Music at the Market – Musique au marché

I love it when things are happening at the market. When we set out it was raining slightly but by the time we got there the sky had clearned. This band was supporting blood donations. J’adore lorsqu’il y a des événements au marché. Lorsqu’on a quitté la maison il pleuviotait mais en arrivant, le ciel …

Everyone at the ready – Tout le monde sur le pont

  Today, we had lunch for the second time at Brasserie 174 run by tt the local catering school in Blois. An excellent experience particularly when the day’s menu with starter, main course and dessert is only €9.50. Open from midday to 1.30 pm Monday to Friday (closed during school holidays). Reservation at 0 55 51 …

The Big Cedar – Le grand cèdre

  A walk with my friends and neighbours from Les Grouets, Françoise and Lili, took us past this lovely old cedar in the grounds of our local château de la Vicomté. Une marche à pied avec mes amies et voisines des Grouets, Françoise et Lili, nous a fait passer devant ce beau cèdre dans le parc …

Armistice in Les Grouets – Le 11 novembre aux Grouets

11th November is a public holiday in France and Belgium. It commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” A ceremony takes place in each town and flowers are placed …

The Hounds at Cheverny – Chiens de chasse Cheverny

This photo of the famous hounds at Château de Cheverny comes to us from a Dutch reader Kees van Dijk who visited Blois this summer and had the pleasure of seeing the hounds being fed at 5 pm. Cette photo des fameux chiens destinés à la chasse à courre du château de Cheverny nous vient d’un …

The Red and Green Barn – La grange rouge et verte

Autumn has not been very colourful this year, but this vine-covered barn with its green doors in Cours-sur-Loire is an exception. L’automne n’a pas beaucoup de couleurs cette année, mais cette grange recouverte de vigne vierge avec sa porte verte à Cours-sur-Loire est une heureuse exception.

Six Edible Mushrooms – Six champignons comestibles

These six edible mushrooms, collected in a forest about 1/2 hour from Blois, near Lancôme, are, from left to right in a spiral, Bordeaux cep, leccinum griseum, boletus (perhaps another leccinum griseum in a more advanced state), beefsteak fungus (also known as beefsteak polypore or ox tongue) and sweet tooth mushrooms (also known as wood hedgehog or …