Something for the weekend - brocantes Saturday 1st / Sunday 2nd September

Brocantes / vide greniers Saturday 1st Septenber

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Chatellerault  Lac de la foret Vide-greniers ***

Oyre  Vide-greniers ***

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 2^nd Septenber

Azay-sur-Indre  Brocante / Vide-greniers **

Chateau-la-Valliere  Brocante   **

Chateau-Renault  Brocante ?

Descartes  Vide-greniers ?

Huismes  Vide-greniers  ?

Larcy  Vide-greniers ****

La Guerche   Brocante in chateau park ?

Saint-Paterne-Racan   Brocante vide-greniers ?

Saint-Germain-sur-Vide-greniers ?

Tours, Place de la Resistance Vide-greniers *****

End of the line...

Sadly, after 20 years together my trusty old friend and I have had to part company. The now even more stringent 'contrôle technique' has this year proven to be too big a challenge with a fairly long list of problems which, for us simple country folks, were too expensive to contemplate repairing. My French neighbour did the last drive with me to the breaker's yard where we left her,still looking good externally, to await her fate...sad day!

Summer sunset

Captured this recently while enjoying a pleasant evening above Le Petit-Pressigny

Yesterday's brocante at Chaumussay

This year's annual brocante yesterday at Chaumussay got us away from working on what was a lovely morning but offered up no 'treasure'.

It was a quieter than normal affair with nothing very illuminating although this sign had potential!

A study in progress...

Another bit of progress at the 'project' in La Guerche with our study/office finished and being utilised.

A bit of fine dining...

Joined friends Mike & Liz for lunch at La Promenade in Le Petit-Pressigny yesterday to celebrate Mike's birthday...great way to do it!

Something for the weekend - brocantes 25th / 26th August

Chaumussay

Brocantes / vide greniers Saturday 25th July

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Fondettes  Vide-greniers ***

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 26th August

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Ballan-Mire  Vide-greniers ***

Chaumussay  Brocante   ***

Chouze-sur-Loire  Brocante   ***?

Cussay  Brocante   ***

Montbazon   Brocante vide-greniers   ***

La Roche Posay  (Racecourse)  Brocante vide-greniers   ***

Razine  Vide-greniers ?

Saint-Pterre-des-Corps Mire  Vide-greniers ****

Tours, Place Strasbourg Vide-greniers ?

Tours, Boulevard Beranger Brocante ?

Veigne  Brocante vide-greniers   ****

Spider costume

Captured this snappy dresser on a water butt in a friend's garden just outside Barrou.  

Living the dream!

Make no mistake, we have loved our time here in France - 10 years we wouldn't swap for anything but as are we also 10 years older we are finding being cleaners,(that is what we are) is becoming more of a chore, especially when working in the temperatures we have experienced this summer. We work and play hard and contrary to what a lot of people thought at the time, we came here in the knowledge that we would have to work hard to sustain ourselves after having made, in our eyes, decisions that were perhaps not in our own personal interest but morally correct. In our 'Grand Master Plan' Pauline should be drawing her state pension and I should be looking forward to mine next year but no, she was hit by a six year extension and mine was pushed back a year. We are lucky that we keep good health at the moment but who knows what tomorrow brings! We are at a bit of a crossroads with the thought of Brexit blocking our way thanks to, in our opinion, ill-informed people making a terrible choice.

Lot of Poo at yesterday's brocante...

Headed over the border into the Vienne for Sunday's brocante at Beaumont only to find that it had been cancelled! Fortunately a friend let us know there was another nearby around the lake at Sossay.

Wasn't a lot to tempt us, though after Saturday night's entertainment was somehow drawn to this fireside rug (not!).Maybe our friend Caroline would like it (again not!).Here is the load of Poo that was on offer...

This beautiful region drawing people back;;;

Our last guests at the Old Walnut Mill had previously stayed at Alex and Nicole's gites outside Le Grand-Pressigny and loved the area so much that they decided to return...and seemed to have enjoyed their stay again! Here is their comments from our guestbook:

18th August 2018

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your comfortable cosy cottage. We only wish we could have stayed longer! It was great to find a supply of milk,juice,wine etc. on our arrival and we also appreciated the tour and explanation of everything in the house. We enjoyed many meals in the lovely courtyard and coffees in the sunny sheltered seating area. Jim's emails of ideas of places to visit was greatly appreciated and we went out and saw most of them. Our favourite was the chateau and gardens at Villandry, the art fair and lovely villages of Montresor and Angles-surl'Anglin.

Thank you Pauline & Jim

Val & Andy

London

Getting a tune out of a hunting horn...or not

Went across the road last night to the 'Concert de trompes de chasse' which was held in the courtyard of the chateau. Although I am against hunting I wanted firsthand experience of a 'concert' of hunting horns and here it was on my doorstep!

My first thought as the players turned their back on the audience was that it seemed a little rude but there were obvious reasons for this!

Getting a 'tune' from these instruments isn't easy but the participants trumpeted valiantly with the occasional introduction of an accordion player to introduce a little melody. My thoughts on the evening? Glad we went as the setting was excellent but not an experience I will be rushing to repeat! 

