This week's short walk - a good walk around Chateau du Chatelier and Neuilly-le-Brignon

 

Back to the 60's - the 'Rabeats' in Tours France

Went with friends up to Tours to hear the French 'Beatles' tribute band the 'Rabeats' on Saturday night.  We had dinner at Brasserie de l'Univers before heading over to the Vinci - International Congress Center to take in the concert. 

The group have been recreating the atmosphere of the Beatles performances for over 20 years and they do it very well. We and the rest of the audience,young and old, sang along to many of the great Beatles' songs. 

Monday's short walk...from Etableau

 

Monday's walk started off from across the river Claise at Etableau and along part of the 'greenway trail' before heading uphill into the countryside.

The weather was so good that eventually jackets had to come off and the longer we went into the afternoon the nicer it got.

It was so nice that by the time we got back to Le Grand-Pressigny we were able to sit outside for our refreshment!

Back to walking...around La Roche-Posay

After being restricted by our house move and Covid we were delighted to join friends for our first short walk of the year yesterday around La Roche-Posay. 

Driving through rain to rendezvous with our fellow walkers we were wondering if, in fact, it was a good idea but our fears proved unfounded and we enjoyed much of the walk under fine blue skies.

Out and about in a round about way...

 

Yesterday was Pauline's first day out of the house for a week as she was confined due to contracting the virus. Negative test in the morning convinced us it was safe to put ourselves back out there! We had a lot of admin work to catch up on due to our change of address . Pauline had successfully handled electricity, UK pensions, CIPAV and insurances and we were in Loches to deal with Orange (2nd visit), impot, water and trying to find a way to fix a detail on Pauline's driving licence, which she found during a paperwork clear-out  after being lost for some time. So first  stop the impot (tax) office, straightforward enough, then over to the sub prefecture in the same building who handle driving licences but not it seems for changes,for that you have to go online!  

We had decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the swish new hotel in town but found ourselves with a little time to kill. As we are thinking about changing our car we headed down to the Renault garage in the town. Sales chap was busy dealing with another client so took our details to send some options via email. Still with time to kill we headed over to where we thought our water was handled from but when we arrived there was a notice to say they had moved - guess where?, just along from the garage!! As it happens although they handle the water at La Guerche the water at Barrou is handled from Monnaie just north of Tours!!!

Enjoyed lunch at the hotel and decided it would be good to join friends on the terrace on a lovely sunny day for lunch in the future.

After lunch it was over to an appointment with Orange where we were handled by the super efficient Thomas who has sorted many a problem for us over the last five years (it was his 5th anniversary in the job on Monday) but we often wonder what he thinks when  he sees the mad Scottish couple arriving on his doorstep!

Tuesday for towns - Descartes

 

View from Imp. de L Hôtel de ville,Descartes

Mon banc dominical/My Sunday Bench

 

The image above from @BernardiniRCF on Twitter reminded me of the time I  discovered the garden at 'Le Bourg' under water thought the work we had done was destroyed but no, once it receded it was back to normal Fortunately this is a very rare occurrence!

Wednesday for windows - a former room with a view...

 

This would have been a fine view of Chateau de Rocreuse which sits on high over the village of Maire across the other side of the river Creuse. Taken from the ruins of the farm on way to campsite in Barrou.

Sunday lunch...

Friends asked us to join them yesterday for Sunday lunch and chose L'Atelier des Saveurs in Plumartin. It proved to be a good choice, good food in a good ambiance - you could even buy your surroundings if you wished as it is also home to a brocante 'shop'!

It's as cold as this here...one for the web.

 

Lovely end to a lovely day...

Spent the first day of the year in good company, first with friends for lunch in Le Grand-Pressigny then meeting up with our walking group later for first meeting of the new year.We passed on the actual walk but joined them afterwards on what was a lovely evening. 

We think 2022 may have to be a year of more walking and less lunching!  

 

Happy New Year / Bonne Année

 

Mon banc dominical/My Sunday Bench - Cramond

One from our trip to Scotland - Pauline and I took a walk down memory lane (for her) with a walk along Cramond shorefront looking towards the causeway to Cramond Island and all this just six miles from Edinburgh city centre.

 

Wednesday is for windows...from Ada the architect.

 

Came back to some apples...

 

Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench - in St.Andrews next to Hamish McHamish

 Who was Hamish Mc Hamish - you can find out here.

"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley"...

 

After the disappointment of last Christmas we thought we had it sorted for 2021 but the cartoon from my post on New Year's Eve last year has proven to be somewhat prophetic!

We were heading over earlier than usual, in November, to help Pauline's sister, Eileen, to move into her new house in Ayr. Big enough to house all the immediate family, she had generously invited us all to spend Christmas with her. Unfortunately, due to material shortages (Brexit & pandemic) the entry date has been pushed back a number of times, currently March, which judging from our last look (above) should be achievable. It was also going to give us plenty of time to get around friends and family we missed so much last year.

We have managed to see many friends and family this year which has been great and the quality time with Michael, Rose and Ada cannot be replaced but like last year the pandemic is now making itself felt more severely with this new strain making the Scottish and French governments bring in tighter restrictions. 

Michael and Rose were going to be hosting us all on Christmas Day but with the current advice being only three households this puts them under a little extra pressure. We have also been given a date at our doctor in Le Grand-Pressigny for our booster jab (23rd) this and the fact that we have had to cancel a couple of visits here because some friend's households have been affected by this new virus means we have decided to cut our losses and head home - there will be other Christmases!  

A day out in Glasgow...

 

We had a day out in Glasgow last Friday where we did not, fortunately, have a problem social distancing, on a day that wanted to be Christmassy but struggled in the dampness.

Pauline stepping out for Christmas in the ever beautifully decorated Frazer's department store.

Was I wrong to feel slightly let down that the Duke didn't have his xmas hat on? Time yet I dare say Glasgow.