tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-330391042024-03-18T23:15:40.830+01:00Days on the ClaiseThe daily diary of two Australians living in the Loire Valley. For details of our
private guided tours of chateaux, wineries, markets and more please
visit the <a href="https://tourtheloire.com/">Loire Valley Time
Travel website</a>. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.comBlogger5835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-11447687534366740962024-03-18T09:00:00.001+01:002024-03-18T09:00:00.131+01:00Seeing RedThat was a narrow escape...<div><br /></div><div>I chose the colours of our paint very carefully, especially the colour of the second (after the pierre apparentes) feature wall in the salon. Over the course of a couple of days I studied the colour swatches, compared them to the tiles, took spot colour samples from photos and ran them through colour matching programs, found the HEX value, matched that through <a href="https://encycolorpedia.com/ae343f">encycolorpedia.com</a> and came up with the paint reference number and name.</div><div><br /></div><div>Except when paint met wall it was pretty obvious that the choice wasn't perfect. It was worryingly raspberry coloured, not the dark red edging towards brown that were we're hoping would match to the tiles.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fFVAtmVFggHroRbvMfc-jL7SW-Ht-gwcceXEB1TbvFwFhGxmfkTsfOy_gRiZqbPnF5xrtVJtiG20dQOKSIzIKe-hqTUuOTwG1OizbuvZrKBil8cWbu5DvxE0RfEngwIL9CS1_20269b0jFKrY4tQ_ieku4uUF8ZOw7sbQy-Lte8D0VCOU-h-/s1000/IMG_20240316_113547~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fFVAtmVFggHroRbvMfc-jL7SW-Ht-gwcceXEB1TbvFwFhGxmfkTsfOy_gRiZqbPnF5xrtVJtiG20dQOKSIzIKe-hqTUuOTwG1OizbuvZrKBil8cWbu5DvxE0RfEngwIL9CS1_20269b0jFKrY4tQ_ieku4uUF8ZOw7sbQy-Lte8D0VCOU-h-/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_113547~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We would have gone with it - we've reached that stage - but having an expert on the team that wasn't going to fly. So we spent 30 minutes of adding various amounts of ochre powder, doing test patches and drying them with a painter's hairdryer</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpSGiKGr0Wpe4BZHasO-I1gPcnnsl0sSi7PbENKhhlfCXFvfWOS9a9JjYWFA1LOb-jcEhUC7uYpgGSda0MK4z6hRadOJfrIrjgGXr11o2YmVvK7ns93T2M7rjplwTNabQrKUW6G8pAzyGFaQ2b2Rl4D9dVH0x2OkvZDOGkCCgb9_jvyE4BR7x/s750/IMG_20240316_151245~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpSGiKGr0Wpe4BZHasO-I1gPcnnsl0sSi7PbENKhhlfCXFvfWOS9a9JjYWFA1LOb-jcEhUC7uYpgGSda0MK4z6hRadOJfrIrjgGXr11o2YmVvK7ns93T2M7rjplwTNabQrKUW6G8pAzyGFaQ2b2Rl4D9dVH0x2OkvZDOGkCCgb9_jvyE4BR7x/w480-h640/IMG_20240316_151245~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />In the end we managed to find the colour I thought we had chosen.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoKvAV9D5ijSCFdkIJNMt5JmxS7tHq1OwJimVaitCKrtkUcdcs3AaZmA8yRM2aWWkcz3ccbtURP3C-zG8UmtdsjrhSOkkoMY7P0x-JCHWNhpXu1hVlkdxgvxNmUk5KkfZpICXU-w87S1ymz5cZ1UjyujArIRpl3btgGDgqvAHWj9log7c0EhY/s750/IMG_20240316_171203~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoKvAV9D5ijSCFdkIJNMt5JmxS7tHq1OwJimVaitCKrtkUcdcs3AaZmA8yRM2aWWkcz3ccbtURP3C-zG8UmtdsjrhSOkkoMY7P0x-JCHWNhpXu1hVlkdxgvxNmUk5KkfZpICXU-w87S1ymz5cZ1UjyujArIRpl3btgGDgqvAHWj9log7c0EhY/w480-h640/IMG_20240316_171203~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />It's a colour I like to think of as "old velvet curtain red". It works really nicely with artificial light, as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKYT2GJThXZQjlK_0el_nb7sb7pBfmVN8sMeUOHNxpzSqtbJTCvGIBK9jbmBsHfc3k_HhfDTLVusOgNRgyDzbM3XYFtlHlXC4hivHtsr4gIaaZFt7lyLWwGqDa0unrq6FaP_ooI1ZBsTOl2Y0_l12Naka8hZHji3hrGMLoze3gvka8exkTAGf/s1000/IMG_20240317_200146~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKYT2GJThXZQjlK_0el_nb7sb7pBfmVN8sMeUOHNxpzSqtbJTCvGIBK9jbmBsHfc3k_HhfDTLVusOgNRgyDzbM3XYFtlHlXC4hivHtsr4gIaaZFt7lyLWwGqDa0unrq6FaP_ooI1ZBsTOl2Y0_l12Naka8hZHji3hrGMLoze3gvka8exkTAGf/w640-h480/IMG_20240317_200146~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Those tiles do need a clean, though.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-31725946321324503362024-03-16T09:00:00.022+01:002024-03-16T09:00:00.132+01:00Tiling<div>After my exertions on Tuesday doing the pierres apparentes, Wednesday was back to cutting tiles. I had finally got my head around how to do corners, so I set myself up in the garden and got grinding. It was a lovely day - t-shirt weather - so I organised myself a chair, and set to.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcriLx-5cCTKDP2ziUw0w70UZ8V0uLb3oDdR9HG7EuZyNLf8-7Cy0CwwadniaBiq3lCdUfU3aXCAcbIRPIawawmqtNADAWEcEKBijwS8eW4TsIUPuvl9rU7WNcgZrKJZuO783qr0R6WyFm8nPIdODFixBBrEdaatWtlhqJYrUGKefadv6B2uK/s750/IMG_20240311_124840~3%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcriLx-5cCTKDP2ziUw0w70UZ8V0uLb3oDdR9HG7EuZyNLf8-7Cy0CwwadniaBiq3lCdUfU3aXCAcbIRPIawawmqtNADAWEcEKBijwS8eW4TsIUPuvl9rU7WNcgZrKJZuO783qr0R6WyFm8nPIdODFixBBrEdaatWtlhqJYrUGKefadv6B2uK/w480-h640/IMG_20240311_124840~3%20(2).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I was a lot quicker than on <a href="https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2024/03/cleaning-tiles.html">Monday</a> but it came at a price. By lunchtime I had almost finished the the tiles, and the tiles had almost finished me. My arm was in absolute agony, caused due to spending two days holding a heavy grinder, and one day doing masonry. My wrist wouldn't rotate, and my forearm was constant pain.(Anyone who has had shin splints will know the feeling. Yes, forearm splints is a thing).</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew I wouldn't be able to get the tiles laid that afternoon, but we had a deadline to meet. Once again, the value of friends was demonstrated. Susan phoned Huub, and he swung into action.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehlrmdiBmf1qgEUzTqHQVvTSnBDzA0p5yqTDaZbtXAVCaW29czR0OJtCOXN2hpjlQmcsKgF3OmRbltPMzkaLj_Vh5vYdaofu01_G1IU2OM2rUMksZMdTmhG5tmqVcmIRasUwY9aP80dfy4j1mraU7d1ZXPd0j8JsQIORgxxY8aHTkVPv5E5b3/s1000/IMG_2024-03-13-15-32-03-339_051914~2%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehlrmdiBmf1qgEUzTqHQVvTSnBDzA0p5yqTDaZbtXAVCaW29czR0OJtCOXN2hpjlQmcsKgF3OmRbltPMzkaLj_Vh5vYdaofu01_G1IU2OM2rUMksZMdTmhG5tmqVcmIRasUwY9aP80dfy4j1mraU7d1ZXPd0j8JsQIORgxxY8aHTkVPv5E5b3/w640-h480/IMG_2024-03-13-15-32-03-339_051914~2%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>A couple of hours later it was done. Huub claims not to have done tiling before, but honestly you would never know. A bit of finishing and the job looks spot on.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkNFy4QU5HfHBCkcB2I1_v2IhNJw6O0SFGtXQnM0f-gE7sW9NGXB_JCLN7GzmhKK4jp4qLwacQTAXIPZrsZ0WWWXXr9rIW5_2XMPZWLnLQakbhyqnnHcxj6VmJk3NM7uZETob8Kio3GKZOk21zDy0GEG-jzPpBQ57W2deJC9wLmQZ1n5BIU-p/s999/IMG_2024-03-15-14-16-17-209_045709~2%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkNFy4QU5HfHBCkcB2I1_v2IhNJw6O0SFGtXQnM0f-gE7sW9NGXB_JCLN7GzmhKK4jp4qLwacQTAXIPZrsZ0WWWXXr9rIW5_2XMPZWLnLQakbhyqnnHcxj6VmJk3NM7uZETob8Kio3GKZOk21zDy0GEG-jzPpBQ57W2deJC9wLmQZ1n5BIU-p/w640-h480/IMG_2024-03-15-14-16-17-209_045709~2%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Don't let the bright red strip worry you. That's an undercoat colour.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-48417368332409853252024-03-15T09:00:00.046+01:002024-03-15T09:00:00.137+01:00Men at WorkMore pierres apparentes, but this time action shots.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The master shows the apprentice 3½:1</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMONVWmXdxiWtFK1ja2w8guYtLm2E1qu3P2DJMa7aWCCHmTs2oQfA9lSjIiZFLW4Ew0sU0qEnIGuXiq7iGLtmg8fPVe4CYz1ghdQitx7Z9AS9pXod6rBS1kOSMZmmNV5BlPwl40nRt0DNzLZKz07K_M-b4sSTUL8vjzOuQztoM6cWYpXvxrV2/s750/IMG_2024-03-12-09-57-21-543_092836~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMONVWmXdxiWtFK1ja2w8guYtLm2E1qu3P2DJMa7aWCCHmTs2oQfA9lSjIiZFLW4Ew0sU0qEnIGuXiq7iGLtmg8fPVe4CYz1ghdQitx7Z9AS9pXod6rBS1kOSMZmmNV5BlPwl40nRt0DNzLZKz07K_M-b4sSTUL8vjzOuQztoM6cWYpXvxrV2/w480-h640/IMG_2024-03-12-09-57-21-543_092836~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />My first patch of enduit</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CC6z4U4j846b7BtxextX0fnpeKWdHWaH2lIn817ef2GCqWRg8pPnNZAg2Kqtf6FHIaugXG4uzyNnG1TX5EytzD0XiGoZhb5eeDtisUh_oFr9ZSg4Xw_WXzz7AvqptaXB3H2HpU9ypYHBSkpvsNpt58n2Uiow2qNIuer-ZT_EGX1Ag4bS47Ll/s750/IMG_2024-03-12-10-12-16-144_092926~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="562" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CC6z4U4j846b7BtxextX0fnpeKWdHWaH2lIn817ef2GCqWRg8pPnNZAg2Kqtf6FHIaugXG4uzyNnG1TX5EytzD0XiGoZhb5eeDtisUh_oFr9ZSg4Xw_WXzz7AvqptaXB3H2HpU9ypYHBSkpvsNpt58n2Uiow2qNIuer-ZT_EGX1Ag4bS47Ll/w480-h640/IMG_2024-03-12-10-12-16-144_092926~3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Simons turn to mix</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ou8zV4ohopWpS-mLdg8kGG1B811I2vfXuc7AyCD2HKzRxs9UI2_pwZdKoE9R_bjJWc8IxUO6qiMo6pQC8RyOn1nJwXnvLtq9_KxaHotvbZ228w7PfWkSD914Tj3DSEuZDskCuNq0Lr0ij3aeuDrfzUNQXLjKO06-xU8K-EMLR3FY9DhqOzAo/s750/IMG_2024-03-12-10-36-07-218_093130~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="562" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ou8zV4ohopWpS-mLdg8kGG1B811I2vfXuc7AyCD2HKzRxs9UI2_pwZdKoE9R_bjJWc8IxUO6qiMo6pQC8RyOn1nJwXnvLtq9_KxaHotvbZ228w7PfWkSD914Tj3DSEuZDskCuNq0Lr0ij3aeuDrfzUNQXLjKO06-xU8K-EMLR3FY9DhqOzAo/w480-h640/IMG_2024-03-12-10-36-07-218_093130~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />A close up of the wall in progress</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfPvCJGsTSIWj2yOO4Za5LDO45kJv9XZLsSMRTsA2WOa6KKtbOHXFnPUN5xMbOGk_rRhlB6fvcipaKJ5ehB8TWENXfYcwgc1uP8KlQMuSoJyYVEPSwLQbKxpbabpiIpFJLGrSWsqaPyoDDiJ2jyRTScH7LENDzELRkxFj6ZAmLn29KUaahy-K/s750/IMG_2024-03-12-12-37-32-692_092729~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfPvCJGsTSIWj2yOO4Za5LDO45kJv9XZLsSMRTsA2WOa6KKtbOHXFnPUN5xMbOGk_rRhlB6fvcipaKJ5ehB8TWENXfYcwgc1uP8KlQMuSoJyYVEPSwLQbKxpbabpiIpFJLGrSWsqaPyoDDiJ2jyRTScH7LENDzELRkxFj6ZAmLn29KUaahy-K/w480-h640/IMG_2024-03-12-12-37-32-692_092729~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The completed wall drying out yesterday afternoon</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLH_NQsVzduHNYHHMFpvZyQDxSyKtoRohqXQYG6be9VkD6esUOJS1c0pm2vTlHVWv9SIw6dzhqFl4-Bo4JU_Tvcir7SyoYdpePVmphNsif45LFK_-XL00OfbEq-cA6qqBlWUi5EnypSsO0zxWi8qdXRMnZfmIBHOOLAQdJXj8r3N37ZxQbWGn/s1000/IMG_20240314_162237~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLH_NQsVzduHNYHHMFpvZyQDxSyKtoRohqXQYG6be9VkD6esUOJS1c0pm2vTlHVWv9SIw6dzhqFl4-Bo4JU_Tvcir7SyoYdpePVmphNsif45LFK_-XL00OfbEq-cA6qqBlWUi5EnypSsO0zxWi8qdXRMnZfmIBHOOLAQdJXj8r3N37ZxQbWGn/w640-h480/IMG_20240314_162237~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">You can see the wall lightening up as the enduit dries. Hopefully it will all dry to more or less the same colour - that will mean I was consistant in my <span style="text-align: center;">3½:1.