Saturday 20 December 2014

The bionic cow

When I still lived in the Netherlands, I cycled weekly from home to a farm nearby called “Het Geertje”, one of the few places that sold raw milk per litre.

French "milk" cattle
When the containers were empty at arrival, no problem: the farmer’s wife went off to the stable and came back with some still warm milk, fresh from the cow.
Cows there had something appealing as well. They were of the black-and-white checked variety, had two horns, four legs, a milk bag under the belly with four primitive taps attached to it, and they made strange noises resembling those of a mist horn.
After moving to France my consumption of raw milk came to a halt.

Supermarket - Prissé
The whole milk I drink nowadays comes from a supermarket, packed in a plastic bottle with a red lid. Until recently, when I found along the roadside an electronic or bionic cow giving raw milk. The udder had only one teat, the colour is not exactly what one expects of milk cattle, but who cares! The milk is considerably cheaper than what is for sale in the adjoining building, and here also one has to bring his own bottles. Besides the cow starts mooing the moment you drop your money in the slot and hold your bottle under the teat. Unfortunately this cow lives to far for a relaxed cycle trip on a sunny day….

The bioniccow
The link to the website of La Tuilerie de Chazelle can be found here.

Saturday 6 December 2014

Christmas decorations

Like each year at the end of November / beginning of December we are looking forward to the local Christmas decorations.

La Grande Rue - Cormatin
De big hit each year is the illumination of Cormatin’s High Street. People flock from far and wide to Cormatin to see these wonders. Far is in this case not restricted to far-away places like La Bergerie and Chazelle; no, for this special occasion people from Ameugny, Taizé, malay and even from Saint-Gengoux come to gaze at these decorations.

Epicerie Berger - Cormatin
Also worth seeing is the yearly display in the Epicerie in Cormatin’s Main Street. In December it is virtually impossible to enter the shop because of the amount of spectators. For this special occasion the shop also opens its doors on Sundays, the whole month of December!

Nativity Scene - Notre-Dame de l'assomption Cormatin
And finally there is the traditional nativity scene, looking different each year, and each year again a sight for sore eyes. For those who like to visit: it is extremely difficult to find a parking space in the vicinity of the church; the SNCF however deplies special (free) buses.
La Tuilerie de Chazelle sends you its Season’s Greetings!