How is it almost the end of May? We’ve been so busy with work and house renovations that time has disappeared. I’ve just finished some big work projects that have kept me squirreling away in my studio so today, I’ve taken advantage of a bright, sunny day to sit in the garden and write this! The only problem is, our resident mole has also been very busy and I have to look at our once lovely lawn which has been inundated with molehills!
I’ll try not to, as the French say “Faire d’une mouche un éléphant” meaning to “Turn a fly into an elephant”; coincidently similar to the English saying “Make a mountain out of a molehill”. Though making a mountain out of a molehill would be very easy for us at the moment, there does seem to be more soil than grass on the lawn just now! Anyway, I’m sure Mr. Mole or “Monsieur Taupe” is doing his bit for nature, so we’ll just let him be.
It’s been a funny old Spring in our part of the world, with at times a very cold Northerly wind known as “le Mistral” in our more Southerly French regions and also excessive rainfall causing natural disaster flooding in our own Indre department and neighbouring departments of Indre-et-Loire and Vienne. The floods devastated many local towns and villages around the Creuse, Vienne and Gartempe rivers with extensive operations now underway to restore and repair the homes, businesses and infrastructures of the areas affected.
The colder weather, late frosts and heavy rainfall has meant that this year many of the usually resplendent fields and allotments around us are not full to the brim with vegetables or “legumes” happily growing in the sun, as the soil or “la terre” still needs to dry out some to encourage good growth. This is also a huge impact for the wine growing regions of France, as late frosts can cause a drastic reduction in the wine harvest; many vineyards have resorted to burning torches and straw around the vines to keep them warm and save their crop. It’s certainly a challenging time for those whose livelihoods depend on the produce they grow!
We did have some very hot weather in fits and bursts in March and April, when we were thrilled to meet some new residents in the garden a pair of male and female green lizards! They’re much larger than the many garden lizards we usually watch basking in the sun and this pair seem much friendlier as they’re rather fond of having their photo taken on our wall! Our new green lizards live by the compost bin, which I suppose is a sensible idea having so many insects to snack on throughout the day.
We took advantage of one hot long weekend, to venture in the campervan to our Capital city of Châteauroux. We stayed at a lovely camping aire with spacious pitches just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of the city centre; and the camping aire facilities were provided for free. During our stay there was a Circus in town sited just down the road from our Campervan, so every time Darcey our Miniature Schnauzer went for a walk, she was amazed to see Camels wandering around their enclosure!
Darcey had a good look around Châteauroux’s huge 40 lane Bowling Alley or “Boulodrome” where the much loved, traditional sports of “Pétanque” and “Jeu Provençal” are both played; and also, a more modern alley for playing Ten Pin Bowling or “Le bowling à dix quills”. It’s fair to say there was plenty for Darcey to see in the big city!
We visited “Musée Bertrand” a beautiful Museum built in the 1770s, once home to the famous French General and loyal companion of “Napoléon Bonaparte”, “General Henri-Gatien Bertrand”. The museum housed a wonderful collection of historical artefacts from the Gallic and Gallo-Roman periods right through to contemporary art from the twentieth and twenty first century; and various pieces of Napoléonic interest and even personal belongings of Napoléon himself!
Being in Châteauroux reminded us that this year we will have lived in France for four years, as it was in this city that we had a meeting with the Government and were thankfully granted our residency cards. It’s hard to believe that almost four years has passed since we made the big decision to leave England and start a new life in France, we’re very grateful that we have been welcomed here and given a chance to build a future in the place that we now call home. Everyday provides an opportunity to learn something new, whether it’s discovering a new French word, a traditional custom, seeing a species of bird for the first time or just learning more about the way of life in the countryside. There is still so much to learn and so many places to explore, we really have only just begun.
My work will be keeping me busy once more as we move towards sunnier days but we have adventures planned with family and friends coming to stay over the summer and a few trips away ourselves, hopefully with some vineyard visits on the horizon!
Until next time, au revoir… may your glass be full and your dreams within reach! And if it doesn’t feel like they are, maybe it’s time to think like Napoléon who famously said… “Impossible n’est pas français”.
Tabitha's French Escape 