Trail du Brossacais

Hello! My name is Dom and I’m volunteering here at La Giraudiere for a few weeks en-route home from my “Gap-year” travels around Morocco and Spain – but originally hailing from the slightly less exotic location of Gloucestershire in SW England. A couple of days ago I took part in the “trail du Brossacais”, which was quite an experience…

Sunday – the big day was finally here! After weeks of anticipation, speculation, marquee elevation and (for some!) dedicated preparation, the 8th incarnation of Brossac’s very own cross-country event « le Trail du Brossacais » was upon us! A well-respected meet, over four hundred athletes entered and more than one hundred volunteers were involved in this year’s edition, which was split into races of 13 or 25 kilometres and a randonee (hike) of 13 kilometres.

As what might optimistically be called a novice to the world of competitive athletics, I opted for the randonee, and this certainly felt a wise decision as I mingled with the lycra-clad runners, all limbering up and (presumably) discussing their favourite marathons and work-out routines. Probably their record bleep test scores as well. In any case, at 9:15, with my number (121) attached with drawing pins and my shoelaces securely fastened, I was off!

I just cannot emphasise how beautiful the course was: amongst the rolling hills of the Charente, through pine-scented woodlands, boundless golden meadows and besides tranquil, rippling lakes, we made our way in the glorious morning sunshine. Once again, French hospitality left me simply astounded, as we were greeted along the route with replenishment in the form of water, apples, oranges, bananas, dried apricots, prunes, sponge cake and dark chocolate as well as cheerful encouragement and friendly greetings. You didn’t get this on Sports Day.

I reached the finish beside l’Etang Vallier around half past eleven (a leisurely stroll), where a number of the runners were cooling off beside the lake and enjoying the weather. After the prize-giving ceremony, conducted by the Conseil-General of Charente, we were treated to a sumptuous lunch. We were very kindly invited to the meal as a thank-you for helping to set up the marquee on Thursday, which made it feel even more worthwhile! We love Brossac!

Many hands make for light work – community volunteering at La Giraudiere

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed we were not, but after a cracking breakfast of Master Crumble, it was all stations go this Wednesday morning! La Giraudiere’s current band of intrepid chaps – Paul, Marcus, Rob and Dom – headed down to l’etang Vallier, a nearby lake, geared up and ready for action. The task was daunting: to erect the mega-marquee to be used during Sunday’s much-anticipated 13km trail du Brossac (watch this space!).

Before long, we were joined by a veritable fleet of Peugeots, Renaults and Citroens, as a cheerful array of enthusiastic Brossacians made their way to join us in our collective endeavour. Hands shaken and friendly greetings reciprocated , the menfolk swung into action!

With a remarkable organsiation and not a little bit of Gallic nous, our work proceeded at a genuinely impressive rate, as the poles, pegs and pins began to be put into place. The much appreciated « casse-croutes » of pain rustic, paté and camembert (perhaps even a fortifying tipple!) offered another opportunity for general discussion and French practice – as well as a hearty second breakfast!

La Giraudiere’s trio of suitably proud community volunteers!

We got back to work, and were able to complete the job by mid-morning, proving that the old adage « many hands make for light work » remains true. As a visitor, it struck me as fantastic that so many people were willing to come out at an early hour and get stuck in to help a local cause. In many ways, it’s emblematic of the good-naturedness and dynamism that is evident in this community, which has been so welcoming to so many of us here at La Giraudiere.

p.s. fingers crossed for good weather on Sunday! x

A weekend of new experiences, sun and fun at La Giraudiere

‘Never has so much been achieved by so few in so short a space of time.’ Perhaps exaggerating things a little, needless to say this is how part of the LG Team felt about the conquests they have made this weekend!

Whilst the bright lights of Brossac continue to burn deep into the early hours of the morning and the usual haunts of St Bernards and Quai Sud keep us well fed and entertained during the working week, this weekend three of our young female volunteers, Lucy, Lydia and Saskia, were keen to venture further afar and enjoy new experiences of life in southern France by visiting the beautiful port city of Bordeaux. Unbeknown to these intrepid explorers, this Friday marked the first day of the ‘Fete de la Musique’ in the city – a nationwide festival currently being celebrated to signify the beginning of summer. It quickly became apparent however, as they made their way across the ‘Pont de pierre’ which crosses the river and stepped into the throngs of people gathered in La Place de la Victoire, that the night was to be full of surprises, new people and new experiences! After enjoying a delicious (and typically French) meal in a small restaurant close to the cathedral, the trio made their way to the main student square, where they quickly accustomed to the somewhat slurred Bordeaux accents of the local students, even managing to hold some semi-intelligable bilingual conversations! The next morning, keen to make the most of their short stay in the city, the girls set off early to see the sights, do some shopping (oh so necessary) and enjoy yet more delicious French cuisine. (Again, entirely necessary…)

