The Atlantic Coast.

My regular friends who follow my posts will know that I've had a miserable time this year.

I love where I live in the beautiful countryside of France and I'm happy just pottering in my garden.

This year I've not been able to do very much, but now I'm feeling so much better and the last of our summer visitors have now left, so Mr France suggested a short trip away to the coast.

 

Before we moved to the middle of nowhere in central France we'd always lived near the sea,

so like a flash I was searching on internet for somewhere to stay, nothing fancy, somewhere quiet, where we could take short walks and enjoy the sea air and that's just what we found.

 

 

This  is where we stayed.
It was a Perfect choice.

Talmont is on the coast of the estuary of 'La Gironde' 

 



On the edge of the cliff was this imposing12th C church.

Very bare inside.

 

 



Most of the houses are stone or painted white with blue shutters and doors and looked like this.




This pretty little village has narrow streets and
only the people who live there are allowed to drive their cars in.

So we saw lots of bicycles, I think some were there just for ornament .

 

 

 

These larger houses had just been renovated and were 'For Sale'

I would have loved to have a peep inside,

but this couple were with an agent and seemed like prospective buyers .

 

I'm always collecting seed heads from plants where ever I go !

but

I only saw this sign after I had my pockets full !

oops !

 

 



I loved this sign outside of a holiday rental house.

 

 

 

 

After our morning walking around the narrow streets, we drove up the coast a few miles

where there are three beautiful beaches. We chose this one to have our lunch.

As you can see hardly anyone around. This is definitely a summer seasonal place.

 I'm sure during the months of July and August this would be so crowded.

But we so enjoyed our time here.

 

After our lunch of fresh fish, the waiter suggested we went down onto the beach to relax,

 and have our coffee sitting under the beach parasols. He must have sensed our needs.

 



 

 

 

 

Then some youngsters came onto the beach for what looked like a sailing lesson.

So the view was constantly changing, first group green sails then the next blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being thoroughly relaxed,

 we then walked from one end of the beach to the other, along the edge of the sea.

 

 



 

 

After spending the afternoon at the beach a little further up the coast

we arrived back to the village where we were staying to have a relaxing aperitif.

 

 

 

This was the 'plat du jour' menu
One course and a glass of wine or beer.

However we had already eaten our main meal at lunch time.

 

 

 

 

 

I was so happy to see at least one or two Roses Trémières / Hollyhocks still flowering.
 



 During the summer months the village is a mass of pink & red from 'Roses Trémières '
which grow along the edge of the walls of the houses.

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't stop taking photos.



 

 

 

 

Back at our hotel room, each evening the family dog arrived

 for any tit-bits that might come his way.

Those adorable eyes staring at me, made me find something to give him.

 

 

He was still there, until we closed the shutters.

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing a hidden treasure of a place

in France you might never think of visiting.

 

You might be wondering what happened to the sketches

I was planning on doing during the time we were away.

 

Well I have a confession to make, I was so busy taking photos

and then relaxing.

I didn't find time to sketch 'en plein air'

so I'll be painting from photos.

 

Next time I'll show you some of the other places we visited.

 

 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

 

Good Bye to our Summer visitors.

Now I have to say goodbye to Summer as our last guests  have just left.

Officially Autumn started on 21st September,

 but while we still had visitors staying in La Petite Maison

and we're still enjoying lovely warm sunny days, I cling on to Summer as long as I can.

 

 





Mr France and I are off to the coast

 to spend a few days enjoying the sound of the waves.

I do love where we live, but I miss the sea.

 

 

 

 

I've thrown a few mix & match outfits in a small case, nothing fancy

as we're hoping to do some walking, nothing energetic.



So hopefully if Mr France wants to take a snooze after lunch

I'll get the chance to try out the new Inktense pencils with the waterbrushes.

and have some sketches to show  you

 

 

I've recently treated myself to a box of 24 Derwent Inktense pencils.

.

 



and a pack of 3 waterbrushes. Which I haven't yet tried, so that could be interesting

 I hope I'll like using them on this trip.

 

 

 

I'm also taking my Moleskin landscape sketch journal

which I bought months ago

and it's still waiting for my 1st sketch.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know why I'm hesitating to sketch in it.

I feel like I'm back at school starting a new term

and not wanting to make a mess on the first page.

 

 

 

I'll be taking loads of photos

so I'll show you where I've been when I get back.

 

 

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My summer in La Dordogne

During the summer months Mr France & I leave our home, as we let our house and a small cottage 

called La Petite Maison  for holidays.

and 

we spend time at our daughters while she and her family go away on holiday and we look after her home along with all their animals.

This year we were greeted by seven  new baby chicks who kept us entertained and we watched them grow from cream coloured  fluffy balls into young hens / cockerels.

A few weeks later when we left this is how much they'd grown.

 Hats were definitely a must.

and there was one to suite everyone.

After our long wet spring

It's been a very HOT summer this year, most of us sat in the shade,

but others flayed out in the hot sun.!

Oh... it's too hot !

One, would love to cool off !

but doesn't like getting wet.

Family bikes prepared, ready to go in the van for a few days away.

I'll stay here in the shade and look after the animals.

The fruits are not quite ripe, so I can't pick them yet.

Thankfully the deer have not eaten the figs this year.

The blackberries are nearly ripe.

Not very many peaches.

So far we haven't needed to light the fire. 

The evenings have been warm.

Let's hope it continues for a bit longer.

 I'll leave my hat hanging on the door until the next time I need it.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian