Each year, on the Isle of Man, we host a few bikers who come over for the Isle of Man TT or the Manx Classic. The TT takes place in May-June and the Classic in August-September. The population of the Isle of Man is 80,000 but during the TT that figure is increased by 40,000 or more as enthusiasts arrive from all over the world for the races. So you can imagine that the island buzzes. But where to put 40,000 bikers (twice a year) when the hotels and camping sites are full? The answer has proved to be by encouraging ordinary residents to throw open their doors and provide Homestay. It’s a bit like Bed and Breakfast except that you are welcoming people in to your home as (paying) friends. For us, this has worked well for the four years that we have done it, and our guests now return year after year.

And so it was this year with John, Bob, Phil and Lee who came back for their third consecutive year. Four lovely guys from Yorkshire with accents strong enough to melt pig iron. Here to see the most dangerous road race on the planet. The Isle of Man TT race (Tourist Trophy) is arguably the most famous in the history of motorcycle racing. The race is run through the streets and narrow roads of the island yet the bikes hit speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h). In fact, the average for the whole 37.73 twisting miles of the course (60.72 km) stands at 132 mph (212 km/h). Mistakes can be disastrous, and watching racers hug the walls of the locals’ front yards is exhilarating. You can’t love the death, you can’t love the loss. But you can’t love the excitement and the thrill without knowing that that’s part of it

Anyway, back to the food… Every morning our four fine lads get a big fry-up to set them on course for a good day. So we’re talking two pork Cumberland sausages, 3 rashers of prime back bacon, 2 fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, juice, tea and coffee. And if there’s any sausage or bacon left, Lee usually makes ‘pigs in blankets’ from it and takes it out for his lunch!

Each year, we invite out house guests to share an evening meal with us. Last year (2017) we did Confit de Canard which they all seemed to love. This year, Marie-Danielle made one of her famous Daube Provençale a delicious stew (though my wife would disagree with the use of that word). In fact, if the dish is made properly, in the traditional way, Daube Provençale is tender and carries the exquisite taste and aromas of the Mediterranean. It’s a lot more than just a stew – in fact it should not be mentioned in the same breath as a stew – it holds a much more exalted position than that in our kitchen with good reason. We always serve it simply with Creamed Potatoes or Boiled Potatoes. We also always make much more Daube Provençale than we need! It freezes well and the more this dish is reheated, the better it becomes! Eat it accompanied by a full bodied red wine like a Côtes du Rhône.

So, as the TT comes to an end for 2018, we look forward to seeing our guests again in 2019 – they have already booked! Life can be fun.