Gites in France

06/07/2024

I've given up on the football and procrastination.Nike say: Just do it! I have a few recent photos, showing that summer has finally arrived here. The pools are are clear, warm and blue. The garden is colourful and rambling: I am an expert with w**ds....growing them and trying to keep up with them. Our roses, gladioli, grasses and goodness knows what are meant to be a bit chaotic and untamed. things are greener than normal for early July. Suddenly, the sunflowers and maize are head high: we are in the time of plenty!

Rather than ramble on, I post the batch of photos. They are in reverse chronological order- oldest first.

26/06/2024

June 2024
It is so long since I sat down to write my diary-I think I may have forgotten how to do it. Old age, other preoccupations and so on have prevented me from following the original intent of adding stuff monthly. I hoped to show the progression of time through the months and seasons. The problem is that if a month is missed, it easily becomes two months and, eventually, there are so many plates balancing and then falling…… At which point procrastination rules!
Enough!
Both of regular readers of this stream of off-the-cuff monologue have recently asked me for an update- so here goes! It is heatwave hot today, so there is no guilt in staying indoors. This morning, I went for my summer haircut: it is shearing season for the elderly lambs. That meant I didn’t uncover the pools until mid-day. The result was that the temperature of the top 3 or 4 inches was 34°C! The covers act like solar panels. The true temperature is 27/ 28- far too hot for the cold-water swimming brigade, but better for kids and those of more delicate constitution!
I sorted several photos a couple of weeks back. I attach them in chronological order, starting in March! As in the UK, the weather here has been mixed. Cooler and wetter for the most part- but hopefully, the times are now achangin’.
We haven’t advertised the gites this year…. again, some shout!
We are getting/ have got …too old for the rough and tumble of weekly double changeovers. However, if anyone reading this is interested in a visit- particularly previous guests who know pretty much what to expect- just let us know. We will have a couple of family visits, but it is quite nice round here. If you’re looking for rural charm and tranquillity, with sea and, hopefully, decent weather, we may well be able to help!
Before I finish, I must say a huge thank-you to John, Tony and Pete who worked tirelessly here for a week. They painted, w**ded and gravelled: all refences to Last of the Summer Wine were in (sort of) jest! With me included we clocked up 300 years on this earth. Before you ask, there was no Nora Batty!
Also, Charlie, JohnC and Louis had a week of golf, mobile phones and banter. The weather wasn’t altogether kind for them but a combination of brandy and the log burner in Jasmine, seemed to take the edge off things.
PS: The nights are drawing in. And there’s politics going on en France too!

17/03/2024

Mid-March- St Patrick's Day already. I will add some explanation of this lot tomorrow- too late now. These are in chronological order: there should be some evidence of spring progressing!

The first photos were taken back in January. The next 24 are from February.....and then, 21 from March!

We came back from the UK in early January, trying to avoid floods in England and to get back before several days when there were no ferries to Caen.

There had, of course, been plenty of rain here- but January was mild and, on occasions, warm in the sun.

We celebrated the anniversary of my antiquity by going to a restaurant in St Jean. On leaving the deserted town: to our astonishment we were stopped by the gendarmerie and I was breath tested. I had had one glass of white wine with the (very good) meal. Luckily, we didn't advertise my birthday in the restaurant- that could easily have led to a complimentary cognac! I was under the limit- but the lesson is learned! The limits in France are low, and, I am told that there many more checks here than in the UK. I didn't push my luck and ask for a photo! Sorry- but sometimes it's better to quit when one is ahead!

The bar scene and the mural are of Angouleme: they celebrate comics/ bandes dessinées in a big festival. A bit like Cheltenham without the bookies and the Irish winning everything!

06/12/2023

JOYEUSES FETES

This is certainly too late for some of our friends, but please don’t send cards to us in France. We won’t be here- and cards get very soggy when left our letter box. Cards here are not very good, expensive: the traditions aren’t the same here. We donate to charity instead- or, at least, Dorothy does! Please, do not feel offended: we are offending virtually everyone except grandchildren.

I promise that this will be a mercifully short message!

