Sunday, April 30

A snake in the grass can be the preferred option!



After telling everyone that the way to enjoy the wonderful Perigordien food but also stay slim -- like French women do, is to walk everywhere and all the time, I set off on one of my own favourite walks yesterday evening, and came across this most beautiful specimen of a Couleuvre verte et jaune.

I had to laugh at the irony of it -- because, almost immediately after I posted the article about Perigordien feasts and slim French women , one of my readers was very quick to point out to me that it is all fine and well to say we should walk for exercise, but there is so much dog pooh everywhere in our towns and villages, that walking has become a hazardous passtime. I poo-poohed (forgive me the bad pun) the comment with a typical French shrug of the shoulders and a puff of the lips, and replied: "Bof! Et alors, go walk in the beautiful countryside then as I do -- there is nothing there that can offend or worry you!"

La couleuvre verte et jaune lives mostly in the southern parts of France. I was lucky to get a close up shot of him and could see his gorgeous colouring beautifully -- the yellow and greenish black glistening in the last sun rays of the day. They measure between 110 and 130 cm. The females lay their eggs towards the end of June and the little ones are born around mid-August. The young ones eat insects and small lizards while the adults eat mice, rats, birds and other snakes.
So -- all round a much more pleasant encounter on a healthy walk than the land mines left behind by the French canine species!




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    Saturday, April 29

    1 May Celebrations


    * Le muguet - convallaria maialis - or Lily of the Valley (latin convallis (valley),de leiron (lily) and maialis (of May)). The French name Le Muguet probably comes from the latin word muscus, because of the flower's strong perfume.
    Le muguet is a flower that "porte-bonheur" -- brings happiness and the French have this wonderful tradition of giving little bunches of muguet to friends on the 1st of May -- a tradition that was started in 1561 by King Charles X when he gave all the ladies of his court a small posy of Lily of the Valley..

    It was no different in the Chateau tonight and the dinner table was laid in green and white, with a little pot of muguet plants at each person's place -- as well as a miniature May pole in the middle of the table!


    To pick muguet, you should use sharp secateurs and be careful not to pull the bulbs from the soil. --- If the bulbs or 'roots' of the plant are disturbed, the plant will not flower again next year.


    Although the chief constituents of Lily-of-the-Valley are used in many beneficial medicines, one should take great care, as the entire plant is extremely poisonous -- even the water in which the posy has been kept, is poisonous and should be handled with great care. The constituents of the plant are two glucosides, Convallamarin, the active principle, a white crystalline powder, readily soluble in water and in alcohol, but only slightly in ether, which acts upon the heart like Digitalin, and has also diuretic action, and Convallarin, which is crystalline in prisms, soluble in alcohol, slightly soluble in water and has a purgative action. There are also present a trace of volatile oil, tannin and salts.
    Lily-of-the-Valley is valued as a cardiac tonic and diuretic. The action of the drug closely resembles that of Digitalis, though it is less powerful; it is used as a substitute and strongly recommended in valvular heart disease, also in cases of cardiac debility and dropsy. It slows the disturbed action of a weak, irritable heart, whilst at the same time increasing its power. It is a perfectly safe remedy. No harm has been known to occur from taking it in full and frequent doses, it being preferable in this respect to Digitalis, which is apt to accumulate in the blood with poisonous results.
    It also proved most useful in cases of poisonous gassing the soldiers at the front in WWI.

    May Day traditions go back to the dawn of time. In the ancient world, it was the date when sailors went back to sea. It was the beginning of the third quarter of the Celtic year.In the middle ages, May was the month when betrothals were made.
    At the turn of the century, the great fashion houses gave sprigs of lily-of-the-valley to their customers and apprentices on May Day.
    By 1976, lily-of-the-valley was completely associated with May Day and every year tens of millions of sprigs of both wild and cultivated lily-of-the-valley are sold on this day.





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    Friday, April 28

    Perigordien Feasts and Slim French Women : The Ultimate Paradox?




    I have had quite a few visitors to the Chateau as well as readers of the blog express their amazement that one very seldom sees an overweight person in this area. How is it possible to eat and drink so well and yet stay slim? Especially here in the Southwest where the farm markets, the fermes auberges, the restaurants and of course, the vinyards tempt us daily with their delicious produce, where everyone loves cooking and where cooking is a labour of love, where the very act of eating is a sensuous, lingering and pleasurable passtime............and -- where the Perigordien cuisine with all its magret and confit de canard, its salades de gesiers and nut oils, its pommes sarladaises and foie gras, are so rich and fatty and the eating of just one dish is a complete carbo-overload?


    This is a question that has been asked through the ages -- and the definitive and final answer, I believe, can be found in the book that was published a while ago and took the world by storm : Mireille Guiliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat".

