Auberge de La Petite Fadette

Auberge de la petite Fadette - Ma-Tvideo France3

Tonight we were invited by the sister of my mother-in-law - Jeanne - to dine at the restaurant Auberge de La Petite Fadette, close to La Maison de George Sand in Nohant.

The name is derived from George Sands book with the same name.

Jeanne wanted to invite not least Aurore and her mother who earlier in January (22 and 28) celebrated their birthdays but of course the men went along, me and Michel.
We ate and drank well and it was a very nice atmosphere in this restaurant. The service was good and discrete.
A nice evening together with the family.
We saw the church being illuminated, a very nice view, a church in need of a restauration and in order to accomplish this it needs money.
If you have money left and you don't know what to do with it, you can always make a contribution to the renovation of this church.

Le Berry Club de Musique

We were invited to dine with our friends Philippe and Catherine and after the dinner they took us to Crevant and the restaurant Chêne Vert where they once a month have a music club with amateurs singing and playing different kinds of music.
At the restaurant I (Gunnar) met a couple of English friends with whome I meet regularly in a conversation course (french) I'm following in La Châtre.
One of them played and sang this evening.
Aurore met a woman she knew from her adolescence in high school, now working as a teacher in Châteauroux.
I can understand that this has become a very popular event as it reminds somewhat of an English PUB with beer, music, smoking (unfortunately), laughter (well laughter is not specifically British but...) and a nice atmosphere.
There is also a mixture of people from Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and other countries.
This evening/night even from Sweden.


(Photo Chêne Vert copied from: http://www.orsennes-chambres.fr/cdm/Images/CheneVert/CheneVert1.jpg)

MJC La Châtre Histoire du cinéma

We were not able to visit the MJC (Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture) in La Châtre this evening, an evening consecrated to the history of film/cinema, showing different œuvres in the facilities of MJC.

This organisation (tentatively translated into English: The House for the Young and for Culture) works in different fields, both with children, adolescents and grown ups.

They arrange language courses, musical events, evenings about a special themes, like film/cinema (tonight) or other interesting subjects.
One have to say that there is quite a lot of things going on within these organisations, the club activites are very vivid in France - so also in La Châtre.

(Photo Marily Monroe copied from: http://www.jeu-cinema.com/horaire/images/horaire-cinema-marilyn.jpg)

Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie

Watson (Jude Law) was the best character since he very much looked like the Watson in Arthur Conan Doyle's books as he is described in those books. Not at all like in old film versions with e.g. Basil Rathbone where Watson is the more than middle aged overweighty man, rather silly or even stupid.

Mark Strong would have been a more convincing Sherlock Holmes, not least as he looked somewhat like a mixture between Basil Rathbone (Gunnar's favourite) and Jeremy Brett (Aurore's favourite), also resembling the Holmes we encounter in the original books, as described therein. In this film he creates the role of Lord Blackwood.

This was a rather witty film made with a a good portion of humour and with a greater amount of 'action'-scenes than in the versions with Rathbone and others.

At the same time one didn't forget to underline the brilliance in Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) inductive (and deductive) methods, being able to distill information about people just by observing them.

It's the best Guy Ritchie-film that we have seen.

Bright Star, Jane Campion

To make a film about poetry or a poet should be something else (and something more) than reading some verses in front of a camera.

We who liked An Angel at my Table and The Piano so much were disapointed by Jane Campion's latest film.

Noone shone like a bright star while the aesthetics reminded us of Pride and Predudice.

Valentine's Day

Of course we dined together this very Valentine Day and we had ordered a table at one of the restaurant's in town - just the two of us.

It was very nice and we ate well and in spite of the fact that we have to fight in order to get a job (even though Aurore works), we're happy together and we have gone through some rough time in Stockholm too.
Not caused by us but because of others.

LOVE!

Maison de Jour de Fête

At last!

As I have been jobless since the 8th of February from 4.30 PM, we decided to use our spare time to experience cultural events during this my unemployment time.

On the 9th, we went to Sainte-Sévère in order to visit the Scénovision about Jour de Fête. We were 10 people between 3 and 50 years old and all enjoyed the enchantment of the place.

This making of/exhibition/screening is rather well executed. It can be improved though. One big minus is the absence of other languages than French, in principal meaning that foreign visitors have to improve or learn French before visiting this museum?

François et moi, Gunnar

Le Siffleur at Cinéma Lux La Châtre

This comedy - 'Le siffleur' - about a man (François Berléand) who is bullied around but decides to take action by sending his 'brother' to sort the problems out, is made using rather conventional means.

The main character, disguises himself by dyeing his hair, shaving his beard and presenting himself as his own brother.
By using a expensive car, expensive clothes and acting more straight forward he becomes more respected and even feared.

He calls himself 'the Whistler' ('Le siffleur').

The story implies not only how he handles a café owner who uses the space in front of his shop in an inappropriate way (this is how the story begins) but also how he tries to help a couple who owns the restaurant where he eats everyday.
A wealthy man wants to buy them out as they're experiencing economical problems and to make them submit to his proposition he sends them two 'hitmen' - two rather unsuccessful criminals.

On the whole there are some quite amusing moments but unfortunately there are 'side stories', not leading anywhere, stories about persons only partly involved in the plot.
These stories seem superfluous, more as if the director had to fill the gap between his main story and the minimum time for a feature film.

Not bad but hardly a brilliant film.
Director: Philippe Lefebvre.

Lunch with Poulet satay

Today my wife made the lunch (dejeuner) and it was an exquisite Poulet satay with rice.

As apéritif we drank Martini "shaken not stirred".

(Photo poulet satay copied from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhrYMRLPu02IJ3PnuW6xo4gmul_nIECWH2a8w7wNVhRUQz8ChuA1lVJUQr0ucItW9X8Df_AvBuluWiodgvhpaxs4kxHetIykK9NjSt9NhIMjrK3fFq_ony4wkZUa-rCfJ-QAdzg/s400/Cuisine+001+-+Copie.JPG)

(Photo Martini copied from: http://www.users.nac.net/delliott/007/bond-drink.jpg)

Paris Brest

After work and the driving school we drank our afternoon coffe and ate a couple of Paris Brest.