The Loire Valley and especially Blois
Shopping is a difficult theme during lockdown in France as we can only shop for essential items. Traditionally May Day is the only day of the year where everyone has the right to sell lily-of-the-valley, considered to bring good luck. It’s also Labour Day and a public holiday. As a result of the corona virus …
Continue reading “Covid Confinement Day 46 – CDP theme day: shopping”
We are back in Blois having taken a very early flight from Heraklion. France went into lockdown at midday today. To go food shopping you need to take a self-declaration with you. Also we have discovered that only one person per household can enter the supermarket at the same time and the total number of …
Lucky Luke is a well-known and well-loved comic book character created by the Belgian cartoonist Morris in 1946. He subsequently worked with René Goscinny of Astérix fame until his death in 1977 then with other cartoonist until his own death in 2001. French artist Achdé has been drawing it ever since with the help of …
“The broom car” is a dedicated car that follows the bridal and guest cars from one location to the other. It usually carries a trail of pans or tins. We saw this more sophisticated version in front of Château du Rivau near Chinon last weekend. Below is the well-beloved Renault 4L built between 1961 and December 1992. …
In France the pointsettia, which originated in Mexico, is a favourite indoor Christmas plant. I grew up knowing it as a garden plant in the tropical winter of North Queensland in Australia where it flowers in July and August. It produces the red (or pink) leaf-like bracts around its tiny flowers. It rarely lasts long …
Continue reading “Poinsettia for Christmas – Pointsettia de Noël”
I fail to understand why almost ALL the picnic tables in France (and there are not a lot of them I have to say) are in the sun at midday (not to mention most of the afternoon). Je n’arrive pas à comprendre pourquoi quasiment TOUTES les tables de pique-nique en France (et il n’y en …
Continue reading “Picnic in the Sun – Pique-nique au soleil”
I had already seen similar initiatives in Germany but it’s the first time I’ve seen a “help-yourself” book cabinet in France. This one is on Place Marceau in Chartres. The cabinet, which has a glass door on both sides, is the result of a visit to Spire, Chartres’ “twin town” in Germany by one of …
This year’s Christmas wreath is made of holly gathered in the woods (with red berries), boxwood and variegated holly from our garden. Happy Christmas ! Notre couronne de noël cette année est fabriquée à partir du houx (avec les baies rouges) qu’on a cherché dans la forêt, du buis et houx à feuilles panachées de notre jardin. …