Showing posts with label Duravel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duravel. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"T" is for Tuesday...

It's funny how your mind works. 

Last week I was bringing a couple of the grandchildren home for a sleepover and to keep them amused during the car ride we played some games.

First it was " I Spy" and then we tried the "Alphabet Game", you know where you say "A" is for apple and so on, this turned out to be the boys' favourite game.

So today that's how my title was arrived at ... 
"T" is for "Tuesday".

    A unisex hairdresser's shop in Duravel, France

Today started with Monsieur Honey visiting the local Barber Shop in our town... "Pour un coupe de cheveux bien nécessaire"... "for a much needed haircut".

He and I left at the same time, he travelling by horsepower from the car and I used my shanks' pony to walk downtown.

After our errands were done we ventured further south for a drive and lunch...ending up in Port Burwell.


We sat outside in the patio area at the Lighthouse Restaurant surrounded by Canadian flags and the oh so French geraniums reminiscing about our "French Rendezvous".

I asked Monsieur Honey... what the highlights of our French trip were for him.. so now here I am trying to remember what he said... the list is in no particular order.

The friendships ... catching up with old friends and cultivating new relationships.

Gardening at "Beaucaillou".
"Spannering" in Cazals
Oh yes "The Kiss" from Jenny!
The many Brocantes / Vide-Greniers and treasures we found...
                      
   
And some we didn't acquire...

All the different foods, wonderful meals and restaurants...and of course the wine both French and Italian.

The "yellow fleshed chickens" and the potatoes that taste like butter... and why can't we grow them here?
The pleasure of guiding our English friends "J & A" on their first visit to Southwest France.
The village resident with the birds who one day introduced himself to Monsieur Honey and shook his hand... not typical of the French.
The Italian themed soirée at Le Diabolo Fraise in Nabirat where we were treated to a feast prepared by Cathy and Fred, had fun with our "Belgian Connection" friends and made new friends with I & J.
The Rogues Concert in the vineyards at Le Caillau. 
An evening of great food, friendship and festivities with live music in the most perfect setting.

The getaway at "Chateau D'Ygrande" with our French Connection friends, B & C.

Fortuitously stumbling upon the Hotel in Bidart...that had it's own tropical oasis and provided the perfect base for our week's adventure along the Basque Coast.



...and as we continued to reminisce we realized the list was way too long.

My highlights closely mirrored Monsieur Honey's.

My new friendship with Madame M and our talks and walks was a wonderful part of this adventure for me.
Madame  M and I both think that Monsieur Honey and Monsieur Guy enjoyed their time doing "guy" things while we walked .... eg. concrete work and tiling of the terrace and of course sharing a cold one after a hard day's work.


After lunch we drove east along the Lakeshore ... 

    The Lighthouse...which houses the Tourist Office in Port Burwell.
    The Submarine Ojibwa...
    Everything you need for outdoor activities...
   The windmills along the lake...

Sailboats and soybeans... Can you see the boat? 
I know it's just a speck...this is why I need a camera with a better zoom feature.
   The Waterfowl Reserve... Long Point Conservation Authority

Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday...

Monday, May 20, 2013

Monday's Moments

Monday..was yet another holiday in France.

Mid afternoon, we decided to go out for a drive.

First we toured the small attractive village of Lavercantiere in the heart of the Bouraine region (which is located very near us). 
Monsieur Honey's favorite village so far.

View from a road in the village overlooking the countryside.
The Chateau in Lavercantiere.

The War Memorial.

We drove southwest to our first stop at the village of Duravel, where there was a large Brocante-Vide grenier underway with much activity, food and music, etc. 

The village was decorated with black and orange banners, cutout basketball players and balls in preparation for the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Duravel Basketball Club on June 1, 2013.



The town was full of colour...




Colourful overalls....

This soup tureen at first appealed, until the chip was discovered.

Some old floor tiles ...useful to make a trivet.

Mmmm...fresh strawberries...we had just been told to try the "Maras des bois" variety,
This was our only purchase at Duravel.

We then drove the vineyard and poppy lined roads to our next stop.

A vineyard under threatening skies....

And then the blue sky breaking through ...


Our next stop was Mauroux where four days of festivities had been happening. 
There was a midway set up for the children, a beer garden (buvette), some food vendors and the townspeople were having a vide-grenier (yard sale). This is also a pretty village.

A beautiful garden in Mauroux.

What's behind those gates?

The Church in Mauroux.

A street view in Mauroux.

Glasses and pitchers for the famous French aperitif, which is anisette flavoured.

A persimmon coloured plant....anyone know what this plant is called?

This way home....

Flowers growing everywhere from the walls.

A stop for Monsieur Honey to have a close up look at a gariotte.

The locals wondering who we are?