The wood mushroom (Agaricus silvicola) is an edible mushroom. It is recognisable for its strong aniseed smell. The cap is light cream, then pick and gradually dark chocolate. We found it in the little wood behind our house. Excellent with fish. L’agaric des bois (Agaricus silvicola) également appelé agaric anisé est un bon comestible. On le …
Author Archives: avril
Baskets at the market – Paniers au marché
Wicker baskets are still used for grocery shopping and carrying firewood. On utilise toujours des paniers en osier pour faire ses courses et porter du bois pour la cheminée.
Salamander Fireplace – Cheminée salamandre
Here is another magnificent Renaissance fireplace from Blois Royal Castle restored in the 19th century with a painted decor created by the architect Félix Duban. Like the main fireplace, the mantel carries François I’s emblematic salamander. You may remember that another fireplace represents Henri II and Catherine de Medicis. Voici une autre cheminée dans le …
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Surprising Renaissance Window – Fenêtre renaissance incongrue
We found this Renaissance window surprising giving the surroundings. Cette fenêtre renaissance nous a paru incongrue vus les alentours.
November Theme Day for CDP – "heights"
We bought a very large ladder so that Jean Michel can climb up to the roof of our house, particularly to check the gutters. No way would I go up there! I don’t have a head for heights. Not like the hornet nest destroyer who climbed up on the roof recently! Today is theme day …
Vegetable Patch in Autumn – Jardin potager en automne
As we walked up to the top of Blois we came across this vegetable patch surrounded by autumn colours. En grimpant sur les hauteurs de Blois nous sommes tombés sur ce jardin potager aux couleurs d’automne.
The Pierced Swan – Le cygne transpercé
As I walked down the steps from Blois castle to Place Louis XII, I heard a child say, “Look! It’s a duck.” A swan maybe or is it a salamander, the emblem of François I? And why the arrow? Susan, from Days on the Claise, has provided the answer: This is the cygne transpercé, an emblem …
Pumpkin, potato & onion vendor – Vendeuse de citrouilles, de pommes de terre et d'oignons
I was able to buy a butternut pumpkin from this vendor on Blois market who only had a small selection of seasonal products, just outside the main market. J’ai pu acheté de la citrouille “butternut” chez cette vendeuse au marché de Blois qui ne vendait que des produits de saison, en peu en dehors …
Sorrel from the garden – Oseille du jardin
This sorrel from the garden had a few holes because of the snails but the omelette was delicious! You just have to cook the sorrel in a frying pan until it’s soft then add it to the omelette. L’oseille du jardin a quelques trous percés par les escargots mais l’omelette était délicieuse ! Il suffit …
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Grain storage bin – Coffre à grains
This old oak grain storage bin has drawers at the bottom to recover the grains. We found it in a secondhand market in the Paris area and Jean Michel restored it. Ce vieil coffre à grains en chêne a des tiroirs en bas pour récupérer le grain. Nous l’avons trouvé dans une brocante dans la …