Many of you will be aware of my fears about our damaged and dangerous lime tree. I am ashamed- and pleased- to say that it has been removed. Alexis and Christian, our neighbours, carefully and without damaging telephone lines, fences or pools took the lot down in couple of hours! Not only that, but they also cleared the debris using the tractor bucket. There was little evidence of modern health and safety rules: helmets, earmuffs, safety harnesses were not in evidence- but they were brilliant, experienced and very careful in their work! We owe them great thanks!

The rain has eased- for the most part! There have even been a couple of white frosts. The cattle are now inside, and deer are beginning to form herds. The cattle-free fields leave the countryside open for the deer…...and the hunters!

Have a great Christmas and New Year!

Dorothy and John xx

18/11/2023

November 2023
Normally, in Charente Maritime, we have Indian summers that continue into early November. Not this year! France generally has had record rainfall- Meteo says that France has had 6 months rain in three weeks. I think we have probably been hit harder than many regions- but there are areas on the Channel coast that have been flooded and under red alerts for what seems an age! The intensity of the rain and the high winds have caused major disruption around us. We were without electricity for two days- not nice! In the old days, I remember Tilley lamps…. power cuts were sort of exciting for kids. Two days was hard and worrying: freezer, hot water, internet, lack of charge and signal for mobiles…isolation combined with old age, heavy rain and wind overnight amplified on our velux window made sleep difficult. Time doesn’t always pass quickly for us oldies after all! Thankfully, our old school log burner worked without electricity.
We lost our pergola and a couple of tiles were dislodged. But, if we needed a reminder of how lucky we are to be here rather than in the war zones that turn news bulletins horror shows, this was it! The persistent rain- and, almost worse, the grey miserable days- are not what we often have here. It is a bit pathetic- the French think we should be accustomed to what they think is normal British weather. The Scots and Irish are tougher breeds. They claim that there’s no such thing as bad weather …. just incorrect clothing! I have taken to wearing long trousers, but I am a known wimp.
Yesterday was lovely, that yellow ball in the sky was visible throughout and there was no rain, and it was flat calm. However, we are warned that there are still more storms to come. Today, there has been no rain in daylight hours, but the wind has been whistling in from the Atlantic. It is so much better (for me, at least) if I can get outside and find some work to do! Some, unkindly, call this pottering about- but they don’t appreciate the benefits of manual labour!
We live to continue the struggle! I look out this morning: no puddles in the field opposite. It could be that the drought is back!
It looks as though extremes are becoming more normal. There again, like Manuel, I know nothing! Perhaps, you should read the pictures and ignore the written stuff.

01/11/2023

Time passed much more slowly when I was young: a school year lasted forever. The start of the summer holidays…..six weeks was an eternity to look forward to. It is now almost the end of October. Somehow time flies by almost too quickly to keep up!
Almost without noticing the harvest has come and gone. That, of course, has been done through long hours, big machines, and hard work on the part of the farm workers. The green landscape of spring became the golden summer barley, wheat and this year, some rye, too. Rapeseed, linseed, peas, and broad beans were left to go dry before their harvest.
Most was gathered in …and by the end of July. Sunflowers, of course, remained- they give that iconic Tour de France country look, but the crop is left until much later, looking skeletal and dry. The dry seeds are collected by the trailer load.
Summer and sun continued until very recently. Indian summers are regular here, but this year has been particularly dry and hot. Before starting this belated effort to communicate with the world, I looked back at hundreds of images this year. It is only with hindsight that I fully appreciate how different the seasons are. I am amazed at my ability to fail to notice the obvious. Perhaps, that is why I take the camera with me on my walks around the locality. The images are important reminders for me: I am far too lazy to write a diary, but I suppose the photos do the same job.
I have procrastinated since my last post. I think it is 18 weeks since my June effort- and even this one was started in July! Apparently, procrastination is less to do with laziness than fear, an inability to plan and other stuff. Basically, it is to do with finding something more palatable to fill my time- then feeling bad about avoidance afterwards. This has gone on so long enough the task has snowballed to such an extent that it is completely unmanageable. Is this called ‘displacement’ by brainy people? Dorothy tells me that it is.
The result is that because I have been walking (obsessively to keep Fitbit happy) and taking hundreds of photos throughout the summer months, there is too much to organise! Someone told once me that my meanderings on this site were a bit like Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads. I’m sure that it was meant as a compliment, but it feels like being in maze without an exit route!
I intend to let the pictures tell the story of our summer.
I am rescued by the sudden dramatic events overnight. Panic not: it was to do with a biblical style storm rather than anything of a more physical nature! Dorothy, to her amazement, slept through the worst of it! Strange because she is normally more aware of even the slightest disturbances. The velux amplified the drumming of the storm which continued in surges for most of the night- but it was worst from 5 until 8 o’clock in the morning.
It was still dark when I got up. As it got light, it became clear that the ditches were overflowing, the roads were flooded; rivers were running down the field opposite carrying mud, sludge and brown water into the ditches and across the road. It really was like scenes from the News. It was my fault, no doubt! The number of times that I have complained about the lack of rain: be careful what you wish for, indeed!
The photos are in chronological order. I hope the pictures show the beauty and variety of the Les Ribaudieres region. There are some other images of various other places we have visited since July.
It is ok around here! We hope you like it, too! If we need an ark for the next week or so…. we will have plenty of animals to fill it!
I was about to post the above on Sunday- after the storm. It is now Wednesday. Procrastation still rules. I am posting this now, without proof reading. The photos are going up without explanation. Is it Nike that says: “Just do it!”

