This weekend I was treated to the much-anticipated Truffle Festival Birthday Treat. I'd never tasted a truffle. I also tend to think of trips abroad as something you take a week or fortnight to do. This was to be a whistle-stop weekend in Montpellier leaving Gatwick at Friday lunch time, a day sightseeing and window-shopping in Montpellier on Saturday and a trip to Uzès on the Sunday to learn about truffles and a gourmet tasting lunch before returning home.
The trip was all-too short but very enjoyable and informative. Montpellier is a beautiful city renowned for it's art and culture. Sadly not enough time to take it all in but a glimpse has whetted my appetite to return at greater leisure.
Uzès is a beautiful and ancient village about 60 km from Montpellier. There were stalls selling truffle flavoured eggs, truffle fast-food, truffle oils, mustards and cheeses and all manner of kitchenware associated with the truffle - truffle slicers, knives, truffle plates, spoons, and forks. There were even oak saplings for sale 'guaranteed' to encourage the cultivation of truffles amongst their roots. There was an enormous crowd there. The festival opened with a stately ceremony at mid-day when the Truffle Elders of the Village presented a basket of truffles to be weighed and blessed by the parish priest. There was a demonstration of truffle hunting using terrier dogs, and gourmet dining on sun-drenched terraces. Truffles guaranteed in every course.
The ones grown in Langedoc-Roussillon are a black variety. They looked like an earth-covered knobbly potato to me and I thought they smelt rather earthy but I was to discover this humble tuber attracts awed reverence by truffle aficionados far and wide.
Lunch 'au terroir' was a truffle bonanza - Truffle Champagne, Truffle Velouté, Truffle Carpaccio, Raviolis au Truffle, Boeuf Bourgognoine with Truffle and Truffle Mash. There was even a truffle flavoured cream dessert but I passed on that!
You could say I'm truffled out. Luckily for my bank balance (they're massively expensive) I wouldn't be upset if I never tasted another - but it was a once in a lifetime experience and one I wouldn't have missed for the world. It just goes to show the things we get to do that we'd never have tried had it not been for our diagnosis of a life-limiting disease.
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my oncologists thinks i'm dying i think, she encouraged me to go on hoiday whilst I feel well! LoL......so Martyn and I are off to South Africa on safari in 12 days how exciting...our balcony lodge overlooks a waterhole where the animals come and go all day.... great for my photography.....just hope my body behaves itself as my insrance company do not insure my OC..... x Gill
Dear Gill, I held my breath when I read in your message that you've booked a safari. It's a long way away but I say if this is what you and Martyn really want to do you should go. I'm sure you'll have some contingency plans for returning home or getting emergency treatment should anything go seriously wrong whilst you're out there.
If the oncologist has encouraged you to go it's good. Enjoy every moment. The lodge overlooking a waterhole sounds wonderful and will bring many photo opportunities, sounds and images for you to bring home with you. In the face of the news you're getting I'd be doing exactly the same.
Are you going Saturday week? For how long. I'll mark it in the diary and will be thinking of you every day and hoping it's a wonderful holiday for you both.
This is, simply, a great adventure and I hope you think of nothing else but that while you are there - and I bet it's likely to be so overwhelming as to give you unignorable memories when you return too. It's totally the right thing to do - for you both - and I will try to have the photos site up before you come back so you can share a few pix with the gang here maybe...?
Love & courage (you'll need it to cope with the animal noises at night...!)
Sue xxx
Hi Annie Actually,
Glad you enjoyed it, and glad you are not left with a yearning for truffles, (I'd be seeing pound signs with every mouthful), very expensive but an experience I am sure, another one to tick off your list...lots of love x G x
lol You'd have been shocked Gwyn - £8 - £12 for the average black truffle - and they're the size of a small Jerusalem Artichoke. Apparently the white ones available elsewhere are even more expensive.
mmmm if I'm honest I didn't much like the smell or the flavour - especially not in champagne! If I could have chosen just one truffle dish it would be the ravioli stuffed with truffle with a light cream sauce. That worked for me. xxx
Well we only bought one truffle back with us. If you add to the £8/£12 per truffle a £95 air fare, overnight accommodation at £100, car hire at about £90, transport to and from Gatwick of £20, train from Cardiff to London at £7.80, sundries and subsistence at another £50, it makes it from £370.80 per truffle!!!!!
