She'll Be Right

It is funny what you absorb by living in a different country, without even trying. You use expressions you've heard and used for years and everyone understands you, then you move to another country and meet new people who sometimes have no idea what you are talking about.

For instance, I was chatting to a friend on facebook and mentioned that we are Flat Stick at the moment. What is flat stick? she asked. Obviously an unknown expression on this side of the world, it means you are very busy and usually too busy to do other things you'd like to do. Flat Stick and Flat Tack are interchangeable.

While visiting a friend in the village, during our chat she made me laugh so much I said "You're a Dag". On seeing her puzzled face I had to explain, no this does not have anything to do with something hanging from the back end of a sheep (one of the 20 million or so woolly animals which populate the countryside in NZ), but it means you are funny in a nice way. I could have also said she was Hard Case, which also means - makes you laugh. After researching this (dag) expression I found the Australians use it with a different meaning - to dress badly - that is, not in fashion, or rather in bad fashion.

Image with kind permission from David Pope: website

Years ago in NZ there was an entertainer/comedian, Fred Dagg (aka John Clarke, who is actually Australian). He had a show with sketches, songs and the like and his trademark dress was a floppy hat, black singlet and gumboots. The black singlet is a kiwi icon of sheep shearers. He also had a hit called If it Weren't For Your Gumboots, the UK version used Wellies instead of Gumboots. You have to wonder if the kiwi version of dag was in any way influenced by Fred Dagg, being a comedian. Rattle Your Dags means get a move on, or shake a leg.

Fred Dagg

If you travel around NZ you might like to take a Tiki Tour (or Cook's Tour), which is take a trip the long or roundabout way rather than the most direct route. It's often used if you are not sure where you are - you tell people you're on a tiki tour (lost) but eventually you find your way back to the main road. Unless someone puts you Crook - gives you wrong directions or information - then you could end up in the Wopwops (usually the countryside - you see noone and there are no landmarks in sight). If you really do get lost you could be Up the Creek Without a Paddle (in trouble).

While you visit the wopwops you might need to use a Longdrop. This is a primitive toilet which is usually a hole in the ground (which drops a long way) and if you are lucky, you have the luxury of a seat and perhaps 4 walls, but little else.

Your neighbour might invite you over for a Barbie, which is a barbecue. And if you're asked to Bring a Plate, you should put some food on it for sharing with the others who will be at the barbie. You could take it along in the Chilly Bin (cool bin, plastic food store) because if you just turn up with an empty plate they might think you are a Sandwich Short of a Picnic (not very bright).

The next day at work at Smoko (morning tea, or coffee break) you can tell your host what a lovely time you had at the barbie and invite him over to your place for the next one. If he says Cool Bananas or Good On Ya Mate, then it's all ok and you are well on your way to understanding kiwi slang. He might also say, come over later and I'll Shout You one (this will be a beer and he is paying).

After that you should go home and find your Togs (bathing suit) in case there is time for a swim, Jandals (flipflops/thongs), buy a few Mystery Bags (sausages) from the Local Dairy (corner shop) and when your partner asks for some help with getting it all ready, you don't have to Bust a Gut (make an effort), just say She'll be Right!

Abbey of Fontfroid

Saturday 13th March was an open day at the Abbey of Fontfroid. We had planned to visit it earlier but with one thing and another we just didn't get around to it. The open day seemed like the perfect reason to plan our visit.

Bages

We decided to first visit Bages, south of Narbonne, which is a small fishing village located on the sheltered side of a large lagoon on the Mediterranean. After our recent snow we thought a view of the open water and some sunshine would be beneficial. Although we were not sure if the weather would deliver, when we arrived we found it to be quite sunny but very windy.

Boats on the lagoon

Boardwalk and algae ponds

We had a short walk along the boardwalk to see the natural algae pools and of course spotted some flamingoes. Our picnic lunch in the car was nice and it was even warm out of the wind. After lunch we took a stroll into the small village and it indeed looks picturesque with some nice views over the lagoon. Reminded us a little of the Cinque Terre -five fishing villages on the north west coast of Italy.

