Walking in isolation...

 

Could't join the randonnée group again today as this bug we have caught is still hanging over me and has made its way over to Pauline, so we did our walk to Barrou and back on our own instead. Good to see the blossom coming out letting us know spring is on its way.

Room with a view...

 

This could be yours...

From the first-floor salon, the windows frame a direct view of our neighbour Château de la Guerche a quiet reminder of the home’s exceptional setting. As spring approaches and the light begins to shift, the outlook becomes even more refined. A rare address, defined as much by its surroundings as by the house itself.

House for sale.

Lost in the kids labyrinth...

Our second attempt at a walk in the woods yesterday took us over to a very quiet Foret de Preuilly. We decided against the marked walk as the last time we did it we got slightly lost and as neither us us are firing on all cylinders at the moment it did not seem like a good idea,

Instead we choose a ramble through the labyrinth paths which are designed to get kids involved in searching out plants and getting up close to nature,

The heavy leaf drop made the paths a wee bit difficult to identify at times which ultimately lead us off them and having to navigate brambles and young branches to get back on track.

Where I was sure we would find our way out again Pauline was thinking differently but my natural sense of direction (?) led us back to safety.

To extend our walk a little we took a walk around the lake (etang de la Ribaloche) before returning to our car.

A walk in the woods...

 

Today, to get out of the house but avoid people, in the morning we headed up to the woods at Le Rond du Chêne, only to find hoards of hunters waiting to head out into the woods, so decided against it.

After lunch we tried again,this time heading up to the Foret de Preuilly where we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

More tomorrow!

Local attractions...Le Grand Pressigny

 

Here in La Guerche we enjoy a setting defined by heritage and quiet authenticity.Nearby (7,5km) Le Grand-Pressigny is one of southern Touraine’s most characterful villages, dominated by its Renaissance château and known for its remarkable prehistory museum, the village offers cultural depth rarely found in such an unspoilt rural landscape.

Daily life here is both simple and refined, a weekly market Thursday am), traditional cafés, artisan producers and a strong sense of local community. The surrounding countryside,rolling fields, woodland walks and wide skies. 

Spring brings terrace lunches and market mornings; summer lingers gently over long evenings; autumn colours the valley in gold. Throughout the seasons, Le Grand-Pressigny remains quietly elegant — a place that offers the essentials of the French art de vivre without excess or pretence.

A location of genuine distinction, where history, landscape and lifestyle come together naturally.

Back to blue...

Great to see the blue sky yesterday and feel the temperature getting up to a good 18 deg.. Enough to get me out of the house to join Pauline on her 7km walk to Barrou and back. With our current 'lurgy' we could cough and sneeze without affecting anyone and enjoy a hot sun on our backs.

It was also good to see spring isn't so far away.

Last look around Brussels...

Above is a 360 deg. look around the magnificent Grand-Place.

We have to give a big shout-out to our generous hosts Anne & Denis in Brussels who always go out of their way to make each visit memorable. 

One of the great things about our location here in Touraine is our access to road, rail and air travel which makes traveling in Europe a real pleasure. Our journey consisted of drive to Chatellerault train station to catch the very comfortable TGV train to Paris Montparnasse. Transfer to Gare de Nord where we caught the Eurodrive to Brussels at 132 euros return each.

Sunday bench - three more from Brussels.

 

Diversity on the streets of Brussels...

 

Brussels' Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur...a last look.

While Pauline, Angela and Dennis were happy to finish Sunday in the centre of the city I had something else I wanted to see. The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, it is a striking Art Deco landmark and one of the world's largest churches so two for one for me.

Inspired* by Paris' Sacré-Cœur, it was conceived as a national shrine to commemorate Belgian independence. King Leopold II laid the symbolic first stone in 1905 (75th anniversary of independence). Designed by architect Albert Van Huffel (who died in 1935), construction started in 1926 but dragged on due to World Wars I and II, finally completed in 1971 after 65+ years.

Vast Art Deco interiors with mosaics, sculptures, museums and occasional exhibitions; it's also a parish church and pilgrimage site.

*Originally, Leopold I dreamed of a royal residence on the hill; his son Leopold II pivoted to a "Belgian Panthéon" for national heroes (inspired by Paris' Panthéon), then shifted to a Sacred Heart basilica after visiting Paris' version.

Apparently locals joke it's the city's 'white elephant' due to its remote location but it is wort the trek in my humble opinion.