Today, we became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine (over 60) and thanks to a little foresight, we had appointments this morning at the Vaccination Centre in Blois, usually a gymnasium. It was extremely well organized and we were in and out in 45 minutes, having passed through the hands, so to speak, of 10 different …
Author Archives: avril
The Grain Market – La Halle aux grains
The Grain Market in Blois is actually a fairly modern building (inaugurated in 1850. It replaced the old 13th century wheat market. The materials used (polychrome brick and stone), the slate roof and the turrets that flank the building, are reminiscent of the Louis XII wing of Blois Castle. Inside, four rows of stone pillars …
Perfect Batavia – Batavia parfaite
Batavia is my favourite lettuce and this is the first from our garden this year, grown one of the cold frames Jean Michel made during the first lockdown last spring. Safe from frost and slugs. La batavia est ma salade préférée et celle-ci est la première à sortir de notre potager cette année. Je l’ai …
The Rose Garden Passage – Passage de la roseraie
Blois has the most wonderful rose garden. This door is usually open from the end of May to the end of September. Let’s hope we will be free to visit it. Blois possède une roseraie merveilleuse. Cet accès est ouvert de la fin du mois de mai jusqu’à fin septembre. Espérons que nous pouvons le …
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Windy and White – Du vent et du blanc
We had a windy, rainy weekend but it cleared up long enough for a neighbourhood walk. The temperatures will rise slowly this week and, with a bit of luck, we might soon be vaccinated. Le week-end a été venteux et pluvieux mais on a réussi quand même à faire une promenade d’une heure dans notre …
Coffee at the Market – Café au marché
We have found a more cheerful backdrop for our mid morning coffee at the Saturday market in Blois. Even open air cafés seem a long way off. Nous avons trouvé un fond plus gai pour notre café de onze heures au marché de samedi à Blois. Même les cafés terrasses semblent bien loin encore.
The Wall Scaler – L’escaladeur
The wall is part of the old city walls in Blois. The two men are professionals. Do you know what they are doing? Ce mur fait partie de l’ancienne enceinte de Blois. Les deux hommes sont des professionnels. Est-ce que vous savez ce qu’ils font?
Tulips in the Wood – Tulipes dans le bois
The bottom of our garden is a small wood. Every year this tulip patch gets bigger. The secret to tulips is not to cut the leaves but just let them wither and die. You cut cut the tulips though. not that we do. Le fond de notre jardin est un petit bois. Tous les ans …
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Frost-Bitten Wisteria – Coup de gel à la glycine
Sadly, our much-beloved wisteria has suffered from two nights of frost. It doesn’t usually freeze at this stage of growth. The grape vines are in much worse trouble with growers using fans and candles to try and keep the temperature up. Malheureusement, notre glycine bien-aimée a souffert de deux nuits de gel. Le gel n’est …
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Spires & a Tower – Flèches et une tour
The spires are those of the 12th to 13th century church of Saint Nicolas while the Tour du Foix is one of the last vestiges of the 13th century feudal fortifications. Behind it is the much later Gaston d’Orleans wing of Blois Castle, built in the first half of the 17th century. Les flèches sont …