    Interestingly, one of the first questions visitors to the Chateau ask me -- especially at the end of their first long leisurely meal!, is what it is that this French woman wrote in her book -- what exactly is the French secret for staying slim when eating is so much [part of the wonderful way of life in this part of the world?

    Mireille Guiliano describes her book as the "ultimate non-diet book." There are no carb counts, and no fat grams listed in the various personal recipes she shares with readers in the book. Her basic advice is what I see all the French around me do: They eat only good food -- as in good quality, and they relax and savour every bite.
    We all know that most "diets" don't work for long term. Mireille says what we know, but somehow never really want to believe: "There is no lasting glory in rapid weight loss. That's what diets offer: a fast (weeks, not months) round of misery for temporary results. If you believe you can shed pounds quickly by force of will and deprivation, you will in all likelihood not only regain the ones you lost, but add a few more besides." Part of the problem is that diets are boring.
    And how can one possibly follow a boring diet whilst living in the Perigord?

    The book does give pratical advice, such as
    keeping a food journal,
    to savour what you eat ---"French women eat with all five senses", she says. "This allows them to actually eat less because they are actually paying attention to what they are tasting." The other key factor, she says, is that French women don't eat until they are full. She believes that three bites of a dish are all you really need to enjoy, and she really applies that rule personally when it comes to her -- and my! weakness: pastries; to make good eating habits part of your life style --- "proper recasting, resetting your body's dials, is a three-month affair. The key is to make it a pleasant three months, not a sentence in Bastille";
    to make your meals part of ritual--- "French women love to shop and prepare food. They love to talk about what they have bought and made. It's a deeply natural love, but one that is erased in many other cultures. Most French women learn it from their mothers, some from their fathers. But if your parents aren't French, you can still learn it yourself." She says that you should go to the market two to three times a week and buy only what you need. None of this twice-a-month supermarket grocery shopping -- in no time, you will find yourself doing it automatically.
    drink lots of water---French women understand that drinking water is a powerful way of controlling one's weight -virtually without sacrifice;
    choose quality over quantity when buying, preparing and eating food;
    and -- "A final trick of variety: Since the pleasure of most foods is in the first few bites, eat one thing on your plate at a time, at least at the start of the meal when you can concentrate and enjoy the full flavors. The mouthful of melange (blend of foods) defeats the purpose of variety";
    portion control: Eating good food is great, but do you really need big portions of it? No. You won't notice that you're eating less, but your body will.
    And on a related note, if you are craving chocolate, have one bar of good quality chocolate and have one bite, that's all you really need to satisfy your craving.

    Is there anything in there that you did not already know? Of course not! BUT -- the secret is to follow these basic principles...........

    When it comes to drinking wine, Mireille gives the typical French -- and common sense answer, once again: Cut out the cocktails -- cocktails have far more calories than wine. It is best to have wine with food -- that is how it is meant to be consumed.


    And then, the last bit of advice Mireille gives us in her book, is to get exercise and she recommends to do what French women do -- they walk!


    Two Perigordien Recipes


    Confit de Canard (Preserved Duck) (Serves 4)

    Like any long-term relationship, preserved dishes need time to adapt and live in harmony. This recipe takes one month to preserve the lemons, at least one week to preserve the duck.
    Confit is a marriage of flavour between the duck meat and the fat -- the duck slowly tenderized in a warm bath of silky fat while the fat becomes infused with the rich, gamy flavor of the dark duck meat.

    The best results in making confit is by using duck leg joints with the thigh attached and I like to crisp the skin of the duck just before serving and pair the confit with simple green salad and the zesty citrus flavor of preserved lemons.


    4 duck legs with thighs attached
    3 bay leaves
    3 sprigs fresh thyme
    3 sprigs fresh rosemary
    6 garlic cloves, crushed
    course sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    6 cups duck fat or lard

    Liberally coat the duck legs with salt.
    Place the duck legs in a glass baking dish.
    Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, garlic.
    Liberally sprinkle the duck with the black pepper.
    Cover the dish with plastic film and refrigerate the duck for 2 days.
    Remove the duck from the refrigerator and lightly brush off the salt.
    Heat the fat in a deep, heavy stockpot over low heat.
    Place the duck legs in the fat. The fat should completely cover the duck.
    Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and garlic to the pot.
    Bring the fat to a very gentle simmer, but do not allow it to boil.
    Cook the duck uncovered in the fat for 3 hours or until it appears very tender and just pulls away from the bone.
    When the duck is done, place the pieces in an earthenware crock large enough to hold all four legs. Pour the fat over the duck. Cover the crock and refrigerate the confit.
    I prefer to let the duck sleep in this state for at least one week before using.

