Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum

The week continues with warm, sunny weather. Three of us are up early every morning, Carol for a cycle ride around the lanes, Cath goes running and I am out walking the dogs. It is lovely and cool first thing in the morning, the first sunflowers are starting to flower and the big combines are out harvesting the crops.

Cath jogging through the sunflowers

Everyone is working hard on their projects, inspired with ideas from the Fil en Fete exhibition and the gorgeous samples that Carol has brought along.

The Cognac Blues Passion Festival is on this week, so on Wednesday we take our knitting and crochet with us and visit Cognac for a bit of free music in the town and park.

Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum

Due to a cancellation we have two spaces available (sharing a twin room) for this fantastic workshop. The dates are from 28th June - 4th July 2014, which just happens to coincide with the Cognac Blues Passion festival, so if you want to bring along a non-knitting partner who is into music it could be the perfect holiday!
Carol is a fantastic tutor and the small group of 4 or 5 people allows one to one tuition on all knitting and crochet techniques.
For further details visit the Knitting holidays in France website here, or email sueculligan@gmail.com

This is what we got up to last year

lunch at the marina in Royan

stained glass windows at the Church in Royan

some of the crochet produced during the workshop

paella

Summer has arrived

The sunflowers are finally out in sunnyish France and at last the weather looks like it is improving. It has been  far better here than in the UK, but still not brilliant. However, we managed to pack in a fair bit with our French student last week.

My brocante purchase

Young Paul (age 13) was from Paris and stayed with us for two weeks to learn English. We have been cycling, sailing, shopping, visiting brocantes, playing tennis, building wardrobes, wood turning, painting, to the Blues Festival at Cognac, watching films, cooking and I am knackered, it was far more exhausting than a knitting workshop. The dogs are also shattered as he found communicating with them a lot easier than talking to us, poor Be Bo (he couldn't pronounce the p), has been made to sit, stand, walk, jump, lie down, run for 12 hours a day without a break.

sailing to Meschers

It was a big learning curve for all of us, however I am pleased to say that having arrived with no spoken English at all he was stringing a few sentences together by the end of the holiday. The next student arrives at the beginning of August, three weeks recovery time!

Culli's latest wood-turning projects

Paul's gorgeous chocolate cake

the jamming session at Cognac Blues Passion

More Blues

Another trip to Cognac yesterday for a sunny afternoon in the park with Bo Weavil followed by the BluesEaters at the Irish bar.
Today it's a David, Yvonne and John's joint 65th birthday party, with music provided by Culli's band Bedrock. It has rained in the night, so fingers crossed for a dry afternoon and evening!
Kim leaves on Tuesday, so back to work then with a vengeance, I have two bedrooms to paint before more B&B guests arrive in two weeks!

Cognac Blues Passion 2011

This week is the Blue's festival in Cognac. It is a brilliant week of free music (you pay for the headlining bands if you want to see them) but the freebies are sometimes just as good. We went yesterday for the afternoon and saw two great bands, enjoyed a few beers in the sun and avoided one downpour sheltering under a tree.

Perhaps next year a combined knitting retreat and visits to the festival every day?

Last day of July

Another month has whizzed by, the 31st July was a blisteringly hot day with not a cloud in sight. Perfect for a visit to the Cognac Blues Passion. This brilliant music festival takes place every year and most of the music is free. The bands are usually excellent and mainly French or American with great bluesey names. This year we just went for the afternoon and saw 'Travis "Moonchild" Haddix' in the park, caught a quick soundcheck from 'Watermelon Slim' and then walked up to the main square to see 'The BW Jumpers', back home for a walk with the dogs then an impromptu BBQ over the road with Gill, Merv, Hubert and Marina.

Today is the last day of the Blues Festival, but we have thunderstorms rumbling all around and it is also final day of my stock checking so have decided to stay at home and make plum chutney and finish my admin!

Bed and Breakfast for the Cognac Blues Festival 2010

Cognac Blues Passion is approaching fast, the festival runs from 27th July to 1st August this year and provides five days worth of exceptional music, much of it for free. We are taking bookings for the B&B now, situated just 16 km from Cognac the peacefulness of La Verderie is a sharp contrast to the bustle of the town, relax over a leisurely breakfast and alfresco lunch then take advantage of our free taxi service to Cognac for non-stop entertainment. Some of the headliners this year are Gil Scott Heron, Seal, Joe Louis Walker and Barbara Hendricks, with over 20 bands playing around the town every day you are spoilt for choice.