A New Life in France takes another slightly unexpected turn this week… 🇫🇷
After the rain ruins our favourite Thursday night market, we head a little further along the River Lot to Casseneuil and discover another wonderful summer night market, packed with food, music, wine and seemingly half the village.
We also finally get to see the much anticipated eclipse over France. Unfortunately, after searching everywhere for eclipse glasses and failing spectacularly, the great celestial event turns out to be rather less dramatic than we’d imagined.
And then it rains.
So what do four people do on a wet day in Lot et Garonne?
Obviously, they visit a prune museum.
We’ve been promising to visit it for ages, although perhaps “threatening” would be a better word. But what followed surprised all of us.
We discover how the famous plums of this region are transformed into prunes, explore the traditional drying ovens and grading machines, learn how the fruit travelled from the Lot around the world and discover some prunes apparently dating all the way back to 1857.
There are monks.
There is music.
There is some questionable artificial intelligence.
There is Armagnac.
And Maria makes a rather extraordinary discovery about where prunes actually come from.
It turns out that the humble prune has a fascinating history in this part of southwest France. And somehow, what sounded like possibly the dullest rainy day excursion imaginable became one of the funniest.
That’s life in rural France. You never quite know what you’re going to find.
Thank you, as always, for joining us on our adventures in beautiful Lot et Garonne.
If you’re thinking about moving to France, already living here, or simply enjoy seeing the funny, unexpected and occasionally ridiculous reality of French country life, we’d love you to subscribe and join us.
And one important question remains:
Would YOU eat a prune from 1857? 😂
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29 Comments
You make a lovely monk Richard, it suits you
Right, be honest… would YOU eat a prune from 1857? 😂
We went into the Prune Museum expecting twenty minutes looking at wrinkled fruit. An hour and a half later we’d discovered ancient drying ovens, bizarre machinery, prune chocolates, Armagnac and considerably more about plums than any two people reasonably need to know.
And then Maria discovered where prunes come from.
And raisins. 🤦♂️😂
So what was your favourite moment this week? The 169 year old prunes, Maria’s fruit revelations, the eclipse or that fabulous French night market?
Answers below please. And no, we’re not opening the jar. 🇫🇷🍑
Le miel d'acacia est produit par les abeilles qui butinent les fleurs de robiniers à la fin du printemps. C'est un miel apprécié des enfants car il a un goût très doux. Ce miel est liquide.
This is just another reason why we alllove France, always something interesting going on, and yes the Eclipse was such a let down it was defo over hyped.
I love watching you Maria and Richard! Now I think I know more about prunes.
Really fun video! Brother Richard… What a hoot! 😂
An Amazing, Inventive Production Richard especially the Monks 🤣 ⭐
Well Done Maria on the Translation ~ I won't look at a Prune the same ever again 😂 💞
C’était super j’ai adoré la visite aux musée du pruneaux Great video 👍👍👍
Hi 😊. Dear brother Richard, now you can lower your coasts of haircuts.! You have to melt in. 😉
Oh, Je l' aime le tango! Another entertaining video. 😃 😄 I guess u have a lot of fun with Ai.
Aah prunes in armagnac, or conjac overnight, in the owen with, cream, little sugar and.. i don't recall if it were an eggyolk in the cream… Jummy!!😛 😋
Thank you for the laughs. 😂
Much love to you Marie and Rich. 💖
J’ai observé l'éclipse de 1999 à….Jersey. Je m’en souviendrai toujours car c’est la seule fois où je suis allée à Jersey.
…Do one Have to choose ONE thing?! 🤔
I guess the sicness the old prunes cure must be: Constipation of forgotten memories long time ago. All the memories comes flowing back out just like a little stream…
😃 Let that girl dry one of your grapes. You have to show her.
Le robinier is a tree with odorant flowers often called acacias but is not really an acacias 😅 the honey is extracted from the flowers,it doesn't harden and stay liquid for many years. It's not common in france,not even seasonal, i don't think there is a harvest of the robinier. Its just local done by particular and sold in markets as far as i know
…having watched this week`s episode, my Sunday is perfect…lol…😀…
You're in France—you could speak French!
We love watching YOU, not generated versions of you. Please consider the damage this is doing do the environment ❤
You both seemed to be having so much fun!! And your guests appeared entertained as well. All for "prunes"!! Yes Richard, they are a well-known laxative. The Prune Museum should be on all visitors' to-do lists.
Thank you for the prune museum tour I’ve kept asking for. I was surprised to hear that they were dried in ovens. Now, your threat of knowing where we all live. Well, you only have 71 days left to visit me in Australia, then you’ll have to look me up in Dept 46.
Aren't you getting clever with the AI. You in a monk's robe was funny 😁
I actually think the male mannequin look a little like Tom Brady – ha!
The AI videos of you as a monk were a hoot!
Great video.
Love prunes. They are beautiful in a lamb tagine.
Have a great week.
Looking forward to watching you next week ❤❤
Destroying the Earth for some AI fun is so marvelous isn’t it? So fun!
Hello, STOP AI video !!!!
IN english please
OMG hilarious! Richard as the monk reminded me of Sid James in the Carry On Abroad film. So funny. Also Maria I was laughing at you talking about the eyelashes on that dummy 😂. That’s the sort of thing I’d have said. To be fair I’d have probably had more fun taking the mick out of dummys as opposed to learning about prunes 🤭. It was nice to see Louise and Paul. Say hello to them from us next time 🥰
We can see that Richard is having fun as a filmmaker. Very well done!
Richard you look very handsome in this monk attire! Love from Belgrade
Your friend is as dizzy as me🎉 xx prune power ❤great AI Richard well done xx
……RICHARD, je crois que tu es le seul a faire des montages avec de l' IA comme ça, tu as beaucoup de TALENT, les moines, SUPER !!!!!!!, comme les serpents la dernière fois ….Tu travailles bien, to be continued….for ever ? bonjour à la belle Maria….YES !
What a marvellous plumb presentation