17/06/2023

Apologies to those who have wondered what I have been doing since 23 April! I add photos taken in the last six weeks. A lot has happened- in some ways too much has happened. We are in England at the moment and I should have time to offer explanations of the images posted.

The pictures are in chronological order- going from the end of April until the early part of this week!

23/04/2023

THE CUNNING PLAN

I thought that I could tack this onto yesterday's effort. Sadly, the system won't let me do that. As with Baldrick's plans there are always flaws. Sorry!

I intended to do the later images on St George’s Day and it is still 23 April as I start this!

The previous bunch are in chronological order, covering the period from 5 March until 6 April. It was only after sorting the photos that the progress of the nature became so blindingly obvious. It was wetter than I remember in early March- streams and ditches were swollen, the marais (marsh/ floodplain) was huge.

Thanks to Angela Faulkner for mentioning how green the countryside is! I take some things for granted- but Australia isn’t always green like spring here. In a Franglais country garden, we progress from crocuses, primroses, daffs, tulips, bluebells, irises….. and non-stop w**ds, daisies, dandelions….and those I miss you’ll surely pardon!

The deer herds are finished. The does are left to give birth to the fawns…. the stags will take an interest when the rut starts in the autumn. Birds are suddenly more vocal. Swallows, cuckoos and hoopoes are back. The cattle are now liberated and enjoying the green stuff au naturel!
Going for a natural look in the garden does, of course, mean that mowing becomes difficult. Even now, as the spring flowers are slowly dying back and the clover is knee high, I need to be careful not cut down poppies etc. I have , also, set myself the task of lifting the flagstones around the pools in order to w**d and re-set the slabs. Please do note that I have made some progress. Thank goodness that we have had decent weather of late. The longer days are good, too.

Thank-you, St George: 23 April is the birth date of Shakespeare, Dorothy Lamb and an old French bloke who was applauded by a group 30 or so, as we ate out in a nearby restaurant!

Dorothy, of course, is many years younger than I am.

21/04/2023

Facebook have reminded me that I haven’t written anything on the site for some time. They haven’t fully understood the extent of my ability to put things off! I was going to write an April Fools edition; the Easter version didn’t make it; the Grand National publication was delayed……another faller at the first fence.
The fact that I have left it so long since my last post, means that there are too many photos for me to sort out! Luckily, laziness and an inability to edit have enabled me to come up with a cunning plan worthy of Baldrick, himself!
I am going to post photos showing what was going on around here in March. The cunning part is that I intend follow up with April photos……afterwards..... in a day or so. With a bit of luck, someone might even notice the differences.
It amazes me how grass, w**ds and things grow. This is odd because it happens in pretty much the same way every year. Experience is wasted on me!
I am already a day late in posting this. So here goes: out of date images.

28/02/2023

Back Home.

