French Country Diary - New Years Eve 2018!

This was my 2018 diary.
I've had a French Country Diary for years.
It's more for my desk as it is too large
to carry in a handbag.

I add my family and friends birthdays, anniversaries
and special occasion days.

I also buy a small pocket diary
which goes everywhere with me!
I'm ruled by my diary and couldn't live without one.
I'm also an inveterate list person,
I imagine you may have guessed that if you've
read thus far - bless you!
No longer can I rely on my memory - oh dear!

I use a calendar for appointments
for my husband and I
such as the usual doctor, dentist, hairdresser etc.

Are you a diary person like me?
Or are you like my son who uses his mobile phone
for everything, including his diary.

My love affair with France continues
and on every other page of this diary
are alluring photographs of everything French
which whet my appetite deliciously!

Wishing all my blog friends
A very Happy New Years Eve

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane 

Vezelay, Shutters, Windows and Doors

For my Five on Friday post this week

I'm going back to our 2013 France trip

when we visited the ancient hill town of

Vezelay.

1.  This is the main road up to the Abbey Church

I thought I would focus on the doors,

windows and shutters of these beautiful old stone buildings.

2.  A new front door for this house.

Adorned with Wistaria which must look

spectacular in Spring.

3.  A variety of shutter styles

4.  A chambre d'hôtes (guest house)
one of several I saw.
Would you like to stay here?
Vezelay has a population of 400+
depending on the season. 

It is situated on top of a hill with wonderful
vistas of countryside France.

5.  I love the architectural details of the windows.

This building has a beautiful patina typical of 

medieval Vezelay and other medieval towns in France.

I'm joining Amy for Five on Friday

Thank you for hosting Amy.

Take care and 

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you for visiting!

Les Invalides Paris

Les Invalides in Paris was commissioned in 1670 by the 
French King Louis X1V
as a hospital for injured soldiers.

Napoléon Bonaparte's ashes are contained

in his tomb beneath the magnificent golden dome.

This is an interesting monument to visit when

you're in Paris.

Our family visited on a beautiful
summer's day last year.
There was something of interest for all ages.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for visiting!

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

When I visit my family in France
I enjoy wandering through the side streets
of the smaller towns in the vicinity of their little village.

Getting off the beaten track
provides opportunities to chat to the locals
like the shopkeepers and cafe owners.
Mainly, we discuss the weather, 
the ups and downs of business
and the government.
The french spend a lot of time discussing the
state of the country and the economy.
No different to us really!

The photo above is of the indoor market
in one of the larger towns.
The detailed tiling patterns are seen throughout
the Burgundy region.

I'm joining the following memes

 Blue Monday

Ruby Tuesday Too
and
Our World Tuesday




Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for your comments.

Saint-Severin Church Paris

Saint-Severin Catholic Church is the oldest church 

on the left Bank of Paris.

 It has beautiful Gothic architecture,

vaulted ceilings and magnificent

stained glass windows.

If you prefer to avoid the crowds at

Notre Dame then I can recommend visiting

Saint Severin instead.

3, rue des Prêtres Saint-Séverin

near Boulevard Saint-Germain

5e Arrondissement.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences

Thank you for your visits

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Touches of Red

My eye is always drawn to red

I love red touches in decorating

and as accessories like a pashmina

or these burgundy suede brogues.

Are you partial to touches of red too?

I'm joining Magical Mystical Teacher

for

Ruby Tuesday Too

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Paris Fences

The Pont Alexandre

is one of the most beautiful bridges in

Paris

It is a great vantage point

to view all manner of boats, barges and 

the Bateau Mouche excursion boats

on the Seine.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences

Thank you for your visits to my blog

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Red Geraniums en France

A quick post today as I'm working.

I'm joining the girls for

Ruby Tuesday Too


Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt




Shane

Château d'Ancy-le-Franc

Château d'Ancy-le-Franc

Burgundy, France.

I visited this beautifully restored chateau

in 2013

If you would like to know more of the history you can read about it

here

Two of my grandies playing on the path!

I'm joining Jeanne for Blue Monday

Judith for Mosaic Monday

and

Bernideen for BTTCG

Thank you ladies for hosting.

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

French Village Walls

When I'm with my family in France
we often drive to a neighbouring village
park the car and enjoy an amble through
the little lanes and walkways.
I always have my camera
and snap away at all manner of things that take my eye.
Walls, fences, gates, doors, shutters
winding lanes and gardens.

One of my granddaughters has a small
nature set which includes a magnifying glass,
an insect reference book and pencil.
She has great observation skills
and looks for signs of animals as well as insects,
birds and butterflies.

My father would love to know his great grandie
has an interest in nature as he was a
keen botanist and bird watcher!
When I was young he often took my brothers and I
on hikes in the bush, telling us the names of
birds, trees, plants, mosses and lichens.
As children we weren't that interested and
preferred climbing the trees or playing
hide and seek.
However, as I got older it became an inherant
 part of my life too.

I'm joining Tex for Good Fences

Thank you for your camera suggestions
I'm narrowing my choices now thanks to you
my dear bloggy pals!
From what most of you have said
it's all about the lenses rather than the camera body.

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt




Shane

Harvesting the wheat in France

June is a busy time in the wheat fields of

France.

In the countryside where our daughter lives

are thousands of acres of wheat fields.

Each day we were out and about

when we visited last year

we saw farmers driving their huge machines

harvesting the wheat.

Van Gogh was fascinated by this seasonsal activity too

although things were done differently

back in his day.

I've always loved this painting called

Wheat Stacks in Provence

painted in 1888.

The colour and the light are quite magical.

This exquisite painting by Claude Monet

epitomises Summer in the countryside

of rural France in 1897.

An old country house in the wheat region of France.

Both Van Gogh and Monet may have stayed

in such a house as they toured the countryside

painting rural scenes.

I'm joining 

Jeanne for Blue Monday

and

Judith for Mosaic Monday

Thank you for your visits.

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane