Beyond the Wall – Par-dessus le mur

During our evening promenade in Les Grouets, our neighbourhood in Blois, we always pass this manor house with its turrent, probably built in the 18th century. I love the semi-circular shutters. Ce manoir avec sa tourelle, sans doute construit au 18è siècle se trouve sur notre promenade du soir aux Grouets, le quartier de Blois où …

The Broken iPhone – L'iPhone cassé

Now I bet you’re thinking that the title is a mistake. Well, it isnt. We were taking a stroll in the twilight and saw this beautifully restored pigeon house behind a wrought-iron gate. To get a better photo, I slid my iPhone behind the bars and – you guessed it – it somehow slipped out …

Bread Day in Les Grouets – Fête du Pain aux Grouets

The fête du pain or bread festival takes places in France every year on the feast of Saint Honoré, patron saint of bakers.  Norbert Gourget, who has his own bread oven in our neighbourhood, Les Grouets, turns into a baker once a year for the local association Les Amis des Grouets to bake bread, brioche …

Our Local Biscuits – Sablés du quartier

As we were walking through the market in Blois, a green bicycle with “Les Grouets” on it caught my eye. “Les Grouets” is the name of our neighbourhood in Blois. We soon started talking with an enterprising pastry cook who makes and sells delicious shortbread biscuits. Now we buy a packet every time we go. …

Bread Baskets – Paniers à pain

These bread baskets come from a bakery that closed in Les Gouets a few years ago. From left to right, “pain”, “boule” and “baguette”. Ces paniers à pain proviennent d’une boulangerie qui a fermé aux Grouets il y a quelques années. De gauche à droite, pain, boule et baguette.  

Sundial in Les Grouets – Cadran solaire aux Grouets

Another sundial, this time in Rue Basse des Grouets. the English translation of the Latin motto is “Time goes slowly for the idle, but quickly for the industrious”. An autre cadran solaire, cette fois-ci dans la rue Basse des Grouets: La traduction de la devise en latin est : “L’heure coule lentement pour les paresseux, …