Tails From Provence

Sunday Stills – Flowers

Just one shot today… I took this last Sunday near Céreste. In years gone by, Narcissi were grown here commercially for the perfume industry in Grasse. There are still a couple of fields where they turn up by the thousands, but mostly the land has been ploughed and reseeded and the Narcissi are just left to come up in the margins and the boggy patches which can’t be ploughed.

I really wanted the narrow depth of field in this one, so that the flowers in the background blur away into the distance.

Thank Friday it’s – Ice Cream!

Today was a big day in Céreste – the ice-cream parlour opened!

Yes, after months and months of planning and preparation, Scaramouche finally opened its doors to the public.

And what an opening it was. There were crowds…

and speeches…

and Daddies trying to steal their kids’ ice-creams (while pretending to be looking for kisses)…

and music…

and of course, loads and loads of free samples of ice-cream.

Oh yes, there was wine, too but we were only there for the ice-cream, I swear!

The ice-cream is out of this world – they source their ingredients locally as much as possible, and a many of the ingredients are also organic. They’ve been developing flavours since this time last year, here’s what’s available at the moment :

Vanilla (from Madascar)

Chocolate (from the Dominican Republic)

Strawberries & Cream

Coffee

Hazelnut (from Piedmont in Italy)

Pistachio (organic, from Sicily)

Hazelnut & Chocolate

Rum Raisin

Salted butter Caramel

1001 nights (Ras al Hanout and almonds)

Lemon & Ginger

Honey & Thyme

Rosemary, Olive oil & Pine nut

Sorbets :

Strawberry

Lemon

Beetroot

Pastis

I can personally verify that the Lemon & Ginger, Honey & Thyme, Rosemary Olive oil & Pine nut, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Strawberries & Cream are all excellent, as is the Lemon Sorbet. But the Pastis sorbet…. mmm it’s like a glass of cold pastis on a hot summer’s day – magic!

Scaramouche is on the main street in Céreste, on the right if you’re heading east. Stop in and sample their wares, or just stop in and say hello. And admire these bowls while you’re there – aren’t they the cutest things ever?

Finally, GUESS WHO GOT TICKETS TO THE HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL BETWEEN MUNSTER & CLERMONT-AUVERGNE?

Yup, me!!!! Huge thanks to Dan for getting the tickets and to our niece and her hubby for helping get them over here… and of course to dog-sitters extraordinaire, Bob & Jane.

The flags will be ripped off the wall and stowed in the car first thing tomorrow morning…

ALLEZ MUNSTER!

Provençal Nightlife

The nights are full of sound here – squeaking bats, croaking frogs, owls, barking dogs, nightingales and church bells. In an attempt to share with the world, I recorded this as the LSH and I staggered home from our friends’ house the other night after a most excellent impromptu meal.

Turn your volume up as high as it’ll go. The owl was in a tree right beside us and he was being answered by two others in the distance – I can only make out one other on the recording. You will also hear a nightingale singing in the background.

Memo.mp3

Sorry if this is a little clunky to use, it’s my first time doing this… if anyone knows a better way, don’t be shy, please tell me!