Then we drove to the Abbey via a link road which looks like it is often flooded. More flamingoes and better photo opportunity this time.

Flamingoes

The Abbey is rather amazing and with a long history. In 1093 the Cistercian Abbey was founded by the Viscount of Narbonne. It was granted much land and increased in both wealth and status. After fighting against the Cathars and then later the French Revolution (1791) the abbey was dissolved. It was refounded in 1858 by monks and then passed into private hands in 1908. Today the Abbey is privately owned and produces wine under the AOC Corbieres appellation. There is also a working farm, bookshop, restaurant and guest quarters.

Garden at centre of cloister

The courtyard was still covered in snow but we were happy the sun was shining for our visit. The chapel showed some magnificent stained glass windows and rosettes and the crypt was eerily attractive. Old wells, now covered, make you wonder how many pails of water would have been hauled up by hand for daily use several hundred years ago. The store room seems cavernous when empty, but I imagine the barrels of wine stacked up against one wall and honey, hay, or some such food crop stored against the other.

Plenty of storage

Basket with roses

There are many photo opportunities around the cloister. Most of the arches are carved with a different pattern, the small central garden is laid out in a formal style and there is a well at one end. To one side of the cloister is a meeting room which is the only place the monks were allowed to speak with each other. Even non-religious people can appreciate the beauty of the sculptures, stone and graphic embellishments which humbly decorate the Abbey.

Pieta

Cross

Cloister

The outside gardens are tranquil and we spent some time sitting on the benches and enjoying the sun and atmosphere. Small box hedges surround gardens of roses which will be a spectacle when they are flowering. Even not in flower, you can see the time and effort spent to make such a pleasure on rocky soil.

Sundial

There is a walk up to the cross on top of the hill but given the weather conditions we flagged that this time. On a warm spring day I imagine the views from up there would be amazing.

The Abbey hosts several public events during the year and if you'd like more information click here.

Some of the iron gates

vine theme

Snow Yeti Again

Well, this is going to sound a bit like a broken record, but we have had snow again this week. But first, let me tell you about our little trip last weekend to Rennes le Chateau.

We decided, after reading about the snow forecast, to make the most of the fine weather on Sunday and go to the market at Esperaza. Sun bright and people chirpy and market a little quiet but still nice. On the way home we took a detour and went to have a quick look around Rennes le Chateau.

Tour de Magdalene

Penitence

Chapel of Mary Magdalene

Those of you who have read Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) and Sepulchre (Kate Mosse) will know the story of Berenger Sauniere, who was a local priest accused of receiving funds inappropriately and even of spying for the Germans during WWI. His grave is in the churchyard of the Chapel of Mary Magadalene. This small chapel is beautifully decorated.

There are some nice windy streets and interesting buildings in the village, as well as stunning views over the Razes from nearby the Tower - the Tour de Magadalene. Inside the tourist office you can find a huge glass-covered excavation hole, which was dynamite blasted in the '60s to try and find "buried treasure", which of course was never found and probably never existed. But it did start fresh rumours about the priest, followed by a series of books and theories, some mentioned above. You can also visit the museum.

Feathered clouds on Sunday

Later in the day we had some lovely feather clouds which to us signify an oncoming storm. It was unbelievable as the weather was just warming up nicely and the day was so bright. But Monday morning was a completely different story. A large blanket of snow was everywhere we could see. The snowflakes started off wet and large and soon became thick on the ground. The temperature continued to drop and by the end of the day everything was quiet when we took Cassy for a walk down to the reserve. Wearing our good old NZ gumboots otherwise the snow would have gotten into our shoes!

