My 100th Post

I can't believe I've just written that.

If Blogger didn't count them and inform me 

 I would have let this special day pass me by without knowing.

If you don't mind I need to write it again only in bigger numbers

100 th. post.

I promise I won't mention it again.

 I created my blog in 2012. If you weren't reading me then take a look at my first post.

Except for my family, I really didn't know who would want to read about my daily life, 

but 99 posts later and just past the 40,000 number of views.

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.

 I'm still here and when I don't enjoy writing and sharing I'll stop.

I thank every one of you who take the time to read about me, 

If you don't write a comment  I don't know you are reading it, but thank you anyway.

Finally a special thank you to all my blogging friends

who leave such lovely encouraging comments.

 A sketch from my journal of the back view of our house from the grazing field.

What better subject to share with you than the beautiful countryside I enjoy where I live, 

and what a stunning time of the year when the trees are exploding with such beautiful colours.

If you would like to join me on my walk, we will start from 

La Petite Maison 

Our summer visitors have gone. the vine has been trimmed

                         but it still looks inviting with the lovely red leaves on the Virginia Creeper.

During my recuperation time I sat most days on our terrace 

and sketched this view of the ruined barn 

Now the Berberis is looking at its best, so many shades of red.

  

We could take this lane.

But I think we'll go  this way.

 We will walk the  'Le Route Forrestier' 

 I haven't taken this pathway for quite some time as it was too hilly for me, but now I'm able to walk much further again, it's the best route for views.  We will be able to see the many species of trees which grow in our region  some of them are already bare and others are still showing off  their colourful robes. This particular day started with heavy showers then the sun came out which lit up the trees making their colours even more beautiful, 

I climbed the first hill to see the lovely big Oak tree

 which stands alone in the field where the Limousin cows feed,

 This oak always look splendid whatever the season, it hangs onto

it's leaves almost until the new Spring leaves begin to appear.

 I stopped and turned around so that you could have a glimpse of my home through the bare trees.

I can see lots of  dark clouds beginning to gather so before it starts to rain again.

I think we'll take a little detour,  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

it's this winding path which has lots of ferns along the edge of the path

Look at the lovely shades of rust of these ferns, 

I'll be cutting them soon and taking them to use as a winter coat for my fragile Fuchsias.

I learnt that tip from an old man in the village where we lived when we first arrived in France.

If you'd like to read some of my happenings in that village take a peep    here

I'm so glad I took the detour even though it didn't rain

We would have missed seeing these trees.

Aren't they beautiful ?

When it snows and I write about the snow plough never passing our house, you can see why. 

         I'll be able to show you the ruined house near to where I live.which is so over grown now

We are now back, to where we started our walk.

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful colours I'm seeing at the moment.

This year we still haven't had any frost, so we're still enjoying our Autumn.

 Now for a little insight of my preparation before I actually make a post. 

I say it so many times I am not technically minded.

I forget how to do things, so have to write it down, especially doing a link.

That's why I don't join in with Link posts but I do read the blogs you all link to.

I'd never get anything done I'd still be sitting at my laptop struggling.

Oh believe me sometimes it takes me ages.

However I have managed to put two links in this post.

When I first started writing on my blog I used to get Mr France to take the photos.

But since then  I've learnt such a lot about taking photos and I'm still learning, 

Here I'm preparing for a photo shoot I wanted to show you 

the last three stems of Lavender I found this morning.

Most of the photos I take are with my aim & shoot camera,  I can master that.

It's still not right. but was the best of all that I took.

This stone jar I found buried in the barn under all the hay at our first house.

I fiddled about adding a few more bits and pieces.

I've just made some Lavender sachets as extra little gifts for Christmas

and I thought it would fit in with the theme.

But too many shadows. 

I hope you enjoyed my special post.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

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

 

Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunt

organised by

green thumb Made with love

 

My  photos for March.
I've had to do a lot of digging in my photo files to submit this time,
as I'm still not  well  and I'm now waiting to go into hospital for some treatment.
So please excuse my effort.



M. for mushroom.
This is a field mushroom which we often collect during Sept and Oct,
 it's the first time I've seen one as big as this.
I made cream of mushroom soup with it.

Mr France found this in September in the farmers field which is next to our boundary.

 

 

 

Our guests table set  for breakfast  in La Petite Maison.

 

 

Some Holly berries on the trees near our house.

This was taken in the late evening last summer
 of the Monastery in Rocamadour lit up.

 

This grate is our French 'Godin' wood-burner. with the door open.

 

Mr France working on the deck he built this time last year.

The chimney breast, which we built in our guest house .
 The bricks where from inside the old bread oven which unfortunately
 we were unable to save, it was too badly damaged.

 

 

Some antique cutlery I found at a Brocante

 when we first arrived in France 24yrs ago.

 

Some troughs and a hanging basket
 with Surfinas and trailing Geraniums
 on our summer balcony.

A cold  crisp morning ,
showing the frost on the ground and white on the tiles of our well.

A souvenir from our visit to the Basque  region in France, which borders Spain.
This was my ticket from our ride on Le Petite Train up the mountain.
The views were fantastic.

It's difficult to find a coloured door in my region of France.
Most of the properties are old stone cottages and have heavy oak doors ,
which are usually protected with a stain and not paint.

So this is my painted door.

I hope you liked seeing my contribution.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian