Showing posts with label Bee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bee. Show all posts

Sunday, August 15, 2021

15/08/2021 Eating out again :-) Plus a few extras.

 The maximum temperature here today is 28⁰C, minimum 18⁰C.  Dry but there is a slight chance we may get a shower.  Wind 17km/h  North-Westerly winds with gusts up to 41 km/h.   

This visit was at the end of July to Restaurant L'intemporel.   I had only been here many years ago, but it has recently changed hands, been improved and has excellent references, so as we are now allowed to eat out we thought this was a chance to try it.  Sadly it was rainy and we could not eat in the garden, but in fact, eating in the conservatory was probably even better.


We were right next to the Tardoire river and the Pont dit du Château de La Rochefoucauld. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1935, this 15th century freestone work of art links the castle to the city.

La Rochefoucald Chateau.

Part of the view from our table...

as above, plus a glass of wine had arrived by the time I took this 😉

and just in front of the bridge we had company.

The menu changes every day so we just had the standard menu.  The starter was Fois gras, something we do not eat out of choice as we do not like the way it is obtained, but I have to say it was delicious.  Served of course with sliced French pain (bread).

Main course was duck breast with a few vegetables - melt in the mouth.

Dessert was apricots with ice cream - (possibly raspberry flavour but we were not sure) served in a melon sauce.
Coffee followed and we went home very satisfied without feeling like we had eaten too much.
They do a tasting menu of five courses on weeknights and weekends so we plan to try that out for our 40th wedding anniversary on the 28th of August.

Meanwhile in the garden life goes on.....
The Star Gazer Lily was flowering well.  A gift from our French neighbour for my birthday about 12 or so years ago.  It has done so well.

Cosmos with an unknown bee, it was carrying so much pollen its body was out of sight. 

Calendula with yet another bee, possibly Colletes succinctus, but I am happy to be corrected.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus).

and with a bee, unidentified.

Beating the birds to the raspberries.

and a Black Cap juvenile (Sylvia atricapilla)  getting there first!

Another unknown bee pollinating the pumpkins

The white-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) in the lavender.

A close up of the stamens of the Star Gazer Lily.

Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) on the agapanthus.

Finally, we have de-stoned over 1000 plums, they have been dehydrated ready for use during the year until next years batch arrives hopefully.  I use them in cooking and chopped they go into our homemade muesli breakfast cereal.

Note: We are now allowed to eat out, but by law, we have to present our ID and our certificate of a double vaccination.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.
My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my


Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

Thursday, August 5, 2021

05/08/2021 Trying to catch up with the July diary!!

My apologies for the lack of posts, and also the lack of visits to your blogs.  We seem to have been extra busy.  We have been catching up with entertaining, people to who we have owed a meal for 15 months.  Now we are all doubled vaccinated and we can have couples visiting, we are enjoying getting to chat with people other than to each other!  Also, the Mirabelle plums have ripened in the past week and we have destoned over 1000 plums for dehydrating - still a few more on the tree so we have not finished yet!

I think this is the nymph of the Mottled Shield Bug, (Rhaphigaster nebulosa), but I am open to discussion.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Common or European Toad (Bufo bufo) in the vegetable garden and well camouflaged.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)...

As above.

Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)...

As above...

As above...

As above...

As above...

As above...

Agapanthus with a bee, I am not sure which one it is!

Sunflower.

An unusual colour double poppy from one of the packets of mixed seed.

Lesser stag beetle (Dorcus paralellapipidus). Quite a cheeky little fellow, very aggressive and ready to attack!

Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')

A stroll around the garden.
Tomato flower, grapes, quince,
Pattypan, Granny Smith, young Boer Pumpkin,
Sweet Potato flower, Courgette, Haricot Beans,
Medlar, figs, butternut flower.

Yet another smiling Sunflower.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.
My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my


Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

 

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

01/12/2020 Out walking last week.

  Maximum temperature here today 6⁰C, minimum 2⁰C.  A light shower of rain not measured as yet.  Rain forecast every day for the next week!  13km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h. 

I have been walking every day, but this weather does not look good for getting out.  Only 4C yesterday, but blue skies, sun and no wind and I walked an easy 8.2 kms.

Sunset.

Number 105 taking a rest.

Probably not a good route at this time of the year, hi-vis- vest necessary as the hunters are back out! 

Spindle tree berries (Euonymus europaeus),

Calendula and bee...

As above.

Oak leaves in their autumn colours.

Just saying hello.

Wow, this has to be twins!!

Gorse, oddly flowering in late November.

Mushroom of some sort.

Think this might be a couple of Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus).

Still quite a lot of green around in some places.

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea).  There are several very similar so this could be wrong!

A slightly bedraggled Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Last day of November and the cranes are still flying South. Common crane (Grus grus).

I don't generally do not show photos like this, but this is sadly the third one now I have found that has been run over. This is a farm track where I see almost no vehicles at all. The Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) generally only comes out at night, though if raining will appear during the day. They like to lie on the roads for warmth and they are very slow-moving creatures.  I have yet to see one alive!  They have very long life spans so it seems, but these are having a very hard time.  I find it very upsetting.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).


See also my


Joining up with My Corner of the World.


Photo competition running until 31 December - colourful photos.

t

Let us all join in great fun.