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Published: August 26th 2007
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Dear Bo & Dud,
What a week!! We knew that there would be times like this, but I don’t think we expected it to happen this soon - rain. Rain at some time every day, and, all day on Wednesday, every single bit of it!! I’ve been in touch with Debs & Keith in Grignols and they are also having lots of weather - it’s all over France apparently. Ann & David (our hosts), have lived here for 9 years and they have not experienced a summer like this one. Global warming! We had global warming in 2003 when everyone was crozzled - I know which I prefer.
We are now all alone on the site - Vivienne and Bill (and their beautiful Labrador, Jack) left on Monday to spend a few days in Albert (that’s pronounced Albear, where the battle of the Somme was fought), before thinking about returning home. They initially only came for a few days and were going to head further south but they liked it so much that they stayed for almost 3 weeks; and, they left with the promise that they would be returning again next year.
Our week has still been full
and we’ve had several interesting outings to places that we would not normally visit - Mr. Bricolage for example - this is like B&Q but with wood burning stoves and pools. The majority of stuff is so much cheaper than at home - you could buy an entire shower, complete with cubical, tray and well, everything, for what it cost to buy a shower system at home. We had an interesting experience in the car park - a French man caught up with us and asked it the BBC was our car - with sinking heart we said yes, wondering what he’d done to it - but all he wanted to do was talk about the car. They are rare in France and he’s got a KIA which he loves as much as Howard does - the conversation was interesting, involving lots of trez magnifique.
The supermarkets are heaving with children and parents as they get ready for ‘retour’ next week. After the Bank Holiday on the 15th August everyone starts returning home for the beginning of the new school year. Families are expected to buy everything they need for school - I mean everything, pens, pencils, pots of
glue, paper, kit, lab coats (yes, lab coats and, there’s a good deal on at the moment in Leclerc). The trolleys are heaving, especially if there are 2 or 3 children - you should see the length of the lists. Perhaps we should introduce this in England then pupils may take a little more care of their equipment -or maybe it would give them just another excuse for not attending - “couldn’t come yesterday miss, me glue ‘ad gone ‘ard”.
Our walks have been somewhat restricted this week because of the weather but we did manage a few shots of the miles and miles of fruit trees that surround us. The grapes are now turning very dark and they are becoming quite sweet - not long before harvesting. You know this business about eating 5 portions of fruit & veg daily - well, grapes are fruit aren’t they? And wine is made of out of grapes - yes? Therefore, I am well on my way to becoming super healthy.
We’ve seen glimpses of deer while we’ve been out walking, but they are very shy creatures and get spooked and disappear before we can get the camera out. Last
night while we were having dinner, in the caravan (because of the rain!), one found his way out of the trees and onto open ground and very slowly grazed his way to within yards of the caravan. Howard found some innovative ways of taking photographs - one involved standing on the caravan step and poking the lens through the awning vent, another had him laying flat out on the floor of the awning and snapping away through a gap at the bottom of the door. His duck was cold by the time he’d finished (and my glass needed topping up) but we felt very privileged to see such an elegant, shy creature at such close quarters.
We would usually be packing up to come home this weekend - we’ve another week here before heading south to see Debs & Keith -how strange is that?
Hope you have a good Bank Holiday weekend.
Love & Hugs
H&H x
P.S. The flowers in the supermarket are good value for money and last quite well, so I’ve been doing an arrangement every couple of weeks. I have a visitor on this weeks arrangement - Howard has moved him out
once but he keeps finding his way back.
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