Monday

Tuesday morning

Looking towards the back fence
Icicles on shed up to a meter long

After 4 days there is snow still sitting on the ground and in some trees. We have had watery sun occasionally during the week but not enough to get rid of all the snow. The icicles are beginning to thaw and crash to the ground. Now we feel we have seen enough winter and just want it to be spring! Poor birds are having a tough time finding enough to eat so we are putting out "fat balls" for them to nibble. It's quite lovely to see them all queueing up and then some underneath feeding on the bits that drop.

Robin in the snow

A couple of weeks ago we completed our new fence around the garden we planned to upgrade this winter. Before we could start we had to remove the privet hedge - one reason for getting rid of this hedge is that it looked rather straggly and another reason is that I am allergic to the flower pollen. We got a couple of the smaller ones out no trouble, but the others called for the more drastic action of pulley and block - I think Wouter likes to use these machines - like making cement is the grown man's answer to the sandpit.

Front garden with privet hedge

Wouter working wonders with the pulley

Wouter Kabouter......

I always hoped to find a kabouter (gnome) in the garden!

The posts are from acacia and were given to us by our vineyard neighbours. They just wanted to get rid of them and we said we would take them. Simple and great for us! We did buy a few small plants to pretty up the entrance (hopefully they survive the snow) and at some stage we will get something hanging on the rails by the gate. The other side of the fence will be covered with clematis once they grow. The centre part of this garden will also be changed, but we are not entirely sure how we will do this part.

Posts woven with Virginia creeper and pruned branches

By next Tuesday our temperatures will be into double figures again, so we are told, and then it will be a race against the clock to do all the chores that need to be done before planting, before trees sprout again, before fruit sets, and before weeds get too big to handle! After that's all done the snow will be long gone and we'll be looking at the next chores of building our outdoor guest barbecue making a cover for the well-pump.

Cold as Ice

While you Kiwis and Australians have been sweltering in the heat (especially Auckland, with a heatwave of at least 20 degrees...) you might be pleased to know that we have been shivering in our shoes, literally. We do feel sorry for the Melbournites who are currently struggling with temperatures into the 40s and are having to deal with bush fires and destruction of property.

Last week on Thursday the snow started coming in and is still here. The last few nights have been bitterly cold at -8 or -10, with last night being our coldest since we arrived here, at -12 celcius. The sharp air cuts through your lungs and seems to bite hard. The ice wave of UK finally made its way down to south of France and caught us up in its grip.

street in the village

chemin du relais towards reservealong the Southe oaks retain their colour in the reserve

We have both been knocked out with the flu or a cold or something in between - lots of sniffling and not being able to breathe properly, hacking coughs, headaches and just feeling lousy. But, Wouter is a few days ahead of me and is well on the way to recovery. I am feeling much better too, so it's all good.

During the snowy weather we also got some sun, so Wouter took the opportunity to go out and take some photos. You can't tell from some pictures, but the snow was around a meter deep in places. According to Wouter he had to shake out his boots several times. As the snow starts to melt, icicles are formed and today we saw some which were at least a meter long. If snow has been compressed on the ground, walking can be dangerous if the compressed snow has turned icy so it's best to walk in softer snow.

view from the front window

snow drift on east of property

hope the broad beans make it through....

I think this looks like woolly mammoths climbing our hedge (we just saw Ice Age...)
and the tobacco plants look rather glum under the snow

Cassy has enjoyed the one walk I've made with him in four days (due to flu) - there were so many new smells to sniff out - he was almost in heaven. Although he later showed his true labrador traits when I felt sorry for some birds who could not find food, so made a melange of rolled oats, pumpkin seeds and breadcrumbs and bacon fat. Cassy made sure the birds didn't get a taste for this new cuisine as he found every single crumb. But he paid the price by having sore gums later on - having spent a lot of time with his snout in the icy snow.

The forecast for tomorrow is for up to +12 degrees so no doubt it will feel absolutely tropical!

