Davy and the Hailstones . . .

Sounds like the perfect line-up for the Voyages en Guitare music festival which is on in Chinon all over the weekend.  It coincides with the French equivalent of 'Open House'. So as well as all sorts of music and exhibitions in all sorts of venues, particular buildings and gardens are open which we otherwise don't get to see.

Davy and the Hailstones as you might suspect don't actually exist. It's an idea that popped into my head this morning. Partly Mike's fault, who announced that, the Saint's Day in France on 20 September is for a martyred English saint - Saint Davy. Given that it was world pirate's day yesterday, I thought I was being thrown one of Mike's little wheezes. Note - I'm still suspicious after all this time!! But in fact there is a Saint Davy, no matter how unlikely it sounds. Definitely a Davy and not a David. He was martyred with eight other monks in London in 1537 for refusing to recognize Henry Vlll as the spiritual head of the English church. Saint Davy was béatified in 1886. This seems to be during the reign of Pope Leo Xlll. 

Yesterday afternoon we were treated to a storm of cherry tomato sized hailstones-just what every wine producer needs as the harvest period begins. Fortunately it didn't last too long. The noise was unbelievable. The white stuff is the hail. Had more thunder and lighting with some rain early evening. Inevitably there's been some damage. This is due to be a vintage year, so hoping desperately, that this is the last of it.