For those who have been anxiously waiting for news items reports of pensioners (lost or found) wandering hopelessly in the Australian outback, or stuck in customs control anywhere between Melbourne and CDG Paris….. There is unexpected news: we got back safely without any major hitch.
Laura was taking no chances. She and Thomas accompanied us from Adelaide to Melbourne and saw us safely our way. We knew that there was likely to be a rail strike in France on the day of arrival in Paris, and had booked into a hotel and re-booked a train for the following day! It was a bit of a pain, but in all honesty, we were so tired after going on 30 hours without real sleep, that it was relief to have a rest!
We have been very lucky to stay with Laura, Andy and Thomas, missing the majority of the European winter and swapping it for the Australian summer- Christmas on the beach, wineries, sport…. generous hospitality and so much more.
I have added a few more images of the end of stay in South Australia- parrots, Derek, the baby dove who returned to balcony daily for a week or more. The multi-cultural history of the city of Adelaide is easy to overlook- Sydney and Melbourne are more well-known and bigger…..and, of course, sport and Australia go hand in hand.
However, the art gallery and library of South Australia with the Space Delivery Centre are alongside modern high-rise buildings. The Adelaide Fringe is, of course, the southern hemisphere equivalent of Edinburgh. Then there are more Marilyns in Brighton SA than anywhere else in the world- (for one Sunday at least)- swimming in support of breast cancer charities!
I attach a couple of images of Melbourne. We were on the 24th floor: I was frit to look over the balcony! Those window cleaners, working down from higher than us must have strong underpants or something. There is competition between Mebourne and Sydney….who can build the highest?
Anyway, we are back aux Ribaudières. Initially, there was high pressure which meant overnight frost but brilliant blue clear skies and warm sun- in sun trap spots temperatures were into the thirties C°! Since then we have had some grey days with rain- and now we have bitterly cold north-easterly winds. Those lazy winds that can’t be bothered going round you- they go straight through.
Still the days are getting longer, and the daffs and crocuses are gradually appearing. Amazingly, a couple of nearby fields have been mown already. I am guessing that due to the dry summer last year, fodder for cattle is in short supply. You are supposed to make hay….when? Surely, not normally In February.
I am delighted to report good sightings of herds of deer. I have seen neither hide nor hair of a hare, yet- still from tomorrow it will be mad March. Just this morning, I rushed in to grab the camera and caught a whole bunch/ flock of storks as they flew by in arrow formation. There were two groups- at least fifty big noisy birds!
Bloody cold for the moment but cosy enough with the wood burner! It’s nice to go trav’ling but…Frank Sinatra wasn’t altogether wrong.
PS To Casper, Evan, Thomas and all the young fans,

31/01/2023

75 years old!

We are nearing the end of of our Australian adventure: I passed another milestone (that nearly became millstone!) recently. It is difficult to for me to believe that I am actually such an age. But, people are making excuses for my incompetence (nearly incontinence- but that's another story).

I apologise to the few people with whom I do contact on a semi-regular basis; time diferences kind of shrink opportunities to message when on t'other side the world. Perhaps, they have enjoyed the peace and quiet- I hope that is the case.

Rather than blather on, I am simply posting a whole bunch of photos to make those suffering the cold and dark days of winter jealous. The weather here has been less hot than in previous visits. That is a blessing! Temperatures in the high thirties mean having to stay indoors- South Australia, when close to the ocean, avoids the extremes of forest fires and the floods which sometimes hit the headlines.

I post these without comment. Please, feel free to like them! I am happy-ish, in a grumpy sort of way, to try to respond to easy questions (or flattery)!

18/12/2022

Pre Christmas: last minute edition

As usual I am slow on the uptake and download. Life has been somewhat hectic and error strewn since I last posted here. Apparently everyone in Adelaide knows of our difficulties in getting here- we have tried to avoid worrying those outside immediate family of the details of the delays and difficulties which were self inflicted. We are now safely arrived in Adelaide and we don't leave until early February. We do need to thank Laura, Peter and Tina for their ability to sort things out and get us here. Without their enrgy and expertise, we would not have made it!

