Tuesday.

It's Tuesday already which means it's French day in Vannes. Chrismene's class (our last class of the day) had a few more students today...Attila from Hungary (logistics), Rosa from Ukraine (aeronautics), Saida from Russia (composer) and Patimat from Russia (artist). We had a good laugh.

After Pierre's class we had lunch on board the 'Avanti' with Adolf and Mary. Paul and Maggie were the perfect hosts. We won't see them now until we meet up further south next month.

This is a photo of the last time we went on board.

After our classes the weather wasn't too good, but by the time we got home it was nice enough to finish the fence. 

It was good to have news fromn Annie who went back to the UK a week or so ago as her mum was gravely ill (she's in her 90's). While there Dave had a heart attack, so its been a worrying time for her to say the least. Thankfully Dave is on the mend.

It was also good to chat with our son via FaceTime.

Sarzeau

Saturday and it's a play day. While Bev recovers from a  hectic few days (or so I thought), I went to Sarzeau to pick mussels for lunch with some of our church friends.

We arrived just as it started to rain.

Although the weather isn't good, there are plenty of people around. The car park was full.

I've never seen so many starfish.

The weather has brightened and the sun is out.

We filled four buckets.

Alain Thizon and Mickael Farigo

This beach is well used.

Ready for lunch.

A dozen of us enjoyed a really good meal. Bread with real butter along with mussels cooked with garlic, thyme and onions. Make that thirteen... Jean-Miguel Farigo is just out of picture.

I arrived home to see that Bev had been busy painting the kitchen. So much for a relaxing morning.

We ended the afternoon by visiting the Calves family then dropped some mussels off for Sophie.  We also left a bag on Pierrick's tractor. He tapped our window in thanks on his way home.

I'm now listening to the Sunderland West Ham game. Dare I hope for a win to end a perfect day?

No, West Ham score with two minutes to go.

C'est la vie!

Project number one...

We couldn't make it to French today, so what do you suppose we did? Well, it's time to get serious about one of my goals for the year.

These are some of the pallets and water containers we picked up from a friend. I have to create five projects from this pile.

From the hedge to the oak tree is the first obstacle.

No more brambles, chicken wire, old posts, old boots, barbed wire and rogue branches. We levelled the earth ready for our first project...the fence. We needed the fence, not only for privacy but also to keep animals out of the veg plot area.

It's coming on...can't wait to stain it.

Dismantling pallets is no easy task.

Bev's new friend.

No longer looking like pallets.

First section up to the oak tree completed.

Spring onions, radish and beetroot planted.

Looking good in the early evening sun.

The rest of the fence ready for dressing.

I thought our boundary finished at the laurel tree, but I noticed wire around the tree on the right along with an old fence post. An extra four feet will do just nicely.

Hopefully, my first project with pallets will be complete by the end of the week and the veg plot will be secure.

A chance encounter...

Today is another of those glorious spring-type sunny day gems. It was still misty when we left for church but by the time we left, the birds were singing and the sun was promising  a pleasant companion to a lazy afternoon siesta.

I must mention an incident at church as it was one of those situations that takes you completely by surprise. Marie-Jo was approaching me and, as we greeted one another (as the French do), the swing doors at the side of us did what they do best and swung with a vengeance, knocking Marie-Jo clean off her feet and onto her back on the chapel floor. The combination of the shocked onlookers who froze and the bemused look on Marie-Jo's face was the funniest thing I've seen in ages.

It could have been nasty but it was one of those inexplicable moments that set me off giggling and I could do nothing about it.  Fortunatley MJ felt the same way.

In the afternoon we visited Karen and Hubert and spent a very pleasant hour chewing the cud. From there we visited Trevadoret which is just down the road from us. We've been wanting to visit the place for a while. If we hadn't visited at that particular time we may never have met Roger and Noami, a French couple in their 80's.

These are the things we saw as we were invited into their home with a warm heart and outstretched hand.

Roger (Rowjay)...a former farmer who now creates things since a crippling accident with his tractor ended his working life.

Noami was a little shy to face the camera although very friendly and talkative.

How he disguises his woodstore.

Some of his creations.

I love his hedge and would love to create one just like it. Do you notice the eyes? Now do you see what's on top of the stone to the left?

That's right!  It's someone to welcome you.

He sees things in wood and stone and lets his creative juices flow by combining them with items he has laying around. They don't throw anything away.

I love this oak face.

Stone faced.

Bear faced

Head of the household

Some of the bric-a-brac ready to be used.

The photo of the huge fireplace with its seating arrangement was blurred as were the ceiling hooks that they used to hang the pigs to cure. He now hangs his hats on them.

It was a different world.

Noami's parents lived here and their parents before them. They've never moved.

For us it was a chance encounter that was meant to be and hope to share space with them again because it was a real privilege.

We finished the perfect day by skyping family and friends.