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-8296592515401631282024-03-14T09:00:00.047+01:002024-03-14T17:31:13.431+01:00Pierres Apparentes <div>After cleaning out the wall in the salon it's time for pierres apparentes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The wall before we started</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAzoMq111RGqy3QJZ9Ia4QTGKnj7VT61mXwmvNqFfUOwja9Ba2WlQTP6V-byEdag9PT6pG9IqC0ciJ-7wCwlbrjg8QSJNp5beYOOcqqtmpD0AdHSofOUKt-yha1RzsqSLqCy-RGRVLsN2wJ_-qw6iETCpKAhO18Ts99PyxWTde03_YMuelUl-/s1000/1~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAzoMq111RGqy3QJZ9Ia4QTGKnj7VT61mXwmvNqFfUOwja9Ba2WlQTP6V-byEdag9PT6pG9IqC0ciJ-7wCwlbrjg8QSJNp5beYOOcqqtmpD0AdHSofOUKt-yha1RzsqSLqCy-RGRVLsN2wJ_-qw6iETCpKAhO18Ts99PyxWTde03_YMuelUl-/w640-h480/1~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />All the cement render is chipped off</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV06aoUwXe00JOCyzlkyw5iwzEWqYZjQIbvR97Wh5coqQN1HfbYQgRJcYr7mVTzRmDFx_uNNXpAJIcqNG0ncMdl3VwiLl-Zhsd3AyMA5nJ8jmdeAVvtqAvZsmu2bYGY3hx9HLx4UhMDhJ7ZuR1VHSP8-1gY99ZToQHEW20XHHb957qs3-CI6RT/s1000/2~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV06aoUwXe00JOCyzlkyw5iwzEWqYZjQIbvR97Wh5coqQN1HfbYQgRJcYr7mVTzRmDFx_uNNXpAJIcqNG0ncMdl3VwiLl-Zhsd3AyMA5nJ8jmdeAVvtqAvZsmu2bYGY3hx9HLx4UhMDhJ7ZuR1VHSP8-1gY99ZToQHEW20XHHb957qs3-CI6RT/w640-h480/2~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The joints between the stones are cleared out</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB6Ft4mc3kopbJerb8Fnp1gmCu5hhXhkD5YAQOM3q8o-6naVq6Eto28g0VjFWliNBqwKCpIl9ckgmSeeQVjKFuxvWByfm5UJ60Mtya1MnhhsjM5tWWDQEwK3es3t6r0dkmA8TI1BgsDY4t5-Yka48ICAFNjIann8x1Nb68l6ZflQUCnx9gTWp/s1000/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB6Ft4mc3kopbJerb8Fnp1gmCu5hhXhkD5YAQOM3q8o-6naVq6Eto28g0VjFWliNBqwKCpIl9ckgmSeeQVjKFuxvWByfm5UJ60Mtya1MnhhsjM5tWWDQEwK3es3t6r0dkmA8TI1BgsDY4t5-Yka48ICAFNjIann8x1Nb68l6ZflQUCnx9gTWp/w640-h480/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Susan and I started at 08:30 on Tuesday, laying protection for the floor and preparing the tools.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dennis came over to show me how it's done, and ended up staying the whole morning. This means that the job I was fearing would take two days of hoping I was getting it right, turned into one day of an expert and his apprentice. The process involves flicking the mixture into the joints, making sure it fills all the nooks and crannies, and partially covering the faces if the stone.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g1MuqAKG-i7EPxn0cmUYvYafUEE6hZzCRvYS6-BJmjkwyZf4Un27ZrJIjD-lxRFp4Naf6IRTl5VDoxx2F-BaKe_C6jw5gxHWkW0VQuzWQMuQw63ZNlZq5e6xFRMgF2SZurD0eJC6RtU3gJgb8ASqjPMX-d0vZ3LoZTKr-vg__TtblXlnoEMs/s1000/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g1MuqAKG-i7EPxn0cmUYvYafUEE6hZzCRvYS6-BJmjkwyZf4Un27ZrJIjD-lxRFp4Naf6IRTl5VDoxx2F-BaKe_C6jw5gxHWkW0VQuzWQMuQw63ZNlZq5e6xFRMgF2SZurD0eJC6RtU3gJgb8ASqjPMX-d0vZ3LoZTKr-vg__TtblXlnoEMs/w640-h480/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Dennis left just after midday, and I finished applying the mixture - referred to as enduit in French - at 15:30. The enduit is a mix of one part lime to 3½ parts sand. We used 115 kg of sand and 35 kg of chaux blanc (hydraulique lime) to cover about 5m².</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMM2lVrhL_bDvAnmt8eYOmEQtmy_cy9RxxhKKPJbJNdvpbcMkJT9jJSTnLIQ_TBZX6ZREu8r6BjZkwjSff4C4SGcboUgRacVv4JmETjonFZ73euMO1QJT7EKN3t4cmhgyofOad-7Caz2pKHuTVGdKXHIMe3DFLtILugu1yCZENfGxKYfJ9caz/s1000/5~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMM2lVrhL_bDvAnmt8eYOmEQtmy_cy9RxxhKKPJbJNdvpbcMkJT9jJSTnLIQ_TBZX6ZREu8r6BjZkwjSff4C4SGcboUgRacVv4JmETjonFZ73euMO1QJT7EKN3t4cmhgyofOad-7Caz2pKHuTVGdKXHIMe3DFLtILugu1yCZENfGxKYfJ9caz/w640-h480/5~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I then returned to the house at 21:00 (9 pm) to rub back the enduit to expose the stone faces, finishing at 00:30 (half past midnight). The finished enduit and stones will lighten as they dry out.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRthyphenhyphenUdpxEc3aLfqUtbcz46KLOu64V759Y_hrdU6bN4MJPNUhcLlgBBA83yJJy_td2yt4qbow38rOsJn9EEaEWxz-X6CoNMZPWZg2HO6XqXVfBlHA5pZANGEH0Kc2FXFMma4znJ-Uy2Boq8_fioyqMHkFjniPhDy20TcdZw3d9ACdT1u1Mewj/s1000/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRthyphenhyphenUdpxEc3aLfqUtbcz46KLOu64V759Y_hrdU6bN4MJPNUhcLlgBBA83yJJy_td2yt4qbow38rOsJn9EEaEWxz-X6CoNMZPWZg2HO6XqXVfBlHA5pZANGEH0Kc2FXFMma4znJ-Uy2Boq8_fioyqMHkFjniPhDy20TcdZw3d9ACdT1u1Mewj/w640-h480/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Sahara dunes at the foot of the wall is 45 kg of excess enduit which has been rubbed off. Susan and I bagged and removed that yesterday morning. I'm exhausted, Tuesday was the longest day of intensive physical activity I have done for many a year, but the signs so far is that it's been worth it.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-62428262469588506622024-03-13T09:00:00.001+01:002024-03-13T09:20:58.786+01:00Wot a Mess!I was at our house on Monday evening, because the wall of the salon had to be made damp so that when we got around to applying the lime mix for the pierre apparent, the stones in the walls wouldn't instantly suck all the moisture out of the mix.<div><br /></div><div>We've been aware that the house is filthy to the point that we can't actually envisage it being livable, but this photo really brings home just how lucky we are to have friends with a house nearby.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5lIH6zQRH_fzFByhub0GstVgEAwU5QDoxphT5lFtnOD146kP_83Sc9o5_g3kd13SskF6upk2AB_rB3GOU-cw70v1I5yEZzdwz-0m3xiXS0niAAQsv49l8Y0sIryj96U4jLO3j0tRMYP4M94ns185Q_5lmT3uqhEsPS1-Zno7e2_cfPICx_Sv/s750/IMG_20240311_222859~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5lIH6zQRH_fzFByhub0GstVgEAwU5QDoxphT5lFtnOD146kP_83Sc9o5_g3kd13SskF6upk2AB_rB3GOU-cw70v1I5yEZzdwz-0m3xiXS0niAAQsv49l8Y0sIryj96U4jLO3j0tRMYP4M94ns185Q_5lmT3uqhEsPS1-Zno7e2_cfPICx_Sv/w480-h640/IMG_20240311_222859~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-42073756735862568222024-03-12T09:00:00.001+01:002024-03-12T09:00:00.130+01:00Cleaning TilesI spent most of yesterday cleaning tiles, ready to reinstate the ceramic plinth in the salon. I had to remove <a href="https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2024/02/cement-tiles.html" target="_blank">between 8mm and 15mm of hard cement from a soft cement tile</a>. This I achieved by using a grinder with a diamond cutting wheel and cutting the old cement glue off.<div><br /><div>It was raining when we arrived at the house, and as cutting cement is a dirty, dusty job I set up a temporary shelter in the back garden. A bit of rope, and old tarpaulin, and I was ready to set up my equipment and start cutting.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2FsBPvxeHCQTuO1_Aqr-8m_FvEH6TfNPfNPX6zftmX_vpJXmyMJlRnPfteYmfBCEl9Wbuh01CzX6zZXFZnv_RasNBTeqOPrz75njRv5qgCfYJ9_bfwSo85q8QM1VgjyBBvuZt7VIvODj3lfjpdC3Ey1lXmGNevH9AGd_0wshWEWd5_OMy-oO/s1000/IMG_20240311_124840~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2FsBPvxeHCQTuO1_Aqr-8m_FvEH6TfNPfNPX6zftmX_vpJXmyMJlRnPfteYmfBCEl9Wbuh01CzX6zZXFZnv_RasNBTeqOPrz75njRv5qgCfYJ9_bfwSo85q8QM1VgjyBBvuZt7VIvODj3lfjpdC3Ey1lXmGNevH9AGd_0wshWEWd5_OMy-oO/w640-h480/IMG_20240311_124840~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBuv61UP7-71Wgpjq6KL86x6jsB_-TY8rc5InMhrf-CniFskeTM4Gc5epNRMJfACQ7NeA-fZwSWysJgMP1gAE4QO-yI5foP_kUGTmqyPX1B_MzWSOfRQTQ3dU4U8bnaw0zr8WSqN_ekfPRhZidKG_177h6EIliFSIcPD_E4fxUKdorxmfMsBG/s1000/IMG_20240311_124856~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBuv61UP7-71Wgpjq6KL86x6jsB_-TY8rc5InMhrf-CniFskeTM4Gc5epNRMJfACQ7NeA-fZwSWysJgMP1gAE4QO-yI5foP_kUGTmqyPX1B_MzWSOfRQTQ3dU4U8bnaw0zr8WSqN_ekfPRhZidKG_177h6EIliFSIcPD_E4fxUKdorxmfMsBG/w640-h480/IMG_20240311_124856~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>It went better than I feared, the only real problem being cutting tiles to match the spacing of the floor tiles. Doing it with the grinder is a bit hit and miss, but I got one done. It looks quite good - certainly better than the rather haphazard job that was done previously.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8QPuOA0A2Lr4JLfZeBSPTDtyFnYxA8TjR2fqwhWydk9Y6yuOjrAPU4o4QTg_QJPnHEuDoN8hzFSE8XGsnnFl2SVqpk_zQwynyCkEt2YsZQXBoJ5nO9hUKH2fZiu25lwr0h3yfypPViHk396_0siJdKwpSQUjNRp5mqXCfDXjCU8_x8W9libA/s1000/IMG_20240311_134306~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8QPuOA0A2Lr4JLfZeBSPTDtyFnYxA8TjR2fqwhWydk9Y6yuOjrAPU4o4QTg_QJPnHEuDoN8hzFSE8XGsnnFl2SVqpk_zQwynyCkEt2YsZQXBoJ5nO9hUKH2fZiu25lwr0h3yfypPViHk396_0siJdKwpSQUjNRp5mqXCfDXjCU8_x8W9libA/w640-h480/IMG_20240311_134306~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNP7QABTqyKuA49nOlwwaimZ_6kafTtm9Jn7-LEzmuJD9oKOf_70liHq1GwNdxE0uOCgmmvLkYQWvjZ-RKuqCYO0cjG6HZfGeT9_CznxruxIt3Wa5VknkKDKle2ygSEoFXUI_cdaexQIBZxHMk77iYCqBOu_dljbDKCwg_PQGfXeeowToQmyHZ/s750/IMG_20240311_162640~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNP7QABTqyKuA49nOlwwaimZ_6kafTtm9Jn7-LEzmuJD9oKOf_70liHq1GwNdxE0uOCgmmvLkYQWvjZ-RKuqCYO0cjG6HZfGeT9_CznxruxIt3Wa5VknkKDKle2ygSEoFXUI_cdaexQIBZxHMk77iYCqBOu_dljbDKCwg_PQGfXeeowToQmyHZ/w480-h640/IMG_20240311_162640~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I have yet to work out how to get around corners. If I had the right tool for the job it would be pretty straightforward, but I'm not that well equipped.