Fotos: lookin' back@2014 (part 1)

 Millesimé Bio@Montpellier – 

innovation of the year: chien de dégustation

 Alastair Marshall and Robert Chase: 

Adnams veteran duo @MillésimeBio

 Quizzical Robert

 L'homme des amphores: 

Fred Niger Van Herck as Aristide Bruant 

Emmanuel Giboulot@Renaissance tasting, Angers

One of the 2014 causes célèbres

 Arnaud Bourgeois@Salon des Vins de Loire

Henri Bourgeois will not be at the 2015 Salon

March: visit to Saint Chinian – Thierry Navarre

 March: Olivier Cousin: another cause célèbre

Long drawn out case with Olivier as 

winner, although prosecution is appealing.

Olivier leaving court with his daughter

 Vincent Cuisinier de Campagne@Tours for annual Bourgueil 

invasion cooking lentils in Bourgueil 

Bourgueil invade Tours: chef with freshly cooked rillons

Bourgueil à Tours: Gillette would never 

have made a fortune with this trio!

March: sheep cropping a vineyard in the Côte Roannaise

part of my excellent visit to the Côte Roannaise/Côtes de Forez

 March 2014: municipal elections in France 

– the unopposed slate of candidates for Epeigné-les-Bois

 Christian Percevault: the new Maire of Epeigné-les-Bois

Christian replaced Michel Mergot who became the Premier Maire Adjoint

The new Conseil@Epeigné-les-Bois

3rd April: early budburst in Savennières

Leading to fears of an April frost 

fortunately that didn't happen

Part 2 of fotos lookin' back@2014

Badenoch: last of the snowy sunsets for a while...

Photos from yesterday between Aviemore and Newtonmore on the last day of the recent cold spell. Photos taken from a moving car during the approach of dusk. Overnight it has thawed the ice and snow at lower levels gone and much reduced on the hills.

Frozen over Loch Alvie looking westwards 

 Icy trees

Traffic on the A9 

Trees near Kincraig

(above and below)

Horses and trees in the gathering gloom

near Kincraig

Looking southwards towards Dalwhinnie

Some recent Highland views

 Cairngorm from the A9 near Kingussie 

 Sheepish views in the Spey Valley – brilliant 

light today just east of Grantown-on-Spey

(above and below)

 Three from Newtonmmore 

(above and below)

 Tree in a window

Hill turning pink in sunset

Steamin' towards 2015...

 Strathspey Railway: Aviemore to Broomhill – 

EV Cooper Engineer engine uncoupled for return to Aviemore

just beyond Broomhill station

 Carriages waiting for the engine to return

 Moment of uncoupling

(above and below)

 Driver's mate starting trek back to far end of the train

 – figure by middle large wheel

 Getting up steam again