10/06/2021 A day I always remember - my Mums birthday.

   The maximum temperature here today 27⁰C, minimum 14⁰C. Very dry after too much rain!!   Wind  8km/h  North Easterly winds with gusts up to 18 km/h.    No sign of any rain for the next week and temperatures over 30⁰C !!

Apologies for the lack of blogs. but the garden and home between them have been pretty demanding.  I have taken plenty of photos, and lots of flowers and bugs all of which will wait until I have more time.  For today I want to celebrate with you all having a meal out at the end of last month, the first in 15 months!  Wow, it was like being let out of school it was so exciting!

I apologise for more photos than normal but I am the one who has the most problems I think with a very slow WiFi.

Mum 10/06/1915 - 17/06/2002.

Driving through La Rochefoucauld.

The Tardoire river with its 15th-century bridge.  

La Rochefoucauld Chateau, If you want to take a look inside the chateau see my blog HERE

The old convent, 1059.

Not sure where the stairs go to but the door to the cloisters is on the right.

The cloisters...

As above...

As above...

The convent church, which I believe is now a day hospital.

The main street

Inside the jewellers.  Nigel had to have his wedding ring cut off as his finger was swollen from a combination of arthritis and pressure from the ring. He is due to go back there tomorrow to have the ring resized now the swelling has gone down.

Just a door!

The sign to the cinema which of course has not been open for over a year now.

The local well.

One of the old houses.

A panorama of the bridge over the Tardoire, the chateau and the restaurant.

A closer shot of the restaurant which is newly opened.  They have been restoring the old building for some time.

Self-explanatory, you can always take a look at their website.

On guard near the entrance.

Reception.

A view from the table peeking out from under the sun brolly.

We were early, so I managed a shot from our table with the bridge in the background.  It soon filled up, though they had limited numbers allowed.

The starter was a pork dish and really this is only a small pot!!

Rose wine.

We both had a chicken dish for the main course, but in the excitement of eating out I forgot a photo!

Moi.

My dessert - Rum baba - I blew the diet 😉

Nigel

Much more sensible he had triple ice cream.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/04/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

13/05/2021 Making a mini escape....

  The maximum temperature here today 15⁰C, minimum 9⁰C.  Dry though 95% rain is forecast!! 12 mm measured this morning.  We have now had well over 400mm this year to date.  20km/h  South Westerly winds with gusts up to 48 km/h.    Rain forecast for the next 7 days!

Our "escape" was a trip to Angouleme and I took a few photos along the way.  Most were not very good as we had an ever-changing sky from too dark to white clouds, or, I kept getting a reflection from the windscreen.  Whatever, I just thought they would make a change from the garden.  We had an appointment at 18h15, so we also had to carry signed certificates because of curfew hours, it would be impossible to get home before 19h00.

There was quite a lot of traffic and trucks en route but I managed mostly to catch empty parts of the road.

Trying to get the road sign to Champnier but not very successful!

We hit a traffic jam nearing the centre of Angouleme.  This was taken in St Cybard, Angouleme centre is at the top of the hill.

St Cybard.

The catholic church at St Cybard.

Looking up I suddenly saw this mural painted behind and on the ceiling of one of the balconies.

Still in the traffic, Angouleme ahead on the hill and a pharmacy green sign on the right.

Going up the hill eventually - street lights.

A sharp right dog's leg turn to go higher around a monument.

Angouleme Cathedral undergoing restoration, this has been going on for some years now but all the back part I think is finished, they are now working on the front.

This monument (1897) is in memory of Marie François Sadi Carnot, 5th President of the French Republic.

While I was waiting in the car, looking up I thought this architecture was interesting..

Heading back home in the back streets.

There are several churches in Angouleme and I am not sure which this one is.

More great architecture and flying the flag. Apologies for the blob on the windscreen! I managed to miss it on most photos!

Leaving Angouleme centre, this tunnel is very narrow but there is also a roundabout above which can be used for larger traffic.

Just before the storm which we drove through before arriving home'

Please Note if you follow me by email the old feeder is closing down. I have tried to change servers but for some reason, it is not working!  Update: it appears to be working now let me know if there is a problem with adding your address!!

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

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

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

10/12/2020 All photos taken while out walking fairly close to home.

   Maximum temperature here today 11⁰C, minimum 5⁰C.  10 mm of rain measured this morning but we have had quite a lot over the last few days!  22km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 49 km/h. 

I apologise for the 'break-in transmission', but our WiFi has been ridiculous and I have not been able to load any photos easily, and sometimes not at all. Also visiting has been a problem as there has not been enough speed to download your blogs for me to see them.  It is frustrating, and very time consuming trying to do anything on the computer. 

 I have been doing quite a lot of walking now as not so much to do in the kitchen, all fruit and vegetables have considerably slowed down!  Now I am allowed more time, and a bigger radius to walk in, although still in lockdown, I am most days walking between 8 and 11 kms.

I just liked this shot of the moon behind the clouds and over the top of a barn roof,

If you follow the road in the centre to the top, our house is a little further on, on the right-hand side behind the trees.

The church in our local commune of Vitrac Saint Vincent...

The church Saint-Maixent (eleventh and 12th centuries). The first stone was laid in the year 1080 under the tutelage of the powerful lord of Chabanais...

and taking a peek inside.

Cowslips - what are they doing in flower at this time of the year???

As above.

Hawaiian geese or Nene (Branta sandvicensis) seen in a field where they were chasing some ducks.

Possibly Campanula_trachelium .

This hardly needs an ID but somebodies goat.

 Generally this is a small trickle of water over the road!!!

Old Mans Beard (Clematis vitalba).

Hop. skip and jump, yet another goat having fun ...

As above...

As above.

At the entrance to a farmyard.

Moss - it just appealed to me!

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

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

Photo competition running until 31 December - colourful photos.

B u n t

Let us all join in great fun.  Not much time left now.