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today I am learning to do pierre apparent on the salon walls. I hope my back lasts...</div></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-50327179987666729832024-03-11T09:00:00.152+01:002024-03-15T20:22:03.221+01:00Macaroons<p>Everyone today swoons over the colourful creations in fancy boutiques selling macarons in France, but the original macaron was more humble and rustic looking. That didn't mean it was cheap peasant food though. Originally they were made with a mixture of sweet and bitter almonds. Some poor baker's apprentice had to spend hours and hours grinding almonds into powder, and the sugar they contained was still an exotic luxury when macarons first graced the tables of French aristocracy. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d27L_lPTCEY/TwMjCknxcxI/AAAAAAAAI8o/82365T4C39I/s1600/macaroon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Old fashioned macarons. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693432881023644434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d27L_lPTCEY/TwMjCknxcxI/AAAAAAAAI8o/82365T4C39I/w480-h640/macaroon.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" title="Old fashioned macarons." width="480" /></a><b></b>It is widely believed that Catherine de Medici brought macarons to France. Sadly, her grumpy young husband loved the cakes, but couldn't stand her. Probably macarons in some form were already being made in high status houses and convents wanting to earn some cash. The first time they are ever mentioned in writing is around 1550, by that great gourmande, Rabelais. So I could claim that macarons come from the Touraine Loire Valley...although almonds do not do very well around here.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">Almond blossom in our orchard. The almond is always the first tree to flower. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik85kJ1TTYggUz86KDea4Lm0lnwTKT_LBT3oVtVN6VqJ__MUcXkcjzIHrBGMsOanRxF8RW9lOWSq-yIGRW3PHfkeF1-nW_uNzmOD6RUQwtYltvpBTag0mfrQEZP1t1VHXqiEX42DWoAVxGrwJGW_P5qVxWb-Oh7q8fkwzf2qV3gLwfzTiEs1MEgg/s1000/almond_blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Almond blossom, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik85kJ1TTYggUz86KDea4Lm0lnwTKT_LBT3oVtVN6VqJ__MUcXkcjzIHrBGMsOanRxF8RW9lOWSq-yIGRW3PHfkeF1-nW_uNzmOD6RUQwtYltvpBTag0mfrQEZP1t1VHXqiEX42DWoAVxGrwJGW_P5qVxWb-Oh7q8fkwzf2qV3gLwfzTiEs1MEgg/w640-h288/almond_blossom.jpg" title="Almond blossom, France." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After the Revolution the south-west became the heartland of the macaron, where almonds do much better, and the museum dedicated to them is in Montmorillon. Today insufficient almonds are produced in France to meet the demand for macarons, and they are made with Spanish grown almonds. Controversially, one of the best known brands of macarons no longer even makes their product in France, but in neighbouring Switzerland!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj3r7uszCmPeevazb0mOm2lfXjzn7A6K5jkMcqm4N1WLB-NVv9BNwB0He6_rWTUrWKDuFFPJo1Nw9HJEu0RxVbS-WHVfJy0RQhZEbpLN4UnrLgoEdXiaSKM5R3WD5lmnu-E9wPPY97JcHwnYo4qsNgLD06LW30fmEv2OfHrZeeCsDu3wnKUdU8w/s866/macaroons.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old fashioned macarons. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="866" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj3r7uszCmPeevazb0mOm2lfXjzn7A6K5jkMcqm4N1WLB-NVv9BNwB0He6_rWTUrWKDuFFPJo1Nw9HJEu0RxVbS-WHVfJy0RQhZEbpLN4UnrLgoEdXiaSKM5R3WD5lmnu-E9wPPY97JcHwnYo4qsNgLD06LW30fmEv2OfHrZeeCsDu3wnKUdU8w/w640-h480/macaroons.jpg" title="Old fashioned macarons." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Anyway, enough about macarons. Here is a recipe for a sort of hybrid macaroons. It is quite like the rustic macarons of old but with the addition of coconut, which we like for its texture. Macaroons are a sort of American version of macarons, but made with coconut rather than almond, and something any home cook can do.<br /></p><p><b>Ingredients:</b><br />2 eggs<br />60 g / 2 oz / ²/3 cup coconut<br />170 g / 6 oz / 1¾ cup almond meal<br />150 g / 5 oz / ¾ cup sugar<br /><br />Beat the eggs, stir in dry stuff and mix well.<br /><br />Turn the oven on at 180C (350F) and put baking paper on a tray. This allows the mixture to blend while the oven heats up.<br /><br />After 20 minutes dip your hands in cold water and roll the mixture into 16-24 balls which you put on the tray and flatten slightly.<br /><br />Put tray in oven for 15-25 minutes, then remove the biscuits from the baking sheet, and put on a wire rack.<br /><br /></p><p>Oh, and by the way, our President is called Macron. Equal stress on both syllables please.<br /></p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-76973321547848731372024-03-09T09:00:00.011+01:002024-03-09T09:00:00.142+01:00The Bedroom FloorThe secret to getting stuff done quickly is knowing people who know what they're doing.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2010/07/simon-makes-some-dust.html">In 2010 I sanded the guest bedroom floor</a>. It was not much fun, and the passage of 14 years means that doing the floor of the main bedroom was weighing heavily on my mind. And knees, back, lungs...</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily we have met a man who has the right gear for doing this stuff, so the bedroom floor is sanded and has received its first coat of varnish.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEqrD-3vlHUcosCJfAA_JwpPTPEsSO9KBfXqIjYLwS4YYVODZARP0MbbH9f49HH8SNeEJtkULsacKJh-Az49BbfXpgsEr8-wdkumQqK5z7tTUeNV5tUjuPe6tsYsPrR6ftp-5DDOQdnRK5vvdp783cPjZu5bKNqcgTHEZuS7s7O7uH6z8KO0-/s750/IMG_20240308_203710~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEqrD-3vlHUcosCJfAA_JwpPTPEsSO9KBfXqIjYLwS4YYVODZARP0MbbH9f49HH8SNeEJtkULsacKJh-Az49BbfXpgsEr8-wdkumQqK5z7tTUeNV5tUjuPe6tsYsPrR6ftp-5DDOQdnRK5vvdp783cPjZu5bKNqcgTHEZuS7s7O7uH6z8KO0-/w480-h640/IMG_20240308_203710~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div>It's an odd kind of colour, but that's what happens when you sand very old, very dirty wood that has lived a life. The strange shapes on the floor are bits of brass, covering blemishes and splits in the wood. They are likely to be quite old.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-79825555984659937112024-03-08T09:00:00.001+01:002024-03-08T09:00:00.142+01:00Louise Dupin<p>On 8 March it seems appropriate to pay tribute to one of the Ladies of the Château of Chenonceau: Madame Louise Dupin.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpBGEVI4ZD1X1I8TtawO7EpQN_egLbvNQN2iQ1bJrs-66IfQEca_-XJKUQkhi8KvShZOQmozCCfx7CrzlxVi7dI9OBmYeJQS0hCDRdxiDv4QFnpZY49NwQ45v4_LostTirYmXIafOkrIL2mQWy-ZB3FFPgfhEED_krgciVvwK41QgJoXChNY/s750/louise_dupin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Portrait of Louise Dupin by Nattier, Chateau de Chenonceau, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpBGEVI4ZD1X1I8TtawO7EpQN_egLbvNQN2iQ1bJrs-66IfQEca_-XJKUQkhi8KvShZOQmozCCfx7CrzlxVi7dI9OBmYeJQS0hCDRdxiDv4QFnpZY49NwQ45v4_LostTirYmXIafOkrIL2mQWy-ZB3FFPgfhEED_krgciVvwK41QgJoXChNY/w482-h640/louise_dupin.jpg" title="Portrait of Louise Dupin by Nattier, Chateau de Chenonceau, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel." width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait painted by Nattier, in the Salon Louis XIV at Chenonceau. </td></tr></tbody></table><br />Louise and Claude Dupin bought the castle in 1733 and she often stayed there in the autumn with her extended family and associates, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Madame Dupin and her husband held salons in Paris, attracting the greatest minds of the Enlightenment (Diderot, Voltaire, Montesquieux...). </p><p>She defended the rights of women both orally and in writing, and belonged to a minority feminist movement of the time, since she defended strict equality between the sexes, whereas the majority of feminists defended the thesis of the superiority of women over men. </p><p>It is notably thanks to her skill that Chenonceau was preserved during the French Revolution. <br />Her last wish was to be buried in the park of Francueil, on the south bank of the Cher, in line with the castle. As she so aptly put it: "It seems to me that I will rest pleasantly here".</p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-39744965745725958972024-03-07T09:00:00.003+01:002024-03-07T09:00:00.140+01:00SunriseThis photo was taken at 07:14 yesterday morning. A beautifully clear morning, but frosty.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHAKzPru3l4e6myazdfIHJVRQEuUPFCBiZjMuDAXamei-6AJKlY0DMUNfXuw_r4mGQ06SyNNwurA3011F33KGmhcy-DwqjMrs9ZWOx9nwDsB3XXyABrE9da4vzKxPYv6OBfQk58oWx9qxm_wbvRxZNVQXjbmAh_pRxJeFZM7QvXetMfckwnAy/s750/IMG_20240306_071417~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHAKzPru3l4e6myazdfIHJVRQEuUPFCBiZjMuDAXamei-6AJKlY0DMUNfXuw_r4mGQ06SyNNwurA3011F33KGmhcy-DwqjMrs9ZWOx9nwDsB3XXyABrE9da4vzKxPYv6OBfQk58oWx9qxm_wbvRxZNVQXjbmAh_pRxJeFZM7QvXetMfckwnAy/w480-h640/IMG_20240306_071417~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>That was, until the fog rolled in at about 08:00. And then it was gloomy for a couple of hours before clearing up again. It's the first day in ages where there was no rain at all, which is just as well, because the water in the Claise river hasn't subsided any.</div></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-41876385657479209852024-03-06T09:00:00.018+01:002024-03-06T09:00:00.140+01:00The Château des BordesWe quite often walk past the château des Bordes, also known as Bordes-Guénand, near Petit-Pressigny. We've taken photos, but never really thought about it beyond "we must look it up".