Late nights and a great weekend

Poster design by Mike Shearing

We are recuperating. Coffee and croissant for breakfast this morning helped give me a kick-start. The recovery process began yesterday evening over a very relaxed dinner at home. Back into Chinon this morning for one of our Anglo/French groups, L'Écrin. Monday mornings we have a French conversation session, an informal chat, usually with a theme, which today  is all about sleeping.  No encouragement needed there.  Two French friends Elizabeth et Bernard are leading it. They are very good and always include those more obscure/complex elements of a language,  such as similes and current expressions that you'd probably not get round to learning, but which are used in conversation by native French speakers. So after today's session, I should know what the French equivalent is of 'He snores like a warthog'. Can't wait for the next dinner party with neighbours to drop that one in!

Thursday evening, we went to the cinema to see Bird directed by Clint Eastwood-1988. For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's a tribute to the life and music of Charlie 'Bird' Parker. Fascinating, sad at times and hilarious at others. We met up with an older friend of ours, Francoise, who is a jazz fan. Lovely lady. Thursday night means Cineplus night - our film group, so there is always an introduction by one of the organisers about the film to be shown. Most people get there for 8.30pm, have the intro., and then the film begins around 8.45. Bird is so engrossing, couldn't believe it was nearly 11.30pm when we left. By the time we'd walked Francoise home (she lives in Chinon) got back to the car and got back to Cravant, it was 'Round Midnight' (may as well stick to the jazz theme), with our heads buzzing, chatting away to each other until we'd wound down enough to sleep. Nearer to about half one in the morning.

Cravant view

Friday: we'd received an invitation to go to some neighbours for an apèro. They live about ten minutes away. We'd met them a couple of times before and they'd recently been round to us for drinks. Our close neighbours Jacqueline and Norbert asked us to call into them first the same evening for a pre- apèro at 7.15. They'd been invited as well as, so we could all go together. We left for the other house around 7.30pm. On the way we saw more neighbours who we know - Emily and Matthieu and their little boy Antonin who is about six months old. They were going as well, along with yet another couple. We'd met the wife Francoise for the first time at the rando in Cravant at the beginning of September, but not her husband, Alain. So with everyone there, all ten of us, we settled down to a really good evening. Had to concentrate quite hard at times as some of the chat was very local in style and subject, and very fast. But it was so lovely to be included. We learnt more about village politics, what was happening with the wine harvest, bits of gossip etc. It all just rolled along and we eventually set off home about 11.30pm. 

Place Hofheim - waiting for the Flamenco concert

The weekend 15 & 16 September 2012: Festival Voyages en Guitare (FVG) et Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (JEP) Two events running separately, as well as with some overlapping on both days and on into the evening.  FVG focusses on world music. JEP focusses on heritage. Chinon opened its doors this weekend. Places that are normally closed to the public, but are of particular interest or importance, opened up for a visit. Usually free admission. Some made a small charge with limited opening hours, as they're used still as private residences. All over Chinon, cafés, bars, street corners, squares, side streets, courtyards, private gardens, Chinon Chateau and Chinon Museum were hosting short live music sessions: Irish Rock, Swing Manouche, Gypsy, Blues, European, World. FVG had twenty four venues each with a 30 minute slot allocated to it. JEP had twenty-five venues and of those, twelve were collaborating with the music festival and so also hosting concerts. Saturday: we went into Chinon early for the start at 11.30am and listened to Lionel Loueke from West Africa (Benin) playing at the Café Le Palace. Then we moved on to  La Maison Rouge for gypsy music and so on throughout the morning, stopping off for some lunch at the Café de la Paix. 

Place Mirabeau

In the afternoon we walked over Chinon bridge  to visit a chateau and a deconsecrated church, but the map directions were inaccurate. So having gone round in circles and asked various locals, none of whom had heard of either place, we gave up and walked back to Chinon. Stopped for a coffee at a café that we go to regularly, so know the owner. He took one look at the directions and said we needed the car as it was much further away than the map suggested.
 

By now we had more music gigs to go to, so the church and the chateau fell by the way side.

Every bar should have one?

We headed up to St. Mexme for a double concert. In the courtyard outside the church there was some impromptu music alongside the special installed bar. Mechanical models were serving drinks. There were some humans available as well. I'm guessing you slotted the coins in Madame's cleavage to get her to pour. We were served drinks by Monsieur at the other end. With him... it's ok!..you put the coins through the gap between his teeth.

St. Mexme

The former church is used as an exhibition and performance area. It's not a big space and is divided in two parts. Entering through the front takes you into a small exhibition space. The body of the church however has been emptied and a wooden frame installed that is free standing, so as to leave the walls intact. At one end the frame supports a stage and at the other end is seating area. From experience we remembered to take cushions. 

St Mexme: numb bum bench seat

The concert was in two halves, and started at 8.45 pm with an American Country Blues singer Kelly Joe Phelps, playing electric lapstyle slide guitar and acoustic guitar. The programme was a mixture of his own compositions and classic blues material from amongst others, Robert Johnson. This type of music isn't really my scene, but Mr. Phelps was mesmerising. Cracking stuff. Didn't want him to stop. Straight after we had Afro Blues rock with Roland Tchkounte and his band - a mix of African and American Blues woven into his own melodies. Originally from the Camaroon, he now lives in France. He just took the lid off the place. . . and kept going. People would be up and dancing their legs off, then he'd come out with the sweetest and simplest of melodies, and you could hear a pin drop. So exciting. It wound down shortly after midnight. We got in around 12.45am. Just wanted to keep going.

Coffee break

Back into Chinon on Sunday afternoon.  We just dropped in and out of gigs as we went around. Saw  a photographic exhibition and an electric and acoustic guitar display, with the maker on hand. He lives fairly locally. On route we  listened to Fado Flamenco, Swing, Jazz Fusion, Acoustic Rock, Manouche. 

Outside La Treille

Took a break outside La Treille. Another place we go to for lunch as well as coffee, and which has the only female chef in Chinon - Stéphanie, who is expecting a baby in November.

Duo Doro T/C. Lardeau were playing - Pop, Rock, Soul - although they were also coming up with some great versions of jazz classics. Can only find one you tube clip which doesn't do them justice. And the guitarist is different. So haven't put in the link. Really good voice and lovely playing. Worked so well together. One of the best sessions. Were there till about 6pm. Had a glass of fizzy, then went home. Such a fab time.