The Loire Valley and especially Blois
President Macron has just announced what lockdown will be like for the next few weeks and I am more reassured that I expected. New cases have gone down in the last month from 60 000 a day to 20 000. From 28th November, all shops will be open again with a strict protocol limiting the …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 25 – Reconfinement Jour 25”
Only the stumps of our bay leaf tree are left but we have a lot of mulch and some firewood. Our Covid figures are improving despite the fact that France now has 49,232 deaths against 40,987 on 11th November, an alarming increase. Loir-et-Cher, the area in which we live, has 4 people in intensive care, …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 24 – Reconfinement Jour 24”
We are having our first cold days here with 1 degree at night and under 10 during the day despite the sun. Gardening will be put on hold for a while. We are told the second wave peak is over thanks to lockdown but we need to stabilise. Everyone is clamoring to have non-essentials shops …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 21 – Reconfinement Jour 21”
That tree you can see towards the right is a bay leaf tree or Laurus nobilis which we have decided to cut down as nothing will grow under it except strawberries which are not easy to pick on a slope. Jean Michel cut down about 1/3 today and put about half of it through the …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 23 – Reconfinement Jour 23”
This photo was taken when we left the market this morning. It was 1 degree. The second was taken 2 hours later on the way home, after going to Biocoop, the organic supermarket and Intermarché, the regular supermarket. It was 4 degrees by then. Next Saturday we will only have to go to the market …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 22 – Reconfinement Jour 22”
I was most surprised to see this temporary sign erected by the local council on our walk today. It says « I’m clean – my master picks up after me ». Obviously too many dogs are being taken for walks by uncouth owners. This particular behaviour is not one of France’s most endearing traits. J’étais …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 20 – Reconfinement Jour 20”
This is my other garden – a shared garden that belongs to the apartment building in which I have a holiday rental studio, Châtel Rose, which sadly has not had many guests this year. During the spring lockdown I couldn’t do my share of the gardening but this time I can. I’m rather pleased with …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 19 – Reconfinement Jour 19”
We were having lunch in the garden today, at 14 degrees, thanks to our outdoor heater, when the next door dogs on both sides starting barking furiously. Then the gunshots began – we eventually realized there were hunters in the woodland opposite culling the wild boar. After a series of loud shots, we started hearing …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 18 – Reconfinement Jour 18”
This plant grows next to the small church in our street and is very much in bloom at the moment. It has a lovely smell. Cet arbuste pousse à côté de la petite église dans notre rue. Elle est couverte de fleurs en ce moment qui ont une jolie odeur.
When my son was 3 and I was expecting my daughter he used to ask when she would be born. My answer was always « when all the leaves have fallen off the trees ». She was born on December 8th by which time the trees was bare. Lorsque mon fils avait 3 ans et …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 17 – Reconfinement Jour 17”