Le Mouton Qui Rit

Le Mouton Qui Rit is a Bed and Breakfast in Mailleroncourt Saint Pancras, France.

Half way between Holland and the Mediterranean sea, or 350 east from Paris, 200 KM from Geneva It has 5 rooms and a small appartment for max 6 persons

22/08/2026

In 2022 we (wim, andre and me) installed a wind vane. Nothing should move, that was the idea. Well it suffices to say our proof of concept worked as designed. Out of the box so to speak. And went straight into production. Andre added some calculations I had left out purely out of laziness. But it worked, right away. On the dashboard wind direction and speed, wind bursts. All parameters were visible. Some software had to be improved several times but I had what I wanted: a propeller-less windvane. Nothing moved.

A few years later I saw a very old design of a windrose in a breakfast room of hotel de Kikker. A windclock made in the sixties. Brand: Gispen. Intrigued, I thought this would be a nice addition for in our kitchen. The owners of de Kikker had theirs restored to its original state. After I collected documentation it looked like too many moving parts... and needed proper maintenance. Only a few of these clocks still exist and 2 of them are still working. That tells enough.

My poor brain mulled the idea around for a few years, sliced it back to the essentials and came up with something more contemporary. It started with buying parts. Then waited for the boys to come over and off we went! In all modesty the 5 of us did not create something unique, far from it. I just feel that working together on a small project like this is a lot of fun to do. Novelty for me was using AI to create the interface. For the young ones to create something from scratch and have a physical end product seemed something else!
And yes, the W & E letters are not aligned, that can be corrected. Now I also want to connect the doorbell to it, because the bell is not mounted in the kitchen, so the wind klock flashes if someone hits the button. The next project? It should be something that can be realised in a few days.

10/08/2026

Qubit Fannie's cat disappeared several weeks ago. The two really were close friends. The past heat waves already took a toll on Qubit and she lost a few pounds. Not expecting that Qubit would survive this endeavor I started to pack the cat things, threw out the opened food can and other food stuff and was about to give away other cat things. Then my help arrived with Qubit in his arms. Thin as a walking skeleton! Wow, this animal was very hungry. Apparently she decided that getting her food from me was far easier than having to hunt all day long for herself. This cat is rather smart, you know. Someone told me that if a cat really gets a huge fright, it might literally and figuratively lose its way. Also it could take a long time before it finds its way back. So it took Q a few weeks to reboot. Now Q stays close, not her usual attempts to go outside (usually I open the door for her), is very hungry, and slowly Q turns back to her normal behaviour and gains some weight. And every time I eat something she likes, e.g. jambon, fromage blanc, deserts, crêpes, steak, any type of sausage, she persistently (more than normal) demands her part. I am weak, apart from being her employee I surrender of course.

26/07/2026

ROSES ROSES ROSES...

Several years in a row now I plant roses in the front garden, on the terrasses of our parking and in the back. I will continue with this rose planting thing, to have many roses with colours Fannie loved. Even friends start to give roses (to plant) as a present, which is much appreciated.
The thing is.
Summers here are changing into a (not almost) tropical climate. The 3rd heatwave this year just passed! Temperatures were excessive, it is drier and hotter than previous years and there are many crevices in the soil. Even the well on the parking dried out. Of course some roses died for lack of water. In the back there are two rainwater containers of 1000L installed, just for watering the plants. It does the job, more or less. Since these extreme draughts keep on coming during the future summers and running around with buckets filled with water is becoming a bit cumbersome at my age. A shelved plan dating several years ago, called: drip irrigation, thus becomes active again. So I started to buy parts for a drip water system to be connected to the rainwater containers. Now the tubing needs to get into the ground. Seems like a good idea when the autumn rains are starting and the soil is softening up.
Last week I bought myself some more roses and got one from a friend for my happy belated birthday. Watering will be very important.

BUT!!! Next year it will be a garden full with flowering roses!