    __________________________________________


    Pommes de terre a la sarladaise

    These potatoes with confit de canard or confit d'oie are a marriage made in heaven.

    800gms waxy potatoes (Charlotte, for example)
    One-and-a-half tablespoons duck or goose fat
    2 cloves garlic - finely chopped or crushed
    1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
    salt and pepper

    Peel and wash the potatoes.
    Cut into slices of about 3mm. Dry these slices on kitchen paper or a clean tea cloth.
    Melt the fat in a wide non-stick frying pan. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to ensure that both sides of each slice are nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper.
    Mix together the crushed garlic and the chopped parsley. Add to the potatoes. Now, cover the pan and leave the flavours to mingle over low heat, shaking the pan frequently to make sure that the garlic and parsley are evenly distributed.

    __________________________________________




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    Asterix and Merlot wine: The newest residents in the Chateau



    "Asterix" was the name I gave a cheeky little blackbird chick who got too adventurous and fell out of his nest -- which is in the tall palm tree next to the chateau. It was too high for me to get him back or for him to fly up -- so he stayed for a few days ---demanding food every ten minutes (I chewed sunflower seeds and Rye Vita to give to him -- not quite willing to chew worms and insects!)-- until he was ready to test his wings again.

    The Blackbird, or Le Merle males and females tend to separate for the winter, but when the breeding season does arrive, often return to the previous season's partner, year after year. Even though they often know their mate from a previous season, they still work hard to impress before a commitment and I have been watching them --- the male raising the feathers of his back and rump, punctuating his display with an exotic lowering and fanning of the tail feathers. Interestingly, the male is the black bird we all recognize as a blackbird, but the female to me looks more like a thrush -- a dark brown with a splattering of whitish spots all over.

    The blackbird's nest is an untidy affair, but practical. Usually a messy construction of twigs lined with mud, they are placed in a hedge, shrub or out-building -- or, as in this case, the protected thicket of the base of the palm fronds. Not a great fan of DIY, the male generally takes a backseat in the nest-building exercise, leaving the hard work to the female. I have not been able to see the nest up close, but have been watching them come and go, making their presence known with a loud shrill repeated call.

    The blackbird is quick to rear young. After laying about 3-5 eggs, the female will share incubation with the male for around two weeks. About two weeks after hatching, the young will be ready to leave the nest and feed on more insects and earthworms, as they did in the nest. "Asterix" did not seem too fussy -- as long as there was something to swallow down every time he opened wide his eager little beak, and the Chateau diet seemed to do the trick, because he kept on coming for more, and grew and strengthened enough for him to take flight after a few days.

    Apparently, after the chicks have left, the parent blackbirds will soon be back in the nest to ensure they raise as many chicks as possible. In fact, this can be as many as five broods of chicks. Up to about 25 chicks per breeding pair in any given year. Now that's dedicated parenting.

    And I shall look forward to seeing many more little "Asterixes" around the chateau the summer -- as well as inside -- as my favourite wine is "Merlot" -- the French word for "young blackbird"!







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    Thursday, April 27

    The Chateau Visitors' Book --- and what they say.....




    Moira Allen, Paris







    From Catherine and Otto von Arnold, Copenhagen, Sweden:
    It was such a great experience meeting you and what a wonderful idea to invite friends for an Easter champagne breakfast!! Otto and I really enjoyed it and we will have your great spirit, your lovely table, the chateau at the river and your good cooking and artistry in nice memories for a long time. Many warm thanks and I really do hope that we will meet again.


    Monique Coutansais, Paris
    Je vous envoie tous mes remerciements pour votre si chaleureux accueil.
    En plus, ce passage m'a permis de vous connaître un peu plus et j'en suis très heureuse en espérant avoir une autre occasion de nous retrouver.
    Nous avons fait un excellent retour après les belles journées de Dordogne.


    From Kaye Harrold, Perth, Australia:
    I am still basking in the happy and comfortable feelings I had over the weekend, feeling welcome, meeting new people, and enjoying the beautiful location. There is no question in my mind, that I prefer the Dordogne region to the Vaucluse. The whole area is the type of countryside I have seen in my dreams. Wilna, ma chèrie, I thank you again for a wonderful Easter, for your hospitality, your charm and for sharing your home and friends with me. You have shown me the myths and legends of the South of France that I anticipated seeing during my stay in France. Fate stepped in because I almost didn’t come because of the distance. I know now I would drive several times the distance for such a wonderful experience.



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    Tuesday, April 25

    Recipe for Rose Jam

    Caprice de Meilland

    Yes! Trust the French to be thinking of food even when planting roses!
    When you plant roses in your garden, make sure that you choose the right roses with which to make excellent jam. The recommended roses are "Rose a parfum de l'Haye", "Caprice de Meilland", "Baron Girod de l'Ain" -- as these roses keep their aroma and thus flavour in the cooking process.


