Jam

Martine is making jam. More about that later.

Alain and Marie-Claude suggested we go for a trip to see an old half ruined abbey. That seemed to be a good idea and off we went into the deep countryside getting lost a couple of times on the way.The abbey stood impressively on the horizon poking above the trees. We were welcomed by a very friendly lady who explained everything to us before our wander through the ruins which were undergoing gradual restoration.  

These things don't do a lot for me - I'm a philistine. But there was some good modern art on display in some of the rooms which improved things. 

But I could smell jam across the courtyard and poking my nose through the door was Martine and a colleague cooking up the most wonderful confiture. I asked if we could go in for a look and we were given a tasting of some great flavours. The best was a cherry and chocolate. All were on sale in the mini shop and so bags were filled with various jars.

Off to lunch at a local resto in the nearby town. Which I can report was rubbish. Not all French restaurant experiences are necessarily that brilliant. But the afternoon redeemed things because we had a walk around some historic gardens and a lake. The vegetable garden was apparently help yourself although I couldn't quite believe it. Undaunted Marie-Claude scrumped a couple of monster tomatoes which were eaten in a sad that evening. Delicious.