Snow in Bourgoin

Woke this morning to find Bourgoin under buckets of snow!  Yesterday it snowed a bit, and the roads were icy - but today it's really coming down!

I have held a minute's silence for my herbs that have surely perished in this 'natural disaster'.  On the upside, don't have to work today - sorry chives!

Ron wanted to go outside and check it out.  I said no - the snow is taller than him!

View from our bedroom window

Chris and Gemma come to Bourgoin for a visit!

Last weekend Chris and Gemma came to Bourgoin for the weekend.

We took them into Lyon to check out the sights, including the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière, which overlooks the city from a height.

It's a really impressive church, especially the mosiacs on the interior walls.  It has definitely been added as a highlight on 'Lindy and Antoine's Walking Tour of Lyon' for all visitors to Bourgoin!

Here the walking tour is in full swing, as we walk along the banks of the Saône, after walking through Vieux Lyon, where we stopped for Nutella crêpes (as you do), and to check out a shop selling blackboards in an amazing array of shapes from wine bottles to roosters).  Unfortunately, they had signs everywhere forbidding photography, and I wasn't feeling brave enough to defy them!

On Sunday we introduced Chris and Gemma to our local pub, The Albion!  Chris, qualified as an Irishman, has certified the Guiness as excellent.

All round great weekend!

The Professional Shots from Fred and Veronique's wedding

Thierry Sourbier, genius photographer! 

Antoine sharing out the Moet at the reception.

Antoine and I in front on the balcony at the Four Seasons Hotel, with the water-jet on Lake Geneva.

Chantal, Pierre, Claire, Antoine and me - happy but cold.

Claire showing off the rose candy ring all the ladies were given as a gift from Fred and Vero.

Boudin Noir - The Genuine French Experience

Some friends invited us this morning to come with them to a neighbouring town's rugby club, where they have an annual fundraiser making, cooking, and eating boudins, a local speciality (sausages made with pigs blood).

We got there at 10.30am, and there were 100 or so people there - all drinking wine or mixed drinks - I swear the whole place went quiet when I ordered an Orangina!.  Everyone has a paper plate with a dark red sausage, and a napkin (cutlery has no place here), and is sucking the 'meat' from the skins - the skins here being real pork intestine.  Apart from their sausage, and their drink, they all have tupperware to take some sausage home.

My new friend Jacques took me round the back to meet the blokes cooking the boudins.  There were about 10 of them, all big butcher dudes, in white aprons, standing around these fabulous kettle boilers.  Wood fire burning in the bottom, water boiling above, with a big pipe up top for the smoke that looks like a truck exhaust.  Enormous sausages were in the boiling water being turned and pricked continuously so that the liquid blood cooks evenly (at least I think that's the explanation).

Brilliant day, feel like a right local.  Two regrets;

1. Leaving my camera at home; and

2. Boudin sausages...  after tasting, I understand why they need the booze to eat them.  Yuck!

I wish Claire turned 30 every day....

I never knew how fantabulous a steam room was before Claire's surprise 30th birthday.   Can I just say WOW - Claire can turn 30 any time she likes, because steam room, wrap and massage = happiness.  



I don't know how Claire managed a smile.  I was struggling to stay on the chain I was so relaxed.

Photos from Aix en Provence

Turned the heaters on today...  That's it for summer.  Bring on the first big winter of my life - snow tyres and all. 

Dreaming of next summer and seeing Aix en Provence properly.  Spent a day there  July, and need to see more!

The round-abouts in Aix-en-Provence.

Hotel de Ville

Veronique and Fred's Wedding in Geneva

Fabulous weekend in Geneva for Fred and Veronique's wedding, at the Four Seasons Hotel overlooking Lake Geneva.

They went for the same photographer (Thierry Sourbier) as Antoine and I, after seeing how brilliantly our photos turned out.  Here are some of my snaps - but cant wait to see his!

Antoine and I at the reception - the transition from 10 degrees outside to 25 degrees inside made for a rather rosy glow!

Fred and Veronique leaving the mairie - just married.

Hiden behind the gorgeous tropical centre-piece, Claire and Antoine.

  

The entertainment at the dinner was great.  They had a magician, a guy who painted gianted portraits of the bride and groom in 3 mins (apparently he did Eva Longoria's wedding too!), and a clown who made balloon animals, glasses and swords, for the children....!!! 

Wish us luck

Lights are on at Stade Pierre Rajon.
BJ vs Exeter.
The first test of my dedication to Bourgoin....
It is bloody freezing!


But I am packing a BJ scarf, and prepared for a numb bum.


Ron will be watching from home!

New Bed!

New bed delivered and put together today by two big burly french blokes, in teeny shorts.  It was just like being back in Oz! 

Didn't feel it appropriate to ask the guys for some happy snaps, that would have been a bit weird...  But here is Ron, who is a fan (of the new bed, not of the blokes in short shorts...)

As soon as the cat-killer-delivery-dudes left, he gave it a road test.

Luckily he was still available to kill, crush and destroy his fluffy white mouse.

Bourgoin 18 - Brive 3!!!

Since moving to Bourgoin, Antoine and I have bought season tickets to the rugby.  The stadium is only a few minutes walk away, and it's Top 14 rugby.  And, the way Bourgoin have played this season, they might not be in the Top14 next year... 

That said, today, we WON!  Woo hoo!

Here is our mascot - dont think about the fact that we are over 300km from the ocean  - the sky-blue and claret colours of our team make the dolphin an obvious choice...

The crazy half-time entertainment - much better than cheerleaders.

And finally, Antoine getting the beers in.

First Post...

I created this blog months ago.... and for various excuses (the biggest being not actually having internet connection, thank you France Telecom...) I hadnt made my first post. And so, week after week, THE FIRST POST became a big thing.  And I waited for some major event with high def photos to use for THE FIRST POST.  The event big enough never came....

Today, I decided unless I do the FIRST POST, there will be no blog.

So, for my first post, VOLIA, my new haircut!  About 12 inches shorter than before.  All thanks to my new hairdresser in Bourgoin, the lovely Aurelie.