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SuomiSome nasty words in this Post's title! Don't worry - 'trump' is meant in a good way. But as for 'Brexit', well, having been in shock for most of Friday we awoke on Saturday, the day of BruelFest 2016, to a dank, foggy morning which echoed the general mood. What then happened was a day and evening that lifted our spirits but has also made us determined to act as European citizens as far as we are able:
Je suis européen!
So, how did BruelFest 2016 go?
Quite early the mayor of Lacapelle Pinet (the commune under which Le Bruel 'sits') turned up, very friendly, bringing marquees and tables from the Marie, but also thanking everyone for doing another BruelFest and also offering solidarity to us as part of the community - we did ask him if we could stay ... he did say 'yes'. 'Phew!
So, the least we could do was ask him to taste and approve the little bottle of wine that the neighbours had donated to accompany the evening's meal:
Quite early the mayor of Lacapelle Pinet (the commune under which Le Bruel 'sits') turned up, very friendly, bringing marquees and tables from the Marie, but also thanking everyone for doing another BruelFest and also offering solidarity to us as part of the community - we did ask him if we could stay ... he did say 'yes'. 'Phew!
So, the least we could do was ask him to taste and approve the little bottle of wine that the neighbours had donated to accompany the evening's meal:
- and then a little more tasting needed to be done, just to make sure all was well:
... which it was! But then on with the work: the wood set up for the fire, the tents and tables laid out:
... and in came the specially-made tools for the pizza oven; and the oven itself was lit - no lighting with petrol-based firelighters, paper and wood only, complemented by tiny beeswax figurines of Boris Johnson ... burnt very well, straight off, with great gusts of hot air from the tiny figurines, which then melted in the first real heat:
And as the fire was lit and built up with the dry oak smaller logs to start with, in came the fermenting dough from the artisan baker who lives nearby. The initial amount was quite small, but was 'alive', bubbling and moving in its steel basin. Then organic flour was gradually added, folded in, and the kneading process started - definitely a team effort:
Meanwhile the fire in the oven was really starting to take off and the process of moving the burning wood into a circle of burning embers started:
People from the commune and further afield were now starting arrive, and the older residents sat down on the benches and traditional cakes and vin blanc were served. We were happy to see the oldest residents of Lacapelle arrive, M. et Mme Bernadon, now in their mid-90's but certainly up for some music and BruelFest revels - and bang on time the musicians arrived, a band called La Talvera who specialise in traditional music and dancing. Things were altogether hotting up:
- and the music and dancing started:
More guests were arriving, many bringing contributions of food - salads, trays of apricots and peaches, cakes and bottles of wine, and by 6.00pm there were around 50 people, of all ages. Thankfully all the morning mist and mizzle had disappeared and it was a sunny afternoon. So far, so good - and what of the oven and the pizzas? The organisation was pretty impressive, with people looking after the fire, gradually bringing it up to heat (it needs to be around 415 degrees Centigrade), a team of dough makers, shapers and rollers, and a team preparing the toppings ... which were organic goats cheese and tomatoes and herbs, so a pizza margarita. Here's a picture gallery of what went on:
Two dozen large pizzas were baked - and eaten with considerable enthusiasm! So, quite an achievement - three months ago we had a bread oven that had not been used for many years and that was in a state where no-one knew whether it could be used at all.
As the pizzas were served and the wine flowed, La Talvera played some terrific, lively music, with Monsieur Bernadon giving a great solo performance on harmonica at one point. The music got a lot of people on their feet and dancing:
As the pizzas were served and the wine flowed, La Talvera played some terrific, lively music, with Monsieur Bernadon giving a great solo performance on harmonica at one point. The music got a lot of people on their feet and dancing:
(Please note: if you have accessed this Blog Post through your email notification link this video clip may not play/display properly - you will need to access the Blog directly on the website at www.lebruel.net/nichoir-blog ).
The other food was laid out under the marquees and people sat down to eat, while others carried on with a bit of dancing and others with some quite surprising games ... like a French version of tossing the caber, except they used oak and chestnut beams!
The other food was laid out under the marquees and people sat down to eat, while others carried on with a bit of dancing and others with some quite surprising games ... like a French version of tossing the caber, except they used oak and chestnut beams!
The celebrations continued until after midnight, with some people staying until dawn. It had been a happy, successful second BruelFest venture.
We were warmed, not only by the splendid bread-oven, but by the kindness shown to us during the evening, with people of all ages saying how shocked and sorry they were about the Brexit result and that they hoped this did not mean we would have to leave. We were offered a specially designed 'Le Bruel Visa' that stated we were 'Bruel Citoyens' and had been here for generations. If by 'here', they meant resident in the spirit of goodwill, community spirit, sharing and acceptance then, of course, we hope we have.
We were warmed, not only by the splendid bread-oven, but by the kindness shown to us during the evening, with people of all ages saying how shocked and sorry they were about the Brexit result and that they hoped this did not mean we would have to leave. We were offered a specially designed 'Le Bruel Visa' that stated we were 'Bruel Citoyens' and had been here for generations. If by 'here', they meant resident in the spirit of goodwill, community spirit, sharing and acceptance then, of course, we hope we have.
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