Hoping for an end to the interminably long winter in England and France…
It’s the middle of March and it’s snowing again! I thought spring was on it’s way but. despite a few false starts , spring 2018 remains illusive!! Not only have we experienced three separate periods of snow in Leicestershire this winter we have had two in Provence…yes I did say Provence. The beast from the East has been well and truly present in Europe this winter.
Snow i
n Provence is very rare, the two coverings that we received in Lorgues this winter provided some wonderful photograph opportunities ..snow on olive trees, dry stone walls, wine barrels and vineyards!
A thankfully short but sweet event across the South of France.
The lovely Lily made an excellent job of trying to camouflage herself in the snow.
Meanwhile the birds have been extremely numerous and active in our Leicestershire garden. Despite the subzero temperatures, the mating and nesting season is definitely underway.
Finches have been particularly numerous this winter, green finches, a colourful family of over 20 goldfinches and chaffinches. We are also blessed in our garden with lots of other feathered visitors, all hopefully looking to pair and nest in our hedgerows: blue tits, great tits, robins, wrens, blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows, collared doves, wood pigeons and a gang of jackdaws. We are also privileged to receive daily visits from a group of pheasants, their arrival marked by their distinctive rawcus call. 
There was a glimmer of spring in Provence during the second week in February. Promising blue skies and the warmth of the sun started to return. Sculptural iris leaves started to push through the ground, our almond tree started to blossom and the bird song was noticeably louder and more cheerful…several days were warm enough to take our lunch on the sunny terrace.
Morning walks with my neighbour, were a joy, meandering past the olive groves and pine forest. In the vineyards, the rows of black, gnarly stumps are standing like soldiers in neat lines. It never ceases to amaze me, that these stumps, so dead and sombre looking in winter will spring to life, become so green, leafy and heavy with grapes in order to provide us with our favourite pink, white and red nectar throughout the year….
During the long winter months, our home is even more of a sanctuary, particularly the welcoming warmth when we come in from outdoors, the smell of wood smoke and the dancing flames of the fire fuel our urge to hunker down. Our desire for comfort food increases and like so many of you I get an irresistable urge to cook and bake.
Even if I do say myself, this year my madeleines were a triumph. I substituted the orange zest for clementine zest…even my French neighbour was bowled over!!! What harm is a little sweet treat with a coffee in the morning…. particularly in the winter, a little extra insulation will keep out the cold…and even as I write this on 21st of March it is snowing in Provence!
Roll on spring….you will be very welcome.