Life in the slow lane

After the excitement of Bastille Day life in our corner of Normandy has been quieter this week.
During the cooler early hours of the day I took time out to appreciate the garden and sitting on the patio reading some new books on my Kindle.
At the moment I'm enjoying reading "Growing Old Outrageously: A Memoir of Travel, Food and Friendship" by Hilary Linstead and Elisabeth Davies.

(I know I said I wouldn't ever get a Kindle, but I finally succumbed and now wonder how I managed to get by for so long without an English daily newspaper).

The Senior Partner, in anticipation of his upcoming retirement, second time around, has splashed out on a new "bridge" camera.

I have inherited his cast off Panasonic point and shoot and have been test driving it around and about.

Joining Mary @ the little red house for another Mosaic Monday.

Bastille Day - petit dejeuner

Fireworks lit the dark night sky at midnight as our neighbours began to celebrate July 14th, Bastille Day.

Since we Brits are a little more sedate we celebrated the special day with a late breakfast of coffee and croissants and a little bit of Gallic red, white & blue.

blue & white hand painted Quimper plates add Breton charm

as does the 18th c Petit Breton on this HB picher,
always a useful and decorative piece.

The delicious croissants were bought fresh from the boulanger's van as he made his early morning round through our village.

the blue and white hand painted Quimper plates each have a nautical motif

the pretty white blossom on these branches has a wonderful perfume,
sadly I do not know what tree this is as it was already thriving in the garden 17 years ago when we arrived in Normandy

bon appetit

Joining the following hostesses this week

the Tablescaper and Seasonal Sunday #161

the Magical Mystical Teacher, Gemma & Rose for Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Mary @ the little red house for Mosaic Monday

Promenade de l'Erdre.

Last Thursday we shook the Normandy country dust out of our hair and headed to Nantes, capital city of the Loire Atlantique region of Brittany.

Château de la Gascherie

There were two salons being held in the centre of Nantes, "Pour l'amour du Fil" for all things textile related and "Pour l'Amour du Scrap" for those of us who like to play with paper and glue.

Le Manoir de la Régate restaurant

As we were travelling with our German Shepherd, M'selle Fleur, we chose to stay overnight outside of the city centre at the Best Western, 3 star, Hotel de la Regatta.

Located on the bank of the River Erdre and surrounded by beautiful countryside it was the perfect location, ideal for those late night and early morning "tiddle times" that a GS girl needs.

Linking this post to the Tablescaper's new party

"Oh! the places I've been"

Here Come The Girls......................

here come the girls!

It's official Spring has arrived at last. I know this because the girls are back in the field next to our home!!

Theoretically they're not really back at all.
The 2012 heifers went on to become mums and with their babies went to live somewhere else. These lovely young things have that event to look forward to. In the meantime they are settling into their new abode and delighting us with their company.

The view from my bedroom window today at 9.00 am.

Pink Blossom

This week we saw warmer weather returning to Normandy and with it came our summer resident house martins who have been busy fluffing last year's nests in the rafters over the garage.
They fly so fast overhead it is impossible to be sure just how many have returned this year from Africa but I think there's at least three nesting pairs making their home with us, once again.

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The sunshine also brought out the beautiful blossom on our fruit trees.

The espaliered apple trees are looking particularly beautiful this year.

The ornamental cherry tree which is now almost as high as the house roof is a mass of vibrant pink blossom.

I love to look at it through my bedroom window as a sip my first cup of tea of the day.

Wishing you a beautiful start to the weekend, too.

Sharing the pink with Beverly @ How Sweet The Sound

Pink Saturday
and
The Tablescaper for
Seasonal Sunday #149

Sunday walk and other delights

The Normandy countryside is awakening to spring, at last, and I decided earlier in the week that it was safe to start sowing some veggie seeds in propagators ready to plant out into the potager in a couple of months time.

Whilst we were in UK last month I went overboard at the garden centre and stocked up on many different varieties of salads, tomatoes and courgettes but when I went looking for said seed packets they were nowhere to be found. After three days of fruitless searching the SP finally found them hidden in plain sight in one of the storerooms outside, how I'd missed seeing the bright green plastic bag that they were in I have no idea, but hey! I was sooooooooo glad they'd finally been found.

I took these shots whilst on our walk today.

Jacques new lambs

ajonc

wild purple orchids, can you see their spotted foliage

stream bank full of primroses

It's not just the countryside that's waking up, the Brocante season began this weekend, vendors selling all types of second hand, vintage and antiques items filled the St Clair car parks with their stalls.

this young man looks cold and bored!

assorted bric a brac

anyone lost a wheel off their wagon?

there's always a piece of Vallauris pottery on one of the stalls!

We slowly walked around looking at pottery (I'm always hopeful that one day I'll find a rare piece of Quimper) but I only came away with this book.

A Grammaire Anglaise dating from 1907 which cost the princely sum of one euro!

Leafing through it's water stained pages I think it will be a useful addition to my book shelf that's if I don't scrap it for an altered book project!

bon dimanche............

Sunday

This morning we took a drive over to the village of Vouilly to mooch around the small Foire de Printemps, hoping to bring back some plantlets to get my potager started.

Now that the days are beginning to warm up it's time to start planting, maybe!
I came away with 25 mixed lettuce, 5 celeriac, 6 tomato seedlings, a pot of thyme and a large bag of earthy potatoes for eating, not planting.

40 potato plants went into the plot when S the G came up to wake up the potager from it's winter slumber by mulching and rotavating last week.

After stashing the plants in the car we drove by the village church and I was seized with the urge to go inside to take some photographs, to share with you all.

Imagine, if you will, getting out of the car, walking over thick, crunchy gravel and encountering the most amazing place you have seen for a very long time.

I hope these photographs allow you to experience this very special place in the same way that it moved me today.
That's enough talk, just walk with me....................................................

 Mind the step, then look up.

and up.......

.

 I wonder how many babies have been baptised in this font?

Should we sit for a while and just take it all in?

Every place that your eye rests there is something wonderful to hold your gaze.

On the floor and on the walls.

By the door there are exhibits showing how the church was restored in the 1980's. These have faded over time but I was able to make out the story behind this strange object.

It is the only remaining example of a 12th century Normandy acoustic vase, made of terracotta they were placed in the choir to improve the church's acoustics.
I really enjoyed sharing this hidden gem, tucked away in a tiny Normandy village, with you today.
We must go for a walk together again soon.
bon dimanche.......................................................