If I were truly into truffles rather than a jolly to France I think I'd be considering larceny too. lol xxxx
Hmm, that would be QUITE a pricey mushroom and truffle risotto, I admit!
Hi Annie
It sounds fascinating. The reverence the French have for their truffles is something to behold, isn't it? A while back we had dinner with some French friends who had managed to get hold of some truffles here in Singapore. I can't have been making the right faces because our host suddenly said to me, with furrowed brow "this is something very special for us, you know!". I felt suitably admonished.
Truffle Elders of the Villlage - how wonderful. Do we have anything remotely similar in England?
Monique, you have hit the spot. The French are obsessed with food. How they stay so slim remains a mystery that has eluded me for a lifetime.
When I went on a French exchange at the age of 15 years my mother, having been brought up by her French Grandmother, warned me that I must try everything and say it was very nice. How right she was. I did just that and the more I tried things the more my wonderful French hosts went on forays to obtain a range of delicacies from their region. We ate snails from a wild snail farm, horse frogs-legs, raw sardines, foie gras, stuffed goose neck, and bracket fungus foraged in the local woods. I soon learned the phrase, 'C'est delicieuse mais je n'a plus faim' but this didn't prevent a staggering weight gain over the five weeks I was there.
The tour de force was a brilliant investment. I've remained close friends with the family for the last 44 years!
An English equivalent of Truffle Elders? I'm not sure we do. I know the Scots pipe in the Haggis. Has anyone heard of anything like that in the UK?
It's quite surreal being back in London this morning after such a whistle-stop tour!
You've just inspired me to read extracts of Letters and Papers to the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society 1795. I think modern English would have your festival as Nursing the Furze which was done apparently to improve the quality of woodlands.
'In every wood where twuhtrwill grozvy it fliould by all means be encou-
raged, and if it docs not come up fpontaneoufly, fliould be planted. A proper quantity in woods is fo far from hurting the underwood, that it is both neceffary and ufefiil to flielter the underwood and draw it to a proper height; but that quantity muft always be regulated, fo as to do as little damage
to the underwood as poftible. ... as it is his (the landowner's) inierejiy to keep up that proper proportion of timber and underwood, by which each fhall receive benefit from the other, and the land produce the greateft profit, of which, in a ftate of wood-land, it is capable.
So it seems we're still on a quest to find a festival to celebrate food in Britain.
So glad you had such an interesting time, Annie. I was wondering if you gotnthere with alll the swow and travel chaos. There's an eel festival weekend in Ely, Cambs every year. I've been there. I did try the smoked eels which were not too bad, but inthought the fresh ones were yuk! My nickname was 'gannet', I was a kid, and I love trying everything to eat. The only things I really would not eat again (so far) are jellied eels and tripe. Have tried snails cooked in garlic, rabbit, octopus, frogs legs, foie gras but never tried truffles, Annie! Won't go out of my way for them I think. My brother and his family live innFrance, and he loves going to all the foodie festivals. My sister-in-law and nieces are super-slim, they all exercise a lot and seem to live on veg soup except when they have a special occasion to celebrate. Maybe that's the secret
Safe journey home, when are you going back to Cardiff?
At last a food festival in the UK - but I'm not sure I'd be any more inspired by eels than you. I did try them some years back on a trip to Hackney in North London where they sold eel pie, chips and an almost luminous green jus. I think that might just be an acquired taste.
As for tripe I'm rather partial to andouillettes in mustard sauce so when you visit your brother you could see if that challenges your dislike for tripe. In any other form I'd agree with you.
I rather thought it might be a case of starvation between trips out and lots of exercise. My penfriend's daughter told me she didn't even use French Dressing on salads in order to watch her weight. What's the point of being French if you can't even have that!!