30/06/2026

Finally, after almost a year, of asking the handyman and waiting till the water level was low enough, the well on the parking has been dug out. Halfway that is. There is still a pool of mud and something like solid clay mixed with stones that needs to be cleared out. About 50 cm and hopefully we're done. But guess that can be a task next week, at least when provisions continue to say there will hardly be any rain. The water level is visibly rising again.
The gardener trimmed the roses in both gardens, at one spot a rose did not survive. Reason the more to start grafting roses. The gardener also agreed on trying to graft fruit trees. He discovered a fruit tree that grows giant Mirabelles. The master planting plan says more flowers, fruit trees and roses. Maybe we try grafting the plantain on the parking too. And it would be nice to plant some trees in the north that stay green in the winter as well.
Slowly the parking project nears its end. Why not starting this year to prepare the 3rd part of the garden as is written in the masterplan. Worst case scenario the carport-solar-panels installation has to move a bit farther from the house. Ah well what is new.

15/06/2026

Trying to convince kitchen vendors in France of your ideas is one, getting a reasonable price is another. Since Schmidt delivered the kitchen downstairs, and it is a really good kitchen, of course this was my first stop. A vendor came, measured the kitchen. Then long time no hear. After my short pre season break, one month later, I tried again. Thus a nice lady came along, measured the kitchen, again long time no hear. Some weeks later I was in Vesoul, had some affairs to take care of and decided to bomb in at Schmidt. Nice guy, we sat down got the usual undrinkable coffee and sketched the raw contours of two extra cabinets to stock my ever growing collection of pots and pans and a lot of cooking toys. So far so good. Via email came his first version, not what I meant. Wrong composition. After some weeks a second design a big change from the first. After over 19 years in France I thought my french was good enough, but apparently the nice guy of Schmidt completely missed the point of having 2 new cabinets to store my stuff. Radio silence. Again I found myself in their shop, explaining the idea of having two extra cabinets in my kitchen. Then came the price. Over 10K. Shock! Sure I was not going to pay 10K for a set of drawers and cabinets. Told him to hold his reigns and come with a realistic price. Since in heir own shop a complete kitchen with all and everything was priced below 10K. Stoic as french become in such cases he kept up that this was the correct price. After some weeks a third design was delivered. Again totally missed my needs. Next dealer the little man in my head screamed! So the next one was Alvira who did the kitchen in our apartment upstairs. More or less the same result. Last Saturday I tried a third one in Luxeuil-les-Bains. But, though the smiles were the same, I'm afraid the actions will also be the same.
What is wrong with these French guys? They seem to miss the business or entrepreneurial spirit. Making a few 1000 bucks with virtually little effort seems too much. I simply want things to be done the way upon one agreed. No change of plans or prices halfway the project.
Understand, I love living in France, I love the savoir vivre, the food and the small talk while enjoying a glass of red... or coffee. But doing business and getting things done how one wants it done, that has proven to be difficult. Even when there is a perfect communication.

13/05/2026

Now that the sheep have found a good place to retire, I found the place too empty. Land without animals just makes one to feel sad. BUT! Several weeks ago my help in gardening and maintenance suggested to let one of the villagers having her small horses grazing the land. I went to talk to her and told her I found that was a good idea. With a condition: when the ground becomes too muddy (winter has always a lot of rain here) she would move her horses back to her meadows. We agreed on that. Just as I was contemplating to contact the farmer who mowed the grass every year I saw her moving in the horses. Now there are 5 small horses enjoying the grass. Seeing movement in de meadow again gives satisfaction. It is still a bit too cold to sit on the terras upstairs but looking out through the windows, I feel happy again. This is perfect.

13/05/2026

Now that the sheep have found a good place to retire, I found the place too empty. Land without animals just makes one to feel sad. BUT! Several weeks ago my help in gardening and maintenance suggested to let one of the villagers having her small horses grazing the land. I went to talk to her and told her I found that was a good idea. With a condition: when the ground becomes too muddy (winter has always a lot of rain here) she would move her horses back to her meadows. We agreed on that. Just as I was contemplating to contact the farmer who mowed the grass every year I saw here moving in the horses. Now there are 5 small horses enjoying the grass. Seeing movement in de meadow again gives satisfaction. It is still a bit too cold to sit on the terras upstairs but looking out through the windows, I feel happy again. This is perfect.

