Yet another week gone.

I know...it's frightening, isn't it?

As it's one of our goals to travel during this our 40th anniversary year, we began modestly on Friday with a visit to Nantes...a city we've never visited.

Oops! This isn't Nantes...it's one of Dave and Annie's trees that blew down in the storm on Tuesday. The big oak on the corner of the lane leading to Yvon's woods also came down. 

Here we go! Through the woodlands, through the valleys tilting at the wind farms passing...

This was one of an avenue of trees to greet us two hours later.

There's a good atmosphere in this square. The next photo is of the interior of that church in the background.

Impressive, or what?  I love the way the French have music playing in their churches as people visit. It's an unspoken but powerfully audible and heartfelt sermon.

Bumped into Charles again. Over the past sixty years he's had a habit of dipping into my life. I never met him (until now), but he's on my list of people I'd most like to drop by and have a chat in the flesh. Told him he's scrubbed up well.

I was impressed with the exterior which was in sharp contrast to the dull and unfeeling interior. It was the warmest though! Strange...it can, and was, warm and cold at the same time.

We ate just around the corner...still in the old quarter.

We didn't eggspect this!

Love the abundance of wrought ironwork in France...even in rural areas.

Heading towards that tower...

...and this is it from another angle.  It was approaching 1pm and we waited with anticipation of those trumpeters sounding off in abject glory on the hour.  it'll surely be a statement!

And another angle from the window of the room below...definitely more impressive than the pathetic weak 'Gong' which sounded the hour mark.  No trumpeting whatsoever! No proud fanfare!

A very peaceful place over a glass-covered courtyard.

We stood for a while trying to imagine the life that once existed in these rooms. If this was the UK the wall would have had the life flattened out of it by render leaving no trace of it's former glory.

Feeling boxed-in :)

What better way to hide those ugly electricity boxes.

No self-respecting city is without it's street artists, musicians and beggars.  We saw all three.

That clock is chocolate!

Climbing the stairs to an experience.

It's lovely! Reminds me of our visit to the Wayfarers Arcade in Southport a couple of years ago.

You can't accuse the French of being bland.

Nantes had key tourist magnets which were closed for winter, but we still enjoyed the visit.  It didn't have an abundance of all things ancient (which is what we love), but we didn't expect Venice today.  It was Nante's day.  It made us feel at home, too...it has C&A and Burtons.

On the way here and on the journey back home, we learned ten new French verbs...and a lot more about Nantes sandwiched in between.

Wasps

We tried to kill them off at first...and we killed thousands, but thy just kept coming, so we left them alone during summer knowing they will eventually die as winter approached.

That's exactly what happened and now it's time to remove the nest and make sure they never return.

My first sight of the nest after removing the plasterboard. It's bigger than I thought.

A beauty!

The covering is a crispy paper-like shroud.

The queen is in there somewhere. Sorry, darlin' you have to go!

All done, but I'll need to thoroughly clean the area and disinfect it to make absolutely certain there is no remnants of the colony. I enjoyed the experience, but I don't want to be doing this again next year.

That's more like it!

We're getting back to normal after our hectic Christmas and it's good to be outside in the garden.
This post isn't particularly interesting, but we've been to Vannes to do some shopping and feel really good about having time to get into the garden after three days of rain...the sun is shining and it feels like springtime already.

Getting more leaves up.

Cutting back the beech and tidying the beds.

Clearing more soil.

Pruning.

Way too early for these to be coming up.

Flowering in January??

Aperitifs...

Well, we're ready!!

Dave and Annie came round an hour earlier to do the sausage rolls and make the mulled wine for our French guests. There were so many bottles on display that you would doubt our tea-total status.  In fact, other than the youngsters, we were the only alcohol-free couple. I've not included the photos of all the drinks on offer, but it was an education in itself finding out about the preferred tastes of the rural French in terms of drink.

Starting to bring some things through.

 Dave preparing the the mulled wine.

Not keen on these, but the French love them...along with the nuts, crisps, olives, cheeses, chocolates, cake and yes, the mince pies.

These are all blurred photos but they are all we have to remember the evening.

Sophie, Isabel, Pascal and Bev.

