Calendar shot?

Just behind us here in Barrou.

A busy weekend here in the Loire Valley...

This weekend you will spoilt for choice for things to do here in the Loire Valley...from wine tasting in Tours, to smelling the roses at Chedigny plus more.

  Vitiloire, Tours celebrates the wines of the Loire Valley May 31 and June 1, 2014 

Rose Festival at Chedigny

Rendez-Vous aux Jardins 31st May-!st June

Discover the heritage of the department of Indre throughout the weekend through its architecture, its culture and environment.

The spice of life...

Yesterday I took a break from my current 'project' (more of this later) of concrete step making to do a bit of grass cutting in the morning for some friends/clients...

...and in the afternoon and it took all afternoon, to trim the hedge at 'Les Balcons' as our first guests of the season arrive on Saturday - thankfully.

La Claise restaurant, Preuilly-sur-Claise

 Last Friday, along with friends, we visited the recently re-opened 'La Claise' restaurant in Preuilly-sur-Claise We had eaten here in the past when it was a pizza restaurant and were sorry to see it close. It always seemed like a great location for an eatery, so we were pleased to see it re-opened on an earlier 'drive-by'.

We had the €12.00 lunch menu, starter,main.cheese and dessert - all very nice. The price also included a half carafe of red wine -great value for money. On Friday nights and weekends they offer 'gastro' menus at €18, €25 and €31.

Good food in pleasant surroundings in good company -all you can ask. 

Barrou sunset...

Taken in Touraine...but where?

Find out here...

Home thoughts from abroad....

Our hearts go out to everyone associated,past and present, with  Glasgow School of Art, one of our favourite pieces of architecture in the whole of Scotland. The news is a little better than anticipated in that the fire brigade seem to have done a great job in salvaging most of the building and its contents. It is one of the few buildings we know where the exterior is bound to the interior with an natural ease that could only come from someone with the ability to bring life to inanimate objects - Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Fete Medievals de Loches - this weekend

Fete Medieval 2014

The town has an annual medieval festival - this year seems to be earlier than usual on May  24th & 25th

You can see the programme of events here:

http://a-tous-les-temps.over-blog.com/

You can see 2013's here : loirevalleyexperiences.blogspot

Chaumont garden festival 2014 - a walk through in pictures...

A slideshow of all the gardens in the sequence they are laid out at the garden festival.

Chaumont Garden Festival 2014

Here are some pics. from last Friday's visit to Chaumont-sur-Loire's garden Festival.

Church on Sunday...Saint-Christophe,Bléré

Interesting church, Saint-Christophe in the town of Bléré on the river Cher in that it is actually two churches that have come together....you can read more here....

The perfect day?...

Out to play again yesterday with Mike & Liz...good lunch at 'Le Cheval Blanc' in Bléré... 

then searching out the nice Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied the meal at 'Plou & Fils' at  Charge just outside Amboise and conveniently on the route to our afternoon visit...

...to the Garden Festival' at Chaumont-sur Loire. More details to follow! Mike was kind enough to drive...back to Barrou and over to Scottish couple who are staying in gite opposite us for aperos- the perfect day?

Expect the unexpected....

We were invited along to a 'neighbour' in the nearby village of Chambon for an aperitif last night and were really taken by his barn conversion.

His house is a delight of distractions from his 'live in' model for his paintings to his brocante purchases 

Deflating...

Yesterday lifted 32 concrete blocks on to my trailer,pulled away only to find one of my tyres didn't like it and I suddenly had a flat...took off the 32 blocks and fitted the spare...reloaded the 32 blocks only to find spare didn't have enough air in it either - wouldn't blow up with the load on...took off the 32 blocks,blew up the tyre reloaded half of them transported them and delivered them to their new home where they were unloaded - back for last sixteen - loaded them - delivered and unloaded them. Not a good way to spend an afternoon! I have to point out a very patient friend (Mike) helped me both with the lifting and keeping it together...body and soul.

Weekend's brocante...

Yesterday,due to the weather forecast, we decided to pick the closest one to us here in Barrou rather than what might reveal the greatest treasure - that meant heading over to a rather overcast Coussay-les-Bois.

We managed to get round the not-so-many stalls before the rain came on forcing the participants to bring out the polythene sheets. I bought another small original oil-on-canvas (€2) and was tempted by this quirky little table - but Pauline was not having it!

It actually cleared up enough for us to head into the market at Descartes - for some supplies - where it hadn't been raining at all and then rushed back as we were invited into our neihbours for our first BBQ of the year.

The rain eventually reached Barrou but we didn't let it spoil our afternoon.

Home sweet home...

 Our wee house in Barrou...

...on our big road,Grande Rue...

...where we have made many friends...

...by  the river Creuse.

We really are so lucky!

Picnic anyone?

Sounds like a great idea you take the Picnic they supply the wine...'Pique-Nique chez Vigneron Indépendant': 7th-9th June 2014.Thanks Jim...

http://www.vigneron-independant.com/pique-nique/

Wisteria lane...

Over working in the garden at 'Les Balcons' today where the witeria is in full bloom - nature is quite magical.

This weekend's brocante...

Was at at Saint-Rémy-sur-Creuse. under blue skies.

 Pauline picked up  a €3.00 gym map still in the wrapper and I was tempted by this familiar face ...

...but resisted though I thought our friend Liz may have liked it after listening to his 'tribute' act back in August