and for us, very cold.

Irises are starting to come out - I feel reluctantly, and I look at my fig tree every day in the hope of seeing even one small bud.  At least the roses are great, all looking strong and healthy and the first rich red one is out. I should be able to guide them up the front of the house this year. I tried to do some weeding this morning, but my hands were too cold.

It means spending more time indoors than we would have wished, keeping the fire going and trying to keep warm.  But that means some activity for me.  I washed part of a black fleece this morning (from Maria) and hope to start felting again when we come back from Ireland on 31st. I have to wait for our trip to Brittany - probably around the middle of June - to collect my spinning wheel.

Two loads of gravel came last week, and Alain has been spreading it in the two smaller caves. When proper windows are put in, it should be so damp.   He also started spreading gravel in the courtyard, and that is already a great improvement - no more red sand traipsed into the house on shoes! 

Friend coming for an apero this evening – will make a quiche as suspect it will be a long session.

another day

The temperature plunged, and Saturday and the start of Sunday were very cold.   Sun arrived on Sunday afternoon again and I did a great deal of planting. - Salad, tomatoes, 4 rows of beans, carrots, rocquet, and mixed salad seeds.  Had a lovely walk all around the valley, enjoying a cool breeze and admiring the carpet of golden buttercups amongst queen anne’s lace and the deep green of the fields around.  Later I will plant onions.

This morning I watched a host of tiny little birds feeding on the vine in front of our windows, finches and tits, redstarts and others.

This year most of the French population will only work 4 days a week for the month of May, as there are 4 religious holidays which fall on Mondays!  A good time to prepare their gardens for summer.

People in the village are hopeful that there will be some changes under their new President.  He is a relatively inexperienced man, and has been a functionnaire for most of his life with a comfortable job, which doesn’t augur well for the difficult tasks ahead.  Just hope he has a really good team around him and listens to advice!

First Week Back

The journey was as always, comfortable but long.  On arriving in Geneva, snow still on the tops of the mountains, but quite pleasant weather.   Everything is very green, and the fields swathed in gold with buttercups and rape flowers.   The poppies are just appearing.  Apparently the weather was very severe this winter, down to minus 15 c, and I can see some of our plants have suffered.  Our old large rosemary bush, I suspect is gone.  Out greatest anxiety is for our fig tree, now quite big, but not looking good.  No buds or leaves, but I don’t think its completely gone.  Just need to some warm sun to get it going perhaps!

Its Saturday morning, just listening to the gentle sound of the clip clop of a horse, passing by pulling a small trap, a pleasant sound in this old worldly place.   The blackbirds are singing too.

We are sorting ourselves out and gradually getting over jetlag.   It has been raining overnight, so I am really pleased that Monsieur Charmouton dug the veggie patch and cut the grass.  Everyone had warned us that the weather was dreadful, rain and more rain.   When we arrived on Wednesday evening, it was warm with a pale sun, and the next two days were just perfect - even hot in the afternoon.  

However, this morning is grey again and we don't mind, as we both have a great deal of work to do at our computers. Never mind the ironing basket which is sky high.... Lots of work to do in the garden which I find to be much more interesting and helps sort out the melatonin.  I have a few plants and seeds which must go in today and establish themselves before we leave for Ireland.  Tomatoes, salad, beans, etc etc.  My roses look strong and flourishing, and everything else looks fine except for the weeds!

It is lovely to be here, and enjoy the sounds and smells of our valley, of course more noticeable when we first arrive.  It's such a beautiful valley, birdsong so beautiful -  a contrast to our birdsong in Aus -  gentle and melodious.  We have been able to eat outside on the galerie ever since we arrived on Wednesday evening.   The warmth radiating from the old stones of the galerie in the long light of the evening still feels remarkable, these stones have stories to tell.  

It's so strange to have this really tiny kitchen again after my enormous kitchen in Tallong. I spent yesterday evening getting in my own way all the time, just have to learn all over again where everything is, and I suppose first rule of a small kitchen is to "be tidy" !

We are going to Ireland on 22nd, mostly to do research for John for his family memoirs.   This time we will go to Cork where the Lombards arrived in 1290 and surprisingly there are good records. In the 17th c, they founded Lombardstown and built Lombardstown house near Mallow.  We will stay in Mallow for three days, then go north to Galway, Connemara and of course Monivea again, before returning via Dublin on 31st May.  

I am chewing over a new book at the moment, mostly about this village, so look forward to discussing it with friends and locals.   This village goes back to Roman times, with a strong footprint here on our house site.   I found a wonderful book - a transcription of interviews from the Inquisition, early 1300s, translated from the Latin by a scholar.  It is extraordinarily revealing about intimate details of village life at the time. What a valuable resource official records can be when we can access them. So although I made a small start last year, I have not spent a moment on it in the past six months when we were in Australia, just didn't have the time. 

