A Time to Remember..

If you are a follower of me, you will know that I don't usually write another post so soon.

However this morning during a lovely drive through our country lanes we approached one of the nearby  villages and saw a large gathering of people, well large for the size of this tiny village. There was old and young,  all congregated together in front of the small Cafe/Bar which is opposite the church, where they had probably just been for a service and now were ready to celebrate together with an aperitif  at the bar.
We stopped the car and I took these few photos. Later after I'd returned home it made me sit back and think, how lucky I am. I'm the youngest in my family and when my Mother used to tell me about my childhood  she often referred to me as being a war baby, as I was born in 1940. When she talked  about the war, it didn't seem very important to me then. But thinking about it now, life must have been really hard. 
I'd like you to remember with me, all those brave men and women, young and old who gave their lives to defend their countries for us and our families.

The small village at the cross roads.

M. Le Maire  and the local people of this tiny village in France.

Chrysanthemum flowers outside of the church
which are known so well in France
in remembrance of the dead.

Who ever and  where ever you are, we all need to remember,
all those brave men and women who gave up their lives for us.

It's not very often I get sentimental, but seeing this ceremony in this tiny village which I pass through so often,  made me realise the importance of the future for our children and their children.

It made me think,
 How about you ?

 A bientot 

Barbara Lilian

Ma Maison Fleurie.

Do you remember when I told you about the very first time I met the floral judging committee which to me seemed to made up from anyone who liked flowers regardless of their knowledge. That was 20yrs ago. It has come a long way since then for rural France.

The competition judging is done at the beginning of July. That period this year was not very good weather wise, We'd had a lot of rain & not very much sun, so the flowers well behind in blooming due to lack of sun. So consequently all the hanging baskets & troughs were at there best when the jury had been & gone.

At the beginning of last week I received my invitation from M. Le Mayor to attend the diploma presentation  which was to be held in 'La Salle de Fete' in my commune.  This year chairs were set out in rows & a screen was in place up on the stage with a projector for a photo slide show of all the entrants gardens or fronts of houses. I thought wow! our little commune has certainly come into the 20th c. what progress since 20yr. ago. The Mayor welcomed everybody & explained about the slide show. Then he started to give out the diplomas for the different categories & clicked onto the laptop to show the photo of the winners garden or house. Somewhere along the way the photos seemed to be out of synchronisation with the receiver of the diploma, as the little old who was sitting next to me said 'Why is M. Charbonnier collecting a diploma that's not his house it's mine' after 23 yrs. my understanding & communicating has greatly improved, although I still make the odd 'faux pas'  Apparently right from the beginning of the presentation the photos were not the house of the diploma receiver, but nobody had said anything. Oh well ! maybe next year they will get it right, nobody seemed to mind, all the entrants seemed to enjoy looking at every one else's gardens or window boxes and every entrant was given a diploma even if it was just for making the effort of planting a few flowering plants and each one of  went away with a Camellia shrub to help them add a little more colour to their garden. 

Then the aperitifs were served, which always goes down well, delicious canapes made by the local boulanger and a glass of wine, followed by plenty of refills. Everyone then mingled and chatted about their gardening success 's or the failures due the bad weather early in the year, hopefully going away with encouragement  for 2013.

My categorie is for Terraces & balconies & this year I received a 'Diplome d'Honneur avec mention special.

I was well satisfied with my award, but it was not as rewarding for me as the one I received 2yrs ago. That year I won the 1st prize for the whole of the department, not just the commune. But who ever it was who won it this year, I'm sure they will feel as proud as I did and who ever you are I say congratulations.

My Diplome d'Honneur

The balcony with hanging baskets and troughs.

 

Close up of the Surfinias in the trough.






One of the many window boxes.

A half wall basket.

Hanging basket in front of the holiday cottage.

More Surfinias.

On the steps leading to the pool.

A metal ware container from Denmark.

This is a glimpse of some of the flowers that helped me win my Diplome d'Honneur.

Hope you enjoyed sharing my flowers.

A bientot 

Barbara Lilian.

Look what I saw sitting on my door mat.

As I've previously mentioned I live in rural France and the land around our house has an abundance of deer and wild boar so  I'm able to see all sorts of wild life, when I'm out walking in the Forrest's.
But take a peep at these photos taken at this time last year from inside my house, looking through a small window.

I couldn't move or make a noise as I knew it would run away.

 It lay down on the doormat & stayed here for about half an hour.

If you're like me I can hear you saying aaahhh!!!

We were told that the mother must have deserted it, as young deer are not usually on their own. I hope it's mother hadn't been shot by 'Le Chasseur' like in the film 'Bambi'. I often wonder if it managed to find it's mother or it managed to survive on it's own.

Hope you enjoyed sharing a bit of my country life.

A bientot.

Barbara Lilian

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



Pumpkins in the autumn sunshine.

We have nice sunny days again where I live in france. After being indoors for three days because of rain, we decided to take a pic-nic & drive around taking roads we don't usually use. I'm so glad, as look what I found.

These were growing in a potager near to the roadside and I couldn't resist taking these photos.

Pumpkins.

Known as potiron in French.

 

Just think what wonderful lanterns these would make.
My grandchildren in Denmark want me to send these to them.






All shapes, colours and sizes.

This one was growing on a plant  twisted all around a wire fence.

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon.

.This one I found at my daughters.
Lovely autumn colours, tempting me to get my paints out !

 

Hope you liked sharing my autumn sunny afternoon 'a la campagne'. 

Enjoy your weekend

A bientot.

Barbara Lilian.