    Recipe for rose jam:

    500 gr rose petals
    750gr sugar
    four lemons with pips

    Leave the petals to soak in water for three days.
    Make jam as per usual


    As a reader pointed out, not everyone has a method, so here is my method for jam making:

    Jam making:
    1. Leave the petals to soak in water for three days.
    2. Usually one uses the same amount in weight of 'fruit' and sugar - (and the weight measurements should be exact, as that can be the reason for success or failure!), but for this recipe we use 500gr with 750gr sugar.
    3. Put the rose petals and sugar into a heavy casserole.
    3. Slice the lemons in four or five thick slices and add to the pot. It is important to leave the pips in for the pectin content.
    4. Cover and bring to a simmer over a medium heat until the sugar is melted.
    5. Transfer into a large dish (use either glass, ceramic or earthenware) and cover the surface with a sheet of wax or parchment paper.
    6. Let it cool at room temperature and then put it in the fridge and leave overnight.
    7. The next day, cool a saucer in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
    8. Carefully wash your glass jars as well as their lids and then soak them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Set them out to dry upside down on a clean kitchen towel.
    9. Return the rose petal/sugar/lemon mixture to a casserole and once again, bring to simmer. Let it simmer for five minutes, stirring very gently with a clean wooden spoon. You can remove the foam which forms on top as it make for clearer jam. (A wonderful suggestion is to use this foam to sweeten plain yoghurt and serve it with scones!)
    10. Take the saucer out of the freezer and pour a drop of jam on it. Tilt the saucer: if the drop stays put, the jam is ready. If it is still liquid, simmer for another minute or two.

    (I always remember my childhood days --- when my mother made jam, this was my favourite moment. A hush descended over the entire household as the saucer was removed from the freezer, the wooden spoon was dipped into the simmering mixture and then hung suspended over the saucer until one perfect gem dropped onto the white saucer, glistening there like a precious jewel. And then the bated breath as the saucer was tilted : -- the moment of truth --- would the jewel remain intact and beautiful, reflecting our own shining expectant faces, or would it slide down, leaving a sugary trail of colour behind it.........Ah! Such were the moments of drama in my mother's kitchen!)


    11. When it is ready, remove what is left of the lemon slices and the lemon pips and spoon the jam carefully into the prepared jars almost to the top. -- I always put a piece of wax paper, cut to size, over the surface before putting the lids on. Wipe the edges carefully if there was any spillage and close the lids very tightly. Let the jars cool upside-down at room temperature, and then store in a cool and dark place.



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    Renovations: The Before and the After

    Spot the difference!

    Thanks to Karin and Andrew Calvert's (tel 00 33 (0) 553 74 01 91) hard work --- and patience! with my creative bursts and artistic urges, the chateau's medieval (with the emphasis on 'evil'!) kitchen was turned into a master piece.

































































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    Sunday, April 23

    The perfect birthday!



    Thank you all for the most wonderfully memorable day -- all the telephone calls, the most exquisite flowers, the cards and email messages and gifts, the champagne, the superb lunch, the surprise party! - and the friendship.
    What a beautiful day!

    Friday, April 21

    Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela






    With summer bringing its promise of long dry warm days, comes the inevitable encounter with pilgrims on the roadside. And living right in the heart of Pilgrim country, the sight of single walkers or groups of people purposefully treading their way along the road of St James becomes a familiar sight.

    I have always envied the Faithful their blind resolve in the face of a staring world-- be it the Believers who stop off at the airport in a side room to kneel down towards the east and Mecca -- heeding the silent call to prayer of the muezzin in the mosque tower somewhere far away, or the orthodox Jew in the plane itself draping his prayer shawl over his shoulders and standing by the door, determinedly rocking his silent prayer to his God out there, or the New Ager standing naked in the field, arms outstretched, greeting the ever reliable sun at dawn, or the Romanies trundling along the little country lanes in their colourful caravans on their way to St Maries de la Mer to go meet the two Mary's and Sarah as they come ashore after their long journey from Syria with the Christ's child (there will have to be another blog entry for that particularly fascinating story!)-- or the many many Christians who walk or ride on horseback, sometimes thousands of kilometers, on their pilgrimage to St Compostela in Spain.


    The Paris Route is the most northerly of the 4 medieval French routes described by Aimery Picaud in the Pilgrim's Guide and the one used by pilgrims from France, Northern Europe and the British Isles.
    Also known as the Via Turonensis after Tours, the most important medieval city along the route.

