The Canary Dave

Good day.... Finally got internet here in our very remote rural backyard.... so will be around a little more. Yesterday we went to the Museum of the compagnons ..a unique museumn dedicated to....

The Compagnons du Devoir, full name Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, is a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages. Their traditional, technical education includes taking a tour, the Tour de France, around France and doing apprenticeships with masters. For a young man or young woman today, the Compagnonnage is a traditional mentoring network through which to learn a trade while developing character by experiencing community life and traveling.[1] The community lives in a Compagnon house known as a cayenne and managed by a mère (mother) or maîtresse (mistress), a woman who looks after the well-being of the residents,[1] of which there are more than 80 in France. The houses vary in size from a small house for five people to a larger one with more than 100 people living together.

At the end of thier 'apprencticehip' they create an object relevant to thier trade to demonstrate thier proficiency..... the museum is filled with amazing constuctions from plumbing to stonemasonry, from wood to art..... really inspirational

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https://limoges.compagnonsdutourdefrance.org/pages/nos-musees

 

Morning all. Our non-French summer continues, with cloud overhead and a few showers. Last year everyone wanted some rain as the rivers dried up and water restrictions were imposed, but this year you just think a spell of warm dry weather has started and it reverts back to showers and not so warm. Our three granddaughters all received their second vaccinations yesterday and had sore arms. A few people that we know of did feel poorly for a day or two after, but generally an ache in the upper arm for a couple of days was the worst that people suffered. I wonder if later in the year it will be decided that we should have booster doses? We will have to wait and see. Have a good day whatever you hope to do.

 

Morning all. It looks like it will be a warm sunny day and certainly there is little to no breeze about. An ideal day for some gardening, but that will have to wait as a shopping trip will have to come first. We have tried to cut down on our visits to town, but find that we start to run out of essential things by not having a fixed day do it. I have some friends in England who live about a quater of a mile from their supermarket, yet jump in the car to go there every day. Not my idea of fun. Have a good day whatever you must do.

 

Morning all. Overcast in rural France with more showers expected this afternoon. Really odd conversation with a stranger to the village yesterday who had come to look at the house next door that is for sale. He didn't have a meeting with the owner or agent arranged, just wanted to look around outside. I did my bit to show him the rear access at the back of my barn, but the conversation turned into an interview of me to see if I might be a good neighbour. I have heard from several people that having a look at the outside is enough to follow up a possible purchase, but never checking out the neighbours before. Have a good day whatever may befall.

 

I hope for your sake that he buys it - otherwise you'll be forever wondering why you weren't deemed to be a good neighbour...

 

Morning all. Mainly overcast but dry at the moment, although showers are forecast for this afternoon. Hopefully get and do some gardening down the field, although the wisteria that runs alongside the house is now making a takeover for the barn roof and satellite dish and needs some serious pruning. It came as a small plant from England, and we thought it has two chances. It seems to love the conditions and has not only survived, but needs more than just a little light trim each year. A coffee first, then better get to work. Have a good day all.

 

Good afternoon
We bought some lovely bread and pastries from our local artisanal bread maker yesterday evening... and just off for a walk to the next village foran eco fete ...local producers selling their wares methinks.... I just love rural village life...such a shame has all been ruined in most of England...

 

Back from the coast in Guerrero, Zihuatanejo to be precise. Lots of tourists without masks and cases spiking there. The Mrs and I took it easy and tried our best to "Sana distancia," masks and Ggl all the time. It was 30 to 36 most days and humidity at 83%, that is hot unless you are sipping on cold ones.

Went fishing one day and got 2 small tunas, 2 dorado and a Sail fish. Nice eating and great to be 12 miles out. Turtles floating, dolphines and a lot of thunder from the early morning rain that flooded the pier and nearly made us cancell it. We even had a double rainbow floating out for bait fish. It was lush.

Not great preseason form form Watford I see, however, early doors.

 

Over the many years I have seen Watford smash the pre season friendlies and get relegated and have a poor pre season and get promoted

The main thing is game time and seeing who can step up

 

Morning all. Sunshine and cloud fighting the same sky today. A month ago a large banner was attached to the campsite fence to advertise the annual brocante sale that is held in the shade of the trees in a large area set aside for recreation. Boules area of course, tennis court, basketball practice area and picnic tables. This is all taken over by hundreds of people trying to sell off unwanted items alongside a few dealers that have slightly less junk. Alongside the stalls and goods spread out on the ground, there will be the van selling hot dogs and other snacks, naturally the bar and a bouncy castle for the children. It is one of the places to go if you are hoping to bump into someone you haven't seen for a while, We have given it a miss today, and do wonder how many others will have avoided this day in the social calendar? Have a good day whatever you will do.

 

Evening all. Major outage of the internet all day. Spread over a large area, and some of the shops unable to process card purchases. Still coming and going, so hope you have been having a hassle free day.

 

Morning all. Cloudy with more rain forecast. Set up my solar powered water fountain yesterday and it can only manage the occasional plop. Not a great success at the moment. Just going out to see a garage owner not far away about getting my car serviced. The garage that I used to use closed at the end of last year, and although another person has started it up again, this man who comes recommended is much closer to home. Have a good day whatever you are doing.

