How time flys...or should that be flies?

Actually I don't have the time to care - maybe I should but I of an age where I am getting more and more conscious of how quickly time disappears...it is actually 9 years (can't be!) since we bought our little house here in Barrou in Centre Val-de-Loire and 9 years to the day since Pauline had her first glimpse of it. I had actually bought it with Pauline only seeing it on the web but it was love at first sight...

We are only just getting it the way we want it.

I could be a millionaire, if I had the money.

Then I could maybe put a bid in for this wonderful Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed house advertised in the Telegraph ...my dream house? quite possibly!

 Above image credits :http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Our last house in Scotland was built by a CRM enthusiast and had a few features linking to his designs with the stair rail having the four square hole design that is a much used in his furniture design...

like our dining room suite which was a replica of the famous 'Main Street Dining Suite' that he had made for his own house in Glasgow.

When we bought the house all the woodwork was dark rosewood - CRM style but we decided to change it  -Pauline almost wore her fingers down sanding it all - and go for his white look.

For the handrail separating the dining area and lounge I designed a sort of 'negative' in metal of his design which I hope he would have approved of.

BTW the dinning room suite has been in our barn here in Barrou since we moved over to France 6 years ago as it was just too big to accommodate in either of our houses but we have plans to restructure the lounge here in Barrou to bring it back in use -  we are looking forward to sitting down to eat at it again. 

Footnote: Post title is a line from one of my favourite songs by Clifford T.Ward

'Home thoughts from abroad' - here he is doing it 'live'

Such a shame...

It was the brocante at Le Grand Pressigny yesterday but sadly it poured and poured with little respite. Most stalls had to have their items covered in plastic sheets which made it difficult to show of their wares.

We felt so sorry for some friends and neighbours who had been looking forward to selling some of their treasures. One thing that did surprise me was that these flippers hadn't been bought - perfect for the occasion.

Hobbitual foot problem...

Over at Tim and Pauline's last night to celebrate Tim's birthday - good night but sadly the years have not been kind to his feet - as can be seen from the pics below...

He has had to have special footwear made...

Footnote: Feet slippers were a pressie from his brother!

Brocante bizarre...

I  like to highlight the bizarre things on offer at brocantes here in France you can find almost anything. At lasts weekend's this Sumo wrestling outfit could be found among the fine art - resisted the temptation to buy!

New home for Easter....

We noticed that the 'Easter Island' statue in Lesigny has a new home...looks rather grand...you could almost be there.

Brocante - Angles-sur-l'Anglin

Some pics. from Sunday's brocante at Angles-sur-l'Anglin -great setting - lovely day.

Open-air gallery with some expensive paintings - saw one at €1400.00 !

Every home should have one...

We were here and the right time and met some familiar faces...

Trekking in Touraine...

Best foot forward...

You said there would be no hills...

Nearly there...

Sight for soar feet...

Thanks to Gaynor (I know they weren't real hills) and Tim for this inaugural randonnée around Le Petit- Pressigny and hospitality afterwards. Apologies for quality of pics - camera setting self-adjusted in my pocket and I didn't notice -d'oh!!

Love thy neighbours...

Last night with some of them in our courtyard at Barrou. 

A mammoth task...

We paid a visit to the new temporary (until November) exhibition within the Prehistory Museum in the chateau at Le Grand Pressigny  here in the LoireValley ...

On display is a mammoth skeleton, a stuffed reindeer and musk ox plus items made from the various parts of the animals - where it might not be worth considering a special trip if you have already visited the museum, as a free display it is a good addition - when are you going to get another chance to see a genuine mammoth skeleton?

My opinion of the museum -for what it's worth - is that they have a difficult task in trying to make a 'specialist subject' interesting enough to get the number of visitors needed to justify its cost.This temporary exhibition will help a little but on the first day of opening we,along with friends Mike and Liz and our first guests of the season at 'Le Bourg', were the only people checking it out. 

Bright brocanting....

 We went along to the brocante at Azay-le-Ferron yesterday and spent the morning under a bright blue sky - a real contrast to our last visit.

Pauline was on a mission to find some 'coupe' champagne glasses and felt compelled to buy them from this couple as they had come all the way from Mexico to be here. They were obviously refugees as we noticed they had a price on their head! (sorry)

Things we didn't buy...

...this little fellow who seemed rather angry at being stuck behind a chicken...

...a teletubbie, these cute prams...

...this pair of heels (we didn't want to buy anything in isolation)

...this car...

this house, pointed out to us by Gaynor and Tim whom we met while foraging.

 I did buy a replacement CD player for our LGP house for an exorbitant €5.00

One of the things we notice going around brocantes here in France is the number of odd sets of things for sale such as 5 glasses or coffee cups - which is obviously why they are being sold - but what about an even half dozen of Snow Whites seven dwarfs - any takers?