    Paris was the medieval pilgrim gathering point. Modern pilgrims variously start at Paris, go on to at Chartres (developing into an important secondary starting-point), and then to Orléans, the first major town on the route from Paris; the way follows the Loire valley to Tours, then goes south-west through Poitou and the Saintonge to Bordeaux; and finally passes through les Landes to join the routes from Le Puy and Vézelay and just beyond Saint-Palais.
    The medieval route would have been along Roman roads and the main towns were all major Roman towns at important cross-roads, many already major pilgrimage centres in their own right. However, with no topographical constraints favouring a single route, there were many variants, including sea-routes to the Médoc and Bordeaux. Pilgrims carry a special 'passport' which is stamped all along the route and also used to give them access to free or very cheap accommodation in most towns and villages. That is sadly no longer the case. However, there is ample accommodation on the way, plenty of good campsites (along the rivers), some gites d'étape and chambres d'hôte - although all catering for tourists rather than pilgrims. No network of free or cheap pilgrim refuges any longer, except at Centre de Culture Européen at Saint-Jean d'Angély, at the Priory of Cayac at Gradignan (south edge of Bordeaux) and at the Franciscan convent at Saint-Palais. Persistence and good French can sometimes might produce a bargain bed.

    There is no single waymarked long-distance footpath covering the entire route of over a thousand kilometers. Much of the "historic" route lies under major roads and cannot be walked. Pilgrims must design their own route. The route described in the CSJ guide uses a mix of the long distance and local footpaths of the French Grandes Randonnées and Grandes Randonnées du Pays system (both waymarked) and small farm roads to replicate the traditional route as far as possible off the main roads.

    The route is easy to walk or cycle -- the fundi's say! But then, talk to any hiker and they will tell you hiking across the Himalayas is easy! -- However, on this route, the way is generally flat, there are no significant hills or steep gradients and the paths are clearly defined. The chief features are the many wide, wooded east-west river valleys crossed by the route north of Bordeaux and the vast tracts of stabilised sand and pine forest of les Landes south of Bordeaux. The Chartres branch crosses the vast treeless plateau of the Beauce (the "bread basket" of France) and the extensive vineyards of the Loire to reach Tours. The Orléans branch follows the Loire valley with the grand chateaux of the kings and nobility of France. From Tours to Bordeaux, the way is in pleasant agricultural terrain, some deciduous forests and numerous rivers to be crossed. The vineyards begin again in the valley of the Charente and from here to Bordeaux, vines and forest mix. These provinces of Poitou and Saintonge are the lands “full of delights” according to the Pilgrim's Guide. South from Bordeaux the way passes through the unending pine forest of les Landes, an area which has enjoyed a good reputation with neither medieval or modern pilgrims - the former because of the dangers of the shifting sands and the latter because of the rather tedious landscape. If you are interested, a height profile of the route (as well as a list of the stages), you can go here.
    Ever since the remains of St. James were discovered in Galicia in 813 AD, pilgrims have been traveling the route to Santiago de Compostela. Initiated in the 9th-10th centuries after the discovery of the tomb of James, a disciple of Jesus Christ, in north-west Spain, the pilgrimage to Santiago ranked third in importance, after Jerusalem and Rome, as a religious journey for western European Christians.
    For many this journey is a deeply spiritual experience, but probably for most of the almost 200 000 pilgrims this year, the pilgrimage is much more about the journey itself than the destination.

    Next week I am meeting a pilgrim who is coming through Lalinde -- I shall be sure to come tell you about his experiences.........


    ________________________________________________



    The Coquille St Jacques (St James)is the symbol of the pilgrimage -- the protector of travellers. You may recognise it as also being the logo of Shell petrol -- so I suppose it would be quite acceptable doing the journey by bus or car.........




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    Thursday, April 20

    Photography and Photoshopping workshops: Coming Events in the Chateau

    On the weekend of 12 and 13 August, the Chateau will host a First!
    Two workshops presented by two internationally renowned experts in their respective fields!
    Suzanna Clarke will present a workshop on Digital Photography on Saturday 12 August
    and
    Lesley Trett will present a full day workshop on Photoshop on Sunday 13 August.


    Saturday 12 August:



    LET YOUR PICTURES TELL THE STORY

    Join Suzanna Clarke for a day as we take some intriguing images of the picturesque region we live in. Learn how to create images that are both works of art and communicate the spirit of place. Our aim is to take a series of wonderful shots that may be exhibited in a group art show.