 

Morning all. Overcast and damp after a passing shower. Not the best of weather to have a day out, but table booked at a restaurant in the hills of the Haute Limousin. The range of hills are called Monts de Blond and at their highest point are only 514 metres high, so can hardly be describe as mountains. As an area of natural beauty it takes some beating, much better of course if the sun shines on it. Have a good day whatever the weather.

 

Interestingly we ate at the same restaurant today
Nice glass of red......... and it rained sheets later..............

 

Good morning.... great to wake up and see that Quarantine is over for returners from France..... it means our family can now come out....
Meanwhile we live in hope here... not raining yet.... this morning

 

Morning all. It is not raining yet, but it is expected this afternoon. After a splendid lunch yesterday Mme decided she needed to visit a shop on the outskirts of Limoges. It was heaving inside with youngsters buying up all the equipment, paper, folders, pens and erasers, the list is long, needed for the return to schools and universities later this month. The system is very different to the UK as I knew it when much of the material was supplied by the schools. Have a good day everyone.

 

It's much the same in the UK (well, in Scotland at least) these days, school budgets don't stretch that far any more - so supermarkets and Poundshops make a killing at return to school time. Even from teachers, who receive a limited allocation of stationery requirements each term. Anything over and above that allocation they have to buy themselves. I guess it teaches them to be frugal - especially where photocopy paper is concerned. I remember getting into a rather acrimonious 'war of words' with another teacher a few years ago. Because I didn't have a Classroom Assistant she, I thought very kindly, agreed to lend me hers to take down all the wall displays in my room near the end of term. What I didn't know was that she had told the assistant to keep all the blu-tac on the walls - to save her buying her own for the following term.

Slightly different in Australia, where schools make up 'book packs' at the start of every term - packs which contain the required work books & stationery - even things like headphones for the PCs - for the term. Organised by the school P&C Associations, parents buy the packs from them. Lord only knows how large families cope - it's hard to pinpoint an average cost as requirements for the packs differ from school to school and from state to state - but a median price would be roughly $150 per child per term. Perhaps strangely, the lower the level the pupil is at, the higher the cost of the pack.

 

I remember the Monts de Blond very well. On a holiday in 1995 with friends ( Graham & Pat) we were journeying from Chamboeuf to the Dordogne , via a Chambre D'hote near Mortemart - very pretty village. The chambre d'hote was really special having been recommended by Graham's son. Pat had arranged all the accommodation for the trip, by letter , and was a little surprised when no deposit was requested (The only one who hadn't). We arrived at about 5pm, after no little difficulty in finding this beautiful log cabin style house up in the woods. We were graciously greeted by Paul and Paulette - coutouriers who had 'escaped' the ratrace in Paris for a quiet life.. (Paulette had made Rita Hayworth's wedding dress when she married Aly Khan). After some slightly stilted conversation (our English was poor then , their English rather better) Paul asked us why we were calling on them. Our friend Pat produced the letter from her requesting the accommodation. "Aaaaaah" , said Paul , and then an even longer pause. "We didn't think you were coming, as we didn't receive a deposit. And we have friends staying with us from Paris ,so we only have one room available not 2". Whereupon Pat burst into tears , and Paul consoled her in the charming way that only a French gentleman could when confronted by a lady in distress, that his words had caused. He was magnifique ! So, they arranged to lead us , to the nearest small town ,where a hotel would have accommodation. P & P's friend went in Paul's car with Paul, Paulette & friends wife waved us goodbye , and off we trooped to Montrol-Senard. Alas, the hotel also only had one room available ! So P &P's friend very graciously offered to decamp with his wife to the hotel so we could stay with P& P for 2 nights. (We had 'booked' 4 nights to stay in the beautiful surroundings.) So we processed back to the house in the woods, and our car drew up alongside the kitchen window where the 2 women were preparing dinner. The expression on Paulette's face - not to mention the friends wife - having thought they had disposed of the unfortunate English people - and not to mention that as nobody had mobile 'phones at that time - the 2 women had no idea that we would reappear - was an absolute picture of horror !
Well it all worked out well, we had a beautiful walk to Mortemart the following day , changed plans and moved after the 2 nights to Royan.
Happy days !

 

Great story. Our very first trip to France had a similar strange event. I had made a last minute spur of the moment booking for a tent down on the Med. Arriving at the site we presented ourselves to the couriers who had no idea that we were coming. They only believed us when they were given our paperwork showing our fully paid up booking. They had no tents at all, so would we be prepared to use one of their mobile homes with aircon at no extra charge. It was hot, very hot, and we were glad of the aircon, and even more glad when the heat produced a mammoth thunderstorm that night. The picture the next morning from our mobile home was quite a sight. The couriers had spent half the night digging channels around the tents to try and divert the rainwater that had flowed down the hillside. Despite their best efforts people had bedding and clothing hanging out to dry, and wet soil was being washed out of the tents. I think that was the trigger that stopped me looking at camping holidays in future.

 

...and we lunched in Montrol Senard yesterday!