I spent last night in London with my daughter and got home late this afternoon to the start of a massive thaw in Cardiff. It was an exciting weekend 'in the fast lane' but I'm really pleased now to be home again, relax and reflect on a great weekend.
Interesting as Nursing the Furze sounds, it is a different festival, I fufpect!
With n.t.w., two contestants face each other with vegetables like large swedes fixed to pieces of string. The MC then shouts "Nerf thy Wurzels!" But the rest is a blur. Any of the ladies currently in Devon know what happens next?
Delighted to hear that you enjoyed Truffle birthday treat .Have been thinking about you and hoping you had recovered enough to be able to try and taste them ....
If my brother in law who lives in France was to read your post he would do mouth wateringly so as he loves them .
Glad you had a great time! It's wierd, my in laws have lived about an hour from Montpellier for over 12 years, and we've never done more than pass through the airport! They tend to take us just about everywhere else! Perhaps next time I'll suggest that! I must agree though, proper French markets are amazing, much better than the ones tat come over here! My in laws go to Pezanas just about every Saturday for the market there (it's the nearest town) it's lovely to wander through the stalls and the old town! My daughter is due to go over in the summer holidays again this year, we are hoping for the October half term.
The Langedoc-Roussilon wines are amazing, particularly their champagne....the in laws brought us a case over just before Christmas....mmmmmm! Must put a bottle in the fridge!
Yes we did try some of their wines but I had to go very carefully as I travelled out on Friday with what I assume was the norovirus. Movicol sort of kept it in semi reasonable control. I think I saw more loos in Montpellier than anything else which made it an interesting experience!
I agree with you about French markets. What a shame we don't have an equivalent.
I do hope you have time to wander round Montpellier next time. It is a beautiful city. The wines are very good and reasonable to boot. I've been invited to return and hope to do so for a longer break as I'm really a bit old to undertake too many whistle-stop dashes to the South of France. I'm rather envious of you having relatives in that lovely part of France xxx
I am soo glad you had a lovely time. I think i would be a bit like you, Glad of the experience but maybe not too bothered if i never ate one again. Im not sure i would like them too much.
Its so good when you get the opportunity to do some thing out of the ordinary i really need to try and save up to do something. we should try to enjoy our selves as much as possible. Something I am lacking in buckets lately.
Suzanne - you've just hit the nail on the head. I hope you can see through all the rubbish to have a vision of what will make you happy and then go for it.
I hope you manage to plan a break for yourself to give yourself time to think things through and plan for more happiness in future. Sometimes that takes a third person to confide in and bounce back ideas. Don't put it off. Life is too short and too precious.
Hi Annie so glad that you had a good time - loved reading about the truffles, the nearest I can think of in the uk is the asparagus fair but I can't remember the name of the village that have used asparagus to boost their local economy. It looked like great fun and when I saw it on country file or some such programme I thought to myself that it was one of those things that should be on the to do list. We are planning an Africa trip bit not just yet! About 15 years ago we went from Cape Town to Victoria in Zimbabwe on a bus and camped our way through the great parks on the way. The light of Africa is just amazing and the people fantastic, I have wanted to go back ever since but half way through chemo is not the time heehee xxxx
Thanks for mentioning the Asparagus Fair. I've just googled it and found it's in the Vale of Evesham - britishasparagusfestival.or... - British Asparagus Festival takes place in the Vale of Evesham, 23rd April - 21st June 2012. I think I'll have to take myself off one fine day to see what goes on. There are so many things to see in the UK and I've resolved to make the effort and see some of them. I've heard there's also cheese rolling somewhere.
Gill - Midwife Gill's off to Africa in the next 10 days. Just shows that we don't necessarily have to cocoon ourselves up and our world is still just as big and exciting as it was before Ovarian Cancer. I just hope that you can get back to Africa for the trip you've been dreaming about. I've been watching the David Attenborough Africa series with much interest and it looks stunningly beautiful.
How much longer before you finish your chemotherapy? How are you feeling with it?
