kinésithérapeute!

I am coming to the end of my first two weeks working as a physiotherapist at our local hospital. This is a mental hospital that serves most of Brittany, and I am the only physio in the place! The job is mornings only - 17.5 hours a week from 8.30 to midday, 20 minutes drive from home and no traffic jams (hardly any traffic for that matter).

As Fran so neatly put it, I am currently rather outside my comfort zone, but it sure will improve my French in a hurry! I have to ask about everything, as all the healthcare/hospital systems are unfamiliar to me. I also have to ask the french words for lots of things, as they are equally unfamiliar. And the telephone!!!! But most people are extremely friendly and helpful (with the odd inevitable exception) and happy to show me what is what. I asked for a computer the first day (priorities!) but it hasn't materialised yet. I will need to get some more up to date electrotherapy equipment as the stuff in the department probably came out of the ark. I haven't a clue what it does or how to use any of it, and from the look of it, don't much want to. My predecessor retired in June, leaving the place pretty blank except for stuff that was probably new when he started in the sixties. Once I get a computer and internet link I will go searching french equipment suppliers and put in a bid for some new kit. Perhaps a local museum will be interested in some bygone therapeutic artifacts?? (joke!?)

I still haven't quite fathomed out how to use the security phone I have in the department itself, which I am supposed to keep on me when I am treating a patient there. That will probably be a job for tomorrow, as I have had a patient referred for treatment in the kiné department, rather than in one of the various units spread out over the hospital grounds. Last time I took it out of its wall-mounted recharger it vibrated and set off an alarm which I managed to quell by pressing all the buttons in turn, but not sure still which it was... As far as I can gather (I have had one brief explanation from one of the nurses on one of the units I visited) you have to press a button on the side each time it vibrates (about every ten minutes) - not doing this sets off the alarm. But I will go and check again, taking with me my trusty electronic translator this time!

Most of my patients so far have just been gently batty - so it matters not that my french is fairly rudimentary or plain incorrect - I just nod, smile and agree, "d'accord" - seems to work most times. However motivating some of them to do exercises that are uncomfortable of difficult is rather more of a challenge. Writing up notes in dog-french-come-latin is even more of a nightmare, but I'm sure it provides some moments of amusement to the nursing staff! My patient load can hardly be described as heavy yet, though it is building up. I have enough work now to keep me going most of the morning with time to take coffee in at least one unit each day plus time to pour over a dictionary back at the department to find out how to phone someone and ask yet another question. Pretty civilized so far - none of the frantic rush and stress of an english general hospital. Watch this space!

Hot Beetroot Chutney

Once again, this recipe is adapted from one in the WI book of Jams, Pickles & Chutneys, although I have changed it quite a lot... In fact this comes out remarkably like a famous brand of pickle that starts with a 'B', but a bit hotter, and a fraction of the price.
The quantities given are for half of what you see in the picture below - I made two roasting trays full, as I had been given loads of beetroot!
1.3 kg beetroot, cooked & diced
0.5 kg onions, chopped
0.5 kg cooking apples, cored & chopped
0.5 kg seedless raisins (you could use chopped dates)
2 lemons de-pipped and cut into small pieces (skin and all)
1 litre cider vinegar
a large-ish piece of root ginger, coarsely grated (skin and all)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsps allspice
3 tsps ground ginger
1 kg sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven)
2. Put all ingredients EXCEPT SUGAR into a large stainless-steel roasting tin & mix well
3. I cooked this for 2 hours, stirring occasionally
4. Once the vegetables are cooked and the liquid is starting to colour, add the sugar & stir in.
5. Cook for at least a further 30 minutes till most liquid is well thickened and the chutney is nice and caramelised
6. Put into slightly cooled sterilised jars and put vinegar-proof lids on immediately
4. Don't forget to label the jars!.
5. Because I ran out of jars I had to sterilise more (using the oven). So I liquidised the remaining chutney and added a bit more water & put it back in the oven while the jars were sterilising. This 'fine cut' chutney will be used for spreading on BBQ sausages next summer, if there is any left by then .....

Pixel - le chat qui lit

We buried Pixel this afternoon, in the strip of woodland we are establishing along the east side of our land - and which will henceforward be called Pixel's Wood! Pixel's kidneys finally packed up at the ripe old age of 15 and we had to make the painful decision to have him put to sleep. He was happy and not too uncomfortable until this morning, and remained chief mickelborough moggy right to the very end.

