Christmas is Coming – Noël arrive

Christmas seems to come earlier every year but I refuse to have anything to do with it before 1st December. This is the shop that n Blois with the prettiest decorations. Noël semble démarrer de plus en plus tôt chaque année mais je refuse d’y penser avant le 1er décembre. Voici le magasin à Blois …

Ateliers Créations Minatures

You may remember a photo I took of a stall at the Blois Christmas market that I said I’d go back to. I was very taken with the handmade miniature garden birds. I did go back and we bought five little birds that we know well – the coaltit,  crested tit, goldfinch and nuthatch love the fat balls and …

Bizy Back Soon – Ouverture aléatoire

I think this is a great sign! It so reminds me of Christopher Robin’s note to Winnie the Pooh “Gon Out Bizy Back Soon”. It is on one of the bookshops in Blois and says literally “Random Opening until 4th February. Outdoor activity. For all information 06 61 40 00 65. OPEN SATURDAY”. I’d love …

Miniature Garden Birds – Oiseaux de jardin en miniature

Most of the Christmas stalls at Place Louis XII in Blois are not very interesting, but I want to go back to this one. On the left are little figurines of garden birds that I thought might be decorative around the range hood in our kitchen. La plupart des stands de noël à Place Louis XII …

The Bread Box – La boîte à pain

The little village of Coulanges in the Cisse Valley has a town hall and a church, but no shops. Lionel Guéry has found a way of distributing bread to those with the right key! Their bakery, La Pétrie, is in nearby Chouzy-sur-Cisse. Le petit village de Coulanges dans la vallée de la Cisse a une …