A Nocturnal Encounter

We were five and now we are six. I cut these beautiful roses for Mrs. H Sr's arrival to the chateau (here) yesterday. The fragrance is intoxicating and I am feeling a bit delirious...but not from the roses.

We had what I call a 'scorcher' yesterday and today...temperatures into high 30C/90F. I opened all the windows in the chateau last night to catch a breeze. Around 4:00am, a storm came through with intense lightening and rain. I awoke and lay in bed thinking of all the windows that were wide open throughout the chateau (no screens) and made a frantic move around the house to close them all. No small feat. I am sure I looked and sounded like a crazed woman, running around in the dark, bumping into strange objects and cursing myself for not closing them earlier in the evening.

Surprise, surprise, I slipped into one empty bedroom at the far end of the chateau, turned on the lights and was greeted by a gathering of bats, flying in a circle around the chandelier. It felt like a scene out of a Daphne du Maurier novel. I half expected Mrs. Danvers to pop out of the corner of the room. 

 image 

I did what any smart woman would do, I turned off the lights, closed the door, made a mad dash back to bed and decided to think about it in the morning.

Tick, tock went the clock as I lay in bed thinking of how I was going to explain bedroom bats to the owner of the chateau. I needed a plan to catch them and felt the pool leaf scooper was my best bet. Scoop and toss was my one and only strategy.  Luckily, when I peeked in after breakfast they had departed.

Note to self....close all windows in chateau this evening and dream of the sweet sounds of nightingale birds. No bats allowed. :)  Bonne Nuit to one and all!

top and bottom images~me

Sunrise and Karen Blixen

Sunrise over the farmer's place...

I woke up early to catch the sunrise this morning. In the end, I decided it was easier said than done. In my pink silk pajamas and a well worn cashmere sweater, I set off in my black walking shoes to catch the sun.

I was ready to hop on a bike and ride past the farmers place and it appears they heard me coming first. The rooster, the horse, the hens, the dogs...the donkeys and even the cooing pigeons. I wondered how my family and the farmers family would feel if I proceeded on my journey....especailly in my pink and blue bedroom ensemble. I retreated with the pigeons (it appears we have a village worth of pigeons living amongst the roofing of the chateau.)

I sat at my little table by the window and came across this post from the very lovely Carina. She posteed on Karen Blixen ( author of Out of Africa), her home and her art of flower arranging. It was thrilled as it all started with a flower arrangement I posted a few months back.

You can read Carina's post here.

Of course, my next question is....have you met Carina @ We are all in the Gutter?  We have been chatting back and forth from my early blogging days...she has become a wonderful blogging friend. She lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a big fan of Oscar Wilde and writes the most curious and intersting posts. She is a keen reader and traveller with lots to share and think about.

I hope you stop by and say hello!

As for my sunrise....I nearly got it.

More beautiful colours from France.

In retreat with the pigeons...back to the chateau.

A new day has dawned.

I think it is Friday....we are on chateau watch again today. I am still deciding which one.  I am very excited about dinner tonight. We have had a local chef, Murielle, prepare all our dinners while we are staying here. She and her husband are chef's by trade. The food had been true to the local area, fresh and fabulous. My only regret is that she does not speak English and I do not speak French. We try....

Mr. H needs to communicate for us as he speaks fluent French. Murielle has offered to take me into the woods to pick mushrooms. I don't know that Mr. H is as excited as I am about that prospect.

Tonight Murielle is cooking a big feast. Her family joins us for dinner along with the local farmer and his wife. Murielle's husband and son speak English (phew). I hear he is an expert on wines in the region....I know where I am sitting tonight. :)

Mrs H. Sr. arrives tomorrow for a week. We have a room all set for her on the right wing of the house. We have migrated to the left wing. I am really liking this concept of wings in a house. 

A reader asked how we came across this chateau. Good question. Hang on a few more days and I will let you know. I want to make sure all goes off without a hitch before I recommend the firm we used. So far so good.....

Happy Weekend to one and all...( I would say that in French but it is too early in the morning and I have not had my first cup of coffee yet) 

Jeanne xxx

Playing Sherlock in the Loire Valley

I wrote about My French World, here, and discussed my struggles with the French language. I seem to have developed a language phobia which I am determined to correct.