So here are some pictures from the last 5 years which show how much he enjoyed life here in France and to what extent he supervised the renovations and gardening. They are in no particular order, but I hope you enjoy them.

Neither Pixel nor Milly were overjoyed by the trip over.... but things got rapidly better:




There really was a time that he was bigger than Hugh, but Hugh can be seen working hard at putting on the pounds!






Of course Pix was le chat qui lit (the cat that reads) and above is the picture that the logo came from.



Definitely a cat with character!

French orienteering championships

An amazing orienteering event today - although I didn't get to run in it, being part of the organising team. As you can see from the map below, most of it on beach/estuary that is covered by water at high tide! And of course the long courses went out to the edges of the map!
The start tents had to be put up behind the causeway, as the westerly wind was so strong:
And the first control kite can be seen on its pile of rocks!
Note the island on the left horizon (left of the yacht mast, with a strip of sand showing). This was accessible via a sand causeway at low tide.
By the time the starts were finishing, there were people (you cant see them in this photo, but I saw them!) wading across the gap, up to their hips in water!
I took this next shot only about ten minutes later - fortunately all the runners did get safely in! Only one or two complained about 'not safe, taking risks etc'. Most runners had a ball - who doesn't enjoy scrambling over rocks and running across sandy beaches?
The next picture is one of the controls, not sure of the description - crag foot perhaps??
This is the finish - the last kite was on the dark shape (an old wooden hulk) in the centre of the picture.
Lots of us were itching for a run on the area, but had to man the information/ start/ finish etc etc. However, now the map is made we will probably have a regional event there in the not too distant future. Hopefully on a day with less wind than today - the starts had to be put back by an hour, as the westerly gale prevented the low tide from falling as low as was needed in time for the first starts. Hence the rush at the end.... Anyway, a really good day.

ducks afloat

Ducks were afloat before we finished the pond - they were still on the water at 2.00 am the other morning when we went to shut them in after a late night out!

Jane's nectarine and lemon chuney

Having had a few requests for the recipe, here it is with pictures! (I have adapted this recipe from one in the WI book of Jams Jellies & Chutneys) It is oven-cooked - this keeps the fruit in lumps and allows it to caramelise nicely. Goes well with roast or BBQ lamb or pork...

Quantities are for a double amount, using a 2 kilo box of nectarines which are widely available here in France this time of year. This chutney can be made with any other fruit - I have used plums & lemons before which is very nice. Just keep the ratio of fruit : vinegar : sugar the same and use at least 1 lemon.
1.6 kg nectarine flesh in pieces 1 kg lemons de-pipped and cut into pieces (skin and all)
1.3 kg onions, chopped roughly
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp allpsice
0.5 tsp ground chili
500 ml cider vinegar
1 kg sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven)
2. Put all ingredients EXCEPT SUGAR into a large roasting tin & mix well
3. Cook for up to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally
4. Once the fruit is tender, the liquid is reduced and it is starting to colour, add the sugar & stir.
5. Cook for at least a further 30 minutes till most liquid is well thickened and the fruit is as caramelised as you wish
6. While it is cooking, put jars (between 10 - 12) in a tray in the same oven to sterilise. Boil lids in water
7. Allow chutney & jars to cool a little, then fill jars, seal & label.
8. keep at least a month (preferably longer if you can!) to mature Voila! 11 jars of chutney for about a euro a jar!

another rainbow cot quilt

I have managed to get the overall rainbow effect better this time!
This is a hand-painted, pure silk dupion cot quilt with personalised embroidery - available to order for 110 euros. Now to get the website up and running....

Duckpond!

The excavation of the pond is complete, now to use up the metres of black plastic we have disinterred from around the garden. This stuff is not waterproof or big enough to be a liner, but it will protect a liner from stones beneath (we hope). The ducks are intellectually challenged by the steps into their current pond arrangements. Three have worked out how to step up into the water (most times) but the other two just look on in puzzled interest
Watch this space for a flotilla of happy ducks in a day or two.

cot quilts in silk

To compliment the knitted cot quilts that Pete is trying to get launched, I have started to make patchwork quilts in pure silk, with hand-painted patches plus room for a machine-embroidered panel to personalise the quilt. These are two prototypes:

The animals are outlined in a bronze 'gutta' but I think something darker would look better. This is a small, pram size and will sell for about 90 euros (including machine embroidery).