May have to club together for this bit of restoration.

This fine specimen was for sale at Wednesday's brocante at Lesigny and where it looks past its best there is still a good market for them for restoration. In the hands of leather specialists  new life can be given and they can be brought back to almost original condition.

This is always a brocante worth walking around  but on this occasion there were no 'treasure' finds for us.

Although the knitted fish above caught our eye!? 

The lovely thing is that the walk leads us to Liz and Mike's annual garden party which is a very good way to spend an afternoon!

Arts and crafts at the chateau...

We visited the annual 'L'Art et la Matiere' exposition within the grounds of the chateau in Le Grand Pressigny on Wednesday morning where local craftsmen (and women) and artists displayed  the results of their hard and very skillful work.

First stop as usual was the always popular 'English tearoom' for a cuppa and a piece of shortbread,not Pauline's contribution however, I wasn't allowed to sample that as she said the batch was 'short' - wasn't it supposed to be?

The grounds of the chateau provide the ideal backdrop to this event which is the result of the hard work of the Fet'art Pressignois and local volunteers. 

to 

The local residents didn't seem to be put out by all the activity!

Something for the weekend - brocantes 18th / 19th August

Ligueil

Brocantes / vide greniers Saturday 18^th August

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Villedomain  Brocante - Vide-greniers ?

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 19th August

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Brehemont   Brocante - Vide-greniers *****

Chancay   Brocante - Vide-greniers ****

Chinon  Monthly Brocante **

Ligueil  Vide-greniers **

Fecking Isaac Newton

Legend has it that a young Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he was bonked on the head by a falling apple, a 17th century “aha moment” that prompted him to come up with his law of gravity. When visiting some Irish friends recently one of our charming company let us know she had a similar experience in the very garden we were sitting in - her reaction was somewhat different, she said the first thing that came into her mind was "what the feck was that". I love how Irish ladies throw this word around but did you know that it is not in fact a replacement word for another expletive? The word apparently was slang for to steal or throw and has evolved into a somewhat milder swear word that I much prefer. I remember as a young (I was once) man using a nearby village as a replacement "Fenwick" would spill out my mouth when exasperated, now as a bit of an old fogey I find that I have allowed myself to slip up and use words that my father would be turning in his grave if he heard me!!

BTW the bench above has its own name...but that's another story!

Craft and art at the Chateau...

10.00am - 8.00pm

In the courtyard of Chateau du Grand-Pressigny

See previous visit here

Quinze août 2018

Here in France the 15th of August (Quinze août) is a public holiday (feast of the assumption) and this of course is an opportunity to have a fete day...in various forms. Here in our part of France we have our annual 'L'Art et la Matiere' exposition within the grounds of the chateau in Le Grand Pressigny, where local craftsmen (and women) and artists get the chance to display the results of their hard work.

The chateau is a great backdrop for the event where I am somehow always drawn to the cakes and the ladies of the 'English Tearoom'

 

You can start your day here before heading over to the village of Lesigny for their annual brocante and vintage car rally. 

Jazz in the park...

30th edition of the jazz concert at Haute-Touche with 'Sweet Mama' and the famous trumpet player 'Eric Luter and his orchestra'.

Alabama chicken on the menu at Bossay-sur-Claise

After a changeover at 'Les Balcons' and a nap to recover, Pauline and I gathered ourselves together and headed over to Trinc' en Claise  event at  Bossay-sur-Claise to catch the evening concert.

Glad we did, after a bluesy set by 'Straw Man' we were introduced to  'Alex and the Soul Bakers' led by the infectious singing and dancing of Alex de Vree. I was introduced to songs about a chicken (Alabama chicken by Sean Hayes) a mule (Get behind the mule by Tom Waits) and a pony (Let the poney run). This was a great set by an excellent band and although the songs were new to me their performance had me thinking they are most certainly worth another listen!

Trinc' en Claise - Bossay-sur-Claise

Programme here

Small boy big heart!

While doing a little research for our last walk post I found this video ...all I can say is wow!

Something for the weekend - brocantes

Yzeures-sur-Creuse

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 12th August

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

Loches Brocante d’ete  **

Marcay  Vide-greniers **

Yzeures-sur-Creuse  Brocante   ***

A walk in the Jurassic park

On Tuesday we headed over to Angles-sur-l'Anglin to rendezvous with friends  to go for a walk along the river Angles in an area designated as part of 'Natura 2000' a classified natural site.

We started off in fairly open countryside before heading down to the valley of the river Angles and some welcome shade.

The route took us along part of 'd'escalade de la guignoterie' where your back drop is a fabulous dolomite cliff face, popular with climbers, with some mighty fine caves to explore. These rocks apparently date back to the 'Superior Jurassic' period!

We encountered this sign en-route which led to a bit of head scratching. It was up to our intrepid leader Sally to climb the steps to find out where they led. Not surprisingly, now I know the meaning, it led to the walk along the cliff-face.

We had another bit of hot open countryside before we were back to our cars and off to a very pleasant lunch courtesy of our hosts for the day, Sally and Chris.