Part 3 of the visit to Villbois Lavelette

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 6C.   Dry; 3 km/h North Easterly winds with up to 17 km/h gusts.

Looking up to the church in Villbois Lavelette...

A quiet road.

Interesting door and balcony.

The restored house of Francois de Corlieu dates from the 15th or 16th century. De Corlieu was a historian and counsellor to the King from 1544, but unfortunately drowned in the Charente river in 1576.

Under the roof of the covered market looking down one of the roads...

A close up of the Wisteria seen in the above photo.

Leaving the town down the immaculate road.

I do love these leafy lanes.

A bank of bluebells and almost home again.

Now to tell you the reason for the visit.  We had an appointment with the notaire in the town.

Looking at this photo, our house is with green shutters on the left. Opposite us is the house with red shutters that belongs to French sisters. BUT the barn attached to their house between the two houses belongs to the people who sold us our house.  The barn was never part of the original deal, though we have managed to rent it for storage over a number of years,  The owners also have a lot of things stored in there. 

We have asked a number of times if they would sell and there was no interest in the request.  A year ago they decided to sell but the price was too high.  This week we have agreed on a figure, and the papers were signed at the notaire on Tuesday.  We now have to wait 2 months for all to go through the official paths, but by the end of June, we should be the proud owners of the barn.   It is in good condition all but the door, so that will be job number one.  Then we hope we have a safe storage place for wood, bikes, car, trailer etc etc.  We are both delighted that all appears to be going as planned.

😊😊😊😊😊😊

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 6 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

Part 2 of yesterday's drive to Villebois Lavelette

Maximum temperature today 18C, minimum 9C.   Some rain not measured yet; 12 km/h North Westerly winds with up to 33 km/h gusts.

Having parked the car we walked up through the town past this gorgeous lilac bush...

as above.

An old drinking point.

Remember at Easter I told you about these biscuits (Les cornuelles), here you see them draped across the road as part of the street decoration.

The restored covered marketplace (les Halles) in the centre of the small town. It was built in 1665, paid for by the French nobleman who owned the château on the hill above. The town mayor decided to erect the stone columns in 1855 to replace the original oak ones, when the principal road through the town was widened (it's still not very wide!).

Inside the market.

The restored drinking fountain in the market square. next to the well, and can you see part of the sundial on the wall in the background.

The drinking fountain.

A close up of the sundial.

Looking up the street to the church of Saint Romain dating from the dating from the XIIIth century...

A little closer.  For those who have asked me to take photos inside the churches, take a look at an old blog of mine HERE when I took some of the inside of this church.

I still have a few more photos of the town and the drive home.  We will be out all day tomorrow, but I will post the remaining photos, and tell you the reason for the visit when I get back to the computer.  The town is very quiet as it is not market day, and the tourist season has not yet begun.  No room to move during the season!!

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 6 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

Join us on a drive to Villebois Lavelette.......

Maximum temperature today 21C, minimum 9C.   Dry; 5 km/h North winds with up to 10 km/h gusts.

No surprise, as soon as we are on the highway - roadworks...

As above.

Leaving the highway, I could not believe how green everything was...

As above.

Green and yellow of winter wheat and rape.

Golden fields of rapeseed.

Apologies for the reflection on the windscreen, but I just loved the carved stonework over the barn door.

Logging.  I gather the forests are very well managed in France and in fact, they are getting bigger rather than smaller.

Saint Catherine, we have never been through this town before and it looked a lovely place.

Dignac, (sigh) more roadworks.

Still cannot believe all this greenery.

Almost at Villbois Lavelette...

The chateau and the church up on the hill.

To be continued as we walk around the town and I take photos of this historic place.

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 6 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

24/05/2014 Visiting various places in the Charente.

Maximum temperature 16C. 2 mm of rain measured but we were in quite a rain storm in Angouleme.