Back in step...a walk around Chaumussay

First outing in 2020 for us yesterday, with the randonnée club. I it turned out to be a bright February day for it. Joel took us over to Chaumussay for a walk around familiar and pretty countryside...

and for good measure had us starting out climbing a hill!

It was almost perfect conditions for a good walk.

The wrong day...and meeting my first marionettist.

On our visit Beaulieu-les-Loches on Monday our faces looked a bit like the puppets above when we discovered the only restaurant in town was closed.

Had we gone on another day we could have a bit of hypnotherapy or a tattoo!

Happily the young marionettist's door was open but we were not in the market - the world has enough at present!

On yer bike!

The Loire Valley have done a good job in promoting and marking their routes for cyclists - this was from Beaulieu-les-Loches on Monday - it's as well the 'cabinet medical' is also signposted as I would need it coming from either Chenonceaux or Azay-le-Rideau.

A walk around Beaulieu-les-Loches

Yesterday we had to visit Loches so to make a day of it we decided to walk over to the medieval and monastic town of  Beaulieu-les-Loches which is a short walk along Rue du Dr Paul Martinais (Loches), on to Rue Brûlée in the town.

You know you have arrived (and apparently being watched) by the town's sign which boasts its credentials as a one star 'Ville Fleurie'

We had intended walking from the public gardens in Loches via the 'wetlands' but as we made our way there we were met by council workers who let us know that flippers might be the order of the day as the area was living up to its name and the path was flooded!

The town itself has no less than 13 listed buildings, an abbey church with origins dating back to the 11th century - built by our old friend the uncompromising 'FoulquesNerra' - and canal network laid out in the 16th century by the Benedictine monks from the abbey all the ingredients of a worthwhile destination and a magnet for tourists.

We had been to the town before and perhaps a Monday in February was not the best time to visit but even as the afternoon turned into fine conditions for a walk it failed to lift the apparent gloom that seems to hang over the place.

On the positive side the abbey church was open - will feature next Sunday - and the refurbished bell tower was looking resplendent.

After our visit we had to content ourselves with waiting on our return to Loches to avail ourselves with a cup of coffee as being a Monday the only cafe in the town was closed!

Below is the view towards Loches over the 'wetlands'

Nature's reassurance...

Nature has a way of letting us know that things will get better - some early colour in the garden of  the hairdressers in Barrou on Saturday - 'Salon de Coiffure Brigitte Renaud'.

Welcoming February with a walk around Barrou

We had a good 2hr walk up behind Barrou yesterday to welcome in the new month on what was a cloudy but pleasant day. We are building up for a return to our walking club Thursday walks.

Soft landing...music & friends

We had a wonderful night in Les Tilleuls in Barrou last night, we had a celebration of solidarity with our friends and neighbours to make what could have been a very sad evening into a joyous one. 

'I don't know' provided the great musical accompaniment for the night along with Dominique and they allowed me to do a bit...I modified a number of songs we (Dominique and I as 'Old Hat') do to make them appropriate for the evening. 

Below is my 'Boris the great pretender effort' 

For our version of 'Imagine' Tim had mad a great Euro song-sheet for everyone

The night ended with a rousing 'Auld Lang Syne' - the video below just shows the encore as I was too busy linking arms to video the main event. Great evening with a great bunch of people.

On 'Brexit' day...

Here is the link  https://bit.ly/3aSEffj to the article by Lisa Darrault from the Nouvelle République foollwing our interviews yesterday.

Hot topic...

Just back from being interviewed by Lisa Darrault from the Nouvelle République about Brexit at Preuilly-sur-Claise. This was organised by our friend Susan who has been very active regarding trying to bring people together over what is a difficult subject. Other friends who joined in all made valuable contributions to the subject - we even had a Brexiteer who lives in the town, there, to air his views - was very brave of him! It will be interesting to read what the young lady made of it all, time will tell!

Southern Touraine...lovely even in January

You are not going to choose the month of January for your annual holidays but here in our little part of France we can have some lovely days at this time of year which makes us look forward to the months ahead. We managed a walk around Barrou yesterday, something we need to keep up to get us back to our 'fighting weight'.

Back in Barrou....

