Category: France

Blogvember day 2

And already not that much to add…bit of a lazy day, shivering and full of a cold. Been watching TF1 clips of storm Cieran over Brest (wind gusts of 207kph) and further North near Wimereux (waves as high as a 7 storey building). Funny this has hardly been mentioned on the UK news, you’d think the whole thing started in Cornwall…. Oh, and there was footage of a couple of surfers, making the most of the ‘exceptional conditions’ – unbelievable, wonder if they even gave a thought about who might have to rescue them?

Couple of pictures of Vic-sur-Aisne, taken a couple of days ago. A pretty little town, and very authentically old France. So it seems to be (rightly) popular with English tourists – no doubt helped by the superb pâtisserie just down the road (ah, that millefeuille….)

There is a connection with the storm. The weather is already looking grim in those pictures, but it got a lot worse in Picardy yesterday and sadly a lorry driver was killed by a falling tree near here. I can never get my head round the devastating randomness of such a death. Life can seem very fragile.

On that note, à demain!

Well, that didn’t last….

No excuses, just too much else going on. And I’m sure I’ll struggle with WP even more now – it used to be dead straightforward, before it got clever and sophisticated, with so many options…

But I’ve been enjoying Blogtober, following a couple of people I admire who have posted on a daily basis all through the month. And then I thought, what about Blogvember? Typically late to the party….but it might be a fun challenge! And easier now I’m just back from France, from the fourth trip this year. Fighting the internet with a severely outdated laptop and no wifi.

Some slightly gloomy pictures of Beaune on the way back on Sunday. We mostly avoided motorways this time – takes forever but so much more interesting.

Next stop, Troyes, where many (many!) years ago I was a research assistant, ploughing through information about the Bibliothèque Bleue – hunting for mediaeval woodcuts reused in early 17th century peasants’ chapbooks printed in the town.

No work this time – just strolling along these extraordinary streets that seem to go on for ever (and eating rather well, still definitely possible in France!)

Well, that is Blogvember Day 1. Chances of keeping this going?

October in France (again!)

But this time with The Small Persons.

Mishmash of seasons – spectacular light, weirdly blue skies, lizards, temperatures around 27 degrees, ripe quinces…..warmest October since 1945, when records began. (And the second warmest October was last year…)

A magic slice of summer, no frosts yet at all. But of course there is a downside – there are daffodils with leaves a foot high, and lilac bushes with not only leaf buds but four actual flowers….in NOVEMBER?? This has got to be bad news for next spring. Rather scary. We’ll see.

Soon be possible again?

Fontainebleau – and forest – last November. Just made it before the NEXT lot of travel restrictions kicked in.

After a very different Christmas dodging Covid (unsuccessfully, as it turned out in the end…) I can’t help feeling excited at the prospect of getting back to France again soon. But maybe this is premature. I’m enjoying being back at work but actually I still don’t feel anything like normal, so perhaps I’d better conserve energy for the moment – maybe some gentle spinning is on the cards!