"I think of my blogging friends, Sharon @ My French Country Home, Vicki @ French Essence and Ange @ Signed by Ange. They all inspire me. I admire them for their ability to live in two worlds, their English world and their French world. Being able to live within the language of another culture opens a door that you would never see as a tourist."

In the meantime, I am finding it very easy to slip into our French world. We are staying in the far corners of the Loire Valley. Last year, my dear Mr. H mentioned that he would like to go to France for a two week summer holiday. His mission was to be as far away from the crowds as possible. As usual, my thoughts were far far away (probably blogging) and I replied with a 'yes, dear' all the while thinking that I had a feeling a beach holiday was going to be out of the picture.

A few weeks later he told me he found the perfect spot...a chateau in the Loire Valley with 10 bedrooms and the ability to sleep 14. Again....my thoughts were elsewhere, "great idea" was my reply and off he went. I recall wondering who would sleep in the 10 bedrooms but left it for another day.

Jump ahead a few months later and here we are...five of us (soon to be six) in a 10 bedroom house with more tables, chairs and beds than I could possibly count. I am not complaining, it is lovely and quiet. We are within easy distance of all the sights, yet, we are far enough removed that we feel like we are in a world of our own. It works.

We spent Sunday unpacking and enjoying the amenities of the chateau. Today we managed a trip into the local village and an outing to Chateau du Moulin, an easy distance from where we are staying. We will be picking up the pace over the next few days but have agreed that we will leave plenty of time to make the most of our two weeks of French life.

I have to admit that it has been tough pulling me away from this chateau. Every nook and cranny is filled...I have the urge to dress up like Sherlock Holmes and explore. I think Mr. H is worried. :))

Oh yes, we did this too!

A trip to the local village in Romarntin-Lanthenay

and to Chateau du Moulin in Lassay sur Croisne.

and one more from the chateau...

Did I mention the donkeys?

I call them Thelma and Louise. :)

images~me

My French travels....

Crossing the English Channel

Mood Blogging: C'est si Bon

My French World

Playing Sherlock in the Loire Valley

Laissez-faire

Mood Blogging; C'est Si Bon!

A car to love, 1950's Peugeot, do we love the colour too? I say oui!

I have started noticing the various stages of blogging....

I liken early blogging to being like a child in a toy store. So much to see and do...you think, I will follow that blog and that one and then you find another and another. When the time is right you take a leap of faith in yourself and start your own blog and then...it is love at first touch (keyboard) You start to wonder where has it been all your life. If you are like me, you will wonder why you should stop at just one. Why not another? Fashion, photography, travel, health, life, lots of interests.... a blog for each. All I have to do is click the button and voila!

'Voila' is the operative word because I did just that. People often ask how I manage them all. To be honest, at the moment, I am not doing it that well....but that is ok. They are there when I need them, like an old friend waiting for a chat. I call it 'mood blogging'. If I am thinking fashion, I pop over to cashmerejeans...style and write a post, if I am having a midlife moment that only people of my age will understand, I hop over to midlife wisdom. When the photo bug hits in a big way, I pop over to one woman traveller and download to my heart's content. My travels around England and Europe make it onto Finding my Way in England and last not least I write here @ Collage of Life...with my thoughts on life. Everything floats back and forth...mood blogging. :)

Where am I today? In the Loire Valley for two weeks, hoping to take it as easy as it can get. So far... Se magnifique! I have time...something I have had little of these past few months. With that we plan playing tourist, enjoying great food and wine, reading books, taking long walks, bike rides, a bit of fishing, tennis, swimming and of course dear friends...writing to you. :)

Chateau tucked away in the Loire Valley. Volvo wagon came with us from New Zealand and has
now added England and France to it's mileage. :)

Large home away from a smaller home..

our two week hideaway in La Sologne. 

We have it all to ourselves.:)

Miss Christine playing Rapunzel above

and family strolls below.

I have so much to tell you...

I can't wait to show you the rest of the house. 

I will be doing a bit of 'mood blogging'

across my other blogs too...come and say hello. 

Just give me a day or two first. :)

Signing off with Eartha Kitt and C'est Si Bon...

Images:

Taken by me, around the chateau.

including a car to love at the top. :)

You Tube

Varoom....

PS
This car is not mine, it belongs to the owner of the chateau,
a very charming woman....it suits her perfectly!