Hi Annie I am half way through, not feeling too bad all things considered. The first two I felt rough about 48 hours after for a couple of days but this one wiped me out for the whole week. I think the weather doesn't help and although the snow has brightened things up it is so cold and not conducive to travelling very far. Most of my work mates live about 40 minutes away as I live a way away from where I work so this snow whilst pretty has made things less sociable. Hubby has managed to get a bit of time off though and we managed to get to Suffolk pre snow to see my mum and sister which was lovely - why is it that treats go so quickly??? Lots of love Amanda xx
Dear Amanda, It's good you're half-way through. I felt by that time more confident in that I'd got over my fear of having chemotherapy and had adjusted to the pattern either side of each treatment. Hopefully the remaining 3 will go smoothly and you can look forward to getting back to your old routines.
I hope when the snow thaws you'll be able to arrange a lunch with work colleagues. I think that's important. I kept in regular contact with work but it was quite daunting returning to work after a long break. Once I'd got to that stage it wasn't at all bad with a phased return over a number of weeks.
I'd imagine it's hard living so far from your Mum and sister. I'm getting used to the idea that I can take a holiday over and above a weekend whilst Martin returns to work. I felt a bit guilty about this at first but it's one of the advantages to enjoy. It's been a good time to catch up with family and friends.
Treats do go quickly but it's good to be back home too.
So glad you had such a good time. Sounds like a great experience, just hope your tummy feels better now. I've had a number of weekend breaks to places like Prague, Bruge, Barcelona, Paris and really loved them although it's a shattering experience. Life is for living and making the most of whatever we choose to do.
Howard and I are taking our grandson on the London Eye on Friday then we are off to Dorset until Monday for a break before I start the next chemo. Just hope this snow disappears.
Take it easy this week. Did you get lots of photos?
Enjoy the London Eye! I've been on it twice and think it's a great trip - better than the Shard I've heard. My grand-daughters love the South Bank as there's always lots to see there and we generally take them down to Gabriel's Wharf for something to eat.
When do you start the next round of chemotherapy? I have a post-scan appointment on Wednesday this week so will find out what they have to say about my rising 125 and scan results. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can get my skiing holiday in March before starting anything again.
I did take a number of photos with my I-Phone. I should be more disciplined these days and take my camera which is better for a range of photos as I'd enjoy looking through them in the months and years to follow.
I think it's going to snow more in Wales tomorrow but hopefully thaw for your weekend in Dorset - or at least I hope the roads are all clear so if it is still covered in a beautiful layer of snow you can get there safely and enjoy the weekend.
What part of Dorset are you visiting? It's a beautiful county and the coastline is my favourite of anywhere.
Enjoy your grandson and your weekend! Post up a photo and a blog to let us know how it's all gone.
I have been on the Eye before, a good few years ago, but thought it would be nice to take Max. He is really excited about it, said he doesn't want to see the Queen though! Just wondering what to do with him afterwards as he's only 3 1/2.
Not sure when I start chemo yet, but know it will be soon. Have to have a blood test this week, scan on the 6 Feb then see my oncologist after that, but she told me in Nov to expect chemo again. I do hope the news isn't bad on Wednesday, I shall think of you all day. I must admit I do look on mine with a certain amount of dread, but remain mostly positive. Please let us know how you get on.
Cameras are so much better than 'phones for taking pictures, but so much more cumbersome to carry. I nearly always forget mine, whereas my mobile is with me all the time lol!
Seems to be thawing nicely here, so do hope it lasts. Asa you say as long as the roads are clear enough to get there, I shall worry about the return journey as and when!
I love Dorset and have been there many times since the 70's. It's only a 3 hour drive from here (on a good day) so not too bad. We are staying in a place called Bradpole near Bridport. It is near West Bay, a place with many memories of my mum and dad, brothers and sister when we used to holiday there.
Well I think we're level-pegging on the chemo stuff. I'm not really bothered at the moment as I'm a bit fatalistic and take the view that the dye is cast. I was talking to my daughter about it over the weekend and was telling her how much belonging to this site helps.
A few years ago I hadn't thought much about my own mortality but if asked I guess I would have said I would live to my late 70s, 80s, or perhaps follow in the footsteps of my Dad and Grandma who lived to their 90s and 100s. It was a shock at first to be given a prognosis of 5 years or so if you're lucky.
