FRANCE . May 2013 - June 2013

For the May trip the Fastcraft service to Cherbourg had now started - a welcome relief. I picked Sara up at Portsmouth on the Thursday afternoon - she was returning from a few days in England. We eventually arrived in France at 8 p.m. and headed South.The weather was mainly sunny and in places the road was steaming when we ran into showers, suggesting it had been a warm day.

The landscape was now mainly green, although much fruit blossom was still out. The hedgerows were yellow with broom, buttercups, dandelions, and yellow hawkweed. But the remaining fruit blossom, may flower and elder flower, together with dog daisies also created patches of white.

On the Friday a main shopping trip to Gorron, plus a visit to Credit Agricole to sort out charges which had appeared on my account. Then in the afternoon I started to get the grass under control. There were many weeds as well as flowers.

The fruit looked promising, despite the long winter - but nothing is certain until it is picked.

After a " big breakfast " at Le Chat Noir there was an unpleasant task of unblocking the double drainer sink. After some 10 years it had finally refused to drain away !

The vide grenier at Ceaucé was rather wet .. although the stall holders covered their wares in between showers... unfortunately I did not take a plastic mac with me and I got rather wet. The blacksmith, however, was able to carry on except in the worst weather. The boot sale was eventually rained off. A later vide grenier between St Michel des Andaines and Bagnoles was as large as ever, but again, with showers and a cold wind it was not too pleasant ...

I went over to Chris and Julie to view progress on the house in Domfront. Again it was quite wet.

But with improving weather, and warmer, the next week was spent mainly gardening - although the usual shopping visits were made, plus a visit for Fish and Chips at Le Chat Noir on the Wednesday. Chris brought a mower over on the Friday to tackle the lower grass which I had rough strimmed earlier.

Sunday saw the Monaco Grand Prix after a visit to a vide grenier in Champeon. Vide greniers ( boot sales ) certainly seem to have taken off in the last five years or so - no doubt encouraged by the economic climate ... and the English !

In addition to the crayfish,

a new activity for Sara and Tone is bee keeping. When the original bees swarmed, Tone was able with the help of a neighbour ( also into bees ) to populate the long hive.

.. ..

By now the weather had improved considerably and I was able to re varnish the small shutters. However, I was then decidedly off form for a few days, with a head cold / hay fever.

Although I made Laval with Sara on the Friday, lunching at the Chinese ( Bonheurs d'Asie ) and ending up in a park which had birds and animals .....

... and the vide grenier at Madré on the Sunday, with Sara and Tone.

...... the Saturday was spent mainly in bed!

Various meals, both in, and out and about, plus visits to and from Sara and Chris, made time pass quickly, and the opportunity was also taken to at last sample the food at La Maison d'Andaines, Juvigny. The Roland Garros French Open ( tennis ) and Grand Prix motor racing also provided entertainment.

Didn't mention cats or kittens !! Tripping over them...about 18 or more now !

The N174 is now finally connected to the N13, providing dual carriageway nearly all the way to Vire which makes for more pleasant driving, although I stopped for my usual break at St Jean de Daye on the way back.

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