<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Rqe-Fy-tT7j9H0f2bMMR_pW-tl5kXV8PdS9WqL37rKBs6QY2rE3OKBt9NEuGq8ShyphenhyphenTAahJgdBwU-lI5Qn1jbJqmp3lYB2OgnFdzvx1BMV8vYSFbo7Tx52VwnY6YCrSQpNfy5itML6OdPsLj9gS6NdOWyjT8f-UFj5T7DVJx7UyirPWy-lxlq/s1000/IMG_20240304_144121~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="1000" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Rqe-Fy-tT7j9H0f2bMMR_pW-tl5kXV8PdS9WqL37rKBs6QY2rE3OKBt9NEuGq8ShyphenhyphenTAahJgdBwU-lI5Qn1jbJqmp3lYB2OgnFdzvx1BMV8vYSFbo7Tx52VwnY6YCrSQpNfy5itML6OdPsLj9gS6NdOWyjT8f-UFj5T7DVJx7UyirPWy-lxlq/w640-h352/IMG_20240304_144121~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Here's what Wikipedia has to say in french (via ChatGPT):<div><br /></div><div>The first known lord of Bordes was Guillaume Guenand in 1312.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the 16th century, the d'Amboise family, inherited the lordship and decided to build a castle surrounded by fortifications, an entrance gatehouse, a secondary gateway, and moats.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the latter half of the 16th century, the western part of the gatehouse was reconstructed by Philippe de Créquy, and his wife Urbaine de Montmorency-Laval. They added new windows and decorations to the upper sections of the staircase tower in the residence. Additionally, the farm in the courtyard, which already had a 15th-century dwelling, expanded with the addition of a dovecote.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the 18th century, the residence was rebuilt on top of the cellar by the Bouthillier de Chavigny family. A pavilion was added to the southwest of the new residence at the end of the 18th century by Pierre de Gaullier, the lord of Bordes. During the 18th century, the chapel, forming a front part, was reconstructed, and the outbuildings were redesigned.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I've looked it up now. </div></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-10639704478336974202024-03-05T09:00:00.002+01:002024-03-05T09:00:00.175+01:00 A Quiet ChangeI assume some sort of announcement must have been made, but I missed it. I understand why the change has been made, but I'm surprised there's been no great fanfare about it, because it's one of the causes celebre of recent times.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7iWPjjXYuVEs6qw26mOrbyxuK6Isxabtx3seP9JWZCT9yTB9JQtZGmRV7wIe_o981ICUDHa_6FQocJqRNVN3pFAR5V9IpkKsH1Vv8UoVGc_mYVgS4Z1FwgUxbTEVM03x8jR-ZGh6tGaypGJAdxXPGbgp4OGjoP_nM2DCl7wHrmkdUWBDOu4V/s1000/IMG_20240204_165514~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7iWPjjXYuVEs6qw26mOrbyxuK6Isxabtx3seP9JWZCT9yTB9JQtZGmRV7wIe_o981ICUDHa_6FQocJqRNVN3pFAR5V9IpkKsH1Vv8UoVGc_mYVgS4Z1FwgUxbTEVM03x8jR-ZGh6tGaypGJAdxXPGbgp4OGjoP_nM2DCl7wHrmkdUWBDOu4V/w640-h480/IMG_20240204_165514~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Bottle tops no longer come all the way off the bottle. They unscrew, then flip. It's to reduced the number of small plastics causing pollution. Milk, water, Coca Cola, all with the twist and flip lids. Then when they're empty they all go into the yellow recycling bag.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cgybetWem8W_PV0nuCzbOT7z1hppb-DKzCfpDs2lOKTobSLGK9a9N20K2btudQMP-zyn671xoqlZEInWG1s-QPPtFadBBK82efzEPlBfyWMtWWCw5MIXXQU_jq0c5sYE8MMjJleLZ_MweJxwHUg8oCndd0BwW3wVBkM5CDFL2dyT0TledsHc/s750/IMG_20240203_183850~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cgybetWem8W_PV0nuCzbOT7z1hppb-DKzCfpDs2lOKTobSLGK9a9N20K2btudQMP-zyn671xoqlZEInWG1s-QPPtFadBBK82efzEPlBfyWMtWWCw5MIXXQU_jq0c5sYE8MMjJleLZ_MweJxwHUg8oCndd0BwW3wVBkM5CDFL2dyT0TledsHc/w480-h640/IMG_20240203_183850~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div>It may only be a little thing, but at least a start has been made.</div></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-34073985399589231202024-03-04T09:00:00.019+01:002024-03-04T09:00:00.251+01:00March ViewsJust in case you think all we do is work on the house...<div><br /></div><div>I took these two photos at 08:00 yesterday morning on my way to work on the house. I was home by 18:00 though, and didn't go back after dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLlMLb6RgMY0Sy7pqnt7-PvvARKIvFUt3wy0A9MeAZjA8Jm_D_GlE1NQnb_spPGMcE8QkX8_jWpqt5x8LAwws4a6AWnEl4Vce3BE9udmy-bOPWJzg2yN6tK4piYjJW8c3MGo5uCVt_q_V1Xy_s28zSK4vPpaPy7XEjudA9zzbjkKlM2UBpTPS/s1000/IMG_20240303_081047~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="1000" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLlMLb6RgMY0Sy7pqnt7-PvvARKIvFUt3wy0A9MeAZjA8Jm_D_GlE1NQnb_spPGMcE8QkX8_jWpqt5x8LAwws4a6AWnEl4Vce3BE9udmy-bOPWJzg2yN6tK4piYjJW8c3MGo5uCVt_q_V1Xy_s28zSK4vPpaPy7XEjudA9zzbjkKlM2UBpTPS/w640-h230/IMG_20240303_081047~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOptFNI7VwWqVgAwEq3dRc-lR5-rP4GXErFXyyF3dM1rPW0cYT_hsYogts1uq7-USo-thfNZD51VNH8HGpSDzjcLdivdBLcGlDDJ7PIMqX8i2K4Rjvp6rBk0lDk-a8wn3l-dWzLVPJlLyfXUgVYsMf33nFcIyBzG3yeyYcnVC8LV6iA1Oo7Ezb/s1000/IMG_20240303_081336~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOptFNI7VwWqVgAwEq3dRc-lR5-rP4GXErFXyyF3dM1rPW0cYT_hsYogts1uq7-USo-thfNZD51VNH8HGpSDzjcLdivdBLcGlDDJ7PIMqX8i2K4Rjvp6rBk0lDk-a8wn3l-dWzLVPJlLyfXUgVYsMf33nFcIyBzG3yeyYcnVC8LV6iA1Oo7Ezb/w640-h480/IMG_20240303_081336~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It didn't rain much yesterday. I don't think the Claise could take much more. This is the river at Humeau.</div><div><br /></div><div>This photo was taken this morning. In a complete contrast to yesterday, not a cloud.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV9zh5ExqWxKXOpBbkbO5osbEbFCtOEywfQugA7_trVe-WIqaf43CHxiOYAOvN_foBk03FwuDn6bLSRPnKmzVBjT7bMKYRjb5zvyQ0vSXFjXgtbySJhkCX84XNOSnGjxVABo8HDP6Da9gTOI3NlAPTfURJHKBtwNpRi888ZDwS7xQVUFv790O/s1000/IMG_20240304_074132~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV9zh5ExqWxKXOpBbkbO5osbEbFCtOEywfQugA7_trVe-WIqaf43CHxiOYAOvN_foBk03FwuDn6bLSRPnKmzVBjT7bMKYRjb5zvyQ0vSXFjXgtbySJhkCX84XNOSnGjxVABo8HDP6Da9gTOI3NlAPTfURJHKBtwNpRi888ZDwS7xQVUFv790O/w640-h480/IMG_20240304_074132~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-87126287536182032392024-03-02T09:00:00.003+01:002024-03-02T09:00:00.152+01:00A Tale of Two FireplacesI wrote earlier about cleaning the fireplace in the bedroom, and discovering it's made from local stone.<div><br /></div><div>It was blocked up a long time ago, we thought with foam blocks, but which turned out to be by the simple expedient of pulling down the metal shutter. At some later date someone had cut a hole in the shutter to take the chimney from a small wood burning heater, and this had subsequently been blocked with a foam sheet and plenty of spray expanding foam.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHiqGR9attqow1UvK_vMBF6vvKPvidSmFQu0YhhlA0tFtWihFHZyIXy5viQnmfdmj3Ed_YDOaqtYzXltUcwniUTMQLPxcdLh7dkkGXaN4DsaMTX-cotV1jgLi3RfXMZ9vlzExRojgy-APUOSVPOOxUiCum93fTzN-KYJO724jkUGB6-h70S8a/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-4-54.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHiqGR9attqow1UvK_vMBF6vvKPvidSmFQu0YhhlA0tFtWihFHZyIXy5viQnmfdmj3Ed_YDOaqtYzXltUcwniUTMQLPxcdLh7dkkGXaN4DsaMTX-cotV1jgLi3RfXMZ9vlzExRojgy-APUOSVPOOxUiCum93fTzN-KYJO724jkUGB6-h70S8a/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-4-54.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was the day I decided it was time to clean this abomination. I wasn't looking forwards to it, nor did I have any plan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Expansive foam is a tricky thing to remove so I started with that, slicing through it with a putty knife. Then, I just pulled at the metal shutters until they distorted enough to come out of their slots.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyGlG2cHYzN2DT11JFl6Pjm181kbTLjNTAN7MDhlK229sivvCmaIuu_uh0at2slmXzjByBqF6F6epoe3VqY-wERpAQUrwqmkfDu96rpo4dZ_i6RHyXLd7BZT1zmRMEhIZGDRCRrXBfYOc2eWCIoIuFlCh-wmEQ9GVZ-K2VD8D02TvzHGP2evZ/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-7-46.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyGlG2cHYzN2DT11JFl6Pjm181kbTLjNTAN7MDhlK229sivvCmaIuu_uh0at2slmXzjByBqF6F6epoe3VqY-wERpAQUrwqmkfDu96rpo4dZ_i6RHyXLd7BZT1zmRMEhIZGDRCRrXBfYOc2eWCIoIuFlCh-wmEQ9GVZ-K2VD8D02TvzHGP2evZ/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-7-46.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>In a piece of excellent news, the firebox is in remarkably good condition, if full of stuff. The stuff was mainly rubble from when we had the top of the chimney rebuilt, old ash, cobwebs, two really tatty work gloves, and an almost new 8mm socket.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ_EX05wlSv7-De4HTyeU4vIcek1KqqTdlo09-0zYtuZ8cmnGb73-kJ3UwKJXq7zJU06rdvYPsDhuIAoaUkdjBZRC514Sx8tBdWQihr0NAHFoPYz9k3Uq0_zchRbsuhwFRADr7o59xeayb8DTnTcwOna7tpP8-gzXa5HbdvhHQNsXAR-75vxs/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-7-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ_EX05wlSv7-De4HTyeU4vIcek1KqqTdlo09-0zYtuZ8cmnGb73-kJ3UwKJXq7zJU06rdvYPsDhuIAoaUkdjBZRC514Sx8tBdWQihr0NAHFoPYz9k3Uq0_zchRbsuhwFRADr7o59xeayb8DTnTcwOna7tpP8-gzXa5HbdvhHQNsXAR-75vxs/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-7-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>That filled three rubble sacks and two vacuum cleaner bags, and gave me an idea. But more of that after I try it today.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FKFh-igDNTlIN9uJ47Nr3_8ggDpjMRC-DO5OfZOWH-xhiVhHLE2uzmwRdhVSBsqJLg9AKU_HiM40dNhceGPVnY0YpkPBy7z24prVXkuQz_f611vpf1U8pjcjxJGxRS407i8el-1C67R1XpjzsJtsnJSiSsigH39FM_aPO7KRMFn4vdXgN6Ek/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-5-29.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FKFh-igDNTlIN9uJ47Nr3_8ggDpjMRC-DO5OfZOWH-xhiVhHLE2uzmwRdhVSBsqJLg9AKU_HiM40dNhceGPVnY0YpkPBy7z24prVXkuQz_f611vpf1U8pjcjxJGxRS407i8el-1C67R1XpjzsJtsnJSiSsigH39FM_aPO7KRMFn4vdXgN6Ek/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-5-29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The second fireplace is the one in the salon that Mr Douady installed in 2009. It was looking sorry for itself, mainly through smoke and in ground ash.