Un marché gourmand

Food and wine with everything. That's pretty much how it is here. Some events include eats and drinks from the start which are advertised and included in the price. Others such as the two early music concerts we went to recently, started off with a general announcement during which we were all invited to stay on after that evening's performance,  for a 'goodwill' drink with nibbles. So having enjoyed a wonderful concert last Thursday, we all walked round the corner from the church where it was held to the mairie, to find a table laid up with wine, soft drinks and rillettes - all courtesy of the mayor and village of Seuilly, where we spent a good hour chatting to fellow audience members, meeting the artists, and having a really lovely and very social time. A similar thing was offered after the Sunday afternoon concert at Chateau Coudray-Montpensier, only we had to get back for drinks at home with neighbours, so didn't stay on.

Les Trois Moustachiers

This week we've been to two very different events involving food and wine. During the season a lot of local villages and towns organise events called either a Marché Gourmand or a Nocturne Gourmand. It's not something Cravant does. In the past we've been to Chinon's Nocturne Gourmand which transforms the town into a major eaterie, with not only the restaurants open, but the squares and side streets lined with food kiosks and trestle tables for punters.

On Tuesday evening we were over at Tavant, meeting up with various friends for their village Marché Gourmand. It takes place through the summer on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. A square near to Tavant church had been cordoned off to become a pedestrian zone housing all the different food outlets, who were cooking fresh dishes to order. Lines of trestle tables were laid out in the middle for visitors. We all tried something different to eat. Not knowing exactly what was going to happen, we'd already eaten something earlier in the day, so decided to share a lovely spicey prawn dish, which isn't something we'd normally go for. Wine was flowing as was the conversation. In the photo on the left is a newish friend Gunther whose lovely wife Claudie is also a photographer. We met them last year through one of our Anglo/French groups. The other two moustaches belong to locals Michel and Michel, who were with our group of friends. It was the first time we'd met. Had a long conversation with them on all sorts of different subjects. Really fun and really interesting. Great evening. It's the sort of event though that you really do need to go with friends, which of course we were able to do.

Last night Thursday, we went over to Saumur for a more touristy event and tasting at Ackerman. They make lovely sparkling and flat wines, although thanks to our friends Anne and Lyn, these days we shop nearer to home at Chateau de L'Aulée over at Azay le Rideau, who we both reckon supply some of the best fizzy and white wines around. From time to time we'll spend a day at Saumur. There's always has lots going on and it's an opportunity to visit one of our favourite restaurants La Gambetta. From Cravant Saumur is about an hour away. 

Ackerman had organised a tour along with an equestrian display, in their caves.  The site is huge. So the tour had been cleverly broken up into sections, interspersed with short entertainments by horses and riders, who entranced everyone with their agility, in what for them was a confined space. The riders were mother and young daughter, who as well as their riding skills brought their dance and circus skills into play, to create a really interesting series of performances. No good photos sadly. There were about sixty people in a tricky space. The one here I've tried to lighten up but then the colour distorts. But what it's showing are two riders in a particular part of the cave with an overhead installation. A very large area with all sorts of interesting designs in plastic. It was like an enormous fairy grotto. Afterwards we went back outside on to the front lawns, where apéros of white and pink fizzy were served with some tasty amuse bouches. Yet another lovely evening, which Mike had spotted purely by chance. Very pleased we went.