This site helps to create a new order. All of us have a life-limiting illness and within the new order there are friends who've tragically been taken from us before their time. In comparison to them I realise I've been lucky. By contrast there are members whose longevity exceed all expectations and that gives me hope. To date my strategy has been to keep my head firmly in the sand and that's worked for me as my horizons haven't closed in. This year may well herald a new paradigm for some of us. It's good we have each other as it will help with the adjustment process when that becomes a necessity.
Enjoy your trip to London. Max is just 6 months younger than my twin grand-daughters. What a shame you're not taking him between the 11 and 24 Feb as the South Bank Centre is to be taken over by children. Might be worth taking him back. See the website:
We went on the London Eye last year when they were about 3 1/2. If you have time you can lead up to the main event with a double-decker bus trip and walk along the South Bank to the Eye. We took the No 11 to Liverpool St starting from Bus Stop S at Victoria Station. As the bus starts there you can wait till you are first on the bus and get the best seat for sightseeing at the front upstairs. The bus takes you round Westminster Cathedral, New Scotland Yard, Parliament Square, Horseguards, Trafalgar Square, then along the Strand past the Inns of Court and up to St Pauls. It's a great trip for kids as there's plenty to see and lots of interesting historical snippets to tell them about. It's free for them and £1.35 with an Oyster Card for each adult. We got off at St Pauls, walked across the wobbling bridge, and back to Gabriel's Wharf for lunch which is child-friendly, then on to the Eye.
I'll ask my daughter if she has any other ideas for tying in something in central London with a trip on the Eye and will let you know what she says.
I certainly know what you mean, I believe what will be will be and there's really not a lot I can do about it. I try not to worry overmuch (sometimes easier said than done) and retain a positive attitude. I also put my head in the sand, but I'm not going to torture myself with too many facts. I do worry that I brought this on myself and try to work out why, but realistically I know that I didn't. I feel more in control this time around, and am just so very glad that I found this site as first time I felt so alone. I know I can ask anything or just come on for reassurance, and that's a good thing. I would never have imagined myself being in this position at my age (58), I though my mum was very young at 73, I feel I have so much more living to do. I must say though, it has made me a better person, and much less stressed, I appreciate everyday that I have. I love my family and friends so much, and all the lovely ladies on here. We can all empathise with each other, and it's so good to know there is always someone there.
Thank you so much with your help for our trip to London. The bus trip sounds an excellent idea, Max will love that. We did the same thing in Stratford last year and he really enjoyed it. He's like a little sponge and absolutely soaks it up, it makes things such a pleasure.
Hopefully we will be able to take him up again in February so that he can go to the South Bank Centre.
If your daughter can come up with any other ideas they will be greatly appreciated.
What you've said is so right. It must've been very lonely the first time round to go through chemotherapy without the support on here. Looking back I realise I was lucky in that my mind only permitted me to take in a bite-sized chunk of information at a time and the reality of it all came into focus bit by bit. At least we have the reassurance that this cancer, unlike some others, is not our doing. It's a matter of bad luck. One of the main reasons is thought to be that we ovulate for too many years. It seems strange not to offer a partial hysterectomy at an appropriate time if that's all there is to it.
It's certainly been a time for us to value every moment of our time and share how much we feel about our loved ones.
But at least we're here .... and we're planning exciting things and living for the moment.
My daughter said that her girls loved the Changing of the Guard but if the weather is cold it might not be suitable as you would have to get to The Mall about 40 minutes before it starts. She felt the best vantage point is near the Albert Memorial. She took a picnic for her girls and a few toys and they amused themselves whilst they waited. Becky said the girls were thrilled with the band, the horses and the soldiers. She said if you're on the Eye at 11 you'll be able to see it from there but would miss all the pomp of the occasion. She said the walk from the Mall to the Eye is an interesting one and doable for young children.
She also mentioned there's a little swing park near the Eye which the twins enjoyed; and there are discounted tickets for the Aquarium if you buy the tickets for the Eye together in advance online. Apparently that's really good, and suitable for young children - particularly if it's a cold day.
