I come from North Queensland in Australia and only knew about snowdrops from books until I went to live in France. When they appear in the little wood behind our 400-year old house in Blois, it’s like a rebirth after the winter and one of the reasons why I love my life in France! The photos below …
Category Archives: Flowers and gardens
Late Snowdrops – Perce-neiges tardifs
The snow-drops are very late this year. Last year, they appeared in December (which was actually 2015). Les perce-neiges sont très tardis cette année. .L’année dernières ils sont sortis en décembre (donc en 2015). Pour ceux qui pensent que je me suis trompé avec l’orthographe du pluriel de perce-neige, j’ai utilisé l’orthographe rectifié de …
Sun before Cold – Soleil avant le froid
We’re in for a cold snap. The next photo will probably show ice or snow. (I accidentally posted this on my other blog). Nous attendons une période très froide. La prochaine photo montrera sûrement de la gelée ou de la neige.
Frozen Thoughts – Pensées gelées
It was cold but sunny this morning and minus 2°. My pansies (from pensées = thoughts in French dixit Ophelia in Hamlet) took a beating but by 2 pm they were as bright as a button. Adaptable. Il faisait froid ce matin avec une température de moins 2°C mais le soleil était au rendez-vous. Mes …
The Frosty Web – La toile givrée
Nature is astonishing. This bush was full of lace doilies. La nature est étonnante. Cet arbuste était plein de napperons en dentelle.
Reflections of Chambord – Reflets de Chambord
Admittedly, I did not take this photo today, but two days ago. Since then we have not seen even a tiny bit of sun or blue sky. Today’s photo is below. The temmperature did not go above zero. Je dois admettre que je n’ai pas pris cette photo aujourd’hui, mais il y a deux jours. …
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Chambord's New Gardens – Les nouveaux jardins de Chambord
Today we got our first glimpse of the new gardens at Chambord, though they are still in the early stages. The aim is to restore the formal gardens as they were in the 18th century so that visitors can see the château, no longer as an isolated object, but as part of a majestic environment combining …
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What a mess! – Quel chantier !
The trench digging machine has returned to the rental firm and we’re left with a big mess. I wonder how long it will take for it to return to normal? La trancheuse est repartie tournée à la maison de location et il ne reste plus que le gros chantier. Je me demande combien de temps il …
In the Trenches – Dans les tranchées
We’ve hired a trench-digging machine for two days so that Jean Michel can install an automatic watering system. The only problem is the very clayey soil and large number of rocks. When I went to buy some more petrol in jerrycans this morning for the little gas-guzzler, I learnt that starting today until after New Year, …
Misty Morning – Matin dans la brume
I’ve called this Misty Morning because that’s when I took the photo but it’s pretty well misty-all-the-time at the moment. You may rememberr this same spot in the summer in the photo below. Astonishingly enough, there are buds on the lilac bush on the left of the first photo. J’ai appelé cette photo “Matin dans …