 In Tallong, everyone will be basking in the success of Apple Day I hope.

The Alpes Maritimes, and Haute Provence.

Sunday at Embrun in the Province des Alpes Maritimes, high in the alps near the Italian border, for La Journée de Patrimoine, or national heritage day in France. The French take great advantage of this annual heritage day, there are special openings of historic buildings, places, conferences - all about their country steeped in history, and they love it and are proud of it.

Its pouring rain, so we hope it clears a bit for our tour of the town this morning.
The journey south was quite easy, with the new Lyon airport road towards Grenoble making a huge difference. Not too much traffic, except passing Grenoble. That is when dramatic country appears. Sharp, very high mountains and twisting climbs and dips. Very slow driving this part. We were in fact, following the route of Napoleon for some of the way. Apparently he passed through Gap on his way through the alps.

Embrun itself is an ancient town high on a cliff, very near the Italian border and divided from Italy by very high mountains.

After checking in to this little old fashioned hotel, we assembled at the Tourist Bureau and followed a street theatre group wandering the narrow streets. They portrayed a story about Clovis Hugues a writer, poet and activist, a comedy and very entertaining. We ended up by a sculpture made by his wife soon after his death in 1902, with a bust of him and a gorgeous sculpture of his grandchildren reading his poems.

This was in a park at the edge of the cliff, near the very splendid cathedral (Lombard architecture of course) looking out across towards Italy. We tried to work out the direction and the valley where the invading Lombard barbarian tribe would have come from in 575, when they invaded and devastated this town.

After that it was an organ recital in the cathedral,

on a magnificent 15th century organ, -the photo is a carving at the base of the organ - before wandering back here for an apero and dinner. This morning, despite the awful weather we joined a tour of the town concentrating on its military history.

The Romans were here up to the end of the 5th century. The region was declared Catholic by Emperor Constantine resulting in a bishop being appointed at Embrun. The first bishop recorded was Marcellin in the years 365-374. He was eventually made a saint for his evangelism in the province of Alpes Maritimes, making many converts. There is a square and a fountain and streets named after him.

We are particularly interested in the Lombard invasion and the local hero who eventually managed to chase the Lombards back into Lombardy. It is a town of nine fountains,

each important as a water source for the inhabitants in days gone by. We had a very good guide, who pointed out fortifications, and covered a wide range of history at the same time. This afternoon a tour of the cathedral and the treasury and at 5pm a seminar on Lombard art and architecture. Hopefully it should be interesting and contribute to John’s history of the Lombards.
Weather is pretty awful for photographs, see how I go – luckily we brought rain coats and umbrella!
We had been struggling around all day in driving rain, feeling very cold, and were happy to have a break in our cosy room.
After half an hour’s rest, we went out again to the tour of the Treasury in the Cathedral. We lined up at a door inside the cathedral, and fortunately managed to get into the tour of the first 50. We were ushered into a treasure cave, the treasures are stored in what is an old secret chapel of the cathedral, no windows, no doors, beautiful but for me claustrophobic. It was unbelievable, the clerical vestments embroidered in silver and gold, several hundred years old, the silver and gold vessels of the mass, the extraordinary relics of some saint or other, the paintings, the altar of walnut intricately carved, the ancient small organ – a present from the dauphin of the time, beautiful. The treasures were held in two rooms, part of an old secret chapel. The first room had glass cabinets with embroidered vestments, gold and silver accessories of the mass, and the second was a small chapel with a magnificent altar. I had to step back into the main part, as just couldn’t cope with the feeling of claustrophobia. Packed in with 50 others, no windows or doors, just one small escape door, I just couldn’t manage it.

However, the whole tour was magnificent, and the guide excellent, she obviously loved her work and was passionate about it all.
After that exhausting and exhilarating dose of history, we returned again briefly to our room before setting out again for the Lombard conference. What a shock – the rain had cleared and the mountains all around us were topped in snow!!!

No wonder the temperature had plunged. After taking some pics, we went into the hall, and the presenter was great. She was an architect, and fascinated and passionate about the Lombard influence on the art and architecture of the region. We were able to record her talk and although she used many of the resources that John already had, its always interesting to see another approach. She did an illustrated computer presentation, and many of the churches she showed us are in Italy. It was all good information, and can only add to our interest.
Monday we set off from Embrun, and had a spectacular drive down from the mountains to the road around Lac Serre Poncet. We then climbed up again taking a corkscrew road – stopping now and again to look at the view. There is a huge dam at the end of the lake which provides electricity for the region.