Thinking of weather, she reminded me that if it's very wet the bus steams up and the views aren't so good, but if it's a fine day it's probably one of the best things to do with a 3 year old.
She agreed with me that there's nearly always something to see in terms of the skateboarders, vendors and street performers if you walk along the South Bank from the Eye to Gabriel's Wharf. In the summer they had the Olympic Wenlock and Mandevilles in different costumes along the South Bank which the twins enjoyed searching out but I'm not sure they're still there.
I did wonder whether the Golden Hind would make an interesting visit for a little boy. I haven't seen it since it was partially destroyed. It's the 40th Anniversary this year and it seems from the website that it's fully restored and open for visits again.
Hope this is helpful. Have a brilliant day on Friday. You might just need that break in Dorset afterwards!
Again thank you for all your brilliant suggestions, I have printed them off so I have my itinerary lol! Really looking forward to it, Max was telling his pre school teacher all about it this morning. I seem to feel this need to do a lot of things with him!
I certainly do wish I'd been offered some sort of hysterectomy years ago, but realistically I never had any problems so never considered it. This was a huge shock to me, and I feel I should have been kept an eye on after what happened to my mum and her sister. Got the appointment through from Guys for genetic counselling for 19 Feb. At least if I prove to have the faulty gene my daughters will be kept an eye on, so that brings me some relief.
I'm sure whatever we do tomorrow we shall have a good time.
I do hope you got on alright yesterday. Don't want to pry but I did think of you all day.
Loads of love Linda xxx
The Truffle festival sounded great Annie. You gave such an amazing description of it all I was transported. Alwyas wondered what they were lke. Don't think I'll bother now!Glad you enjoyed it you souynd upbeat just fromthe change of scenery.
We've started planning are big caravan getaway in April. Only venturing in this country but there is so much of Wales and middle England we fancy doing.
Your caravanning trip sounds exciting. Don't forget Cardiff if you're caravanning in Wales. It has a fab caravan site in a huge park just by the Millenium Stadium right in the city centre although you wouldn't believe you're in the centre of a city when you're there as it's so tranquil. We live by the park and we always joke we'll have a holiday there one day so if it rains we can come home again!
But really if you do come to Cardiff let me know. I'd love to meet up. xxxx Love Annie
Just to say - thank you for this post. I have never had a truffle either and there is no better place than France for a gastronomic adventure. It sounds as though Uzes didn't disappoint.
We are great believers in treats and holidays but we had a few too many of them last year so the money has run out. But I firmly believe its better to go for it when you can.
We will plan and save! Especially welcome in this weather.
I know how it feels to look forward to treats and holidays but worrying about running out of money. I retire on 31 January so that really is the end of the more adventurous trips. This one happened to be a birthday treat from my daughter but there's a limit to the number of times you can pull that excuse!
I'm thinking there are wonderful places to explore in the UK and have been wondering how to do that on a budget. Seems to me our friendship circle here is a good way to start. We could ask everyone to recommend some of their favourite local sites and places of interest and start with those.
I agree with you that it's best to go whilst we can and shall be planning and saving for some treats and holidays in 2013.
I am so glad you had a lovely weekend and did not get affected by the weather. It was lovely to read about your whirlwind trip over the weekend.
You are always so positive and have so much energy which is very infectious and keeps me going. It is lovely to read all your blogs and I would agree with you that this site has been a true friend from when i got the diagnosis of OC. I have learnt so much from all the wonderful ladies on this site and have also had a lot of hope and inspiration from all the blogs that are written by everyone.
Thanks for your kind words Samixa. It's so good to have friends all over the UK and further afield who are looking out for one another. I hope you're OK too even though the weather is a bit limiting at the moment. I'm just about to venture out to get some bits and bobs and will have a baking session this afternoon. mmmmm
Thanks for the good wishes for Weds. Whatever I'm going to hear is already in the bag so no point in worrying really.
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how exciting...our balcony lodge overlooks a waterhole where the animals come and go all day.... great for my photography.....just hope my body behaves itself as my insrance company do not insure my OC..... x Gill
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