Friday, September 4, 2015
I had heard that, summer over, Caunes was quieter, less festive.
You would not have known it from the crowd at La Cantine du Cure last night. La Cantine began in a space off the entrance to the Benedictine abbey, near the tourist office. It was opposite the homes of a number of villageois, who complained about the noise from patrons and the amplified music provided as free entertainment. The problem was talked about for two years, with some people saying that young people needed a place to kick up their heels, others deploring the so-called "rowdiness". Over the winter, La Cantine moved to a large tract of land off rue de l'Abbaye, not far from its original location, but away from the more populated side of the abbey. The land belongs to an estate owned by the parents of one of the owners of La Cantine; on the other side are the conventual buildings of the abbey, in the process of renovation. Result: the business can operate with less flak from neighbors.
The weather is cooler, the press of summer work abated, kids in school, the week almost over, a. good number of Caunois head for the open air dining offered at the new location. Since it opened three years ago, La Cantine has been the place to go for informal dining, although I found the cooking in the first two years frequently burnt or charred, and avoided it. With a change of chef there has been a great improvement. The tapas on the menu, all Spanish inspired --albeit with a French touch (tortilla espanola made with French cheese!) are served in large portions, easily enough to make a full meal of. There are various seating areas: you can sit on high chairs and eat on a table made of a wine barrel, or you can sit low to the ground and dine off a sort of coffee table; you can dine under a thatched roof at a picnic table, or at the bar. La Cantine is no longer open from lunch through the evening five days a week , so its patrons have to wait until Thursday to stop by, and make the most of the three days at the end of the week when the projected crowd justifies opening the bar. Judging by the liveliness of the crowd last night, the owners have no reason to worry: La Cantine will have a good arriere saison.
On the house renovation front, I am busy trying to put in two more inverters, one in my bedroom, one in the large guest bedroom. That installation, plus the placement of a large, electronically operated awning on the terrace will complete my home renovations for 2015. I had contemplated creating a full bath and en suite bedroom in the attic (in fact, budgeted for it), but this morning I was at the point of shelving it no pun intended) for the foreseeable future.
When I first thought about the project, I asked for recommendations from trusted friends in Caunes, who gave me the names of a contractor and a plumber who worked for them, and with whose work they were very happy. The contractor quickly gave me his estimate, but I have waited all summer for the plumber's. Earlier this week a neighbor told me that the plumber stopped by with his estimate, but that he did not want to drop it off if I was not there because he wanted to explain the details of it to me. The neighbor told me to call the plumber, which I did.
The plumber and I agreed that he would be at my house between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. this morning. So I made arrangements to have my guest walk Beau while I met with the plumber. When he didn't show up, I called him.
I've got an emergency. I can be at your house in an hour. This is a tough business.
Needless to say I was not sympathetic. I told him to fix another time and hour next week, as I'd be busy all day today. We agreed on next Monday, but I had my doubts. I'd read A Year In Provence, and did not want to be taken for someone who could be strung along, as Peter Mayle was by his contractors. In my mind, I had cancelled the job.
Then the doorbell rang: it was the plumber, armed with catalogues aplenty. He said he had the estimate and he wanted me to choose fixtures. His estimate was reasonable and his choices were wise. In 45 minutes we'd decided on the shape of my new bathroom.
I asked about a contract: the signed estimate and delivery of 30% of the cost creates a contract in fact. I warned that I wanted a clause at the bottom would have to be added, specifying that the work would be done by a specific date: he was agreeable.
I am now on my way to having a new bathroom put in.
***
It is now mushroom-gathering season. There are many varieties to be culled here, not all safe for human consumption Already 21 people have been treated for mushroom poisoning, and the season is a week old.
Which is a shame, because if they had been more careful, they could have readily sorted out the venomous from the non-venomous mushrooms by stopping by their local pharmacy.
In France, all pharmacists are trained to know the mushroom varieties and recognize those poisonous to humans. It is a service pharmacists have always rendered here.
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