Merry Christmas from a strangely chilly South Australia: there are some here who are envious of your snow! We may have to settle for Christmas morning on the beach- normal weather is predicted to return for us. I mention this just in case you are feeling too sorry for us as we are in an former penal colony. Before the South Australalia fans get too irate, I do acknowledge that convicts were NOT sent to this God-fearing part of Australia.

It is now very much all's well that ends well. The sob non-story ends here! Except, of course, if you have sent us a Christmas card and were hoping to receive one in return. Sorry, please accept the attached instead of the real deal. I know it's the thought that counts and thinking is no longer my strong suit!

We hope that evryone reading this is in good fettle despite the madness of the past year. We are very lucky to be in situation whereby we can travel to this part of the world again, catch up with family and sense the buzz of normality having returned.

We have much to be thankful for. Hoping 2023 is kind to more of us. Best wishes to all!

10/11/2022

08/11/2022

As is often the case, I am late in posting October's offering. It must be six or seven weeks since my last effort. We are on our third PM.... so it must be November! aready.

The images are in chronological order: probably too many , but they are intended to show how nature has greened up the locality. It has been madly mild, so grass and accompanying w**ds are making up for lost time!

I attach loads of photos. I'll add more explanation tomorrow-ish! I am very busy being retired and I am worried that This text will mysteriously disappear before the pictures are posted!

25/09/2022

I know this is pathetic and I should have put these on yesterday's- but the system won't allow me to add the missing photos to that post.

24/09/2022

September 2022

I am told that the French regard 23 September as the start of meteorological autumn: this caused immediate problems coz I wasn’t sure about the spelling. I got as far as ME…. and was inspired by a cunning plan. I decided I would start the photos with ME! Some time ago, it was put to me that there ought to be more people in the photos. This is somewhat problematic: privacy issues, political correctness, data protection, pride etc are factors involved in the vetting process. Then it suddenly occurred to me that the answer was much closer to home. However, to the unnamed critic, I do say be WWYWF…..Wary of What You Wish For. Don’t shoot the messenger etc- you didn’t realise the size of the can of worms that could be opened.
As is now a regular embarrassing and frustrating occurrence, having written up a brilliantly witty script to accompany the images last night, I somehow lost the lot! I then thought ‘Sod it- I’ll post the pictures anyway…only to find that 13 or 14 of the chosen bunch didn’t appear. Obviously, my wish wasn’t well thought through.
Anyway, the wished for long, hot, sunny summer is technically over. No doubt, it suited some people but farmers, growers, permanent residents, and those trying to get restful nights might repeat the wishes warning! Yields of potatoes, wheat, maize etc must be very, low where there has been no watering system- Charente Maritime has had only 25% of its normal rainfall this year. No grass growth since June means that cattle have had to be given hay and extra water. Add in: lower yields, extra costs, energy price increases, falling value of sterling and euro….and we haven’t got to the cold stuff yet…..so for those of us who wished for the back of Johnson…the warning surely applies. Trussed up for Christmas?
Despite grumpyoldmanitis, the summer has been kind to us. We have had brilliant guests in our first post-covid year. One family made it, having been on hold for two summers….and another returned, having visited five years ago. The weather was good; the pools were warm and blue! A good time had by all!
We are reminded, of course, of how lucky we are to enjoy life in a beautiful, tranquil, traffic free part of the world. Guests, friends, and family can and do visit and enjoy the set up here. It is not necessarily as grand as it sounds- two swimming pools, three cottages and outbuildings etc…. But we are better off than many and are thankful for that.
Our visitors tend to be families with young children, often with accompanying grandparent(s). Grandparents seem to be very useful at holiday time- I wonder why that is!
My brother, Charlie. Has done great service for us in bringing extra guests/ friends. These claim to be golfers, but they are intellectuals, raconteurs, gourmets, athletes and philosophers. They have wide interests in gastronomy, sport, Cognac, and intelligent conversation. The fact that some of them/ us are a little hard of hearing tends to make conversation more difficult to follow at times. Dorothy has been known to take a visit to the UK during these all-male senior events: it seems she is not that keen on the golf! In fact, it turned out that one round was enough to remind me why I gave it up five years ago. I am more suited to the amusing anecdotes and yans from the past. Several of the missing images are of this particularly handsome group- I wonder if there is some unknown security feature protecting the world from this aged brat pack! I promise to rectify the omission…. I promise to be careful. There could be reprisals and we would not want the Brains Trusts to become a permanent fixture here…. Charente Maritime is not ready for that! My worry is that UK wives and partners might be queuing up to pack their dearly beloveds off to get some peace and quiet back. I should know better. The lesson applies to me, too! WWYFF or WWIWF in my case.
Apologies to all those who thought that they had escaped Sadoldman’s meanderings. Congratulations if you got this far.

