A Broad Travels Abroad: February 2009
Snow and Flowers — Monday 9 February 2009
Well, it's February and the weather is cold and grey...but spring IS coming soon! We have seen little snowdrops beginning to bud around our area. The daffodils and irises won't be far behind and then we'll begin to see leaves on the trees again. Several days this week have been relatively warm, although the nights are still down to around freezing or just above. The days are beginning to be longer and I notice the sun setting just a bit later each day now.
We had a bit of a snow flurry yesterday. It was lovely to see giant snowflakes coming down hard and fast for an hour or so, but it didn't last long and what little snow stuck to the grass soon melted away. I love snow...as long as I don't have to go out driving in it.
I am doing a bit of reading now, trying to research places in the area we can go see as soon as the weather starts warming up. There is so much in this part of France of historical interest, as well as visually pleasing and we have barely scratched the surface. I am alternating between The Most Beautiful Villages of the Loire Valley and DK Eyewitness Travel Loire Valley. More info to come soon about these.
photo ©Geoff Angel-Attwood
Spooky Weather -— Friday 13 February 2009
Friday the thirteenth!!! The day dawned dark and cold. The light rain turned to large, wet flakes of snow around 8 a.m., just as we reached the next village on our way to a doctor's appointment in Tours...over an hour away.
INDECISION...do we turn back to home and call the doctor to reschedule or do we go on and hope the weather will not get worse (and may even improve)? We had missed last month's appointment because of a minor crisis with our boiler not working in the freezing January weather, so I was reluctant to cancel this one unless absolutely necessary.
So we agreed to continue a bit farther (up to 1/2 hour) and reassess the situation at that point. By that time, the snow had turned into a light-to-medium intermittent rain, so we continued the journey. After our appointment, we returned home in more intermittent rain, stopping at the grocery store for provisions just in case the weather got worse over the weekend.
Safe at home, we had a nice late lunch and relaxed...safe in the knowledge that we had accomplished the day's mission and could snuggle up warm and dry in our lovely house, prepared for any eventuality.
Happy VALENTINE'S DAY! — Saturday 14 February 2009
What a gorgeous day it was. It dawned a bit grey, but by 10 a.m. the sun was shining brightly and the air was warm and held a hint of the approaching springtime. It was actually quite mild during the day; surprising for this time of year.
By nightfall, the temperature was dropping to a more seasonal chilly-but not-yet-freezing; after midnight it had started frosting up again. There is something I find strangely disquieting about abnormally warm weather in the winter, so I was glad for the return to a more normal temperature.
We had our best English friends over for dinner and had a lovely evening of conversation, laughter, music, food and a bit of wine. Time always goes by so quickly when we are in such good company. Before we knew it, it was well past midnight and we said a reluctant 'goodnight and safe home' and agreed we have to do this again soon.
House For Sale — Sunday 15 February 2009
Late getting up today, finished clearing up from company yesterday, put clean dishes away and just generally relaxed today. Can't do too much of that from now on, as we have just put our house up for sale.
We have cherished the calm, quiet hamlet in the countryside where we have lived for three years. It's been a tough decision to come to, but it had to be done. Between my back and knees aching and my husband's neurological problems, we can't take proper care of our 'terroir' [a large field across the little road through our hamlet] and the stairs are beginning to get to me.
So, we have made the very hard decision to move -- into a house with everything on the ground floor and with just a little back garden or a courtyard to sit in and sip our wine. No huge lawn to mow, which has become a problem even with a riding lawnmower; no hedges to trim; no ladders to climb to clean windows; and so on. While we are moving, we plan to relocate into a town to be closer to social outlets and neighbors.
Having a little cafe or bar where we can sit and become known as local residents, weekly open-air farmers markets to walk to and browse and the occasional concert or art exhibit to attend would be ideal for us. It might even force us to use our language skills more and come to grips with REALLY learning French.
Once again, we find ourselves sorting through our possessions with an eye to lightening the load (i.e.: deciding what we really need or want to keep and what we could 'recycle' to another home) and cleaning/organising to show the house to prospective buyers as well as preparing to move.