    Programme:

    This one day workshop will cover:

    -- Composition: ways of seeing beyond the obvious. Breaking down a scene into details and framing it in interesting ways.
    --- Light: creating atmosphere by using different types of light. How to both plan for effect and also make the best of existing lighting conditions.
    -- Portraiture: Candids and posed portraits that help to reveal the character of the subject.
    -- Movement: learn the tricky skill of panning to give an added sense of excitement and how to create unusual pictures using time exposure.
    You will need: --a digital camera that has manual settings;
    --beg or borrow (but don't steal) a small tripod if you don't have
    one;
    --to download pictures, a laptop would be handy if you have one.
    --comfortable clothing and walking shoes


    --The day will start at 07:30am at the Chateau Lalinde and include a coffee and croissant breakfast
    --a working lunch will be served on the Chateau terrace
    --and at the end of the day everyone will convene to study the day's work, get feedback and enjoy a glass of wine.
    --There will be theory as well as field work done during the day -- and the group will be doing some walking as well as going out (transport provided) on location shooting


    __________________________________

    Each participant will also have one enlarged and framed photograph, chosen from their work by Suzanna and yourself, displayed at a small exhibition in Lalinde (venue to be announced) -- whether you want this photograph made available to be sold, or keep it for yourself, will be up to you!

    __________________________________


    Suzanna Clarke:

    Suzanna Clarke is a professional photojournalist from Australia whose photographs have graced newspapers, magazines, books, postcards, advertising campaigns and exhibitions for over twenty years. Widely renowned for her travel photography, she is currently producing a book on Morocco for Penguin. Her regular job is as a photojournalist for News International. As well as covering news events in Australia, she has worked in trouble spots in Indonesia, East Timor and Asia and done travel stories on Greece , Vietnam, the Czech Republic, Eire, France, Italy, Austria, New Zealand and the UK. Clarke's photographic work has been the subject of major government touring exhibitions and has been used to promote Australia at World Expos. Previously as a freelancer she has worked for Travel and Life magazine (now Conde Nast Traveler), New Scientist, Illustrated Science (Scandinavia), The Bulletin/Newsweek, Time Magazine, WWF, numerous tourism commissions and interior design magazines. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication, a Masters degree in Creative Writing and has also worked part-time as a university lecturer. Clarke is skilled and enthusiastic teacher who thoroughly enjoys sharing her love of photography.
    See some of Suzanna's work here

    _________________________________________________


    Sunday 13 August:

    CREATE MAGIC WITH PHOTOSHOP




    Have you ever wondered how to turn a normal photograph into something that looks like this? Lesley Trett will show you on your laptop how you can change any photograph with the use of the Photoshop programme.

    Programme

    This one day workshop will cover:


    Introduction to Photoshop - its working area, tools and palettes.
    Resolution issues and cropping images to size - get your picture the right size without losing image quality.
    Image adjustment and colour balance - adjusting an image to get the colour and black and white levels correct.
    Making selections - the most important techniques to learn: an introduction to a variety of methods to use depending on what it is you want to select.
    What to do with selections once you have created them - changing colours; moving parts of an image onto another; layering.
    Using layers effectively - understanding the layers palette and how to be creative with layering images.
    Repairing and correcting - how to get rid of that annoying telephone wire across the sky along with other useful tips.
    Using colour channels - what are they exactly and what can you use them for???
    Having fun with blending modes! - Blending layers together can create unusual and compelling imagery - you'll be amazed at what you can achieve!

    --The day will start at 09:00am at the Chateau Lalinde and include
    --a working lunch with an optional glass of wine which will be served on the Chateau terrace
    --at the end of the day, at 4:00pm, everyone will convene to study the day's work, get feedback and enjoy a glass of wine.
    --There will be theory but mostly pratical work done during the day -- Please note: You do not need to be an expert on a computer or with a camera : Lesley will take you through it step by step.
    It would be helpful if you could bring a laptop with you. We can provide a couple to those who do not have laptops, but only computers at home.
    em>


    __________________________________


    Lesley Trett

    Lesley Trett was for twelve years a lecturer in computer applications within Graphic Design, at degree level, at Somerset College of Arts and Technology where she taught Photoshop, QuarkXpress, Freehand and Illustrator. In addition to her faculty duties, Lesley also ran her own successful Graphics Design business in the UK. She now operates that business here in France, where she is also under contract to a national newspaper.

    With an impressive client list, which includes a well-known health insurance company, fashion houses, galleries, record companies and a London Magazine, Lesley has established a well deserved reputation in this fast evolving art form.
    Lesley is a specialist in Photoshop techniques (although these techniques are pretty much common to all similar imaging programs, e.g. Paint Shop Pro) and of course, with major camera manufacturers now ceasing production of film cameras, knowledge of digital techniques is becoming increasingly necessary to any keen photographer.
    As a qualified teacher (Certificate of Education) Lesley is able to demonstrate and facilitate beginners and advanced learners in complicated technical aspects of Photoshop in a clear and understandable way without using lots of technical jargon!




