City Daily Photo Theme Day – Ageing

There is a lot of ageing going on in this photo – the gate, the lock, the posts, the trees, the wall, the tiles on top of the wall …For other takes on the theme, click here. Il y a beaucoup de choses dans cette photo qui sont en train de vieillir : le portail, …

The Expectant Bench – Le banc qui attend

This bench next to the Loire is waiting for us to stop and have a biscuit when the temperatures are high enough to go cycling again. Last year, we were cycling in mid-March in Turquant.. Ce banc au bord de la Loire nous attend pour la pause goûter dès que la températures nous permettra de refaire …

Purple Crocuses on a Dull Day – Crocus mauves une journée maussade

Another rainy day with no sun but this little bed of crocuses that I came across when I walked down to the post box at the other end of the street made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Encore une journée pluvieuse sans soleil mais ce petit parterre de crocus croisé lorsque je me suis rendue …

Sun After the Rain – Soleil après la pluie

This is the Louis XII wing of Blois Castle with its gothic forms, built for the king and Anne de Bretagne. You can see Louis XII’s equestrian statut. He reigned from 1498 to 1515. Voici l’aile Louis XII du château de Blois avec ses formes gothiques, construite pour le roi et Anne de Bretagne, On voit le statut …

Walking Tracks in Blois – Les sentiers de Blois

Unbeknown to many people in Blois, there is a series of nine walking tracks in Blois, including Les Grouets where we live, that take you through backyards and hidden paths. A l’insu de beaucoup de Blésois, il y a un réseau de sentiers aux Grouets où nous habitons qui passent par des fonds de jardins …

Riverside Market – Marché en bord de rivière

From time to time, we go to the Sunday market in Amboise, held on the embankment, next to the Loire. Although it is reputed to be the best in the area, but I prefer the merket on Place Louis XII in Blois. De temps en temps nous allons au marché d’Amboise le dimanche. Sur le mail, il se …

A Castle round a bend – Un château à la sortie d'un virage

As we came round a bend not far from Loches we discovered this magnficent château and the tall steeple of the church in Verneuil-sur-Indre. The castle, built in the 15th century was added to and modernised in the 18th century. C’est en sortant d’un virage pas loin de Loches que vous avons découvert ce magnifique …

The Firewood Delivery – La livraison de bois de chauffe

Winter, unfortunately, is not over so we needed to top up our wood pile. Wood in France is sold by the stère which is a cubic metre of wood usually cut to 50 cm lengths. The wood here is mostly oak with some hornbeam and ash. The measuring unit for firewood in France is the stère, …

The Henhouse – Le poulailler

This is the first time I’ve noticed this henhouse in our street in Les Grouets in Blois. In the background you can see the highway that runs along the Loire. C’est la première fois que je remarque ce poulailler dans notre rue aux Grouets à Blois. Derrière, on voit la route nationale sur la digue …