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL83iMAHTVybhF2bGTRbljFaKVcRrRfxh9ZyQiG_E2UycChFSWhrygaZ7sQvYUWVfIe1xOrWQym5_sAcBh1CLd6gAv5_SF1WObtTV2JjrMcp9TOhp3zvURzGrRlbU2BgpbKSowuE-cLlKzi1fhV6IFWFsJtFUyGwY7M_QBIFNcgxFZjcsaaCEq/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-4-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL83iMAHTVybhF2bGTRbljFaKVcRrRfxh9ZyQiG_E2UycChFSWhrygaZ7sQvYUWVfIe1xOrWQym5_sAcBh1CLd6gAv5_SF1WObtTV2JjrMcp9TOhp3zvURzGrRlbU2BgpbKSowuE-cLlKzi1fhV6IFWFsJtFUyGwY7M_QBIFNcgxFZjcsaaCEq/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-4-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I took a sander to it, and now it's looking much refreshed. Of course, that created more clouds of dust that I allowed to settle overnight before filling two vacuum cleaner bags. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eygVOUGov4LuAQmeBmb8X6UiJ697vL7aQ6D3PUoXkySyH3I5QDa2PPI1doMXESvOe8hln7iCd30nATBw_zPN06oe4O5HE90MAcLeNZhL8XvSFDD9UBQA0y8cyFIL2ay8_rfmEGVYjidDfGEPVau8p6_mn1UR-qZnXrwFN-5KSRyD72R5f9_M/s1000/befunky_2024-2-6_8-2-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eygVOUGov4LuAQmeBmb8X6UiJ697vL7aQ6D3PUoXkySyH3I5QDa2PPI1doMXESvOe8hln7iCd30nATBw_zPN06oe4O5HE90MAcLeNZhL8XvSFDD9UBQA0y8cyFIL2ay8_rfmEGVYjidDfGEPVau8p6_mn1UR-qZnXrwFN-5KSRyD72R5f9_M/w640-h480/befunky_2024-2-6_8-2-47.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I'm getting good at dust, but the camera really doesn't like it. That's why some of the photos aren't really in sharp focus.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-57393219406356466772024-03-01T09:00:00.001+01:002024-03-01T09:00:00.135+01:00Not Quite Winning the Lottery <div>I was perusing Facebook the other day and I noticed that V'King stockage (another overstock shop like NOZ) had a "Vent de Colis Non Délivré".</div><div><br /></div><div>This is where goods ordered online but not delivered for whatever reason - wrong address, no-one home, no such address - by DHL. I thought it might be a bit of a giggle so we popped in while we were in Loches. Everything is wrapped, all the labels are scribbled over, and there's no opening of parcels so it's a real lucky-dip. The price is 16€50 a kg.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo62tyrX2sZ_zCr_1xuQc8ENJmRlwgG2BsKAdlSFiy4HEPLRM1N7ypANvDUAYEOI-r4St08vL6TPgQvnr9rQRDkO9qV2cKgo969JiL5EZ4pw-OAKthoWaJhU9ieShrV0GS9ceWbe85wqElu4P8h5_yhInoHo9t0_qDgAfjBoQTdpiBaFQ8F_DJ/s750/IMG_2024-02-28-11-23-14-935_045159~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo62tyrX2sZ_zCr_1xuQc8ENJmRlwgG2BsKAdlSFiy4HEPLRM1N7ypANvDUAYEOI-r4St08vL6TPgQvnr9rQRDkO9qV2cKgo969JiL5EZ4pw-OAKthoWaJhU9ieShrV0GS9ceWbe85wqElu4P8h5_yhInoHo9t0_qDgAfjBoQTdpiBaFQ8F_DJ/w480-h640/IMG_2024-02-28-11-23-14-935_045159~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Most of the parcels were obviously clothing or shoes, which makes it a real gamble. However, there were one or two smaller items in boxes I thought might have been electrical and worth a punt. We bought two packages which weighed 165grams and cost 2€72.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnzcx1TmTeN8VvsFSFIzEY7MqvpL0qUo0P2wy_1qs9z1g9G9Zvagt4SrXQCqCUgK5O5G6wR3YBdnUGNg0NMNgc7AE6n_y3Aj2meZYiabnTkQgprggjdshaBGq2mRS3QvAN-0drJz3KlvtCk6p0xea7ubDYYttlLIJnQ3MdmryCcR7oaxf7smy/s1000/IMG_20240228_135123~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnzcx1TmTeN8VvsFSFIzEY7MqvpL0qUo0P2wy_1qs9z1g9G9Zvagt4SrXQCqCUgK5O5G6wR3YBdnUGNg0NMNgc7AE6n_y3Aj2meZYiabnTkQgprggjdshaBGq2mRS3QvAN-0drJz3KlvtCk6p0xea7ubDYYttlLIJnQ3MdmryCcR7oaxf7smy/w640-h480/IMG_20240228_135123~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>When we got home we had a grand opening of plunder. Neither of them was electrical, one being the latest super trendy face scrub (about 10€ on Amazon) and a rather natty men's leather bracelet and ring from the Netherlands (retail price 78€).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYiBD_HXCe04eXoblkr3UFPoUClwih4KPdM8VmPh4ZoEA-mBShAKwPtPC0sI4kBFqRFkOCbCRmsGNjCX7A2OsjUjGb4G47DEpI65TDqHnMJSSHCXFox7wcExwxT619FFH3VJekDbLoMuzk6ny25UM9uh9J61vA7DOjLodnxU6pKTSRvnxbAs2/s1000/IMG_20240228_135444~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYiBD_HXCe04eXoblkr3UFPoUClwih4KPdM8VmPh4ZoEA-mBShAKwPtPC0sI4kBFqRFkOCbCRmsGNjCX7A2OsjUjGb4G47DEpI65TDqHnMJSSHCXFox7wcExwxT619FFH3VJekDbLoMuzk6ny25UM9uh9J61vA7DOjLodnxU6pKTSRvnxbAs2/w640-h480/IMG_20240228_135444~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I'll be wearing the bracelet, but if any of our readers has pimples and wants to try Medián Green Tea Mask Stick, give us a shout.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-90691704794631590682024-02-29T09:00:00.002+01:002024-02-29T09:00:00.138+01:00Coucou!This is our 18th annual cowslip photo. It was taken in Lisa and Simon's front garden on the 28th February. It's actually been flowering about 3 weeks, but this is the first time I've remembered to photograph it when it wasn't raining.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfXmZTWvf_btIwFS4daF3mvFGNqAul2jeWxStHa0PIM49LXA8GE6O21h0X99yNLFcObNVcwrGo0O5yOmIlTms0R8lyiBdzUY9YbS1M6yQ7NAo7Z6US-QpqenUbzvKWQiFsAcJR4cCTDqCRDP6y4Acje3xhz-PpkCV5Vrn7JRLYNZH3Gj4HS3l/s750/IMG_20240228_132222~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfXmZTWvf_btIwFS4daF3mvFGNqAul2jeWxStHa0PIM49LXA8GE6O21h0X99yNLFcObNVcwrGo0O5yOmIlTms0R8lyiBdzUY9YbS1M6yQ7NAo7Z6US-QpqenUbzvKWQiFsAcJR4cCTDqCRDP6y4Acje3xhz-PpkCV5Vrn7JRLYNZH3Gj4HS3l/w480-h640/IMG_20240228_132222~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I think 18 years now qualifies it as a proper tradition.</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-23029306569029472322024-02-28T09:00:00.003+01:002024-02-28T09:00:00.131+01:00Colours Chosen After much debate and many consultations we have chosen the colours for our newly insulated rooms.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoEIIY9kttf8bMZG0Ce-sP3ik0EF13SqLMf_MstVwPdqz6PTdtdhOkEtjdLa6RGtQQlFGMvDk30_A0MZgNylCcElvh8DQhDKZ36iwT-qOZvy30OCmXpLWySyoxCr8nNvWHPwFfSKzQ6mNbJmiJ-AP_ei6441wdnanYfXr3gqWGmBtjfwIPgOn/s1000/co1ours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoEIIY9kttf8bMZG0Ce-sP3ik0EF13SqLMf_MstVwPdqz6PTdtdhOkEtjdLa6RGtQQlFGMvDk30_A0MZgNylCcElvh8DQhDKZ36iwT-qOZvy30OCmXpLWySyoxCr8nNvWHPwFfSKzQ6mNbJmiJ-AP_ei6441wdnanYfXr3gqWGmBtjfwIPgOn/w640-h480/co1ours.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you're going to go bold, go bold big time!!</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-15115883288324313052024-02-27T09:00:00.001+01:002024-02-27T09:00:00.135+01:00A Wedding in Vouvray<p>Our friend Laetitia got married on Saturday. She asked if she could be driven in Claudette from the wedding celebration venue Domaine de la Roderie to the annexe of the Town Hall in Vouvray where the official wedding was taking place. After that we all went back to la Roderie for drinks and another, private, exchange of vows and the speeches. Finally there would have been a meal, but we didn't stay for that. Driving a Traction Avant at night in the rain is not an enjoyable experience, so we left at dusk to get Claudette back into her garage before dark.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">Tables set for the reception. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wfo5w0EuZ4p9d-ZUdjngiV8BFPRdYMRriK-E9RIYzEwtmRutfQLnV70ngXbFoyux1su585MuYvY1Wj9UoJBMDiF180laKcfXXKkh0DCF6WHbUXepfMgD25aXWt7lQMGz6U8MsPh7WmHx0Uix4XJ0QN_LHGmhJMDV60pC60xCXD2JeR71G9a9oQ/s750/IMG_2024-02-24-13-47-22-402_laetitia_nicolas_wedding_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wedding reception set up, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wfo5w0EuZ4p9d-ZUdjngiV8BFPRdYMRriK-E9RIYzEwtmRutfQLnV70ngXbFoyux1su585MuYvY1Wj9UoJBMDiF180laKcfXXKkh0DCF6WHbUXepfMgD25aXWt7lQMGz6U8MsPh7WmHx0Uix4XJ0QN_LHGmhJMDV60pC60xCXD2JeR71G9a9oQ/w482-h640/IMG_2024-02-24-13-47-22-402_laetitia_nicolas_wedding_vouvray.jpg" title="Wedding reception set up, France." width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The first photo of the bride was taken by me, as by the time she emerged at la Roderie the photographer had left for the town hall,<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6CbaMhOA53YrxYB_jAbScjtDv5rjtrAJBML-vYyocnHIgW3KBwAef3G9EZJeJIMvpRzQhqQgS_6lwV2Ph4QhefTahEs8j_adywfWhVghybvaq0ZG3n5wtWYojhxqTLvT5xEyQWQSIySTIZO61yLQn8f6d4EUo8oH2Pe8hM_CwxrtNRu58g-F9g/s750/IMG_2024-02-24-13-56-52-401_laetitia_bride_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bride, Indre et loire, France . Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6CbaMhOA53YrxYB_jAbScjtDv5rjtrAJBML-vYyocnHIgW3KBwAef3G9EZJeJIMvpRzQhqQgS_6lwV2Ph4QhefTahEs8j_adywfWhVghybvaq0ZG3n5wtWYojhxqTLvT5xEyQWQSIySTIZO61yLQn8f6d4EUo8oH2Pe8hM_CwxrtNRu58g-F9g/w302-h640/IMG_2024-02-24-13-56-52-401_laetitia_bride_vouvray.jpg" title="Bride, France." width="302" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Laetitia seated in Claudette.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqfykxqlCGSMUX03PELje68W_N7IYqC6b6Y5BJ9XvjTYSnxWLwHG8PDqPmAhu68XnfMz26pGQEPwyWw0fadrx_97t6XWJMmX-GRVa9k_uIF5LCdR_dic2uvTLER4ECeVwj1wbCeSrSkVzkfahrLsp-o19Dq-1_kvgKrq5mFqefy2kZ0_ryz3TMg/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-14-00-20-818_laetitia_bride_claudette_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bride, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqfykxqlCGSMUX03PELje68W_N7IYqC6b6Y5BJ9XvjTYSnxWLwHG8PDqPmAhu68XnfMz26pGQEPwyWw0fadrx_97t6XWJMmX-GRVa9k_uIF5LCdR_dic2uvTLER4ECeVwj1wbCeSrSkVzkfahrLsp-o19Dq-1_kvgKrq5mFqefy2kZ0_ryz3TMg/w640-h480/IMG_2024-02-24-14-00-20-818_laetitia_bride_claudette_vouvray.jpg" title="Bride, France." width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Wedding guests clustering around the entrance to the Auchan supermarket carpark, opposite the annexe to the Vouvray town hall where the wedding would take place. It looked like we were waiting to start a manif (street demonstration).<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9K1u3vzyNSfNVDfFg1o16MSOXaGQjmn5Zvv-GmgnanY8RMC4NXR86TUetT8erbvXNzGtJyAkaddv3JRjToqYq3ohLSKm9TCApMNXd5VxOCEXDzLKrgKshqDOeZL2kUJlxDxtiJieZxh73S4BI707IjrCDQxuJ78pJ7pcCARbFoX8cP2ouDS1Ug/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-14-25-49-882_wedding_guests_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wedding guests waiting for the bride, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9K1u3vzyNSfNVDfFg1o16MSOXaGQjmn5Zvv-GmgnanY8RMC4NXR86TUetT8erbvXNzGtJyAkaddv3JRjToqYq3ohLSKm9TCApMNXd5VxOCEXDzLKrgKshqDOeZL2kUJlxDxtiJieZxh73S4BI707IjrCDQxuJ78pJ7pcCARbFoX8cP2ouDS1Ug/w640-h288/IMG_2024-02-24-14-25-49-882_wedding_guests_vouvray.jpg" title="Wedding guests waiting for the bride, France." width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Claudette arriving at Vouvray town hall annex, driven by Simon and carrying Laetitia, her mum and her best friend.