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Complete our travel home after a good, on-time overnight flight from CPT to AMS.
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Last ski-day of the season for me here in Tourmalet; I’m back to Blighty at the weekend. The melt is rapidly rendering the non-curated slopes bare and the domaine is barely 60% open. Best snow is above 2000m, but for mid March it wasn’t too bad.
At least no more smug ski-selfies for a few months…
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Gosh I seem to be monopolising this thread… apologies in advance… but must report today’s unseasonable conditions - 23 degrees and wall to wall sunshine - and so it’s a get out there and enjoy the Pyrenean ambience day. I cycled up to the Col de Souacède and from there, left the bike and hiked up to the Pic de Labassere to enjoy this view over to the Pic de Montaigue, my trajet accompanied by the lovely spring flowers en route; gentians, anemones, hepaticas, pulmonarias and celandines. Eh alors que c’est les beaux jours. And how many others passed en -route ? nobody.
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Somewhat less dramatic than the Pic de Labassere… this is Digley Reservoir. Spring is in the air, trees are in bud. Didnt see any hares which is a shame (possibly the wrong time of day) usually there are a few brown hares around, or mountain hares if you get above the farmland.
Exactly a week ago this would have been under 2’ of snow and unreachable by road !
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There’s a reasonable chance you walked/drove past my parents house while in the area.
Here’s the 2’ of snow.
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Drove 63 miles to the showroom to collect an order to be told they didn’t have one bottle so the rest of the order was not picked…
Fortunately another order I had placed was there so not a completely wasted visit but I had not even had an email to say it was not there for me and I only placed the order yesterday
I have finally joined the @Rafa shortfall in your order club in the most frustrating way possible
To help me calm down the M25 decided the drive home would be more fun if it took nearly twice as long as the drive there
Happy Saturday everyone!
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For obvious reasons I’m manning the kitchen today and at the beck and call of Mrs W and my M-i-L 
.
Leg of lamb is on the menu and I’ve dug out these 2 Cornas to accompany.
Wishing all the mums out there a wonderful day, and a thankful thought/recall of fond memories for all of those mums, including my own, who we can no longer thank and spoil in person. 
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Back from a week in sunny and breezy Lanzarote where we enjoyed some mainland Spain and Canarian wine. The Hito 2020 was my favourite, followed by the Senda de los Olivas 2018. We also had Habla del Silencio, Carmelo Rodero, La Grieta, and Vulcano de Lanzarote. We also did a tour of the island which included a sample at La Geria winery and seeing the way they grow the vines. I also enjoyed a glass of Petit Pissares Priorat which was full bodied and would have been better with food rather than the last drink of the night.
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I really like the Habla range , their Cab franc is wonderful . 
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A little wine tasting at Mchenry Hohnen today- fabulous especially the last one on the list attached.
But full marks for the Rhône varieties and the Shiraz currently offered by TWS.
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First attempt at planting things in the allotment today. Half of me is expecting to be like those people who grow so much stuff they have to give it away, and half of me is expecting these seeds to yield approximately three yellow leaves and/or get eaten by the local fauna.
But I’ll be happy with anywhere in between…
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I once had 32 good sized cauliflowers ready at once …!! Ended up giving them to the grannies of the village
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What have you put in so far @Herbster? This week looks mild, but from experience you might need to protect some things all the way til the end of May. After the snow melted the weekend before last I put in some B&Q bought sweet peas which weren’t too expensive - I’m way behind in my seed sowing being my excuse. I expected them to be damaged by a harsh night frost a week ago, but they seem surprisingly impervious.
The Broad beans are even less bothered by a bit of winter weather.
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Feels good to get something in the ground. We were really pleased with our efforts last year as complete novices so good luck with yours!
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Managed to get in some mange tout, radishes, broad beans and some first earlies before the school run. I’ll try to get some more spuds in this week or next and maybe get some things going on the window sill as well.
Don’t know what the previous plotholder had grown where, so might be repeating potatoes in the same spot, but anyway, we’re managing our expectations and calling this the Let’s See What Happens year 
Thank you, fingers crossed! 
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A visit to the very picturesque Hay Shed Hill, great wine and restaurant.
Tasting line up for lunch ……all good but the Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet were standouts.
The whites have been picked, Cabernet and Shiraz are +/- two weeks away….cool nights but warm days here……
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Got all crunk up in town with @Winestwit and @NicolaR.
Met several buyers/CEOs, squee’d at Jancis, tried 75 wines. Learned exciting things (incoming Exhibition Xinomavro!). Notes and recommendations coming as soon as I’ve a) written them up and b) put the cases I want to into reserves.
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Oooh! Can’t wait for your (that’s plural) notes! 
Jancis present?
Exhibition Xin!?
Get writing, please; I need it vicariously.
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Such is tradition.
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