Pascal is a retired architect who now keeps bees and produces the most amazing honey. 

Pierrick rears horses and seems to have a finger in every pie.  My painting entitled 'Young Guns' was from a photo of his cows. He's been a really good neighbour to us and lives in the next hamlet.

Isabel and Sophie no doubt talking shop. They both work at the animal rescue centre.  Sophie lives next door to us and also rears horses (and other animals). Isabel is Pascal's wife. 

Marthe is the deputy mayor of Cruguel and we gather at her house in St Yves every Thursday afternoon for French. Quite a character...we love her!

Karen and Hubert ('oobare). Hubert lives in St Yves (a mile away) but grew up next door. His dad was Joseph (sadly no longer with us). Karen, his wife, is English. Also in the picture is Colette who lives just out the back of us with her husband Martin.

The photos of our other guests are just too blurred to use, but it was really nice to have Therese and her family with us along with Pierrick's lovely family.

Finding space between the general chat was difficult, but we managed some prepared entertainment. In this shot I think we were finding things out about each other that weren't common knowledge....hilarious!

I played the guitar and we had traditional songs from our guests along with some carol singing in English and French. The whole evening went like a dream.

Aperatifs are supposed to last an hour or so, but our last guests left just before ten.  The evening should have concluded some time after 7pm.

I guess they were enjoying themselves.  I know I was!  In the words of one of our guests..."A perfect start to the Christmas festivities".

We slept in this morning.

Blog Journal Entry... Bev's Week.

We started the week in Josselin to watch another film.

 I like that I can understand more French these days

Bev getting into Christmas baking. There is a reason for the newspaper wrapped around the tin...but I can't remember what it is.

It's gonna be good!

She also finished her quilt...or whatever it's called. Looks great!

And she even had time to up-cycle a tired shelf, but only after completely redecorating the main bedroom...the whole room!! In TWO days!!

My final commission finished!  Time to get ready for Christmas.

Bev's birthday present arrived from David and Eileen. We can hardly lift it!!  Works perfectly on top of the stove. I love presents that benefit me as well:)

The cards are beginning to arrive for our first Christmas here.

We've already been to Rennes, Josselin and Ploermel shopping this week, but we also took in the incredible atmosphere of Vannes... boats trimmed and flashing, musicians, displays, etc! The streets were crammed with diners taking advantage of the balmy evenings.  I managed to get Bev's present but had difficulty pressing through the crowds to meet up with her again.

On our way to Roche Bernard for an evening concert (an amazing experience), we dropped in at KFC. The concert was excellent as previously stated but KFC isn't what we're used to in the UK. It just isn't the same! How can they call it KFC?

We managed to get to the carol concert at the chapel at St Yve last night. They sang traditional songs from around the world.  We were impressed, although there were one or two 'Marguerite' moments (you'll know what I mean if you saw the film).

Last night was our "Soiree de Talent" and it marked the end of a busy seven days. 

It was a really good evening even though I was one of the acts.

Tonight we have archery in Josselin and tomorrow is our big day!  Nous invitons nos voisins Français pour des apéritifs le mercredi 23 décembre de 18 h. We've invited about 20 French  locals as well as our immediate neighbours for 'nibbles'.  It'll be the first time we've entertained a large group of French people and we are beginning to get a little nervous.

I'm going to have to entice Bev to sit down and watch a movie or something.  She's ironing the settee covers as I type. She hasn't stopped for weeks.

We're ready!

Can't believe all our Christmas cards are written and en-route. This has to be a first!

It will be our first Christmas in France.

Our new fire framed with Christmas cheer.

It's a beautiful bright fresh morning, but cosy inside.

Stairs lined with garland and bows...

...which reminds me :

Last night was archery night.  It looks cosy, but the actual archery bit is outside standing under a shelter in case it rains. We've been using bare bow technique, but will progress to my preferred classic style with sights and stabilisers when we are ready. Are you reading this Gary Telford?? I think my draw weight is 35lb for a hunting bow, but I'll be able to confirm in the coming weeks. Let me have a quote if you are still going to make bows. A Telford black beauty would be just fine. Can't wait for Summer and long warm afternoons to indulge in various types of shooting again. The last time was the 1960's.