Can't think of a snappy title - jaded brain

It's been a bit of a weekend for parties!

Saturday morning:  The guys in the road, including Mike, got the marquee set up for our annual road party. I'd gone into Chinon for last minute things. We were so, so lucky with the weather. There have been storms everywhere. Some places have had hailstones the size of tennis balls. Quite extraordinary. Cravant however was spared.

Marquee went up quickly, then the benches and tables were put up inside. All happened so fast.  Food-wise, we were having a full-blown lunch and later on dinner. Everyone had brought something to contribute to the menu, from apéros through to desserts. Fizzy, wines. The mayor usually arrives to toast the party bringing a case of wine with him. He's away at the moment so Philippe Alliet came in his place with a case from Angelliaume - a good Cravant wine producer - about 5 minutes away from us by car. 

Our road at least in outline is a bit like a round-headed elongate door-handle. It's the rounded bit where the marquee is set up. Perfect position. Loads of space and it's safe for the children to run, scoot, cycle around together etc. The previous blog with aerial views gives a good idea.

Everything kicked-off around 12.30. Elisabeth who used to live in the house opposite but now lives in Richlieu, came along on her way to work in Chinon for an apéro. The guys working on a little extension for Alain and Jacqueline, and in front of whose house the party happens, stopped worked for a bit and had an apéro. In fact everyone had an apéro! 

photo from Annabelle

As always it's been difficult to find a date to get everyone together. Needless to say some neighbours couldn't be there, others were there for the first time, some were working and coming in the evening. Mike and I were juggling a double-booking of road party and another party in the evening over at Tavant which is about twenty minutes away. So wine/food consumption was being carefully paced.


We had to shoot off mid-afternoon. Real shame. Made up a salad and then headed over to Tavant. This time it was a dinner party. A German couple we've come to know Claudie and Gunter were hosting it. A mixture of French, Germans, British, Americans, a guy from Belgium and another from Portugal. There were a few there we hadn't met before, but otherwise we knew everyone. The idea had been to stay outside the whole evening- they've a large courtyard area with a big garden attached - but the weather was so unpredictable, Claudie and Gunter had moved the dinner inside. They've a large space, but even so 35 people for a sit down dinner was logistically a bit of a challenge. Three different tables in fact. Two in one room and the kitchen in between those and the other table. So we all met in the middle. Apéros were outside. We were all having such a good time, Claudie couldn't get any of us inside. No idea what time we did finally go in for dinner. It was delicious. A beautiful evening in every way.  Just fabulous and weather-wise it had been perfect.

Photo-Annabelle

Think we got back to Cravant around 1am. Road party was still up and running, so dropped our car and gear back at the house and rejoined the neighbours for a bit of pole-dancing.

Eventually it wound down around 2am. Then we all cleared up together, took down the tables the chairs, the marquee and put them in the van so they could be returned the next morning.

Absolutely brilliant day and evening, with a fabulous gang of people.