Chateau Malaudos

Such excitement today when we arrived at the vineyard in glorious sunshine and being told that we were to be split into two teams and each gang would build a dry stone seat in different areas to fully appreciate the views. Our team's seat was to be positioned looking over a natural area of garrigue with an amazing view across to Caux.

 

 

 

 

We marked out its size and shape with string and stakes and were told to use a pile of rocks that had been collected,  but not to choose a specific rock, just to pick one, twist it, turn it, invert it and in most instances it would fit.

 

 

Absolutely no cement, glue, bubble gum or any form of fixative was used in the making, but slowly rock by rock we built stunning structures that not only looked awesome, but stood up to the sitting test!

 

 

What we had all achieved working together was so gratifying and satisfying I cannot truly explain. We had built something totally organic and lasting that we were exceptionally proud of.

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When we told people we would be helping on a vineyard for a week almost without exception their immediate response was 'what treading grapes?'.  Given the time of year we knew that wouldn't be the case.  We expected to weed and hoe, trim and tidy; little did we anticipate  we would actually be be excavating steps or having a crash course in dry stone seat building.

 

This week has been an incredible experience.  Lizzie and Ali have been wonderful teachers, supportive team builders, great hosts and caring friends.  From Day 1 when we first walked through the vines our combined enthusiasm grew to help them in their quest.

Within hours we found ourselves clearing areas and building bonfires. Hoeing has been a high priority and has featured every day but we still have more to do.  At first it seemed arduous, however as we became more accustomed to the task we were able to turn it into a positive time to get to know each other. Everyday bonfires have been burning,  chain saws screaming and strimmers too. Olive trees choked by years of neglect have been freed of the burden of too much growth, so much so instead of letting the light and rain in there's now room for an albatross to roost.

As we left today the vineyard had four new additions, two dry stone seats, one at the top of the amphitheatre named Louie's seat and another on the edge of New Zealand named the Caux seat with a view of Caux across the vines. In addition two lemon trees have been planted close to the mazet in memory of Chris's Mum, always to be known as Cissie's trees.

 

 

 

There is one day left before we go our separate ways and it won't be enough to finish the hoeing or complete all the tasks on the list but the sun has shone, we will go home fitter than when we arrived and certainly more sympathetic to how much work goes into making a bottle of wine.

 

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With hands still shaking from 2 hours on the bushwhacker this morning, I can hardly write this blog!

It was an early start as we were only doing a half day today as most of the team were a bit shattered from the day before. Dark clouds and rain met us as we came down to breakfast and there was some discussion whether it was a good idea to go up to the vineyard . Lizzie suggested we all took the  whole day off, this was met with a resounding "no fear". What a brave, hardworking team!

The rain took a break as we made our way up and we got just over two hours hard work packed in before it started again. Linda did an excellent job of 'styling' the small garden in front of the mazet while Andrew started digging up little trees and repositioning them on the bank above the amphitheatre. More strimming and burning, more digging and hoeing.

Rain stopped play at noon and lunch was taken in the nice warm and dry kitchen at Le Couvent. It was a bit quiet as I think we've all hit the 'mid week wall' zzzzzzzz.

The lucky ones got to have a kip this afternoon, those of us with other errands had to dash off in the rain again!  The grounds are all really beginning to come together as a result of our efforts.

Before our house is passed on to its new owners at the end of April, Sue and I have decided to dig up two lemon trees that are currently in our garden at Maison Vanille that my mum bought for us when she was in France in 2006 - our last holiday together before she died in the following December. We are going to christen them "Cissy's lemons" and plant them up at the mazet.  They'll always be a reminder of my lovely Mum in a lovely place. I know that she'd really like that.

Sarah and Andrew are busily preparing tonight's meal as I write. Boeuf Bourguinon. Hooray!

Its still raining though. Chucking it down in fact!

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Okay, today is Tuesday 2nd March and it is beautiful weather here in Roujan. Everyone arrives for our delicious breakfast, prepared by Andrew and Sarah. Then it is all hands to the wheel to get us up to the vineyard.
We arrive with our energy at the ready and start by each planting a Eucalyptus tree and putting our name on it. The plan is to have an avenue of these wonderful trees to walk under.

 

 

We go on gathering old pieces of wood, sarments, to burn. Sarah and Linda look as if they are in medieval times, like magical witches captured by the fire which is licking around them as they throw the sarments onto the flames.

 

 

We are using the yellow muncher to munch old weeds and hoes to finish the weeding of the vines, together with seagull manure to fertilize the vines, yum!

The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze keeping us cool and able to work for hours. Time flies by and Lizzie gathers us
into a change, sorry, I mean chain gang on the side of the hill.  We are looking into an area of overgrown land referred to as New Zealand, because the kiwi plants grow there. We have Sue and Andrew at the bottom of the hill, hauling and pulling old glass bottles, plastic, old equipment, tyres and other amazing bits of rubbish. The rest of the team wait with anticipation to see what is going to appear from the brambles and thickets of trees. There is a lot of stuff under there!! Chris is packing the trailer to the maximum and keeping it firmly in place so it does not
fly off on the journey to the dump.

 

Within a very short space of time we have moved to pruning, clearing, burning and seeing a wonderful expanse of the vineyard coming into view.
With one part of the chain gang taking the rubbish to the dump and the remaining members moving on to discover olive trees under brambles we are feeling inspired to be even more creative as we finish our lunch of excellent soup, crunchy bread, cheese and ham.

 

 

The discovery of massive stones under the previously overgrown and hidden ground leads to serious decisions to build stairways from one level
to another. This is reminding us of the steps that were found and built last year at Volunteer week. Dougie and Caroline do you recall that? We miss you guys, you know!! Sue has been digging like an Irish navvi and made, with some help from the rest of the gang, six lovely deep steps from one level to another.

In the meantime Linda has excavated some enormous stones and found another stairway along the slope. We are all involved with one activity or another and again time flies and the day is done on the vineyard. The weather has been wonderful, blue skies all day and the almond trees are beginning to blossom.

We pack everything away, tools, tractors, munchers, dogs and people and arrive back to a lovely shower and a cup of tea at Le Couvent.

This evening we are having a meal of Smoked Salmon Gratin cooked by Michelle and Karen. There is going to be wine tasting during our meal, presented by Deborah and Peter Core from Mas Gabriel in Caux.

What lucky, lucky people we are!!!!

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