We have returned home to France after our great time catching up with family and friends in the UK. We have to give a big shout-out to friends who let us break the journey south from Scotland - it made the journey so much easier...and a lot more fun! We are living in the Old Walnut Mill at moment while we do some work for the coming season, which, with all that is going on in the world, may prove to be a difficult one. More on what we are up to at the house later, for the moment it is good to be back.

Keeping my hand in...

While visiting Michael,Rose and Ada in Edinburgh I was glad to assist in the decorating of his stairway and hall allowing me to keep  my hand in. Being so far away doesn't make it easy to give practical help so I was more than happy to help.

The last supper...

We had our traditional haggis neeps and tatties last night and toasted Rabbie.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye worthy o' a grace

As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,

Your hurdies like a distant hill,

Your pin wad help to mend a mill

In time o need,

While thro your pores the dews distil

Like amber bead.

Have a great 'Burns night'

 "freedom an' whisky gang thegither"

It is Burns' night tonight when our national bard's poems and songs will be celebrated the world over.We are having our traditional supper here in Epsom with Eileen...a lovely end to our time in the UK.

At the Burns Heritage Centre in Alloway just outside of Ayr there is this great painting of Rabbie with some great cronies...what a supper that would be!

Here is my homage to the great man (a steal on of his 'The Bonnie Lass o' Ballochmyle') to describe a particularly bad round of golf there.

The Grass O’Ballochmyle

That morn the dew lay oe’r the greens,

On every blade a pearl did hang.

The course I knew it could be mean,

Every hole, both short and lang.

T’wards every rough I boldly strade,

Yet did it wae a sense o’style.

A couldna seem to fin’ a ba’

Among the grass o’Ballochmyle

With careless swipes I onward swayed

A couldna seem to fin’ ma swing

There wis nae joy among the glade

Ma gemme it was an awfu thing.

Yet way friens today a couldna care

Ma cronies helped me raise a smile

No so mony miles frae Ayr

Among the grass o’Ballochmyle

Jim Craig,

The ups and Downs of Epsom...

Yesterday from Eileen's, we walked the 45 mins up to the Rubbing House by the Epsom Downs racecourse where we rendezvoused with Mike and Liz for a bit of Lunch and to extend her 'special' birthday celebration a little bit more. 

At home with customer care...

When we were visiting friends and family in Ayrshire last week I took advantage of the fact that my cousin has a tyre business in my home town of Kilmarnock. I had clipped a kerb and damaged the hub and they were kind enough to repair it and refit on the spot - great service and all for the price of a couple of bottles of sparkly. Not saying you'll get the same deal but would highly recommend using them.

We also took the opportunity to visit another business in the town - clock and watch repairers A& J Raeburn. They are a long established family company who offer an excellent service. We had a clock that we thought needed a new mechanism but they managed to repair it for the princely sum of £10.00 - which included a new battery!

As we were walking through the town we noticed this sign below on a building that has not changed since the early 70's. 'Fair City Decorating Centre' (long closed) was the first place we ever bought things for a DIY project for our first flat in the town.

A visit to Congleton...all there in black and white.

For our third overnight stay heading south, we stopped off in Congleton where Pauline and Denis continued the great level of hospitality our friends have shared with us on this trip.

The Paulines doing a little window shopping

We also managed a good morning walk around the lake (no pics. as morning mist put paid to this) behind their lovely house and a walk into the town itself.

The oldest hostelry in town...

and the 'Olde sweet shoppe'

Continuing our journey south...

After popping into see Dave in Leeds we headed over Norman & Margaret's lovely accommodation in Tarleton just outside Preston where we were treated to more great hospitality...again how lucky are we?

Guess who we popped in to see...

After a lovely stay with Jane & Peter in North Yorkshire we headed across country to just outside Preston for a get together with Norman and Margaret but before we did we made a slight detour to join our friend Dave who has settled back into his house just south of Leeds. He was in good spirits and says hi to all his friends in France.

Lucky travelers...

Pauline and I left Edinburgh yesterday after some real quality time with Ada,Rose and Michael to start our journey home to France. This will be a slow process as we are staying with friends en-route south and then with Pauline's sister Eileen in Epsom for a few more days. Being allowed to break the journey is a great way to do it and it is courtesy of some of the great friends we have made while in France. The image above is of the sunset that greeted us here in North Yorkshire as we headed to Jane and Peter's and a taste of their wonderful hospitality for the night.