Ooh La La

Manon kindly updated the look of the blog for me and you will see that it is now more aptly named BlaBlaBlack. It takes me all my time to get the words down without the fancy stuff but we now have photos added to the old posts too so check that out!
Yesterday a cupboard was opened that I didn't know existed and lo and behold another collection! Le Creuset cookware in all shapes and sizes. Yes, it is used, mostly in winter for slow cooking and yes it is expensive here in France too but wily Eric seeks out garage sales, clever man, and nabs the bargains!
We are eating this elephant efficiently and I am astonished at the networks available to hook into here. There is a thriving System d'Echange Locale which is a Green Dollars scheme and folk have been coming to pack over the past couple of days. It looks also as though I am going to get a ride from Liebvillers to near my next assignment on Monday week via Covoiturage which is a shared ride system. Drivers get ratings from passengers who have travelled with them so is quite transparent and reassuring. I have looked it up and we also do it in NZ! Well, who knew that?! For €44 I get to ride 700km in a red Alpha Romeo with a young man and his girlfriend. They can drop me in Rio Maggiori which is part of the Cinque Terra where I was keen to visit.
For those who know them, David's 42nd cousin, Grant Fickling and Robyn, his wife, are to be in the area of Northern Tuscany at the same time as I am, so I am working on an Italian Family catchup. Smacks a bit of the Sopranos? No violin cases to be seen though.
I get ahead of myself however! Today I frenchplaited Coline's hair and that took me back a bit! It has dawned on me how many "French" references we use. Not just the plaits, but French bread, (which my hosts found very funny as it is just bread here!), French toast, French Provincial furniture (which is ridiculous really as it is just any old furniture which is worn and/or rusty), French blue, and of course the letters? What the.....?!
I also picked the raspberries, gooseberries and mulberries today and made a kind of "fool" for dessert tonight. We are trying to eat the supplies so there is less to pack and transport so it is making for interesting meals. I think Jamie Oliver would be impressed with our inventiveness. Having been given many oversized zucchini we have tried zucchini gazpacho, Ratatouile and tonight the not so popular stuffed alternative,
Enough, enough! Tomorrow the plumber comes early and Eric will want to get on with the last bits of building. Best we all get some sleep!
Bon nuit.