    • Full Day Workshop :
    Let your pictures tell the Story : Suzanna Clarke
    Saturday 12 August, 07h30 to 17h00
    Au Château Lalinde, 1 rue de Verdun, Lalinde.
    Participation 180€ (inclusive of breakfast, lunch with a glass of wine, transport to locations, files with printed notes, one framed photograph exhibited)
    Tél. : 05 53 22 80 94
    (limited to a small group, early booking essential)

    • Full Day Workshop :
    "Create Magic with Photoshopping!" : Lesley Trett
    Sunday 13 August, 09h00 to 16h30
    Au Château Lalinde, 1 rue de Verdun, Lalinde.
    Participation 150€ (inclusive of lunch with a glass of wine, files with printed notes, one framed print of your work exhibited)
    Tél. : 05 53 22 80 94
    (limited to a small group, early booking essential)

    Please note:
    There is a special price if both workshops are attended. For the TWO workshops, the cost of participation is only 300€. Payment of fees upon booking




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    Coming Events at the Chateau!

    An eventful and exciting few months ahead!

    A Reminder:





    Michael Sadler at the Chateau on Friday, 12 May 2006
    : A witty, wacky delightful evening with this much loved author! There are only a handful tickets left (@ 7€ only) -- contact either
    myself, or Albert at
    Tél: 05 53 74 17 85 or
    Courriel: admin@aquitainelangues.fr
    .
    Michael will be in Lalinde for one night only, so do not miss this special event!







    ________________________________________________________________


    And Wonderful News!

    I am thrilled to announce that we have no fewer than three very exciting and major artists visiting us in July and August! Make a note in your diaries NOW, and be sure to make your bookings for these events without delay, as there had already been requests for tickets before the dates had even been decided!




    Saturday 22 July at 18h00 the best selling Australian author, Sandy McCutcheon, will be our Visiting Author.
    This is an example of what is said about him :
    McCutcheon is almost without peer as master of the circuitous conspiracy genre of spy thriller, on the top shelf with Britain's Henry Porter. He writes political thrillers that underline the notion of corrosive international villainy and the fragility of civilisation in the hands of a shabby, miasmic intelligence culture. His trick is to weave the headlines of real life into fictional action, in prose dressed down to contemporary-bleak, with terrific dialogue and a travel writer's sense of place.’ (--The Weekend Australian)
    But, the topic of his talk to us will be mainly covering his latest masterpiece (already, six weeks after its launch, in its record breaking third print!),
    Black Widow
    . He will be speaking on:


    FROM FACT TO FICTION

    - Using fact as a spring board for fiction – reading the fault-lines of history to establish plausible future scenarios.
    - Counter-spin – untangling the webs of disinformation.
    - Creating a sense of place – creative geography and its role in establishing credibility.
    - The ethics of 'faction' – whose truth is it anyway?
    - A question of voice – selecting a point of view.
    - Texture, threads and motifs – developing the character's internal landscapes.
    - The role of research and when to let it go.


    For everyone who loves good literature, who is interested in current affairs, who feels strongly about political spin and counter-spin, who would love to know how to write that book that is lurking inside all of us, or who simply wishes to spend an enjoyable hour with a brilliant raconteur or best selling author, this is definitely an evening you do not want to miss!


    A limited number of copies of Black Widow have been flown in especially and are now available from myself (books at the cost price of 16€), as well as tickets for the talk, (tickets at no cost with the purchase of a book, or 10€ without the book).
    Contact: 05 53 23 80 94




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    • Conférence : « UN ANGLAIS AMOUREUX » de Michael Sadler
    Vendredi 12 mai 19h00
    Au Château Lalinde, 1 rue de Verdun, Lalinde.
    Participation 7€
    Tél. : 05 53 74 17 85

    • Conférence : "From Fact to Fiction" with Sandy McCutcheon
    Saturday 22 July 18h00
    Au Château Lalinde, 1 rue de Verdun, Lalinde.
    Participation 10€ or 16€
    Tél. : 0553 22 80 94




    ________________________________________________________________



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    Wednesday, April 19

    Job opportunities in the Aquitaine

    Following the most recent Assedic study done in the Aquitaine on the job market, it is expected that no less than 62 000 jobs will have to be filled this year alone.

    The job sectors recruiting the most are mainly in three areas:
    1. Hospitality Industry
    2. Maintenance Agents
    3. Shop assistants

    More than 77 000 businesses across the Aquitaine were issued with questionnaires during the months of December and January, and these are the results. One of the biggest difficulties of this area remains the fact that many of the jobs available are seasonal. This makes it hard for employers as well as prospective employees.
    Tourism, of course, is still the biggest source of income -- and employment in this area, and therefore the areas where the most jobs will become available are in the tourist hot spots, such as Pauillac and Arcachon, the Gironde, Sarlat, and lastly the Dordogne.

