The Chair Caner – Le canneur de chaises

it’s nice to know that chair caning is not a lost art! We have quite a few 19th century cane-seated chairs and 6 leather ones but that’s another trade altogether! C’est bien de savoir que le cannage des chaises n’est pas un art perdu ! Nous avons plusieurs chaises cannées du 19ème siècle et 6 …

Flags from the window – Drapeaux depuis la fenêtre

The French President, François Hollande, invited the French to hang a red, white and blue flag from their windows to participate, on Friday 27th November, in the national day of hommage to victims of the terrorist attacks on 13th November. We didn’t see many in Paris, but few people have a national flag, unless they attend …

First Frost – Premières gelées

We always know when the first frost has arrived – the nasturtiums capitulate while the sage lasts all winter. Last year it was not until 7th December. Nous savons toujours lorsque la première gelée est arrivée : les capucines capitulent alors que la sauge dure tout l’hiver. L’année dernière c’était le 7 décembre.

Encouraging Blood Donors – A la recherche des donneurs de sang

At the market on Saturday, this brass band was encouraging blood donors – particularly relevant after the recent killings in Paris. Mon sang pour les autres = My blood for others. Au marché samedi, ce fanfare encourageait les donneurs de sang, une action particulièrement pertinente après les tueries à Paris la semaine avant. 

Tongue Tied – La langue fourchue

We wondered why this nuthatch was not frightered away by our presence until we realised it had caught its tongue in the fatball mesh. Jean Michel carefully cut the mesh and the bird flew away. We hope it managed to get its tongue out of the remaining mesh. Nous étions surpris de voir que cette sitelle n’avait pas …