Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts

26 March 2013

Some things you might not know about France.


I've just been reading some articles which were 
written in 
our local free news paper

THE BUGLE

which might be of interest to all you lovers of France.

DID YOU KNOW


NO it's not a joke!
READ on....











I'm not into # 

BUT READ WHAT FRANCE THINKS OF IT.



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SNCF    TRAVEL INFO.

This might be of interest to some of you who are planning to visit France.


Some new cheap NO FRILLS  Ouigo  TGV  trains  from Paris to the south of France.
from the 2nd April 2013

PARIS to SOUTH of  FRANCE

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS  website 



Not usually my style of post.
but
I Hope it was of interest to the lovers of France.
Who might be visiting 
PARIS in the SPRINGTIME



à bientôt
Barbara Lilian 












08 February 2013

My dream fun car.







When we came to France to live in our first tiny village all those years ago, I arrived driving our daughters little Renault cinq. The seats were folded down to make as much room as possible for our two Labrador dogs and any space that was left around them, was packed to the top with  the remaining items that wouldn't fit in the van we had hired.

I knew I was going to need a car of my own and had dreams of how I would get around these narrow country lanes. I'd seen lots of pictures of the Citroen CV and thought what a fun car that would be to drive ! Just like my visions in a previous post, of riding my bicycle to the Boulangerie each  morning.

One of the villagers used to have a  clapped out Citroen 2cv a bit like the ones in the pictures. Well !!!  it was the same shape, only his was blue and a very old version of my dream fun car. Early and I mean early, like 5.45 am every morning, we would here the putt, putt, putt noise these cars make as he went off to work and I thought to myself... they might look fun , but do I really want to drive a car that sounds like an old lawnmower.

Yesterday while I was  in a store in Limoges browsing through a box of cards, I was taken back to when we first arrived and had visions of myself driving the lanes in a car similar to one of these.

My fun dream car. One of these really would be fun to drive, especially the pink & blue one, If I had that one everyone in my area would know it was me, when they 'd see this car.



My dream fun car.





















I never did have one, but it was nice to dream.

Would you like to drive around the country lanes in France in one of these cars ?

Which one would you choose.??



I also bought these cards
  for all 'The Paris Dreamers'





                                               Look how the ladies are dressed to ride a bicycle.


 A little before my time, but
I remember my eldest sister riding a bicycle similar to these.















All these pictures are from Julien Lautier Creations.





I hope you enjoyed joining in one of my dreams .

a bientot 
Barbara Lilian





19 January 2013

Some snowy scenes in France

We've had several snow falls this week on and off and our forecast is more again this weekend .
I know it's winter and we should expect snow, but I just wanted to show you a few pictures.


Isn't this fantastic
I found it on Pinterest.





The 1st blanket of snow.



Our House from a distance.




La Petite Maison terrace.




Our farming neighbour from the next hamlet.
Hope he comes past our house to clear the road.




This picture was taken from the balcony.
Two young Deer looking for food.
Hope they hide tomorrow, as it's the day of the local Chasse/hunt.






Couldn't resist showing you this one
for all my lovers of Paris.
I found  it on Pinterest.




Hope you enjoyed sharing my snow scenes.

If you have snow keep warm.


A bientot 

Barbara Lilian.





14 October 2012

Chateaux on my doorstep.



Are you in love with France and  Chateaux ?
If so, spend a little of your time with me and share some of the Chateaux I could pass by just popping to the Boulangerie to buy a baguette, or our Sunday morning croissants. and one on the way to my hairderssers.
Our lovely visitors have just left after their 17th year of staying in our holiday home. While we talking about where they had been on their many outings around our picturesque countryside, it made me think how much I take for granted the beauty of where we live and it's all on our door step. Which ever direction I take, I could pass a chateaux. My nearest neighbours are the owners of Chateaux de Brie
All of the Chateaux are on the route of King Richard the Lion Heart. King Richard spent many years in France where he was shot by an arrow and as a result from this injury he died in 1199  at  Chateaux de Chalus - Chabrol X1c - XV11c









This is approaching my neighbours at Chateau de Brie from our house.




Just a little inside info..
When we bought our first house in France and where with the Notaire signing the documents, we were informed that the owners of the Chateau kept their horses on some of the land that came with the property we were buying and he asked us 'did we mind' !  Only ever having lived in houses with what we thought had a large garden, we had no idea of how much land he was talking about. We were taken by the Immobilier to see the land which had been mentioned, he then  pointed to the right & the left and said 'as far as you can see in both directions is yours'. Well ! looking at the amount of land which was about to become ours and not having horses we were very pleased that the Chateau owners would be putting their horses on our land.


This is a photo of Chateau de Brie taken by my husband during a flying trip he went on.

 







I love this picture of Chateau de Montbrun
taken on a frosty morning during a really cold winter.

Chateau de Montbrun is lived in and privately owned.






Approaching  Chateau de Jumilhac.
Such a lovely view we sat here to eat our pic-nic. This is a small but very picturesque town where most of the old houses bordering the chateau have been tastefully renovated.
 Imagine this view from your kitchen window !!!



Chateau de Jumilhac 

 This is my favourite Chateau,  because it has so many towers.




 Chateau de Nexon and Parc. 
This chateaux is set in 40 hectares of landscaped park, which was created in the late 19th c.
Since the municipality acquired the sight, it became the Mairie (town hall ) 
which is now open to the public free of charge all year round.


 



I thought you might like this sign. Those who are travellers in France will be familiar to seeing these yellow signs used in France. This one directs you to use a quieter and more touristic route to Paris.
As I'm not a city girl and fortunately neither is my other half,  we usualy take these routes.
 We find we see so much more.



Chateau de Rochechouart X111c Renaissance style.
Now has a contemporary art museum on the top floor.

 


We are now at the end of the Chateau tour at Chateau de Chalus. which is now an historic monument situated at the cross roads of the 'Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle'
The historical route of the Plantagenet's.
It was here Richard Coeur de Lion ended his life.







I hope you enjoyed the tour of some of the Chateaux near where I live.



Enjoy your week-end.

A bientot.


Barbara Lilian