    If you are looking for a summer job, you can contact:
    Les BIJ (Bureau information jenuness) de Sarlat et de Terrasson
    La mission local du Perigord Noir
    Les Espaces economie emploi du Sarladais et du Terrassonnais
    Infos saisonners : Tel: 0 800 800 370
    or
    Laurent Estime (charge de mission a l'EEE du Sarladais) : Tel: 0553315602
    e-mail: laurent.estime@wanadoo.fr






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    A Spencer Tunick Installation coming to our area!



    22 April 2006 will see another of the American artist, Spencer Tunick's giant 'sculptural' installations --- this time in St Sebastien. As with his previous installations, such as this one, which was created in 2003, the exact location where it will be done is kept very secret.


    Spencer Tunick's biggest installation of 'a naked crowd' was in Barcelona in June 2003, where he had 7000 willing 'models' ready to take their clothes off for his work of art. He maintains there were people coming from everywhere, wanting to divest themselves of all clothing and be part of his photograph, but as much as he was pleasantly surprised at the numbers, the logistics of working with that many people can be a bit of nightmare and he has no intention of trying to better the record! Seems many people will do anything for the sake of art! Or is it just that little exhibitionist gene lurking under the skin of each of us?


    In Lyon, on 11 September 2005, he expected 800 people, but 1800 pitched up at 04:30 in the morning at the agreed location. In Cleveland Ohio there were 2750 in the photograph, and in Melbourne Australia 4300 made up the installation. He has also created installations in Montreal, Vienna, Sao Paolo, Bruges, Caracas - and many more locations. It should be interesting to see how many people pitch up and disrobe for his installation in the very conservative St Sebastien -- between 1500 and 2000 people are expected. If you plan to go, your mother might fear that you would be suffering some sort of post traumatic stress disorder - and be blighted by flashbacks for the rest of my life and your friends may look at you askance, but be assured there will be no small amount of secret envy in each of them that you are actually going to be part of a work of art!

    Tunick does not offer any payment to his models -- he does not even promise good warm weather. All he does offer in his lengthy email to the volunteers -- which also contains a consent form, and includes the demands for sobriety and the banning of socks, hats and sunglasses, is a plastic bag in which to put your discarded clothes -- and abandoned dignity, a big car park where you can become naked, and of course a very unique, a very special -- and a very personal experience.
    In an interesting way, this invitation to people to take part in civic art is a canny way of investing in people, instilling ownership, civic pride and courting cultural awareness. And let's face it --- to be surrounded by hundreds of naked people must be an awesome, overwhelming sight. So many different shapes and sizes, in varying hues, blending into a uniform mass. Ah! and watching people trying to take off their socks and underwear without bending over, is something else!

    Spencer Tunick hails from Brooklyn, New York -- a 39-year old, married and with one child.





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    Post Script: There has been some very lively interest shown in this article. (I urge you to go look at the Spencer Tunick forum and get the information you need to go take part this weekend -- and then come back and tell us about the experience!)
    One of the many messages I have received is from a man who has actually participated in Spencer Tunick's works of art, and he writes the following:


    Hello Red Shoes,
    I wish I could afford to travel more. Lyon was my first trip outside the US for Spencer. Our group has about 250 members currently on our new site.Some of our members have traveled extensively to take part in art, though most can afford only the one's nearest home. Spencer did three in Europe last year(Brugge,Belgium -Gateshead-Newcastle,UK - Lyon, France) and some of our group were able to take part in all three. None of our European memebers that I know of were able to make Venezuela in March, though we gained a lot of new members from there. A few of our group plan to tkae part in San Sebastian, but as anything in life, folks have things that stand in the way. For an account of my Lyon adventure see my blog here on Blogger. For accounts of Cleveland, Buffalo, and Milford, PA come join our group at http://www.spencertunickforum.org/

    Roger Cross

    The Giant Omelette at Haux, Gironde




    Every year, for the last 26 years, on Easter Monday, a giant omelette is made -- not only to retain the title of the biggest omelette in the world, but also for everyone to enjoy an excellent meal.

    In case you are not lucky enough to come to the Chateau next Easter and want to try this at home, the 2006 recipe was as follows:

    5006 eggs (fresh farm eggs are best)
    40 litres of oil
    40 kilos of bacon
    20 kilos of garlic and onions
    3 kilos of salt and pepper
    2 hours cooking time


    Bon appetit!




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    Tuesday, April 18

    A French Easter Breakfast!



    Nous sommes tous très honorées d´avoir été invités a ton dejeuner champagne
    avec tes amis ---- une fete très joyeuse!



    Otto and Catherine, all the way from Sweden, sign the Chateau's visitors book



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