Monday, September 16, 2019

16/09/2019 A day of photos that I forgot last time........ and a visit to Cognac on 1 September.

Maximum temperature today 32C, minimum 17C.  Very dry.  17km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h. 

Thank you to everyone for the comments on the previous blog.

Celebrating my birthday; 19 August.

As above, our friends Michael and Mary from the USA.

Driving home - the weighbridge at Marillac-le-Franc...

The scales as above.

Same town as above, Eglise Saint Didier...

As above.

The lavoir at St Adjutory with M and M.

Resistance Memorial at Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure...

A little closer.

Old houses in Cognac 1 September...

A sundial on a wall...

Waiting for the gates to open for a tour of Chateau Royal de Cognac, the home of Baron Otard Cognac...

Waiting in the reception...

The smell in the cellars is amazing 😉 
Note: the spiders that live down here have got so used to the alcoholic fumes that they cannot live out of the building!!!!

Tasting the amazing cognac after a fabulous tour.
Highly recommended, both tour and cognac.

Finally standing on the bridge in Cognac looking down the Charente river.

As I said previously blogs are going to be very hit and miss for the remainder of this year.

38 comments:

  1. Happy belated birthday, Diane. You are a beautiful lady!!!
    And as I love cognac, I really enjoyed the today's tour. Especially the photo with the barrels!
    Hugs, my friend.

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    1. Thanks so much for the wishes and kind comment. The cognac was excellent :-) Keep well Diane

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  2. Here you are once again, wining, dining, slurping, burping! And Cognac too! Real Cognac. My tastes buds are afire with anticipation! I am sure that your friends are having a wonderful time (their faces reveal it) and are wishing they lived permanently in the sophisticated elegance and charm that is France. Have a memorable trip to RSA and come back with lots of stories for us. Bon voyage Diane et Nigel. À bientôt j'espère.

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    1. We have toured 3 of the Cognac distilleries and this is probably the most interesting one though which is why we chose it for our visitors. We loved Remy Martin but there was more tasting there and Mary only drinks cognac with soda (What a waste!) Hennessy takes you for a boat ride as they work on both sides of the Charente river. Thanks for the good wishes. J'espère revenir bientôt aussi. Diane

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  3. The town of Cognac looks lovely. It would be interesting to tour there. I laughed about the spiders that live in the cellar where the Cognac is stored :-) Your friends M & M look like very pleasant people So nice you could all meet and visit and even celebrate your birthday together. A happy belated birthday to you Diane.

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    1. Penny they are a great couple, Michael and I have known each other for over 60 years. Despite living in different countries we have always kept in touch. Thanks for the birthday wishes, Diane

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  4. Such a wonderful time. Love similar tours elsewhere though not for Cognac.

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    1. Cognac is a beautiful town with masses of history. Have a good day, Diane

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  5. Always enjoy these trips with you Diane. The story about the spiders in the cognac cellars in the chateau made me smile. Perfect temperatures but a little rain would be most welcome I'm sure. We have rain forecast tonight but I won't believe it till it actually happens 😉 It would be good if you could find time to relax for a while xx

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    1. Rain is forecast here for the weekend but it often changes when forecast a few days ahead. We need rain so much the country is parched and very little water at all in the dams and lakes!! Keep well Diane

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  6. Belated Happy Birthday. I especially liked the Resistance Memorial and the sun dial.

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  7. Happy belathed birthday.
    A beautiful tour but ... what a pity ... I am teetotal!

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    1. Thanks so much for the birthday wishes. I am sure you would have enjoyed the Cognac tour, it is very interesting and you don't have to taste at the end :-) Have a good day, Diane

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  8. Happy belated Birthday! Those pictures are full of joy, thank you for sharing☺

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    1. Thanks Natalia, it was a happy couple of weeks though frantic! Have a good day, Diane

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  9. I always love looking at your pics as you tour around your area. Amazed at the history packed into the walls of the places you visit. If only walls could talk. Thanks for sharing and for taking time out of that so busy schedule you have going this time of yr to stop off at the blog and say Hi....I did see where you commented that you guys don't have hummingbirds...wow, I love to watch them. They are so amazing.

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    1. You are so right if only walls could talk. There is so much history in France and all of Europe for that matter. I hope that you are feeling better, take care Diane.

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  10. Hi Diane - very happy to see you ... as and when you post of previous visits etc. Happy Birthday and here's to many more happy years ... that looks to be a fun tour around for M&M ... would love the visit the Cognac cellars ... amazing smell as you say - interesting about the spiders too ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Thank you Hilary for the good wishes and I am sure all the tours we did you would have enjoyed. Just so much history around us..... Keep well, I might get back to normal blogging next year!!! Cheers Diane

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  11. Happy belated birthday to you, Diane! Great photos and fun tours.

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    1. Thanks Nancy, hope you are well, take care Diane

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  12. A very belated 'happy birthday', Diane! I can almost taste the cognac from your description. As for the alcoholic spiders - it's a bit scary that the withdrawal symptoms are fatal! I wonder if it has a similar effect on humans?

    Take good care. My very best wishes to you and Nigel - - - Richard

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    1. Richard thanks so much for the birthday wishes, appreciated. Visits to Cognac are always fun and even better when there is time to fit in a tour and tasting 😉 If you had been born and brought up in a cognac cellar, leaving it might well be fatal! Pure oxygen would never compete.

      Hope your health keeps improving and that you do not fall down anymore holes! Best wish to you both, cheers Diane

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  13. Wonderful to see all your smiling faces. Funny about the spiders.

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    1. Hi Gaelyn, good to see you back blogging though I am sure it is not easy for you. Ha ha drunken spiders, you should just see the wobbly webs 😉 Hope that you will soon get back to normal but it is going to take time as well I know with all the breaks I have had over the years! Take it easy, hugs from us both. Diane

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  14. Oh I loved our travels through Cognac a few years back. Your pics have brought back beautiful memories.

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  15. How beautiful and interesting...what a great trip. Had to laugh about the spiders.

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  16. I am SO happy to see you again! Happy Belated Birthday, Diane. I've been away for a bit also; now I'm going to try and play catch up. :)

    xoxo

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  17. Happy Belated Birthday Greetings! 😊😊 I hope you enjoyed a special evening. Looks like you were all having fun.❤Hugs from Vancouver Island.

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  18. Its great to have friends visit. Happy belated birthday. Lovely historical photos. he tour of the Cognac place would have been interesting.

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  19. Te laat. Maar toch nog van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag. Love the beautiful photos.

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  20. Such beautiful photos! Lovely, all of it.

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  21. Hi Diane, happy to hear you are home but not that you aren't well. I have say that cough is an absolute curse, mine is back also keeping me awake at night. It goes for a month or so and just when you think that's it, it comes back 😱 Looking forward to seeing your photos, take care xox

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  22. Great pics. Always nice to get away for a bit.

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