musée de traditions populaires, limogne en quercy

Above the tourist information office in Limogne en Quercy is a delightful little museum. 2 rooms set out as a typical living room and bedroom of the early to mid 20th century and one full of tools. 

One of my favourite things is the one in the photo just above - a tool for clamping together a bundle of faggots and dispensing the string to tie it together with. The faggots would have been used for lighting the bread oven that most houses had (outside the house not in it).

All the objects are numbered and you can consult a list which tells you what their use was. It's closed now for the Winter but will open at Easter next year.

market day

I'll admit - these photos were taken last week not this morning. Today market day was grey and drizzley and all the traders had their umbrellas up and it was a decidedly soggy affair. But you know even on the wet winter days I love going. At the moment there are beautiful carrots, kale and spinach, all picked just hours ago. A generous bunch of parsley added to my basket for free. Those San Pelegrino bottles? No, that's not mineral water but local organic wine direct from the man who makes it. Cheese and eggs and olives and that's me done.

Mathieu's organic wine stand. Bring your own bottle and he fills it up.

Well, almost done! A quick stop chez Boutonnet for a croissant aux amandes. Enough calories for the whole day probably but what the hell!

coming soon...

coming soon to the shop - some very fine moustache hinges!

keys

My neighbour's house keys!

parapluies roses

An installation of pink umbrellas in Rodez for breast cancer 

awareness month.

M. Senouci..

sesame thins

(compotier available here)

Siobhan made these when I was in Ireland recently and they are delicious and very quick to make.

Sesame Thins

4 oz (100g) wholemeal flour

4 oz (100g)  butter

2 oz (50g) sesame seeds

2 oz (50g) sugar

Rub the butter into the flour, add the sesame seeds and sugar and work the mixture together.

Press into a 23 x 23 cm tin (no need to line) and bake at 180º until pale golden brown - about 20 minutes. Score while still warm but leave to cool completely in the tin. They keep well in an airtight tin or kilner jar.

(recipe from the Cranks recipe book)