20/03/2026

The sheep have found a new home in a sort of sanctuary. Better this way than to the butcher. I always got too little for them anyway. A few sheep have been with us / me for more than 6 years. Fannie would occasionally snicker with laughter at the antics those little sheep got up to. The kids always loved playing with them. After Fannie's demise, it became gradually too much for me to take good care of them. When the gardener indicated that he was applying for a permanent job, I decided to sell them. Within a few days someone showed up from the sanctuary willing to take care of them. They were picked up last weekend; an all black lamb was born at the last minute. I think it's a good thing, for both of us. Then, one of the neighbours asked me if I was willing to let some horses graze the land. Under conditions I found that a good solution as well. The grass would be eaten and no more worries that the farmer usually harvesting the grass not showing up like last year.
Thus there are no longer sheep that laugh. Next, preparing to close the B&B next year. Some official stuff involved but for the rest it is simply taking the site down and no longer accepting paying guests. After 19 years it leaves me with a lot of beds for my friends 😁 but also it gives me a lot of freedom to start traveling around in europe. Something that was impossible while keeping the B&B open. If that is still possible with the war situation boiling over and spreading out in the nearby future. There are two major reasons for war, one of those are our power hungry politicians. We the people do not want war.

26/02/2026

Now the ultimate baguette jambon beurre recipe. I am now officially addicted to Jambon Beurre. 🤪🤪🤪

Take half a baguette from the bakery in Faverney - close to Vesoul. This bread is still baked in a wood fired oven. Be there before noon because after that they are often sold out. BTW you should order more than one baguette for your freezer. Just so one can enjoy this delicious bread more often. When you buy the baguette it feels a bit soggy. So I give it 5-10 more minutes in my pre heated oven at 180 C. Cut the baguette in half - over the length. Instead of butter I now put a modest layer of mayonnaise de Dijon (or just mayo with a touch of Moutarde de Dijon - or any mustard) on one halve, a generous slice of smoked ham, some slices of tomatoes, a few slices of Gruyere cheese, slices of an egg and fold it all together.

I like it the old fashioned way: the crust should be crusty. That's why I baked it extra for some minutes in the oven. If you don't like your crust craqué just use it as bought.

Have a nice bite!

22/02/2026

Last week browsing in this monstrous book, I found: "Baguette Jambon Beurre". This should be very easy to make, I thought. On Wednesday I went to the bakery in Selles, bought 2 freshly baked baguettes, from another shop some slices of Jambon fumé au hêtre (smoked on oak) you know, these large, jumbo sized plaques. Then went to CaféTé in Vauvillers to get a hot steaming cup of coffee. Coffee at CaféTé is really good. At home I sliced a baguette in half, still a bit warm, got a good layer of butter on one half, put a few slices of smoked ham on that and topped it off with some slices of tomato. Then made myself another cup of coffee with the Italian coffee maker. Put up Bach's Untempered Clavier, took a sip, boy was this coffee strong!!! And took a bite from my baguette. Instantly I understood why this type of sandwich is so popular. Could one replace butter with mayonaise de Dijon? Will try that next time. Add egg's and salad? Why not, food is open to experimentation isn't it?

Each morning while having my coffee I read a bit in this big heavy cooking book. This Saturday I was looking for a real classic French dish, well yeah what is classic. Found something: "Jarret de Porc" (shoulder or pork knuckle). This recipe does not need chef's abilities, I can do this. After a bit of Youtube scrolling, some more reading in other cookbooks and I am ready to cook this dish. Maybe some adaptations are needed. Stay tuned.

Adresse

15 Rue Fontenois
Mailleroncourt-Saint-Pancras
70210

Téléphone

+33384743907

Site Web

http://www.lemoutonquirit.eu/

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