Hello from me one again, for your magazine « Quoi de neuf » especially for Anglophone visitors or inhabitants in our lovely Morvan-Auxois area. I’ll be giving you a couple of ideas of what to do, where to go, and how to join in some of the local events – (if you can find any petrol) over the next couple of weeks, right up until the 12^th of June.. so stay tuned in…

Useful Information

A great idea in France if you need help with your garden, cleaning, or any other kind of service, and don’t need (or can’t afford!) to employ someone full time is the “Cheque Emploi Service Universel” (I recently used this myself, to give me a hand with keeping the grass down after all this sunshine and rain -) You don’t have to go through the very complicated French Urssaf.fr system – you can order your ‘cheque book’ from your local bank, or contact their internet site http://www.cesu.urssaf.fr All the money you pay out is tax deductible.

Well worth a visit

The lovely medival town of Semur en Auxois of course, especially as this week-end it’s the medeival tradtion ‘La fête de la Bague’ with a whole program of events going on all over the week-end. Whilst your’e there, I’d suggest going along to the Painting and Sculpture Gallery at the Town Museum, which was the original Jacobin Convent. Sculptures by Augustin Dumont and a beautiful collection of 17^th century paintings. Open every day, except Tuesdays.

Tommorow night there’s a night show called ‘la nuit de la poterne’ at 8pm and a firework display at 10.

Unusual Event

To use our sense of smell, rather than our eyesight – At the Lovely chateau de Bussy Rabutin From Sat June 3^rd until Monday the 5^th – “Rendez vous in the garden’ with this year’s theme on Fragrances. Blackcurrent, spices and mustards: perfumes, aromas and flavours. You can even watch ginger bread being made. And the entrance is free.

Brocante/Jumble sales and Fair

This week-end in Thoisy la Berchere.

Flea market in Beaune on June the 1^st,

Antiques and flea market in Chalon sur Saone on June 8^th.

Bien-être – Well being

You can always treat yourself to massage or reflexology therapy at the “Moulin de la Louve” 5km from Saulieu. For full details visit the web site http://completude.viabloga.com or call 03 80 64 10 74

Night out/Music

If your’e around Auxerre, its well worth going to “Les Grandes Heures dAuxerre” which is a sound and light show in the beautiful cathedrale there relating  the history of Auxerre, from the Gallo-roman times to present day.  Every evening from June 1^st until Sept. 30^th and it starts at 10pm and lasts one and a half hours. More info on 03 86 52 23 29 or by mail. bielauxerre@wanadoo.fr

• Saturday 31^st May – GADJO DILO at the BISTRAD in ARLEUF (tel: 03 86 78 84 66) and next week a special disco evening with music from the eighties.  Site http://restaurants-tourisme.com
• « Mechoui des Settons » on at the Lake there with a ball on the 7th of June.
• DIEDY are playing at the Quarré crème in Quarré les Tombes (89) on Friday the 6^th of June, and again on Saturday the 7^th at the “¨Relais Picard’ in Rouvray. That’s part of the Cafés Margot organisation.

Festivals in June

Auxerre – Music of the world festival

Decize (58) Canoe_Kayal International regetta

Le Creusot – National Blues Festival

Prenois – Classic motorbikes and cars

Semur en Auxois – Mediaval day in the town centre

 

Art

• A must of course, is the wonderful exhibition by Frederic Beauvais on upstairs at the Café Parisien in Saulieu. Frederic Beauvais is a local artist who lives in Champeau en Morvan, and amazes us with his fine pastel portraits, and sketches of the locals and characters in and around the café and Saulieu – what touches us most is the fact that we know, or have seen around - all these people – (and I’m sure, even if you don’t – they all seem familier somehow) Frederic has somehow managed to embellish , uplight and value their very souls, engraving these people in Saulieu’s history, and indeed, in our lives forever.  A great imaginery portrait of  Bernard Loiseau, Francois Pompon and Jean Genin all having a drink together!, not to mention “the devilish Gilles Gamet” who runs the paper shop, and our lovely lady wanderer ‘the woman with the hat’.  The exhibition is on for a year, but quite a few orders already for this up and coming artist – so go along as soon as you can – 

A very moving exhibition. For more information, you can call Frederic Beauvais on 03 80 64 16 27

• More art, this sculptures, and you’ve got 200 of them to go and see in Nuit Saint Georges as part of the imaginarium exhibition. More information from their website http://www.imaginarium-bourgogne.com

Clubs and Activities

Le La Itou in Mont Saint Jean with a great program this month of June, from a cooking demonstration using a solar energy oven, recital from an Indian Sitar, a visit to a biological farm in Chazeuil – and lots more. For the full program, and to become a member, call 03 80 84 38 08 or visit their website http://lelaitou.free.fr

Useful French  Sentence/French way of life

One that you might have heard, or could be very useful to use is ‘Panne d’oreiller’  which literally means “ pillowcase breakdown” very useful if you can’t make/ or have forgotton an early morning appointment.. the phrase is ‘J’ai eu une panne d’oreiller’ the same way as ‘my car broke down’ being the pillow that broke down, and not your actual head!

 

Remember, You can write to me, with any suggestions, hints, critiques, or anything you’d like me to talk about at

info@eolenet.fr

N’oubliez pas, si vous avez des suggestions, ou vous organisez les fêtes ou sorties que vous pensez pourrez intéresser nos amis « anglophones » – vous pouvez m’écrire sur le mail d’ EOLE.

 

An Article is published on our website with relative websites, addresses and telephone numbers

http://www.eolenet.fr  under the heading ‘English’