Headed over past Sisteron towards Apt – for the meeting with Kathy and Valentine Morozoff, the Russian Americans who found me through my book. Their grandfather knew Kathleen ffrench - he grew up in Terenga where Kathleen inherited her great uncle’s estate. Their family escaped during the revolution through Harbin for a short while, but ended up near Kobe in Japan and started a confectionery business, specialising in chocolate. The business is still going, but they are gradually getting out of it as they are ready to retire now. Val is the third generation to run the business, but his sons live in the USA and are not interested in continuing.
We had a great and very lively evening, non-stop talking!!!
Tuesday saw us on the road home – the auto route was busy, so we had a few breaks, but got back here in the afternoon, in time to harvest tomatoes, beans, raspberries, figs and spinach.

Autumn arrives in Chateau

We have had an enjoyable few days with visitors, Trevor and Penny Fishlock. Both former journalists and friends from our Moscow days. They live in Wales and Trevor mostly writes books connected with Wales.

We went for some glorious long walks when they were here, the countryside looking so beautiful. The first day we walked along the country lanes to the other side of the valley, to the goat cheese farm. Made our purchases and walked back along the road. The second day we went for a much longer walk. Climbed the road at the top of the valley, curved around high up along a forest walk, came out at the Woodcutters’ house, back down into the valley, checking out the fruits on the trees. That includes the eating kind of chestnuts, walnuts, lots of apples and pears – with fruit falling off everywhere into ditches and unto the road. The countryside is still very green, but dotted here and there with autumn colours. The sky is very clear and light blue, the afternoons very hot, just for a couple of hours. In the late afternoon the temperature drops dramatically, fluffy clouds soon break up the sun shine and overnight it is really cool. It is still rather dry, and the farmers are again complaining about the drought.

Yesterday I pruned the dead raspberry stakes, and the pile for the bonfire is mounting. There are still raspberries on the young stakes, and shortly I will go out and pick a supply for today and tomorrow morning’s breakfast.

The hunting season starts on Sunday, so I am glad we won’t be here!

Sunday - time for the Vendange

11th September

I think the peculiar weather is global - we can never work out what is going to happen here, and the leaves are definitely changing colour. The garden is still producing madly which we are enjoying of course, but John groans when I bring in another bowl of green beans.... However, he likes much better the wonderful bowls of fresh raspberries for breakfast!
Last night we had dinner at a next door hamlet, 10 mins walk away. We decided to walk as the weather was so beautiful with a full moon. Walking home was stunning, the light extraordinary. We were walking the quiet country roads sometimes under overhanging trees with very little light filtering through, then out into full moonlight again. We sat on our gallerie with a whiskey nightcap when we came home, we couldn't bear to go indoors for a while.

All of the country around us is covered in vineyards and at the moment it is abuzz from morning to night with the grape pickers working - the vendange has started and it looks fabulous. Huge trailer loads of grapes pulled by tractors going to the wineries for pressing or to the co-op. Guys with huge baskets on their backs groaning with grapes as they stagger up the hills to tip the grapes into the trailers. A neighbour's family own a vineyard in the Maconnais and she is helping to produce 3 meals a day for the pickers 7 days a week!!

I will continue to work on my village writing project in Australia, that is if I get a minute to do so - sometimes its good to write while stepping away from it.

As part of my French village story I have started to look at wild plants for eating, ordered a few books and now I am trying out some plants in salads. Fascinating stuff, I now know how all the pilgrims ate when they trekked all over Europe long ago - there was always something to eat, perhaps harder in winter. But I expect they rested in winter for a lot of the time. I will be interested to try out some Aussie plants when I get back.

John is glued to the TV at odd hours watching the Rugby World cup - this morning he was up at 5.30am... he enjoys it a lot. Today, Sunday is the "vide grenier" in this village. literally translated means empty your attics - so a kind of village fair or sale of second hand goods, or flea market. We will walk down at lunch time, buy a hot dog and glass of wine to support it. Probably all good things for sale will have gone by then, but even so we will put in an appearance and show our support.

We are expecting some friends from Wales to arrive Tuesday - some former colleagues from our Moscow days. Both retired journalists, but continuing to write books. They will be here for a few days, and then on Saturday we leave for a trip south to the Alps Maritimes - near the Italian border, to a town called Embrun. It is National Heritage day on Sunday, and there will be a guided tour of the cathedral and treasury and in the evening a conference on the Lombards in the Alps region. The barbarian Lombards invaded Embrun in the 6th century and destroyed it – it is a fabulous fortified town high up in the alps.

The local historians are delighted to have a true Lombard attending the conference!! After that we go a little bit south to Apt, to meet up with some Russian/Americans - they found me through my book, as their grandfather used to live at Terenga in the Simbirsk region near Kathleen ffrench and knew her!!! They come to France twice a year on holidays, so a great chance to meet them.

After that we have some friends from Aus coming for a few days, then my flying visit to Ireland on 30th, back on 5th and we leave here on 10th!! Time will fly by and I have so much to do. Lots of pruning in the garden and my annual bonfire!!!

I can now genuinely say to Aussie friends 'see you soon'.