Day two of this weekend of new experiences and broadening of horizons saw Lucy and Saskia take on the formidable challenge of cycling to the historic village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, voted one of the most beautiful villages in France since 1993 and home to one of only two monolithic churches in Europe – situated a mere 46km away from Brossac… Armed with water, sun cream, cameras and two of the most hi-tech bikes that La Giraudiere has to offer, the pair set off on their adventure, factoring in a time frame of at least three hours to reach their destination. Arriving in Aubeterre it was easy to understand why the village had been awarded such a prize year on year – it is a truly beautiful French village. And on stepping inside the monolithic church, which dates back to the 12th century, the long (and somwhat exhausting!) journey all became entirely worth it.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

So, a busy weekend was had by all. Excellent food was enjoyed, incredible atmosphere absorbed and some stunning scenery photographed. The weather is set to improve hugely this week, and so with any luck the garden will receive the full amount of attention from the whole team here at LG that it so deserves!

La Giraudiere

June 2013: Cooking up a storm

While the temperatures here at La Giraudiere may not be reaching their usual scorching highs which are typical of the Brossacian summer months, rest assured that it has done very little to perturb our team of volunteers from sending readings on the kitchen Thermostat from soaring and cooking up a storm

! With the working week coming to a close, culinary delights so far have included a fresh and healthy salad complete with walnuts and the local delicacy of ‘duck’s neck’  (a very literal translation – which perhaps does little to describe just how good it in fact tastes!) made by Marcus, and an all-American Tex Mex feast cooked for us by our resident Tennessean, Katie. Wednesday evening saw a truly mediterranean inspired al fresco spread laid on for the team by Lucy, Lydia and Saskia, and whilst the rain of yesterday evening meant that there was no chance of enjoying outdoor dining for a second night, the hearty lasagne arrangement which Lydia enjoyed cooking for us was thoroughly welcomed, and all plates were left clean by the end! (To the disappointment of Sidney!)

Plans for our weekend of leisure include an overnight say in the bustling metropolis of Bordeaux, an all day cycling excursion to the historic town of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne and a visit to the neighbouring village of Rioux-Martin to enjoy the evening ‘Fete de la Musique’ – so as usual, it’s all go here at La Giraudiere!

This evening we’ll be welcoming two more additions to the team, coming to us all the way from Malaysia, and saying goodbye to Katie as she leaves La Giraudiere and heads off to Paris to continue her travels around France. She will most certainly be missed!

‘Voluntourists’ make their mark at La Giraudiere

This week marks the arrival of five new British additions to the team at La Giraudiere: Marcus, Lucy, Lydia, Saskia and Rob – all recent University students who have chosen to devote part of their holidays as ‘Voluntourists’ in France, helping to further the progress being made here at La Giraudiere. Marcus has been quick to lend his hand to the promising construction work being done in the Old House by Christian and Katie. Lucy and Lydia have adopted the roles of joint Household Managers – responsible for the day to day upkeep of the four apartments which house the volunteers; a job which not only includes making sure that the cupboards and fridges all stay fully stocked, but also that the volunteers here enjoy a clean and comfortable stay! Meanwhile, Saskia and Rob have taken over on the computing side of things, responsible for the daily management of La Giraudiere’s blogs, social media, and email correspondance. As a recent Electronics Engineer Graduate, Rob’s computer knowledge and skill set have proved to be a great help so far, and the pair already have plans for making a few adjustments and updates to the website and causing a small storm in the world of social media!  (We hope!)

Fortunately for the project, but rather unfortunately for our ‘Voluntourists’ here at La Giraudiere, the weather has taken a bit of a turn for the worse over the last couple of days, meaning that as of yet the new team are yet to really enjoy the benefits of the (usually) beautiful French sun! Daily weather updates from the French news ensure us however that we’re in store for some much more promising weather towards the end of the week… Which will also coincide with Christian’s departure as he returns home to Cambridge, England for the duration of the summer holidays.

So here’s hoping for some better weather, a contiunuation of the excellent progress currently being made at La Giraudiere, and maybe a game or two of petonques with the locals to really immerse our new ‘Voluntourists’  into the spirit of French culture here in South West France.

 Stay tuned for more updates!