Know anyone who wants a beautiful, 3-bedroom, 2 bath/shower room house on two floors with a garage, separate bread oven, double shed and land of about 2,600 square meters?
photo ©Geoff Angel-Attwood
Our 'terrain' across the lane looking back toward the house. There are several flowering bushes, 3 plum trees, a couple of conifers (Spruce or Fir, I think), an oak, a 9-foot-tall sweet bay 'bush', a lime tree (not the citrus kind), a horse chestnut tree and lots of other plants along the side and back borders; not to mention the HUGE open area, suitable for vegetable gardening, a pool or a croquet lawn, cricket pitch or football field.
photo ©Geoff Angel-Attwood
Memories of the Spring Garden — Tuesday 17 February 2009
Another overcast day, at least the temperature is in the 40's Fahrenheit. The daffodils and irises are starting to sprout all over our garden and some are even beginning to bud. We can't wait for them to bloom! We also have poppies between the rose bushes...I have never seen poppy flowers the size of dinner plates until we moved into this house. They are gorgeous.
Our roses are also beautiful; some have hardly any scent to them, but the 'Princess Elizabeth' bushes bear the most fragrant, deep pink flowers from spring through to November. We love cutting a few to put inside the house.
Our garden has a plethora of flowering plants (all planted by the previous owners): pink roses of two or three varieties; tall white daisies; yellow/white/pale orange daffodils; dark purple bearded irises; brilliant red poppies; lavender with its tiny flowers and wonderful, light scent; delicate little pinks; fragrant lily of the valley (which only blooms for about 2 weeks in May); pinky-blue hydrangeas; white and dark red peonies with lovely large flowers; a pink oleander bush; primroses in yellows and white; tall golden, daisy-like flowers stretching up to the sky on four-foot-tall stems; early-blooming forsythia bushes with their tiny bright yellow flowers in great profusion; and little wild daisies growing among the grass (if we don't mow too often).
Then there is the mint...spreading through a couple of the beds; a small sweet bay bush; chives; thyme; several white birch trees clustered in the center of the lawn; and Virginia creeper vines with their huge leaves covering the stone walls of the outbuildings.
Spring is a glorious time in our garden! Every day seems to bring new discoveries to delight all the senses. Green leaves sprouting, flowers coming into bloom one after the other, bees beginning to buzz around and birds singing everywhere...in the trees and bushes, on the rooftops and perched on the walls and fences.
The woods nearby are home to cuckoos that seem to be chirping out 45 o'clock, their calls going on and on. Wood pigeons and swallows; swifts and robins; buzzards and falcons...all manner of birds singing, squalking, calling for mates and soaring through the air looking for food or twigs for their nests. We hear skylarks singing as they descend from high in the air, but we rarely catch sight of them. It IS magical to live out in the countryside in the spring!
Our small front garden with roses in bloom
photo ©Geoff Angel-Attwood
A poppy flower in our garden (2008)...these are as big as dinner plates and a vibrant orange-red!
photo ©Geoff Angel-Attwood
Fat Tuesday/Pancake Day — Tuesday 24 February 2009
A drizzly, dull day but the temperature is almost 50°F and it's Mardi Gras Day! No parades or excitement out here in the country, but I am looking forward to having pancakes...even if they are crepes rather than fluffy American-style pancakes. It does take a bit of getting used to the English way of eating them with a sprinkle of sugar and a good dose of lemon juice. (I cheated and made some American pancakes late last night...with maple syrup and butter...and a bit of strawberry jam between them; YUMMMMMM!) So today, we can have crepes with sugar and lemon, probably for dessert after dinner.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for Easter. Most people these days don't observe the traditions of fasting or abstenence during Lent. As a matter of fact, I am surprised at the number of French people who don't even know that pancake day is the day before Ash Wednesday and why it was practiced. Advent and Lent were penitential seasons, times of the year when the faithful would prepare for the approaching events surrounding the birth and death of Christ. This included abstenence from rich foods and sometimes fasting and prayer. Especially in Lent, this reminded people of the sacrifice Christ had made on the cross. Mardi Gras or carnival (literally "farewell to meat") was a last big celebration before the beginning of Lent. People ate up all the rich meats and treats in the house, to remove the temptation from sight. So began the traditions of pancake day, Mardi Gras and carnival. Enjoy the party!
For now we can look forward to spring with its gradually-lengthening days and shortening nights, its warmer temperatures and the new life revealing itself in the green grass and leaves, the budding flowers and the return of birdsong.