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGLQCIKwKbPOsmkxPcLSSMaATqu0gbIXvQ9hHoj3bN1kxUftIcZPOwy0-YPbiqYP0KJa3zzRJ3OGhPbrE7-L9RLAZv87zQZ8vC6lE6Iy6um8NsfvazT7SsNOMBDfEvLed3DHhF2sCoqXQAQ8UqE4L7pS0xfRvSldTGOrUuUlRXAVPKffBUMBW4g/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-14-30-33-333_wedding_claudette_arriving_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Citroen Traction Avant at a wedding, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGLQCIKwKbPOsmkxPcLSSMaATqu0gbIXvQ9hHoj3bN1kxUftIcZPOwy0-YPbiqYP0KJa3zzRJ3OGhPbrE7-L9RLAZv87zQZ8vC6lE6Iy6um8NsfvazT7SsNOMBDfEvLed3DHhF2sCoqXQAQ8UqE4L7pS0xfRvSldTGOrUuUlRXAVPKffBUMBW4g/w640-h480/IMG_2024-02-24-14-30-33-333_wedding_claudette_arriving_vouvray.jpg" title="Citroen Traction Avant arriving at a wedding, France." width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The newlyweds and their parents (and nephew). At the end of the official ceremony the mayor chipped them for having just moved from Vouvray to Montlouis, the rival wine town on the opposite bank of the Loire!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13F2Dc5SoLDIxy9BfVgNAgN_GPzvfpgpaJpdUkdD3qB6f_sBHYyCBiiq8iYQ7NY-DA7sPbYdti-SXxTLaNsImsalIuLE06gIelgcvFu6ophuFdycP6c5hiAhEMSEz7Y61JXwFgGJgjupFsRilyKCJm9cHWvH98ouoy3VNQH2KuZJq_rViE8LbjA/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-14-46-03-144_laetitia_nicolas_wedding_party_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="NewLy married coupLe and parents, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire VaLLey Time TraveL." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13F2Dc5SoLDIxy9BfVgNAgN_GPzvfpgpaJpdUkdD3qB6f_sBHYyCBiiq8iYQ7NY-DA7sPbYdti-SXxTLaNsImsalIuLE06gIelgcvFu6ophuFdycP6c5hiAhEMSEz7Y61JXwFgGJgjupFsRilyKCJm9cHWvH98ouoy3VNQH2KuZJq_rViE8LbjA/w640-h480/IMG_2024-02-24-14-46-03-144_laetitia_nicolas_wedding_party_vouvray.jpg" title="NewLy weds and parents, France." width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The Mums have a word.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxleR7VuvbV1y1oz20wO-EPsYQQi8J3RfTA0vVwgHcoCdwdllCXrl1N7fVdQdikYiUgq-7rMK_9yIHluzZY-0rynLMitBMV1aGBB7iH3ZjDtQz0MD2i-vGFZFOx8vR9Zo37a6Q14MnVXsbw8c1ORX8cxsp2d1Zf3j20yoRwg7bp1FQ7RFUjznylQ/s750/IMG_2024-02-24-14-56-56-567_laetitia_nicolas_mums_wedding_vouvray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wedding, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxleR7VuvbV1y1oz20wO-EPsYQQi8J3RfTA0vVwgHcoCdwdllCXrl1N7fVdQdikYiUgq-7rMK_9yIHluzZY-0rynLMitBMV1aGBB7iH3ZjDtQz0MD2i-vGFZFOx8vR9Zo37a6Q14MnVXsbw8c1ORX8cxsp2d1Zf3j20yoRwg7bp1FQ7RFUjznylQ/w482-h640/IMG_2024-02-24-14-56-56-567_laetitia_nicolas_mums_wedding_vouvray.jpg" title="Wedding, France." width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">We were served mulled cider and hot chocolate under an awning at la Roderie while we waited for the bride and groom to arrive after a photo session in Vouvray.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR68xo_2v_6u9mHFM_xJsmmaICLFDOiZwn9Oj_TYhiLHjo9e5TnCv5SsqTqW5DAwYduuw1xD20bNHU90_ILYAIqj5vjB6SfRFexN80P3mfTHkbjud53GufOgcJA7rqZLA8U5EedJH1qQnlvuJg2f_qTnWACZHukHxXYf-10WmeCblZi3DZOKeHg/s750/IMG_2024-02-24-15-37-06-855_cider_server_wedding_roderie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Serving muLLed cider, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire VaLLey Time TraveL." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR68xo_2v_6u9mHFM_xJsmmaICLFDOiZwn9Oj_TYhiLHjo9e5TnCv5SsqTqW5DAwYduuw1xD20bNHU90_ILYAIqj5vjB6SfRFexN80P3mfTHkbjud53GufOgcJA7rqZLA8U5EedJH1qQnlvuJg2f_qTnWACZHukHxXYf-10WmeCblZi3DZOKeHg/w482-h640/IMG_2024-02-24-15-37-06-855_cider_server_wedding_roderie.jpg" title="Serving muLLed cider, France." width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The second ceremony, in the barn at la Roderie. Guests were given fleece blankets.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHjFuKeFqK1bL8zvt8k7KNOmvHmWzsHoN3lhfvBc4ORQexJ0fmAz9fTg_t7MA2e1XDpx4U-yJtgJcAexo_xmoJK8PASvLq49Xf95MAlVLoAE3cMF435Nz1dk5liaeabGVJddPfEG3hDF-U8WLsOuF97Q25yiMKdAnMfCVaoyzu7fWHYzRzWMMKw/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-16-05-29-208_wedding_roderie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wedding, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHjFuKeFqK1bL8zvt8k7KNOmvHmWzsHoN3lhfvBc4ORQexJ0fmAz9fTg_t7MA2e1XDpx4U-yJtgJcAexo_xmoJK8PASvLq49Xf95MAlVLoAE3cMF435Nz1dk5liaeabGVJddPfEG3hDF-U8WLsOuF97Q25yiMKdAnMfCVaoyzu7fWHYzRzWMMKw/w640-h480/IMG_2024-02-24-16-05-29-208_wedding_roderie.jpg" title="Wedding, France." width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">One got a good view of the 17th century barn roof construction.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowahyphenhyphenSUtnUGDF6g9abEPXj7LLjCKJXiPhZ9dx-NEbAUxJjSZ53ZQDYwUatU73yfP_vvCPxc4XJkUmSjj77LI7dvD8C1b54CgaM98Bbbdanlq304XP9CEyft3YFW5_blhINPvb3AZQ-p8apCxqPLkWh5b-8XalMWaE46vy5QZlHh4Wt__TsIKoGg/s1000/IMG_2024-02-24-16-07-13-692_barn_roof_roderie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="17C barn roof construction, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowahyphenhyphenSUtnUGDF6g9abEPXj7LLjCKJXiPhZ9dx-NEbAUxJjSZ53ZQDYwUatU73yfP_vvCPxc4XJkUmSjj77LI7dvD8C1b54CgaM98Bbbdanlq304XP9CEyft3YFW5_blhINPvb3AZQ-p8apCxqPLkWh5b-8XalMWaE46vy5QZlHh4Wt__TsIKoGg/w640-h480/IMG_2024-02-24-16-07-13-692_barn_roof_roderie.jpg" title="17C barn roof construction, France." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Domaine de la Roderie <a href="https://www.laroderie.com/">https://www.laroderie.com/</a><br /></p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-33394113615991903312024-02-26T09:00:00.020+01:002024-02-26T09:00:00.130+01:00Digging out StuffI spent yesterday working on the end wall of our salon. I'm about one third of the way through the first step, which is digging the crud out from between the stones. It has to be at least 30mm deep, and that's a lot of mud, plaster, and stuff.<div><br /></div><div>You can see where I've been working, the section on the right is almost done. It's going to be tricky working near the ceiling, but I'll find a way. It's all been done with a chisel and hammer. I could use the <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q1gk42pzUhc/SLLMM4Hen9I/AAAAAAAAD8o/nXjHX2mMvNc/s1600-h/simon+digging.jpg" target="_blank">electric destroyer,</a> but I think it would be too aggressive.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBPsIFv6oStzlhGfZdSVqMW8ydDGWB6gsc75Kdy0iQNHB1R3i19cCOGw3_le1Xpp5o31Yx8nJoy28FOr-ahe2Vo6WjqnzExSDDeXE1jPmHLxrY2mvka6zcAKuY71hSZa67xRm52qb8VYtKhQVN8uzlEexKC4o175sVATnear-unDALnHOabmn/s1000/IMG_20240225_150352~3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1000" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBPsIFv6oStzlhGfZdSVqMW8ydDGWB6gsc75Kdy0iQNHB1R3i19cCOGw3_le1Xpp5o31Yx8nJoy28FOr-ahe2Vo6WjqnzExSDDeXE1jPmHLxrY2mvka6zcAKuY71hSZa67xRm52qb8VYtKhQVN8uzlEexKC4o175sVATnear-unDALnHOabmn/w640-h458/IMG_20240225_150352~3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The effect we're hoping to end up with is this. Our previous pierre apparent walls were done with <a href="https://daysontheclaise.blogspot.com/2011/11/niche.html?m=1">lime and red sand</a>. This time we're going to use white sand.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHgiw1BJzCOImJhR4O-AtNwY4g-AfreEQEyMbWa6ksJwiXsZJvNCKN4I760fUxxOc0AJdeN3YWJfmBj8YVcbqeYI2hgazHqsyTmXitQRD3kUB59X8WfhZiVJJLqu_ivvTj-RuYsgfYokyhbSUrruVkUp_PiCr61kKpVfk7vx5jLWHvbisIWLi/s280/finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="210" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHgiw1BJzCOImJhR4O-AtNwY4g-AfreEQEyMbWa6ksJwiXsZJvNCKN4I760fUxxOc0AJdeN3YWJfmBj8YVcbqeYI2hgazHqsyTmXitQRD3kUB59X8WfhZiVJJLqu_ivvTj-RuYsgfYokyhbSUrruVkUp_PiCr61kKpVfk7vx5jLWHvbisIWLi/w480-h640/finished.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-84198871878627225372024-02-24T09:00:00.002+01:002024-02-24T09:00:00.149+01:00No Blog Post TodayThat's mainly because I've spent the last two days making dust.<div><br /></div><div>There's only so many things you say say about dust before descending into the profane, and all photos of dust look the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>So instead, a photo of a bunch of rich fat Dutch blokes I took in Amsterdam last year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjqxf8SXeg_XFeIXBpgbUi307k9vRN7JjOSvFrjwbP9oy5V8zFrMWIsrviZpkwpXcN_zjVDYSSTf00q_2QdblOUOB34Hg7Yz32Y66hkKkRglbcgA3U35M-Lci3HXx51GngUZzIE-Y7R41dSHUUt2gOjWMq_zDnd6GLbwEzDH-uyszDat4z_0k/s1000/IMG_20230324_154201_HDR~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1000" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjqxf8SXeg_XFeIXBpgbUi307k9vRN7JjOSvFrjwbP9oy5V8zFrMWIsrviZpkwpXcN_zjVDYSSTf00q_2QdblOUOB34Hg7Yz32Y66hkKkRglbcgA3U35M-Lci3HXx51GngUZzIE-Y7R41dSHUUt2gOjWMq_zDnd6GLbwEzDH-uyszDat4z_0k/w640-h542/IMG_20230324_154201_HDR~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-90040969712766034422024-02-23T09:00:00.003+01:002024-02-23T09:00:00.242+01:00Oh! How it Rained <p>It rained most of yesterday morning and afternoon, and the rain was accompanied by gusty winds.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5VLjpq2_0mpKKxbXp7XVyELsXClVcL5rg4RvByweHKGm259WlbDaI7tNGHwVsjLnlZVSUdEcDGeMs1qqi1Gxj5YeTZiS1ajZQDtmSV5UKrHDdN19slCRuJVJ2ItaPXLSJQ_kUF2Lui-3H6pHDYbf_nYazcURfkcs55e3sR5JvAerKzi3ZIvd/s750/Screenshot_20240222-144339~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5VLjpq2_0mpKKxbXp7XVyELsXClVcL5rg4RvByweHKGm259WlbDaI7tNGHwVsjLnlZVSUdEcDGeMs1qqi1Gxj5YeTZiS1ajZQDtmSV5UKrHDdN19slCRuJVJ2ItaPXLSJQ_kUF2Lui-3H6pHDYbf_nYazcURfkcs55e3sR5JvAerKzi3ZIvd/w480-h640/Screenshot_20240222-144339~2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The weather forecast wasn't looking promising by mid morning with the wind warning uprated from 80km/h to 95km/h, and it certainly felt like that on the road from Preuilly to Châtellerault. There was some flooding and a lot of debris on the road, and when we came out if the hardware shop it was absolutely hammering it down.