12/08/2022

It's quite warm here. We are in the middle of our fourth heatwave of the year.

I was watching the BBC News at One. Apparently, Johnson attended a meeting yesterday and today the government has noticed that there is a drought in parts of the UK. It was 33° at 10pm last night; a chilly 25° at 7am this morning….and now the thermometer outside out kitchen door is registering 48°. It is in the sun but, it does feel pretty warm!

We have been living here since 2005 and this is the driest and hottest summer we have seen. Crops are crisp and toasted: there has been no let up since the big frost that sorted out our wisteria blossom, the cherries and mirabelles back in the spring. Really, it is too hot to walk for all but the mad dogs and Englishmen but the countryside resembles the Australian outback- or, scenes from an old western minus the odd skellington of a fallen steer on Wagon Train. Wagon Train- you must be of a great age to remember that!
As usual, I keep losing text, but a bit of explanation regarding the pictures. I am usually careful to avoid showing recognisable people on here. I am hoping that I can get away with more on this post as they are family- and particularly photogenic!
Too hot for most mammals-other than that odd mad Lamb or Irishman. Despite everything, electricity is to go up by 4% this year. Gas prices are frozen until April. Petrol and diesel are subsidised by 30 cents/ litre 6with extra help for those who have to drive long work-related distances. The French are always teetering on the verge of revolution- it might help to keep their politicians in touch with the electorate.
PS We are open for business in a sort of half-hearted, retired sort of way. The pools are clear and just below boiling point!

05/07/2022

Mid- June: July

July already! We have thankfully had some rain, following the long hot dry spell. The grain harvest is well on, but the yields are only moderate this year. Too hot, too soon, too dry is the cry! Having said that, apart from a few mad heatwave days- and nights! - the weather has been kind for guests and locals alike. Sunflowers are in full bloom, even the grapes are beginning to look grapish.
The wildlife is much better at keeping out of sight at this time of year. Birds are, of course, the exception! We have been plagued by a pair of particularly obsessive and educationally challenged pigeons. They raised a pair of chicks early on- see previous post. They chose a beam just outside our kitchen and made an almighty mess! After the squabs had gone, I removed the old nest and put in obstructions to prevent a return visit! The parents haven’t taken the hint- they tried over the last fortnight or so to rebuild a nest at the other end of the same beam! The chosen spot is too narrow- they failed back in April. Dorothy has swept up enough twigs to fill our trailer from what has fallen from the beam! It’s crazy as the normal pigeon nest consists of about a dozen random twigs haphazardly placed.

If you want to see a wonderful bird’s nest: the goldfinch makes perfection in miniature!

It is ok around here if you are looking for a peaceful, away from it all and hard-earned rest. I would say that, of course, but it is true. The weather is generally good- the number two region in France for sun! And, of course, cheaper and more accessible than Provence. We do have lots of availability as we haven’t advertised at all this year! The gites have a private pool each: bikes table tennis etc are free to use- next to no traffic etc.

We are within easy reach of La Rochelle, Ile de Ré, the Atlantic beaches, Rochefort, Royan etc- and Charente Maritime is geared up for tourism even in these difficult times. There is also Cognac, St Emilion – even the Bordeaux vineyards- for wine lovers. Golfers have choices- we have several sets of free clubs! Futuroscope is possible if you are prepared for a longer drive…..we prefer the canals of the Green Venice at Coulon, though!

A mix of lazing by the pool and discovering the region seems to suit most families. We are on site and are prepared to help or leave you to it as you wish.
If you have had the stamina to plough through this, don’t be afraid to like the post! I am trying to build up my numbers!

Blues sky and high twenties here!