This bigger quilt is a cot size and the rainbow patches didn't come out quite as I hoped. I have put the gîte name and date of our first guests on the panel, and I will use it on the cot we have in the gîte.
I am now making another of these, but have painted the rainbows in narrower stripes on a full quilt size piece of silk, and will cut out the piece to give two quilts-worth of rainbow patches. I am also going to use a darker blue for the plain squares. Photos to follow soon.

Now the gîte really is finished AND inspected AND passed for inclusion in the Brittany Ferries brochure next year we can get on with other stuff again at last - there IS life after Gîte!

chicks at one month

The chicks shown in the last posting are now exactly one month old. In the end we got eight that survived. They are now reaching that tatty gangly teenage stage and Mrs Broody is having to keep a constant watch out for them as they are inclined to wander off on their own. They are enjoying the freedom of being out of the chicken shed ....
because we have acquired some Indian Runner ducks, and they need to be kept in a few days before being let out. I have always been fascinated by Indian Runners since I saw a picture of them many years ago. The two small ones (Linford & Sally - think about it) we got first, and I doubt they are true runners. The three bigger dark ones are undoubtedly Indian Runners and very handsome they are too. There are two ducks and a drake (who is called Jackson, tho' I dont know if he can hurdle yet). Suggestions please for names of the two girls - only criterion is must be a runner of some sort (Hev & Yvette??). We are planning a duckpond in the walled hangar area. They are coping with a cattle drinking trough at the moment.

THe tomatoes are flourishing in the tiny greenhouse, as well as aubergines and peppers. I suspect we may have a case of blight, so toms may come to nought. The sweetcorn outside is sprouting beautifully but has to be fenced from the chooks.

The potager has given us crops of potatoes, rocket, radishes, lettuce and peas already. The beetroot, carrots & turnips are swelling nicely. I have recently sown or transplanted runner beans which are romping up their strings and broccoli, both normal and purple sprouting. Only the parsnips and spinach have been a bit of a disappointment. I think things were too dry/cold to get them to germinate properly. Our culinary high point recently was a spanish omelet with our own fresh eggs, potatoes and peas, with a home-grown salad.

chicks

They arrived exactly on time, starting late last night. We went to check her when we got home after the Rock Moelou concert last night, about 1.30am.
So far this afternoon Mrs Broody has had six hatch out - five yellow and one black. There are quite a few eggs to go yet. Because she brooded in the top of an oil drum, with nothing to stop the other hens laying a sly egg every now and again for her to incorporate in her brood, she started with about ten and ended up with nearly twenty. Not all these will have developed enough to hatch and we don't have another broody to put them under. Watch this space for the final tally.

musical season....

loads of musical stuff happening around now - next Saturday is le fête de la musique and there will be Rock Moelou down the road in St Lubin. This is preceded by a balade à moto - a 50 kilometer ride round the countryside for all who have motorbikes.
Pete & I will be serving food and washing up for most of the evening, but I expect it will count as one of the most enjoyable days in the year, as it was last year.

The Friday night before (june 20th), we are once more giving a concert of traditional song in three languages, but this time they are breton, czech, and english.

This is in the tiny chapel at St Lubin - amazing acoustics and terrible, agonising bench seats! Bring a cushion.


A couple of sundays ago we were asked to sing at the opening of a four à pain (bread oven) in Ploufragon, near St Brieuc. The day started with une balade chantée - all singing as we walked through the forest. Personally I prefer orienteering at a faster pace and I also prefer the sound of birdsong in a forest, but there are lots of these singing walks, so we had to see what they were about....











On Friday 13th June we sang at a concert in the port de Legué in St Brieuc - a spin-off from the chant de marin sessions we have been going to for the last year or so. The boat behind us is a reproduction gaff rig lugger, built a few years ago by a association (club) in St Brieuc, from the plans of an old fishing vessel from the same port. As you can see we tried to help the chorus singing by holding up some words - got a giggle!




Fran & Jen made it over for a few days, and Fran immediately wanted a go on the tractor now called 'Bessie' by default (no other suggestions - does ANYONE read my blog I wonder?). He also enjoyed a bit of pyromania - the field loooks much better now we have got rid of the pile of dead brambles and hedge trimmings.



Some pictures here of the 'chaos' at Huelgoat, where we all went yesterday.
This is yet another extraordinary river bed full of huge boulders - there are quite a few round here, some more frequented than others.
They make for a fun walk with a bit of optional scrambling on a fine afternoon.