"Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning" ~J.M. Barrie
Venus winks at me from between the branches of the catalpa tree. There are stars in the early morning sky which promise one of my most treasured gifts: Sunshine! The rain and wind have done their best for the past few days, even to the point where the gusts caused some wires to skip and the lights went out last night. But the golden ribbon on the horizon whispers a promise of light and beauty today. Birds are flitting about in anticipation of the coming day. The online weather shows clouds all day .. but it is often a a deceptive memo. A warm shower in a toasty bathroom, a fresh mug of french coffee, a pensive cat by my side, and thick limestone walls to anchor me - I'm ready for this new day!
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| Payenché backyard |
It's a couple of quiet days here around Payenché this weekend. The sun in this region does not rise until after 8 am this time of year. In the summer it doesn't get dark at night until 10:30 or 11pm. It's disconcerting. But I think it's because all of France has the same time and we are in the west.
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| Traditional walnut party |
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| cracking walnuts |
Vivi and I go to a folkloric festival: the cracking of the walnuts that will be used to make oil and other products. There are over one hundred people sitting at long tables hammering walnuts and listening to traditional folk music played by Les
Croquants d'Escornabïou. The combination of sharp-toned, whining instruments and the incessant whacking of walnuts with wooden mallets on wooden tables for a couple hours create an atmosphere where one is unable to even attempt to talk with the friends sitting beside you. Eventually your ears want to occlude it all. Silence, please! Or at least a small break! But it is a unique experience - a "once in a lifetime venture" - (because, well, once is enough - Vivi and I both agree).
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| dancing |
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| dancing in sabots |
The Croquant costumes are unique to this area of Perigord and from (I believe from as much research as I can find so far) the mid-1800s. The dances seem to be the origin of square-dancing in the US. They dance in circles, lines, groups, in-and-out, under-the-bridge, promenade and various moves similar to square-dancing. Remember doing them in elementary school? (I wonder if schools still do them at all today to teach the history). One gentleman, who was completely enjoying himself all evening, did a number of special dances in
sabots! (I do believe everyone enjoys themselves, but seriously, some people didn't smile all evening!)
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| Hurdy-Gurdy |
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| cabrette & Borelli accordion |
The instruments are also unique: the Borelli accordion (box-shaped), the
Cabrette (a bagpipe that has a bellows at the elbow instead of a mouthpiece to blow, invented by a French carpenter who had lung disease), and the beautifully crafted and complex
Hurdy-Gurdy. It is nice to experience the history of the region in music, however, for me personally, the whining is tiring. (I have a couple short videos, but they will not load here or on YouTube. I'll keep trying)
One of the best things made from walnuts, in my opinion, is walnut wine. If you have access to a walnut tree and unripened walnuts, here's a good recipe for
walnut wine. It takes a couple years to mature, but wonderful - soft and flavorful - when it is ready. Walnut oil is also becoming one of my favorites. Make a nice salad dressing with it and some vinaigrette (various flavors) or balsamic, a touch of salt and pepper, and you have a wonderful compliment for a fresh lettuce or endive salad.
Here's an interesting little read about the Dordogne region:
Dordogne
Meanwhile, back home, another blizzard. In the Portland region I think they've had over 4 feet of snow in the last week. (I've borrowed this photo):
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