</p><p style="text-align: center;">These photos of the Claise were taken a couple of days ago. If anything, the river is higher now.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdUwz4AR7xFRrGRaCkEJhw2fzzVU6Ncy97coxAWkOurcSY1Mil6nfBahoaHTGT0OC0OETElLLJj-CCqcUM0rJ3ADENOxbunr6bd2rS6GwpZOxHQbIJKhNfLaofLksS3KllkGCuy28bXQyhlNtKDkpsJY8VRn7Px4TCRDEt71X48s_J_2IieKc/s1000/IMG_20240211_134329~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdUwz4AR7xFRrGRaCkEJhw2fzzVU6Ncy97coxAWkOurcSY1Mil6nfBahoaHTGT0OC0OETElLLJj-CCqcUM0rJ3ADENOxbunr6bd2rS6GwpZOxHQbIJKhNfLaofLksS3KllkGCuy28bXQyhlNtKDkpsJY8VRn7Px4TCRDEt71X48s_J_2IieKc/w640-h480/IMG_20240211_134329~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mIGhoIW2nNY_Igu4kkhIJHIttnFIoLd7o1R4-VWW2e4_95rnHKXVxqYKDJsa-YOLHxrQQN_sAN8xXnNryzMUHnDxUU9slQUI985m9l6UnN-d0_yeWz8LiPTStJx83aAMFRbBV1hyelaNdxOyOBwoIhp5UhG2aEYoFCTUlo5Ii7w8VD607rJo/s1000/IMG_20240211_134908~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mIGhoIW2nNY_Igu4kkhIJHIttnFIoLd7o1R4-VWW2e4_95rnHKXVxqYKDJsa-YOLHxrQQN_sAN8xXnNryzMUHnDxUU9slQUI985m9l6UnN-d0_yeWz8LiPTStJx83aAMFRbBV1hyelaNdxOyOBwoIhp5UhG2aEYoFCTUlo5Ii7w8VD607rJo/w640-h480/IMG_20240211_134908~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-22301564190665553592024-02-22T09:00:00.013+01:002024-02-22T09:00:00.133+01:00Casting for Les Bodin's<p>Les Bodin's is a comic double act created in 1994 and based at Descartes. Comedians, writers and directors Vincent Dubois and Jean-Christian Fraiscinet have created the characters of Maria Bodin, a cunning and manipulative old widowed farmer in her 80s, and her gormless son Christian.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyfTMm98YfZXNh_Yd6kk6R4GdqgR6wL3vbR3dKD_xC5LiDqk2tL-I_y8Q5jPbnDdaGqn0djr0qAPDDss34H76yxN8jSGaNYw28cwvS1gb77NxhHiGfENhynROE6Q2XfAtMeiK3bBd7zmLAZffvKUo8Llkh45KNXpiYfnfg2SzXbobT5xszKbjIg/s1000/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-08-428_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Casting sign, France." border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyfTMm98YfZXNh_Yd6kk6R4GdqgR6wL3vbR3dKD_xC5LiDqk2tL-I_y8Q5jPbnDdaGqn0djr0qAPDDss34H76yxN8jSGaNYw28cwvS1gb77NxhHiGfENhynROE6Q2XfAtMeiK3bBd7zmLAZffvKUo8Llkh45KNXpiYfnfg2SzXbobT5xszKbjIg/w640-h288/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-08-428_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" title="Casting sign for Bodins." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Every July for the past 19 years they have put on a big outdoor show called 'les Bodin's, Grandeur Nature' on a local farm. It has become a cult and is already sold out for this year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb31Ae450B1Ca2kpIeHwtHk26TP9coE8LLVKvbk2ZAcTiajaA9AMe-FzrKgwUzQnAn2Bs1-8udixhZFgzjKCOwnexn8J-VkVuppWzj5cFyuiMhU4tlgFXbSRSUTgoLt8UVu8d28ex6eAlf7-I8_7A-PVx4_6ZTYhviDUchWo2IpqULSCOzi8yy1A/s1000/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-32-204_casting_bodins_psc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo LVTT." border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb31Ae450B1Ca2kpIeHwtHk26TP9coE8LLVKvbk2ZAcTiajaA9AMe-FzrKgwUzQnAn2Bs1-8udixhZFgzjKCOwnexn8J-VkVuppWzj5cFyuiMhU4tlgFXbSRSUTgoLt8UVu8d28ex6eAlf7-I8_7A-PVx4_6ZTYhviDUchWo2IpqULSCOzi8yy1A/w640-h288/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-32-204_casting_bodins_psc.jpg" title="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo LVTT." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The duo perform live as the characters at festivals and charity events around the country, and every so often they make a film or a television show. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94-VwIKAS2OgfO7lDLDS0_1ArNgZlyf7ReCmN9mLwkWEKSax8byrLrmffpHdWljISY97TwmyFjTjMVrQaBN68g3S1DcqtNlOISnxyp10Q5mx8CIgqpHbEqJqY7STmeVv2taqXrAT1ItfeX7yeTlSkvq3sY1Z-iAwAJLSJU8x04KQ-f1OHr90kVg/s1000/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-41-506_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo LVTT." border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94-VwIKAS2OgfO7lDLDS0_1ArNgZlyf7ReCmN9mLwkWEKSax8byrLrmffpHdWljISY97TwmyFjTjMVrQaBN68g3S1DcqtNlOISnxyp10Q5mx8CIgqpHbEqJqY7STmeVv2taqXrAT1ItfeX7yeTlSkvq3sY1Z-iAwAJLSJU8x04KQ-f1OHr90kVg/w640-h288/IMG_2024-02-17-11-28-41-506_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" title="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo LVTT." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I've never seen them perform, but it is clear they are madly popular in the district (at least with an older crowd -- I don't think the under 40s are so enamoured). My guess is that if you like British comedies like Mrs Brown's Boys, you would like les Bodin's if you were French speaking. I would also observe that the French taste in comedy can be remarkably unsophisticated...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZcVfIseBR2ik26sHDnlL3XAJP28IZT8MIjCZCRFUM5u7O_KHwdHdGVBW4F9nzs5w-BP3hJ4nXA4i2OsdYh5sekv9OXj3v0UAcG5zPhWpAbx5jUlrK_hNXsIXyJvasqfCUrzXVnAU4sn9HblFV3mUu5VDwhyphenhyphenkdhN1QF2g8a_6vqIlWcd3uVyCkg/s750/IMG_2024-02-17-11-30-07-050_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo by LVTT." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZcVfIseBR2ik26sHDnlL3XAJP28IZT8MIjCZCRFUM5u7O_KHwdHdGVBW4F9nzs5w-BP3hJ4nXA4i2OsdYh5sekv9OXj3v0UAcG5zPhWpAbx5jUlrK_hNXsIXyJvasqfCUrzXVnAU4sn9HblFV3mUu5VDwhyphenhyphenkdhN1QF2g8a_6vqIlWcd3uVyCkg/w482-h640/IMG_2024-02-17-11-30-07-050_bodins_casting_psc.jpg" title="Casting Les Bodin's, France. Photo by LVTT." width="482" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Anyway, great excitement in Preuilly when it was announced all over Facebook that les Bodin's would be coming to town and casting 600 extras for their next movie. Hundreds of people duly turned up at the salles des fetes to try out as villagers, cattle herder, goat farmer, receptionists, militant ecologists, police officers, acrobatic dancers, musicians, marching girls, accordionist, tie wearing public servants, little girl and a teenage boy. Our friend Mathieu didn't even have to audition. The production team approached him at work behind the bar of his restaurant, l'Image, and asked if he'd play himself in a bar scene.</p><p>So I guess we'll go and see the movie once it's released. There will most probably be a special pre-release showing in the salle des fetes. <br /></p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-88773521016169421462024-02-21T09:00:00.002+01:002024-02-21T09:00:00.129+01:00Renovation Update 2Work on our house is progressing.<div><br /></div><div>The plasterers have finished, but now the plaster has to dry. As is normal in old houses they have had to do a fair amount of thinking on their feet, the main problem being the ceilings. Of course, the house being a bit old nothing is either square or level, and in order for us to be able to open the windows a split level ceiling has been installed - a 5 cm higher section above the window opening.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyFe_3WZCzhTP0brSDkWnZKLWOWVqcmSBCOILWn43IdQe08VnoSJVOrj6R_sc3ZpptevvqQAENIR3cvMq54uioCXxqa6HN3Ys7qO2NiKSKxCfXuKfTld-16f4utGTjH3TrDhkjgxJL448jGaov2Z12PuOUx_i7dn86JqvlKNDdRCbTtpihjil/s999/IMG_20240219_175809~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyFe_3WZCzhTP0brSDkWnZKLWOWVqcmSBCOILWn43IdQe08VnoSJVOrj6R_sc3ZpptevvqQAENIR3cvMq54uioCXxqa6HN3Ys7qO2NiKSKxCfXuKfTld-16f4utGTjH3TrDhkjgxJL448jGaov2Z12PuOUx_i7dn86JqvlKNDdRCbTtpihjil/w640-h480/IMG_20240219_175809~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In addition to working on the fireplace in the bedroom, I have done some further work on the stone wall in the salon. This is a dirty and dusty job, which involves removing layers of soot, grime and dust from the stone and cleaning the joints between them. Some of this appears to have been mud (I'm being polite) which either falls off in clumps or turns to brown dust. Most unappealing.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JfNoyblzhZzgezvf4ACHTRJTyJNP6iyMPRYsAs28UUBi_1ihaCWowJz7ovS0a-TBJWC_19S2jCvTroGXUP0akree21GWNNudF-Dpwdq9cIjenBQWH_V73TlcpjQfM4vUAOblmdfOyiwumHggpK6ADutcyu21f3aU2aka5a1vh9ieTrXPRnEg/s999/IMG_20240219_180022~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JfNoyblzhZzgezvf4ACHTRJTyJNP6iyMPRYsAs28UUBi_1ihaCWowJz7ovS0a-TBJWC_19S2jCvTroGXUP0akree21GWNNudF-Dpwdq9cIjenBQWH_V73TlcpjQfM4vUAOblmdfOyiwumHggpK6ADutcyu21f3aU2aka5a1vh9ieTrXPRnEg/w640-h480/IMG_20240219_180022~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The electrician returned yesterday to do the lights (and light switch) in the salon then it's a couple of weeks of dirt, grime and dust before we start painting.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The wall mounted up lighters are in place</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC-JQR9XqvlsJW3M_Qv0vxUkhBU6AVaL-dMCIFoParFx20jcJCRpiBA2XkWltYpQiXgPyptiUFOrVXSK5Z1bNZhKTDs-0R8uxXvEYe0sAAlGNM1HF2_3weNkrnTHqhRy4rB_zHvGT-N0g2s6hs5or8Hm_QYPUpgH0E40YXXN0VHMusBvy6aCL/s999/IMG_20240220_183014~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC-JQR9XqvlsJW3M_Qv0vxUkhBU6AVaL-dMCIFoParFx20jcJCRpiBA2XkWltYpQiXgPyptiUFOrVXSK5Z1bNZhKTDs-0R8uxXvEYe0sAAlGNM1HF2_3weNkrnTHqhRy4rB_zHvGT-N0g2s6hs5or8Hm_QYPUpgH0E40YXXN0VHMusBvy6aCL/w640-h480/IMG_20240220_183014~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and they turn on (don't worry, they're not as</div><div style="text-align: center;">bright as it would appear in the photo)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sb3j1-qfgjG5qgYNf71Ssexrk4Zb_GsA4F8zYN9gbM_ZWvpc9DP50ibcnONcmMJ5fbesJ9CT9-n9JPO7H5rVSXhpgoOyKNMg2gyxqibVsr6xz1hPvNAyXaihm_MesHpJOLHg6Fmn5et18MWcJ76POv_iyttFfgRcNjCxkBMvFlHv9_0CwIEW/s999/IMG_20240220_183309~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sb3j1-qfgjG5qgYNf71Ssexrk4Zb_GsA4F8zYN9gbM_ZWvpc9DP50ibcnONcmMJ5fbesJ9CT9-n9JPO7H5rVSXhpgoOyKNMg2gyxqibVsr6xz1hPvNAyXaihm_MesHpJOLHg6Fmn5et18MWcJ76POv_iyttFfgRcNjCxkBMvFlHv9_0CwIEW/w640-h480/IMG_20240220_183309~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Joy...