Three Breton houses

A few Breton houses for you to look at today.

These are all local, taken in and around our village. Sadly many of the old stone houses in Brittany are like this one above.

Over the years people, mainly English, have bought them

for very little money and spent an awful lot

renovating them (that's another story).

Now there are very few English looking for bargains, and very many French

who know the value of their pile of stones.

In the Summer the lady who owns this house has geraniums cascading down the steps.

They look stunning, and people stop to gaze.

Many local houses have steps up to

the front door, and the basements were used for animals

or for storage.

My favourite.

It is very traditional for houses to have the

'Capucin' windows in the attics, so called beacuse of their likeness

to the peaked hood worn by a Capucin monk.

Edit; Thank you for your nice comments about the last house.

I've got to come clean and tell you that it was once ours.

We bought it 16 years ago and renovated it to the state you see it in today

complete with wonderful evergreen Clematis creeper.

It's just at the end of our lane as we now have a new

one storey house nearby.

I still have pangs when I look at it!

Blossom

The pretty Ornamental Crabapple always surprises me.

One day it is covered in pink buds, and seemingly the next day

it is a mass of blossom .

In Autumn the fruit appears, bright red,

shiny, and loved by our birds.

We have two other John Downie crabapple trees,

and those produce enough fruit for delicious jelly.

Lunch after church.

Our Anglican church in Brittany has three venues , all a good way from each other, but that's how Brittany is. It's good to know that we have centres where we reach out across the region.

We decided to go to one further North today, in a town called Rostrenen, about 50 minutes away. We are very fortunate to be able to use a small Chapel which is part of a school. We do have excellent rapport with the Catholic church in France.

After the service there was a small presentation
to a retiring Vicar who has given his services over the years.

And then? Well, lunch in a local restaurant, of course.

Sadly the one we had originally chosen was 'Complet', they were hosting a wedding party. We drove a little further to what looked at first glance like a Roadhouse, a bit yellow and red, if you know what I mean? However, inside it was fine, and was gradually filling up. A party of 18, all family members took over the Conservatory, and in the main room couples and smaller families were gathering. We chose from the menu....and watched unbelievingly as the couple nearest us were brought in a platter of fruits de mer that to my mind would have fed four people at least!

They had a bottle of white wine, two big baskets of bread, and spent the entire meal chomping their way through something similar to the photo. Sadly I hadnt got my camera with me.

Another couple had a slightly smaller version, and then went on to a second course of guinea fowl with all the trimmings.

How these French can eat!

We love to watch the interaction between the families, between the waiters who obviously knew many of the diners, the children who although pottering around, were never noisy.

It was a very good way to finish the morning.

We have a roof!

At last!

The roof is done.

It's not a professional job by any means

But it fits.

Can you imagine the problems of working

with 12 metres of fabric on an ordinary household machine!

I'm delighted that we can now enjoy our terrace....

even if every now and then I leap up to find scissors

to cut off a thread or two!

Trying to....

Vote?

Yes, well, we are trying to.

As overseas residents, but British, we are entitled to either a postal or a proxy vote in the forthcoming elections on May 6th.

I've done all the proper things, downloaded the registration forms, filled them in, given our grandaughter's name as our Proxy, but.....

E mail from grandaughter today, the last day for proxies, to say she had rung the electoral office who have no record of either our registration or of her being our proxy. Phone number enclosed.

I am so far, very impressed with the service I received when I telephoned. Nice well-spoken young man, not in Mumbai, who seemed quite distressed that they had 'let us down'.

Had I sent the forms in?

Yes, I had.

Could we just go through all the names, addresses and post codes again?

We did.

Um, very sorry, no record. But we will phone you back.

Unheard of!

An hour later I had a phone call to say that there was a huge backlog of proxy votes and they were being sorted out right now, as we speak, even. The proxies WILL arrive.

So now we wait. We've done our best.

The question did cross my mind...proxies must have been arriving for weeks. Why leave them till the last day to sort through?

We know how to live..........

What would you choose to do on a beautiful sunny day? Not a cloud in the sky, a light wind, ideal for a picnic? a day on the beach?

We did none of those things.

We went to the 'Dechetterie', which is the equivalent of a very smart 'tip'.

We had loads of garden greenery, cuttings, weeds etc to get rid of. We also had boxes of newspapers, boxes of cardboard, boxes of plastic bottles.....and yes, box, just one, of glass bottles.

France is very particular about recycling. A man waits to make sure you put everything in the right place. He seizes a brush to sweep up any bits inadvertently dropped by people. He waves you to the correct parking spot. It's all very well organised.

That was an exciting morning, don't you think?!

Swallows

The swallows have arrived here this week.

They suddenly appeared, as if by magic, out of the sky, swooping and diving over the lawn.

They look for the old barns and unoccupied houses here, and get busy making their nests.

I have a feeling I heard one or two of them say that they were glad they'd brought their little knitted jumpers and hats with them.

It's much colder here than where they've come from.

We shall look forward to seeing them wheeling and circling around the meadows here this Summer, especially on the day when the flying ants come out. Then we have hordes!

My lovely silver weeping pear is beginning to come into leaf.
This is purely a decorative tree, and although there are pretty pink and white blossoms, there wont be any pears. It is one of the most lovely delicate ornamental trees that I know. Last year it had very few flowers but this year it is covered in them.






The canopy? Well, I got fed up with it so I made some bunting instead!
Truthfully....it is nearly done. It's been up and down twice, and the effort of getting it there and down again made me wonder if it was all really worth it. It will be. I tell myself.