Busy Bees

Thought it was time for an update so you can see what we have been working on around the place. But first a wrap on the weather. While kiwis are expecting a humid week with not much sun, we have recently had the most glorious autumn weather. So unusually warm right up to Saturday that people were talking about it when you met them in the street. But good things come to an end and yesterday was not too bad even if a little cold. Today it's just cold and the dark clouds are now rolling in from the mountains. There will be snow underneath - you can feel the ice in the air. Luckily I cleaned out the fireplace last week and we lit our first fire last night. Nice to see the glow of the flames again but with it comes the dust, ash-clearing and bringing in the wood.... I had almost forgotten how much work it is to have a fire!

First update is the ramp for our guests with a wheelchair or walker. Wouter has made the gradient very low for ease of use.

before the ramp

It was good to get rid of the old building materials from out of the house when we converted the bedroom to new bathroom and loo. All the old brickwork has been used as fill and the side stones were collected from around the property. The concrete on top was left over from doing the inside renovations, we only had to buy the dye to match the current tiles.

finished ramp

Next is the path just inside the front gate where our visitors on foot arrive. Before we did anything it was bare earth and because it is hidden behind a tree and gate, no sun was getting there to dry it out, meaning muddy or dirty feet when you came through the gate. Also you had to step down into the dirt and then back up onto the driveway.

stones sorted, edges done, ready to go

Another problem was that once through the gate it wasn't really clear where you had to go to reach our front door. So we made a small semi-circle of stones to level things out, keep feet out of mud and make it clear you must go onto the driveway to reach the house. When I say "we" I mean that I sorted the stones and Wouter did the rest.

artist at work

The best thing of all was that we didn't have to buy any materials for the job - we collected the stones from our garden over the last year while we've been working, the cement, sand and builders mix was from another job. We're pretty pleased with the result.

finished path

The next thing on the list is the front entrance. When we arrived, looking from the road, the left hand side was not done at all - completely bare concrete blocks. The right hand side was partly finished and partly bare. There was a crack underneath the letterbox, the letterbox was rather grotty. Nothing matched - the grey blocks, the half done side and the pillars - all different materials and different colours. There was also a Wellingtonia growing on the lhs which we removed some months ago as we both didn't like the tree and we want to put something else in there instead.

before

Wouter decided to use a mixture of good old whitewash but a bit thicker and slightly coloured with chaux. The result is a rough texture and uneven colour, but we think it's great, very practical and also very cheap to do!

nearly there...

painting over the apricot coloured posts to match the new walls

Continuing work in the hangar is also important if we want to have workshops this coming spring and summer. Before work could begin in there Wouter had to remove a large 1000 litre oil container. Wouter offered it for free to someone who was going to come with a tractor and take it down as it was resting on a wooden mezzanine. However, they didn't show so it was down to the good old rope and tackle. After it was on the ground we used the car to pull it along on beams of wood to save it digging into the concrete and then the driveway.

artichoke

Meanwhile I have been trying my hand at making decorations from things out of the garden. Inspired by one can of gold paint I first tried an artichoke I picked a few weeks ago - the ones I picked recently are no good for spraying as they have gone slightly moldy from being out in the little rain we've had. But the good news is that I have plenty of seeds to plant more for next year.
The next decoration is made from sticks we pruned off the trees last year, tied together with some old string and sitting on a board Wouter kindly made for me, cones placed around the bottom - then sprayed with gold paint.

Lastly a wreath for the front door. This is made from strands of Virginia creeper which were growing through the stones on the ground, wound around each other to form the wreath shape, sprayed gold. Next I attached some suitable greenery from the Bay and other evergreens, and finished off with some gold-sprayed cones.

Last week we were given 4 kilos of olives. The owners didn't want them so I went down on my bike and picked heaps from quite a small tree and came back with a backpack full of them! Why not try my hand at brining them? It will take some time, patience and lots of water to get them to the edible stage, but it's a good opportunity to used something which was unwanted.

Cassy is blissfully unaware of all the work going on around him most of the time. This is one of his evening poses, curled up on his duvet, complete with squeaky cellphone at the top of his head and squeaky baguette under his nose....