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.

Weekend Reflections

Driving home through Auckland city last weekend

I snapped these reflections on a glass fronted

office building!

I'm joining 

James for - Weekend Reflections

and

Arija, Gattina, Ladi Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer

for

Our World Tuesday

Take care

and be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Anzac Day 2016

Anzac Day occurs on the 26th April.

It marks the anniversary of the landing of the

Australian and New Zealand soldiers

known as the 

ANZACS

on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey

during the First World War in 1915.

On this day we commemorate all New Zealanders

and Australians

killed in war and we honour

our returned servicemen and women.

The War Memorial Museum

is the venue for our

Anzac Day Memorial Service in Auckland.

There are services in every city and small town

throughout New Zealand

and Australia.

I'm joining

Judith for Mosaic Monday
Gemma for Ruby Tuesday Too
and the girls at Our World Tuesday

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Australian Sojourn

 I took the above group of photos at dusk

it was the most beautiful evening

and the light was quite magical.

It's times like this that I wish I had a camera

with a better lens (or two).

I love landscapes

however with my little Point and Shoot

I get limited results.

I would like more definition and I now know

from what Brian told me

it's all about the lens and the range!

I'm in the process of deciding which camera

I should buy, and weighing up the pros and cons.

I've already asked a few of you

who are keen photographers,

for your recommendations and the reason behind

your choice of camera.

Thank you for your feedback so far.

So please let me know if  you think your camera

is a great one - I would love to hear from you.

This is the main street of Maldon, Victoria

at dusk on a Sunday evening

not exactly buzzing - but I love that!

If you're interested you can see 

my previous Maldon post here

I'm joining Jeanne for Blue Monday

Judith for Mosaic Monday

and

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer for

Our World Tuesday

Thank you all for your visits

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you all for hosting!

Views of Auckland Waterfront

With the lovely weather over Easter
we visited the waterfront and viaduct harbour.
There were a few clouds about
but with the temperature at 28°C
we had an enjoyable walk.

It's now early Autumn and in a month or two
the days will start to draw in.
This weekend on Sunday 3rd April
Daylight Saving finishes.......
I'm thankful for such a magnificent summer
it has truly been one out of the box!

Wishing everyone, everywhere
your best summer ever too!

I'm joining Gemma for Ruby Tuesday Too
&
Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer for 
Our World Tuesday
Thank you all for hosting.

Thank you for visiting over Easter

Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Village life in France is alive and well....

Sometimes I travel to France on my own,

however when my husband comes too

we hire a car.

We like to be independent of the family

and potter about the countryside

discovering interesting little villages
along the way to peruse!

We stop for a coffee or a wine

so we can meet the locals and hear about

their life in a village in France!

This village is Thorigny sur Oreuse.

It consists of a few shops, the main one being

the corner shop which sold everything from cooking utensils,

grocery items, wine from the region, fruit and vegetables

haberdashery items like buttons, needles and cottons.

I preferred it to the supermarche in the nearby town.
No one was in a hurry and everyone
stopped for a chat with the owner.

The boulangerie is one of the most popular in the region.

There were also the usual trades people such as a

mechanic, plumber and electrician.

I saw the lawyer's sign in one window and

an architect's in another.

There is also a resident doctor.

 There is no butcher in the village

so sadly, the Supermarché wins out there.

The nearest pharmacie is about 10km away.

There is a primary school and maternal (kindergarten).

Older children attend high school in Sens

which is a 17 minute drive away on the school bus.

The small village community is well served.

With a population of 1510 at the last census in 2013,

and growing year by year, it’s good to see that

village life in la belle France is alive and well

in the 21^st century!

This is the old lavage in Thorigny

it is where the ladies of the village would meet

to do their washing and catch up on local news.

I’m joining Tex for Good Fences

and

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy & Jennifer for

Our World Tuesday

Thank you ladies for hosting.

Many thanks everyone for visiting 

and leaving me a comment.

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Goats in Moulin en Tan France

More pics from our afternoon with the girls at

Moulin en Tan.

The day was hot - the temperature was in the high 30's.

The goats seemed quite happy lazing in the sunshine

showing no interest in climbing posts this day!

The two white doves showed more sense

resting in the shade of the tree.

I'm joining 

Theresa for Good Fences

Eileen for Saturday Critters

Mersad for Through My Lens

and

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy & Jennifer

for

Our World Tuesday

Thank you all for hosting your great Memes!

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt

Shane

The Charm of County Cork

On our tour of Ireland

we fell in love with the

charming villages of

County Cork

with their gaily painted houses

and friendly people.

I'm linking this post to 

Judith for Mosaic Monday

Stephanie for Roses if Inspiration

Our World Tuesday

hosted by

hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy & Jennifer

Thank you ladies for hosting your weekly memes.

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt

Shane

  

Parc Moulin en Tan - France

Another excursion in France was a family visit to

Parc Moulin en Tan,

it is a real favourite for the girls

as there is so much to see.

This time I'm sharing photos of some of the bird life on the

 River Vanne which runs through the 15 hectares

of park land.

It was an extremely hot day

so we enjoyed staying under the shade of the trees

to try and keep cool!

I'm joining 
Eileen for Saturday Critters
Gemma for Scenic Weekends 
and Shadow Shot Sunday
Natasha for Sundays Down Under
 Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy & Jennifer for
Our World Tuesday
Kim for Water World Wednesday
and
Gemma for Wednesday Waters

please join us or just pop in and see what others

are posting.

Thank you ladies for hosting your weekly memes.

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt

Shane