What a joy these pots have been.

Full of Daffodils and blue/purple violas, they have made the terrace look so cheerful.

Now they are just beginning to go over, sadly.

My greenhouse is full of geraniums,

pink, red, all waiting to replace the Spring bulbs.

It's too cold right now, and the Bretons always say never to put the geraniums out before May.

My problem is that I cant bear to wait that long! Dare I take a chance?

Flowers, and half a roof......

Spring bushes, alight with colour.

This little red Azalea has never been so full of flower.
The Mahonia makes my heart sing with joy.
The gorgeous 'yellowness' of it brightens my walk down the path,
and the perfume is amazing. I have to keep walking past it and
breathing deeply.


When I'm not walking past the mahonia, I am wrapped in a
never-ending sea of cloth (see post below).
I'm not there yet, but progress is being made.
I think.

sewing of a different kind

This shady thing is what the French know as a 'tonnelle'. It's a canopy over the terrace, under which we sit in the evening.

After the first sunny Summer we found that the fabric roof area had perished badly in some parts. I tried mending it but the material had gone too far. We were so pleased to find that the store had extra roof covers in stock, and bought another one.

This year, guess what? The roof has lasted two years, but once again is finished. Off we went to buy yet another one, only to find that they don't do them any more. What then? Sit under a canopy with no roof? Hunt round the internet to find nothing that will fit a 3 x 4 metre canopy?

The only answer, with much mathematical exercise, (because, stupidly, we threw away the old cover so no pattern), is to make one. Am I completely mad? I'm having a go anyway. 12 metres of heavy cloth, special sewing machine needles, lots of rulers, tapes and much chewing of pencils, two hours of heavy breathing....and, two rectangles are cut out! Only another eight triangles to go. And the putting together. And the fixing on top of the structure.

Masterchef

Didn't they do well?

Those of you who watch English Television will know that I'm writing about the three Masterchef finalists, Alex, a food writer, Tim a paediatrician (or as the programme called him, a 'children's doctor'), and Dhruv who had given up his job in the media world to go in for the competition.

As I plonk another plate of very British food in front of my husband, I do wonder whether I should pay a little more attention to presentation.

Maybe a sausage neatly mounted on a small tower of potato slices? A sliver of roast chicken with a few peas? Two dainty carrots decorating an inch square of fish? A minute portion of something, anything, as long as it is accompanied by 'foam'? Not sure he would really appreciate it.

I do admire these three men. None of them have any professional cookery training, and yet they cooked for world famous chefs, for Maharajahs, for VIPs, and succeeded beyond their dreams.

I would have found it impossible to choose one of the three, but Dhruv had the leading edge, and was the winner. He hopes to open his own restaurant. I wonder if I could persude him to reopen our village brasserie?

Cherry

At last the cherry blossom is beginning. Little buds are forming on the bushes planted around the tree.

Daffodils are blooming.

The garden is coming alive again. Now 'all' I need to do is

to start my seedlings in the greenhouse, and we're on the way towards Summer.

Love is..................

Love is.......letting your husband look through the NEW magazine that you havent even had a chance to open!

I love the feel of a brand new magazine. I rarely buy British ones here as they are around twice the English cover price, which does seem unfair. However, good old Country Living is charged at just about the same amount in euros as the cover price, so I feel I can justify buying it. Of course the French produce some very attractive magazines, particularly those on 'Maisons' and 'jardins', but I love to read in my own language.

My other favourite, being read here, is Country Homes and Interiors, but that remains a once a year treat. I make it last!

Happy Easter!

Yes, today is the day of the Resurrection!

Jesus is risen from the tomb.

He is Lord!
He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess,
That JESUS CHRIST is LORD!

Happy Easter!

I have to be honest. I didnt make this!

But there are so many ways to decorate with just a few twigs and

flowers, to welcome Easter morning.

In the garden the cherry is blossoming, a mass

of candyfloss pink. When I was a child I used to

collect cherry petals and pretend to 'cook' them. I was almost

sure that I would produce a wonderful sorbet dessert!

The daffodils under the cherry tree are now in full bloom, 100 bulbs

planted last Autumn. They bring such pleasure.

And tomorrow is the day of

the glorious Resurrection!

Good Friday

He died for me.

Holy Thursday

Today is known as Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday. I'm not sure how many parts of the world commemmorate this day with those names, as Maundy Thursday is a peculiarly English tradition.
This day begins the three days of celebration as we go towards Easter. The word Maundy comes from the Latin 'mandatum', meaning 'commandment'. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave a new commandment to his disciples ......"I give you a new commandment, love one another as I have loved you". (John 13, v34)
As He washed his disciples feet that night, so many churches continue this act of service with a meditation which includes foot washing.
Maundy money is given by the Queen to pensioners chosen for their service to the church or community. The coins are carried by the Yeomen of the Guard in red and white leather bags, placed on trays on their heads. The number of people who recieve the money is the same as the age of the Queen, so this year 83 people will be given the coins.
This year the service will be held in Derby Cathedral. These are Maundy coins, which have no monetary value, but are priceless to the people who receive them.

What a wonderful memory for them to relate to their children and grandchildren.

A winner!

The twenty six names went into a bowl. One name was pulled out, and it was......

JEAN!

Please e mail me with your address, Jean, and I will send you the book.

Sorry that it couldnt have been all of you!