Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 6C. 4mm rain measured this morning; as I type this we are having a mixture of more rain plus some hail. 31km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 77 km/h. It is very windy outside!
The tiny church down the road from us at Fleurignac has just had a new/restored bell put in after months of being without it. Apparently, it had a crack.
Around the corner from the church is this old Lavoir.
Our local village of Vitrac, the local well...
as above, the Mairie and the local war memorial...
The Mairie from another angle.
Our last game of French scrabble at Vitrac where this word gave me a winning streak. Yes, it is in the French scrabble dictionary!!
Out for a drive near Xambes - grape vines...
The town of Xambes - too many wind turbines...
You can see here just how close they are to the town!! Thank goodness we did not buy a house near here!
A bee in the garden...
as above...
and a bumble bee.
Even a few lizards came out of hibernation for several days before the weather turned cooler again.
Last week we took a trip to the recycling centre here in the Charente. It was extremely interesting, but because there was lots of info to go with it, which I do not put on the diary, I have put the post on my other blog HERE.
I have updated my bird blog HERE.
You really do live in a picturesque part of the world. Is Brexit going to affect you at all?
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful part of the country and quiet and relaxing.
DeleteBrexit, who knows? I suspect if they leave with no deal it could be a big problem. Pensions and health could be seriously affected but we will only know at the end of all this nonsense. It is still all up in the air. We have British passports, but we have French residence cards though not citizenship.
Have a good week, cheers Diane
Would it be advantageous to take out French citizenship?
DeletePossibly but not that simple. It would have to be the next step if absolutley necessary.
DeleteDiane, you have such wonderful photo opportunities where you are. I always enjoy seeing where you and Nigel live. Great photo's!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Thanks Sally, I love sharing our part of the world. Keep well Diane xx
DeleteIt looks so beautiful especially when the sun is shining. I agree that you (I) wouldn't want to live too close to the wind turbines. Your macros of the bees are stunning. Have a wonderful week ahead Diane.
ReplyDeleteI hate the turbines and to have them that close to a town is ridiculous. They are noisy as well as killing birds and bats. Hope your week is a good one Penny. Take care Diane
DeleteI enjoy seeing architecture and also plants and wildlife from other parts of the world. This was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma glad that you enjoyed these photos. Keep well Diane
DeleteYou have spring! It looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe had spring it has gone int hiding again this week!! Take care Diane
DeleteYou live in a lovely place. I used to play English Scrabble but now there is no one to play with me. Everyone is more interested in their smartphone. Lol!
ReplyDeleteSmartphones are a real pain. I hate it when one goes to a restaurant and people are not even talking anymore they just play with their phones Grrrrrr. Keep well Diane
DeleteIt's good to see some photos of your more immediate environment, Diane. It looks to be a charming place.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be following a similar weather pattern to yourselves, although a few degrees cooler than you. We're currently going through an unpredictable period - sunshine, but cool winds, interspersed with sessions of torrential rain. It's sunny and cool at the moment, but forecast for heavy rain in an hour or two.
Several times you've mentioned that you don't speak French - are you sure?? It seems pretty impressive to me that you can play Scrabble in French!
Your garden, as always, looks to be an absolute delight.
Take good care. My very best wishes to you both - - - Richard
The weather has cooled down again now Richard and we have very strong winds. Not pleasant to walk in. It is a lovely place where we live and I so enjoy walking here.
DeleteYes I am sure that I do not speak French I just know a few useless words that do not make a conversation! When playing scrabble, I just move the letters around until they look like a possible word and then I look it up. Often it is almost right but may need a bit of juggling. Luckily, I have my own dictionary but the French also use them as well so I am not the exception. I so often come up with words that they do not believe and must double check them !!! 😊
Keep well and good wishes to both of you Diane
Love the look of your village Vitrac ✨ oh la! I love scrabble but French scrabble would be tres tricky pour moi 😉
ReplyDeleteGrace it is tricky for me too but I generally manage without help. I do ask though if I have horribe letters and the French are always hapy to help out. Keep well Diane
DeleteYour area certainly is a beautiful part of the world. I am very fond of Scrabble :) Super photos Diane, thank you and enjoy the rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteDenise we do live in a beautiful spot and we love it here. Hope you have a good day Diane
DeleteThat's such a quaint town! I love all the lovely architecture and gardening beauties! Gorgeous bees, too!
ReplyDeleteIt is very historic around where we live. A very pretty spot. Lots of farm animals which brings in lots of insects as well. Cheers Diane
DeleteWill you hear the church bell at home? I would not like to live close to wind turbines. Bees and lizards has to mean Spring.
ReplyDeleteNo Gaelyn the church is about 4.5 kms from us, but maybe if the wind is blowing the right way! I would hate it in Xambes, certainly the house prices must have dropped considerably!! Keep well Diane
DeleteA varied and interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, hope you are well. Diane
DeleteThe gardens around the war memorial have been beautifully kept.
ReplyDeleteI always admire your beautiful photos, Diane. And you know I llllllllove your bees photos. Hugs, my dear friend.
ReplyDeleteI always love seeing the old churches in your area. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLooks like such a really pretty and clean looking place to live. Very nice. As for my fun wedding pics, I take serious ones too but this last couple was all about the fun of it. So neat to work with.
ReplyDeleteScrabble in another language is a great way to build your vocabulary.
ReplyDelete