Wednesday September 12th Tronchoy to Flogny la Chapelle

Trip 7 Kms Departure 11 Locks 1 of 531

We had a lazy morning. I took the bike to try and find a boulangerie. As I was leaving the village, I heard a klaxon, turned round and there was a white wagon pulling up and raising the side canopy. Result!

Got back there and found it to be a grocery van which carried absolutely everything except for bread. Nearest bread is at Flogny but wait it is closed on Wednesday's. I was not even surprised anymore.

We breakfasted on yoghurt and pecan nut master rumble. Super.

With such a short run and just one lock, we prepared to set off at 11. Almost inevitably, a hire boat appeared as we readied for the off. It passed and we pulled into line. I had one engine on tick over and still we slowly gained on the hire boat. At the lock it offered to let us pass but I declined as we were stopping in just 3 Kms and with the weather now dry and brighter it was rather a pleasant run.

As we drifted slowly along, I suddenly had a eureka moment. Walnut tree, and another, and another! At last!

We got to the pleasant quay at Flogny with warnings of just 0.9m depths. We took great care as we inched alongside but no dramas. A British flagged barge, blue belle arrived and I moved to make space. We strolled up yet another steep hill into town and sure enough at the small commercial area on the outskirts, we discovered a closed on Wednesday's boulangerie and an open and quite fantastic butchers. Spent ten minutes just admiring the displays before leaving with a promise to return to purchase in the morning.

Back at Doucette, we loaded the bikes with a boat hook and my satellite extension pole. We were going hunting. The walnuts were high and did not wish to be harvested but we were determined. It took an hour or so to half fill our bag but we had enough.

 

As I scrambled after a faller, my mind raced with thoughts of vipers in the undergrowth but i was particularly brave this day!

Whilst I stretched, the crew bent, walnutting was a noisy affair!

But we were delighted with our swag. We managed to hull one nut immediately. Sadly this was not a sign of things to come in this department.

We had investigated the harvesting, preparation and storage of the nuts on the iPad and so back at base after finding the hulls sticking fast to the nuts, they ended up in a bag wetted and covered with canvas to try and ease the sticky green outer hulls from the nut itself. A sign that we were a tad early in harvesting.

I got started on the tenderloin of pork. I seared the well seasoned tenderloin and popped it into a roasting to in the oven. Added half a cup of Burgundy aligote to the pan and reduced it. Added a chunk of Dijon, three chunks of honey and a knob of beurre. Poured this over the pork and popped it back in the oven after adding some par boiled new potatoes to the meat. I scooped out a large aubergine and popped the two halve in the oven. Fried off some chopped chorizo and added the scooped flesh to it. Once cooked I stuffed the aubergine and popped back in the oven.

Dinner was fabulous washed down with more aligote but we only managed half of the aubergine so this was set aside for tomorrow.

It had been a delightful meal but outside as we drifted towards slumber, the rain started to fall.

 

Posted with Blogsy