Monday's walk in pictures...around Abilly.

Taken in Touraine...Abilly Palm

Blue sky and palm tree on the last Monday walk,yes it's November!
 

Taken in Touraine...Abilly

L'île de la Claise from the bridge over the river Claise at Abilly in Southern Touraine.

Monday's walk near Abilly.

 

With the cessation of the rather long period of wet weather, which we avoided much of with our road trip south, Fabrice was able to at last organise Monday's walk at Abilly after having to have postponed it a few times.

We managed to complete the walk with only a little spattering of rain and some cloud which cleared as we ended the walk.

Vendredi à vélo - bikes for sale and not!

Vendredi à vélo - for sale at brocante in Abilly - in tandem of course. Recall trying to buy two other bikes on the day only to find they belonged to the kids in the house they were leaning against

Abilly's wall flowers...

 

The flower displays in nearby Abilly are always a delight with their wall of flowers always the highlight - this year is no different!

 

 

Sound performance...

After the big brocante on Sunday we popped over to Abilly to show our support for 'Celtiqua' who were providing the musical backdrop to the villages 'Marche Gourmand' Despite the guys doing the mixing doing their best to confuse the sound they did a good job in keeping the visitors entertained!

The event itself seemed like a quiet affair

View from a bridge

Voitures et confitures

We visited the brocante at nearby Abilly yesterday with our search for treasures based on kids toys as Michael Rose and Ada are coming over for a visit in September so looking for a few things to keep her amused.

There was,as ever, a lot on offer and we picked up a few thing we will reveal later.

I pride myself in the fact that I can normally park pretty close to the action at these events but was surprised to spot this line of cars in among the stalls - how did they do that? They were actually cars from the local garage showing a little initiative by bringing their cars to the people - could start a trend!

It was also good to see the jam stalls back.

Here are some things we didn't buy even though we pondered over the first item - 12 plates for 1 euro!

We did not buy these 'ready to go' roller skates...

or this convenient garden chair.

Abilly fete de la confiture

There was a new venue for this year's 'Fete de la confiture' in the nearby village of Abilly (Sunday) with everything being moved to the 'l'île de la Claise', which proved to be an ideal location other than there is only one way on to the island, which meant anyone more used to the brocante being spread through the streets had to cross the river Claise (or not,depending on your approach) as there is no access from the village side.

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On another very hot day it proved to be an inspired decision with the trees offering some shade from the bright sunshine.

The 'jam' element of the day seems to play less and less of a role as the years go by...or did we miss something? 

We were not tempted by the singing fish but did buy an 'Art Nouveau' brass picture frame from the stallholder.

You should know by now that I am now rarely surprised by the bizarre items that can be found at such events and adding custom stainless steel exhausts to the list, for me,isn't a problem.  

Spotted this stallholder getting a bit ahead of himself!

My other purchase on a blisteringly hot day? an electric panel heater...and why not!

Sunday at the Fete de la Confiture in Abilly

We headed over to Abilly yesterday for their annual brocante/jam festival

It was getting near lunchtime so perhaps this was why it wasn't so busy

The circus is in town as was evidenced by some of the performances on the streets.

As is normal at these events there was a 'rich' variety of goods on display...

including these happy chappies...

and these bicycles, in tandem of course.

Fete de la Confiture,Abilly...

It is the annual 'Fete de la Confiture' in nearby Abilly today, an event that is a melange of brocante,jam tasting and arts and crafts...nothing to get your heart racing but a very sociable occasion'

My favourite moment from previous  'Jam’ festival's in Abilly was the brass band's rendition of OMD's 'Enola Gay'  - who'd have thought! There is the obvious connection with some of their other songs, 'Joan of Arc' 'Maid of Orleans' which I would have thought more appropriate – but loved it just the same!

You can see some pics. from way back in 2013 here

Abilly...in a bit of a jam?

Yesterday was the annual 'Fete de la confiture' and brocante in the nearby village of Abilly but jam was conspicuous by its absence! The high and mighty judging panel weren't in residence and things seemed a little quiet

Had there been some falling out within the jam making community or within the 'le comité des fêtes'?

In any case there were a lot of empty spaces...and not much in the way of 'treasure'...

although I did try and by this retro radio  which turned out to be lacking in the interior department as it was actually a tin in the form of said radio!