Easter 2024 and Oven arrival

We left home on Thursday after work around 17h. We hit traffic at the Collonges roundabout which added another 30 mins getting onto the motorway- even Bellegarde was not that bad. We came off at Macon after having to be careful of two bunnies on the hard shoulder. We were passing Boulanger just after 19h and J said shall we look in, as we had again been considering getting an oven. I said it won’t be open surely. J went to investigate and gave the thumbs up that it was still open so J and I went in. We had about 15 mins before closing so headed straight for the ovens and ascertained from a sales lady that delivery to St A. was free and sometimes happened on Saturdays. By this time J had seen a Smeg induction top expo model that was 30% off and I had noticed that there was a delivery spot this Saturday. So after 14 years of no proper cooking facilities we made a decision in 5 mins to buy it and have it delivered on Sat. They will install it too. We then went off and had dinner at the Ponte Loco before heading to the house and realising most of the pans we have will need to be donated as they are not magnetic! 

After a good nights sleep J went over to the baker around 09h30 and came back with all the pastries that were left- luckily that was 2 croissants and a pain au choc. We had a leisurely breakfast, did some sorting out of stuff and I studied a while. Then just before 12h our friends from Ferney/Geneva arrived as they are going up to Mersault then Champagne. We showed them the house which they liked - it’s always good to see how other people see it. After a cuppa we set off for the Etape Charollaise. The weather was overcast but surprisingly warm- almost warmer outside the house than in! At the restaurant some of us had the menu du jour of a warm beef tourte with salad, then roast pork with gratin, cheese and to finish a banana cake. Others had steak with purée and the desert. They have put the price up slightly but for 16e including wine it’s a great deal and everyone enjoyed it.

After lunch we headed to St. Gengoux and to the wine cooperative where we tried some wine, mostly red. We ended up getting some Mercury and some Santenay and an Aligoté bag in box. After a little stroll around the town our friends set off north and we went back to the house.

Had a very long lie in on Saturday although I did pop over to the baker around 8h and he had a lot of produce including for the first time we have seen some croissants aux amandes. We got a text to say the oven would only be delivered in the afternoon so the morning was spent reading and making room for it. They came around 14h and were very efficient in installing it. They left and it the oven was on a cleaning cycle that even when finished seemed to take ages but we realised it was the cooling fan that keeps going 20 mins after it switches off. It looks very good in its new position and finally we have proper cooking facilities.

It had been raining up until the oven delivery and then suddenly it stopped and a little sun came out so we went off to Cluny and had hot drinks in the bookshop which is really nicely decorated.

We then went off to St Bonnet and investigated the new second hand depot opposite Super U. It’s in a better building but there was not much good stuff although it did have a decent shelf of English book. On the drive home I saw the first swallow of this year.

Easter Sunday was a wash out. A and ai went over to the baker in the rain. We had breakfast and then decided that there was no visible sign of improvement so we packed up and set off home just after 10h.