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Published: April 17th 2013
Salut!
Dinner in the cottage kitchenK - Colondannes is a commune in the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France. Still unclear?! Well, if you stick a pin in the middle of France then you are pretty much there.
Apart from Limoges this area of France pretty unknown to tourists and also perhaps underestimated by the French. Parisian friends of Don and Mum's were very concerned that they had bought a place in "the armpit of France"! We are told that they have since altered their opinion after visiting as in fact the area is very pretty, with rolling fields and small hamlets. It is not as stunning as the more famous areas such as Provence or the Dordogne but is also not as touristy and has a really French feel. It is also far better value for money and very far from being an armpit! As we had visited once before we were already "in the know" and were looking forward to some relaxation in the tiny but comfy cottage and of course a few foodie treats!
We commenced activities with a stunning Sunday lunch at the local restaurant - l'Auberge du Prieuré. Colondannes has a population of approximately 300 and
no shops but of course it has a superb restaurant. This is why I am going to retire in France! Unfortunately this is a late blog and I didn't write down the specifics but I remember that our 5 course lunch included some super foie gras mi-cuit, sweetbreads, duck and of course cheeses and wine. And for a bargain price. This was our second (but not our last) Sunday feast here!
After our huge lunch the sensible thing to do would be to go back to the cottage for a sleep. Instead we headed off to the nearby town of La Souterraine, which is of course home to the Valdi Circus "the largest miniature circus in the world". It is an enjoyable little side tour if you are in the area - 300 sq meters of animated, illuminated circus life - including a big top, fair & sideshows, elephants, dancing girls and clowns! Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos but this link gives you the general idea: http://www.tourismecreuse.com/valdi-circus.html.
Monday saw us in Dun-le-Palestel, the local town where the closest boulangeries etc are found. After practicing my French and successfully purchasing the correct cuts of meat and
pastries we retired to Le Commerce for a well deserved lunch! Eating at Le Commerce is one of Mark and my favorite things to do when we visit. It is a basic, workman's restaurant which serves a 4 course lunch with wine for a bargain 12 euro or so. The food is tasty and is served on a first come, first served basis and you are surrounded by the local workmen in their overalls and work boots who are enjoying the same 4 course lunch and wine before returning to their work sites. I would fall off my ladder! It is such a great, French experience and one that I can hardly wait to adopt in years to come.
Later in the week we made a quick visit to Les Loupes de Chabrières - a conservation site about 50K away inhabited by wild wolves. I believe (a lot of the information was all in French so I may be wrong) that wolves were virtually extinct in France but suddenly began to reappear sometime in the late 20th century. In order to protect them from local farmers etc a conservation area was set up. Within this area is a feeding
enclosure where the wolves are attracted in for feeding at 4pm. This is also on a "first come, first served" basis so the wolves do not get dependent but also do not terrorize local wildlife. Visitors stand above them on a high wooden platform and it was a little scary seeing the wolves fight each other for the free food and hearing the jaws clamp down and crush the whole chickens. It was also a reminder that these were definitely not dogs - albeit some of the mannerisms may mislead. The most memorable thing however was hearing the howling after the wolves had returned to the forests after feeding. The area just rang with the haunting sound of the now unseen wolves and it put real shivers down your spine. I suddenly related to all the tales of hunting / being hunted by wolves and was very glad we were above them and not in the woods with them!
That evening I put in a strategic 5 mile run as we were back in foodie mode with early birthday dinner for me at Chateau de la Cazine in nearby Noth. It is a classic French chateau which had just
La Celle Dunois
A French idyll where we watched England beat Ukraine at an Irish bar! been refurbished and the food was sublime. See pictures. And although I am sorry to bang on about price again it was such incredible value. Although as Don was paying that is perhaps not for me to say! It was a fabulous evening. Thank you again guys!
Thursday saw us back in Dun-le-Palestel for the weekly market. It is a typical French market and not exceptional within France - although it would blow my mind anywhere in the US! Thinking practically Mark and I decided that we would obviously need picnic provisions on our trip (as of course the rest of France has no restaurants) so we enjoyed tasting and selecting various meats, sausages and of course cheeses. Oh, and a few tomatoes for health reasons.
And that evening we were honored to be guests at the inaugural lighting of Don's new tandoor. Inspired by our trip to India he had built himself one out of some terracotta flowerpots! Although this sounds like a recipe for disaster it was of course very well thought through and executed and that evening Mark & Don proudly presented us with some delicious chicken kebabs. Mum and I (of little faith) had
remained safely indoors during the experiment but the food was delicious and the tandoor unbroken. We understand that it has given excellent encore performances as well.
And the next day we waved "au revoir" for 3 weeks and set off around France.
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