Thursday 25 September 2014



Here are a few images of today and yesterday. The ring of yellow flowers were a gift from a neighbour. The below image is someone that crept in the garden at the end of August and is still here.

I have discovered that my back is a bit crooked (apparently it's quite common, and especially among gardener's and dancers who can push themselves beyond normal activity). So in light of new findings I am not gardening in such a voracious way. I have, however, this sweet sunny terrace that I am putting a bit of work into. It was an old rubbish tip so there is all sorts of broken pieces of china, bottles and clay pottery. It can be a bit dry so I am putting herbs and lavender things that thrive in poor soils with good drainage. 

I am slowly clearing out some of our outbuildings. In France, especially here, it is normal to have all these buildings.  Unbelievable if you have tried to acquire property in the UK recently. We don't really use these buildings and we have to regularly carry out repairs just to keep them from falling down. The thing is now I am doing regular trips to the tip I realise the French have the most wonderful junk. It actually hurts to see what everyone throws away. 

I spotted this shop for sale this morning. I've no idea how much it is, isn't it lovely!! That fireplace too. 


I think this is the back of the shop for sale, beside a hairdresser's.

A newly spotted waterway in the street called Rue Chaud.

A Vendre with those Beef Eye 'L'oeil de beouf' windows. 

 The building here with the roof tiles has been empty along time. There are cats living there.



Sunday 21 September 2014


View nearby.


House For Sale
 A few images from Blismes below. The painting is the work of Jenny Makkinga. 









Tuesday 16 September 2014





This is my other cat 






Here are a few images from today and yesterday. My kitten has become a painting companion. There is an exhibition on just down the road so I have been asked to participate. It has become a useful way to meet people and I like feedback too. It's been very warm here this month so far and plants that lay dormant in rainy August have sprung into life and even flowered again. I have been picking strawberries and there are raspberries too. We have grass snakes here that like to keep warm under the black plastic we cover the wood up with. I bought this lovely coffee pot, no lid and the other pots for storing tea coffee etc are a set I bought this weekend. Unfortunately  a couple of the lids got lost in packing, I need to pay more attention to what's going on. I do love the pots though so I shall have to look out for spare odd lids.

Saturday 13 September 2014

I have been driving past this house on a bit of a detour and today I got out the car to take some photos. I chatted to a lovely gentle man doing his garden beside. I always like to profit information about who I am where I am from and generally it is met with curiosity and I suppose people like to know who you are and are curious back.This place is for sale started by some Dutch hopefuls but for whatever reason the money wasn't flowing and it can be too difficult to continue. The back was more collapsed and not so charming on a more realistic note.

 I live near Moulin Engilbert. It's a strange town, historic but in decline a little. Recently I feel a bit more optimistic about the place.  These images are all from a fete of Murals held this weekend so Trompe L'oeil being high in the stakes. I wandered into the church by the retirement home and I was a bit surprised by the standard of an exhibition. It was great as there were also loads of kids running around in the place looking at art.

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 I met this guy below this evening. He comes from Lyon. Very nice man and I hope to catch up with him tomorrow to check on his progress.