House warming

…. or pendaison de crémaillère as it’s known here – the hanging (pendaison) of the implement (de crémaillère) in the fireplace. The crémaillère is actually the hook-like thing that was used to hang the cooking pot over the fire, not the pot itself as I first thought.

So, in the old days it was an essential item when you moved into a new house. And now that I know what it is, I've realised that I actually have one out in the courtyard, and I’ve been using it. Not to hang my cooking pot from, but a hanging basket!

So last week I had some people over – well it turned out to be quite a lot of people actually – and it turned into a really beaut evening.



 

Camilla and David’s daughter and son-in-law Amy and Gordon - who are here on holidays - sing and play the guitar professionally in the UK. They offered to provide live music on the night, so that was fantastic!



And when they’d finished, the French aren’t ones to pass up the opportunity of a microphone at the ready, so the songs started, and everyone found good voice. There was lots of food, lots of wine, and lots of fun.



Ellyette was twice a star on the night - firstly when she produced her her now-famous and much-in-demand blue Soupe de Champagne (helped here by Margaret, who did a great job tending the bar all evening!) -


and then later when she got hold of the microphone!


A great house warming indeed.