Blois Reflections – Réflexions de Blois

We thought we had put our bikes away until next spring, but today was one of those perfect autumn days – clear blue sky and 20°C so we headed for the closest bike path. The light was perfect. Nous pensions avoir rangé nos vélos jusqu’au printemps mais aujourd’hui c’était une journée parfaite d’automne : ciel …

The Automatic Baguette Machine – Le distributeur automatique de baguette

We were driving towards Loches today when I saw this automatic baguette machine in Ferrière-sur-Beaulieu. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Twice a day, a local baker puts 50 fresh baguettes in the machine. Nous nous rendions à Loches aujourd’hui lorsque j’ai vu ce distributeur automatique de baguettes à Ferrière-sur-Beaulieu. Je n’arrivais pas à croire mes …

Luminous Trees – Arbres lumineux

These unusual lampposts stand in front of Graslin Theatre on Place Graslin in Nantes. The 8 metre high, 2.50 m candelabra were installed in 2013 and comprise 31 light sources. They draw their inspiration from theatre chandeliers. Ces lampadaires originaux se trouvent Place Graslin à Nantes devant le théâtre Graslin. Les dessins des candélabres, hauts de 8 …

Autumn Vines – Vignes d'automne

We fought with the blackbirds in September to get the grapes. Now we have the pleasure of seeing the leaves turn to a lovely gold. Nous nous sommes battus avec les merles en septembre pour manger les raisins. Maintenant nous avons le plaisir de voir les feuilles virer à une belle couleur dorée.

French Coffee Shop

I was surprised to see a café in Blois called “French Coffee Shop”. Strange as it may seem, it’s actually a French franchise, which started in 2009 and has over 45 shops based on the American “coffee shop” concept. Blois is one of the latest additions. J’étais surprise de voir un café à Blois qui s’appelle “French …

Orange beauties – Beautés oranges

Such beautifully coloured and delicately shaped mushrooms are not usually edible but peziza aurantia which grows in open areas because it needs lots of light to develop its spectacular orange coulour, can even be eaten uncooked! We tried it cooked with scallops on a bed of leeks tonight. The taste is not very strong, but …