17/06/2019 Part two of the trip to Saint Auvent

Maximum temperature today 28C, minimum 11C.  Dry. So nice to be warm and see the sun!  11km/h South-easterly winds with gusts up to 21 km/h.  

After our delicious meal (see part 1), I made a quick visit to the church,  a short walk around the streets and a drive past the local chateau.  Apologies for the poor lighting in the church; I could not find the backlighting function on the small camera.  Stupid, as I have used it several times before!

Arrival at Saint Auvent.

I loved this dear little door in the side of a building.  The French must have been very short in bygone years, as the top of the arch only reached my shoulder!

Eglise de Saint Auvent. St. Auvent was a bishop, and died in this place on his way back from a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In 1230, his body was exhumed and placed in the church, which became the centre of the parish!

The entrance into the church.

Looking down the nave towards the main altar... 

A close up of the altar...

Another altar in the aisles...

Looking back to the gallery...

and the impressive solid stone font.

Outside is the war memorial, part of every French village and town.

Walking back to the car, we saw this tiny well hidden in amongst the wildflowers.

Walking around to the front of the well behind these green gates.  Nigel's observant eyes remarked how the reinforced uprights for the gate frame had been fabricated to match the shape the wall.  The local farrier at work maybe?

The 12th-century Château de Saint-Auvent which was originally owned by the Rochechouart family. (See the other chateau in Part 1). I only walked up a small driveway to take this photo, so I am not sure how big this building actually is.

Driving back home, a view of Massignac with its church spire forming an easily visible point of reference.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

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.

02/11/2017 Trip into La Rochefoucauld for various things so hope you enjoy the drive

Maximum temperature 20C, minimum 10C.  11km/h SE winds, 19km/h gusts. Dry.

One more reasonable day, then the temperature drops again if the forecast is right !

Sugar beet seems to be a popular crop this year!  Sorry a drive by shot!

Turning right into the main street of La Rochefoucauld...

The main street through the centre.  I see that they have flags flying for some celebration!

We parked at the square where there is this well and an old house in the background.

Walking past the old convent now being used as a day hospital...

The same building at the other end.

On to La Rochefoucauld Chateau, I never tire of taking photos of this building so I hope you do not tire of seeing them 😉

La Tardoire river with a lone duck in the distance.

Huge plane trees near to the river.

The old convent walking back the other way.

Wooden stud door...

and another one.

We then went and had new front tyres put on our car.

Back home we heard the cranes overhead, a sure sign of the approaching cold weather as they fly South in formation for winter.

This evening as I was closing up I saw that we had almost a full moon.  Another two days and I will try this shot again.

25/06/2017 Saturday's drive today as catching up and nothing much happening today!!

Maximum temperature 26C  minimum 11C.  9 km/h NW winds. Dry.

 We had a planned route to go to Busserolles, a small town in the Dordogne, but due to a deviation that totally put us out, we went through many places that we have never been to before.  Sadly I took no photos on the drive as I was getting too much reflection off the windscreen.  We did though finally end up in Busserolles and here are some of the photos I took there.

Our first stop on arrival was to have a drink at the pub/restaurant, very friendly owner fluent in French, Dutch and English....

Here is the well in the centre of town after which the pub is named - bombed by a friendly mastiff :-).

Loved some of the signs in the pub...

as above...

as above...

This painting is on another wall in the pub, of the town....

as above only a bit closer in the photo...

Unusual downstairs door into the 12th century church  Saint-Martial...

Inside...

as above...

and looking up. The Church was registered as an historic monument 

18 December 1958. 

I loved this old house and was fascinated by the chimney decoration...

and the doorway.

Farmers everywhere were working hard in the fields before next weeks promised rain which we need so badly.  Nigel stopped for me to take this photo so no reflection!

I hope to do a full post on Busserolles on My Life in the Charente 2 very soon.