Our yearly passes to Château de Chaumont have been waiting for us since New Year! But at last the grounds are open. The rhododendrons did not disappoint. Nos passes pour le château de Chaumont nous attendaient depuis le 1er janvier mais le parc est enfin ouvert. Les rhododendrons ne nous ont pas déçus.
Category Archives: Chaumont
High Waters – Hautes Eaux
It’s miraculously stopped raining. Today was warm (13 degrees) and sunny. I’ve now pruned the roses (all 14, but not the ramblers) and the hydrangeas. I feel like I’m coming alive despite the steady 20,000 to 25,000 new cases and 300 to 400 deaths a day due to Covid. Par miracle la pluie s’est arrêtée. …
Happy New Year – Bonne année 2021
I could say all sorts of things about 2020 but one thing we were never deprived of was natural beauty. We are lucky to live close to the Loire River and its famous châteaux that we can admire from afar even when they are closed to the public: Chaumont, Chambord, Chenonceau, Blois and Amboise are …
Covid Deconfinement 2 Stage 1 Day 1
Today was the first day of lockdown easing for Christmas. All shops are open but the number of people allowed inside is one per 8 square metres. Culturel venues such as theatres, cinemas and museums are closed until 6th January. People can go anywhere in France they wish but there is a curfew between 8 …
Lockdown #2 Phase 2 – Day 2 – Reconfinement Phase 2 – Jour 2
As we drove past the entrance to Château de Chaumont today, we saw these wonderful flowers that Jean Michel was convinced were a floral arrangement but I was not so sure so we stopped on the way back to get a closer look. The second photo shows the secret. What a clever idea! En passant …
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Lockdown #2 Day 12 – Reconfinement Jour 12
The last time we went to Chateau de Chaumont gardens just before lockdown we bought two Salvia Amistads that I had seen on previous occasions. It’s the plant with the dark purple flowers at the top of the slope. The smaller plant with purple flowers in the foreground is shrubby Veronica or hebe but it …
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Lockdown #2 Day 4 – Reconfinement Jour 4
This is in the dog cemetery at Chateau de Chaumont. As Covid19 figures rise in France – 46,290 new positive cases in 24 hours with a positivity rate of 20% and 231 hospital deaths – local non-essential businesses are pushing for re-opening on the grounds that they are safer than busy supermarkets. I would say …
Lockdown #2 Day 3 – Reconfinement Jour 3
Today was so dismal we decided to treat it like a workday and take tomorrow off to garden instead. It rained non-stop all day. This is another photo from our last walk at Chaumont. Aujourd’hui était tellement maussade que nous avons décidé de le traiter comme un jour ouvré et travailler dans le jardin demain …
Last Long Walk – Dernière longue promenade
Today was our last chance to take a long walk at Château de Chaumont before lockdown tonight at midnight (and to buy some Anistead sage plants before the garden festival section closes until next April). The Prime Minister announced the details of the lockdown this evening. As far as we are concerned it’s better than …
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The Black Pool – Le bassin noir
In just a few days, the garden festival at Château de Chaumont will be closed for the winter. We managed a visit late afternoon just after a shower of rain. Dans quelques jours, le festival des jardins à Chaumont-sur-Loire va fermer pour l’hiver. Nous sommes arrivés en fin d’après-midi juste après la pluie.