</div>Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203768991989701121noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-37260402017214870642024-02-20T09:00:00.004+01:002024-02-20T09:00:00.143+01:00What's the Rush?<p>Once upon a time there would have been a rush weaver in nearly every village, and the plant they used would have been abundant on the edges of rivers and étangs (dams) where the water was shallow and still. Now the plant, true bulrush <i>Schoenoplectus lacustris</i>, is sufficiently rare that if you have it growing on a site you can have it declared a Zone Naturelle d'Interet Ecologique, Floristique et Faunistique (ZNIEFF). It is easy to cultivate, but rush products went out of fashion and the skills to process the plant were lost. Nowadays it is making a comeback, but as an aquatic plant used in environments that need stabilising.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">True Bulrush at the Etang du Louroux, a great purpose built pisciculture dam, hand dug in the Middle Ages, so this is a scene that has barely changed for eight hundred years.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOD9egiDNTHUV6iUgTocyUAyKVk-nmbvsICjJaNRoPhrLwr6E5uSRiMYIzsglG6i60FdcEWvLiS3bGSo6pyJ_YBtt5K2S0RszETRHz7ZpxkMpB-s-JjZ_FA_tQ6KgLQNmHe9I5mzfPythABwVDmV48dtqfRgg1fwXsDMewjXa-8Lm_q_9MI6_Nw/s1000/schoenoplectus_lacustris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="True Bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris, Indre et loire, France. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOD9egiDNTHUV6iUgTocyUAyKVk-nmbvsICjJaNRoPhrLwr6E5uSRiMYIzsglG6i60FdcEWvLiS3bGSo6pyJ_YBtt5K2S0RszETRHz7ZpxkMpB-s-JjZ_FA_tQ6KgLQNmHe9I5mzfPythABwVDmV48dtqfRgg1fwXsDMewjXa-8Lm_q_9MI6_Nw/w640-h480/schoenoplectus_lacustris.jpg" title="True Bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris, France." width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In French bulrush is known as Jonc des chaisiers ('chairmakers' rush') because it was used to weave the seats of chairs. And it was used by coopers to bind barrels before the iron hoops were put on, hence it's alternative French name of Jonc des tonneliers. Up until the 1960s, rush harvesting was a quite lucrative side hustle for farmers with marshy land (particularly in the Marais Poitevin). These days though, 'rush' seats are made from twisted paper fibre or seagrass. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Rush matting on the floor, specially made in the 16th century style for the garderobe of Chateau of Azay le Rideau by an English rush weaver experienced in historical reproductions.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__ggvWcvdho/UWRV4T_gtrI/AAAAAAAAbRc/6h55Xqs3CUI/s1600/rush_matting1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__ggvWcvdho/UWRV4T_gtrI/AAAAAAAAbRc/6h55Xqs3CUI/s640/rush_matting1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Some years ago curators at the Chateau of Azay le Rideau recreated Philippe Lesbahy's 16th century bedroom and included rush matting.<br />
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Taking their cue from a well known portrait of a royal mistress in the bath, hand made rush matting was commissioned from an <a href="http://www.rushmatters.co.uk/" target="_blank">English artisan</a> who is one of the few remaining professional rushworkers in Western Europe. The painting shows the walls of the room the woman sits in as lined with rush matting. The chateau sadly does not have the original painting on display -- <a href="http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/timage_f?object=46112&image=8932&c=gg41a" target="_blank">that's in Washington</a> -- but it does have a 19th century version that you can get extremely close to and scrutinise for details.The actual braiding pattern for the matting is based on a fragment found at <a href="http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/" target="_blank">Hampton Court Palace</a>.<br />
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Detail of the rush matting.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O4QFKiUsPlc/UWRV5ukulYI/AAAAAAAAbRs/_x3qmM957_4/s1600/rush_matting2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O4QFKiUsPlc/UWRV5ukulYI/AAAAAAAAbRs/_x3qmM957_4/s640/rush_matting2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The matting is made from true <a href="http://www.rushmatters.co.uk/rush/harvesting/1/" target="_blank">bulrush</a> <i>Schoenoplectus lacustris </i>(not reedmace <i>Typha</i> spp, which is commonly called bulrush), which in Philippe's day would have been harvested from any of the local rivers or wetlands and worked by a local artisan. It is plaited into long strips then sewn together to form a mat. Its lifespan isn't all that great on the floor, and it would have been treated as sacrificial -- strewn with aromatic herbs to keep it fresh smelling, but removed and burnt once too dirty, worn through or the population of fleas it harboured got unbearable. Because it was 'modular', clean unworn strips from the edges of rooms could be salvaged and combined with new strips when the floor covering was replaced.<br />
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You can see the rush matting on the walls of the bedroom at the Chateau of Azay le Rideau. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zp3jpsjELpM/UWRV7E-K0FI/AAAAAAAAbR8/y3Z54A0rSMY/s1600/rush_matting5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zp3jpsjELpM/UWRV7E-K0FI/AAAAAAAAbR8/y3Z54A0rSMY/s640/rush_matting5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>
Rush matting was a relatively cheap and easily available alternative to expensive carpets and tapestries. The purpose of all of these soft furnishings was to prevent cold radiating from the stone walls and to deaden sound in large echoing rooms. Housekeeping was easy -- dirt mostly just falls through, but it is a good idea to periodically mist with water to keep the rush in good condition and pleasantly aromatic.</p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">True Bulrush in a ZNIEFF at Chambon. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpHEqdyv7PpZ4S9sJMiRkUrEXlDKrERVcTeA93MLL7iO-77FKKtmvnzXx_DCiGD1s0F4_nXHMpKcmBt3rJ_AaeIgam7RpXOeC9gxhGC9OwrIPmzJtU6QDzs7u_2dxa-UyzQKtWMv7WUTkCdaZsZSgMqsgDWdNlKgPkw8VhjmdVUR6I1QbqnmwmQ/s1000/DSCF9535_scirpus_lacustris_chambon_nov21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="True Bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris, Indre et loire, france. Photo by loire Valley Time Travel." border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpHEqdyv7PpZ4S9sJMiRkUrEXlDKrERVcTeA93MLL7iO-77FKKtmvnzXx_DCiGD1s0F4_nXHMpKcmBt3rJ_AaeIgam7RpXOeC9gxhGC9OwrIPmzJtU6QDzs7u_2dxa-UyzQKtWMv7WUTkCdaZsZSgMqsgDWdNlKgPkw8VhjmdVUR6I1QbqnmwmQ/w640-h480/DSCF9535_scirpus_lacustris_chambon_nov21.jpg" title="True Bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris, France." width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33039104.post-13975941570388704582024-02-19T09:00:00.001+01:002024-02-19T09:00:00.346+01:00Creating A Stink in Normandy<p>Normandy is on everyone's social media at the moment, in the lead up to the 80 anniversary of the invasion. So I've had several conversations recently about Normandy and what one can do there. One of the things one can do is seek out Pont l'Eveque cheese. Below is a repost from ten years ago about the stinky Norman cheese.</p><p style="text-align: center;">****************************************</p>France is famous for its cheese, and quite a few French cheeses are distinctly aromatic. One of the stinkiest comes from the area between Deauville and Lisieux in Lower Normandy. Simon loves to tell people the story of us spending Christmas in the area and taking a block of the local Pont l'Eveque cheese home on Eurostar.<br />
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The other day he announced that the fridge smelled, as if there was stinky cheese in there, but he couldn't see the source of the aroma and was mystified. Eventually I remembered that I had bought a Petit Pont l'Eveque some days earlier. It was unopened, and hidden under something else, but after a few days in the fridge had completely stunk it out. We happily unwrapped it and ate it and the fridge problem disappeared. A clear win-win.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Na-cFRpsw5Y/UgYxskqrZJI/AAAAAAAAcIY/X_a7JI24LzM/s1600/pont_leveque.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Na-cFRpsw5Y/UgYxskqrZJI/AAAAAAAAcIY/X_a7JI24LzM/s640/pont_leveque.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">
There is a very fine line between good stinky and bad stinky with cheese. Once the lactic aromas go over a certain level or develop in a certain way the cheese turns from being a delicious treat to something disgusting that turns the stomach. But the cut-off point between delicious and disgusting is different depending on where you were raised and what foods you have been exposed to.<br />
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The French anthropologist <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/nov/03/claude-levi-strauss-obituary" target="_blank">Claude Lévi-Strauss</a> had quite a lot to say about this particular aspect of our approach to food and how our attitudes are culturally acquired. He points out that these distinctions are entirely learnt, and not instinctive or innate as one might think. He illustrates his point at one stage by relating how, in the days after D-Day, American troops would occasionally encounter fairly whiffy dairies in the Norman countryside. To the unsophisticated Americans, who had never been exposed to anything more challenging than processed cheddar, they assumed the dairies were full of dead bodies, and burnt them to the ground. They were revolted and wanted to eliminate the smell. <br /></p>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.com2