Up until 1992, the Poulain chocolate factory, built at the end of the 19th century by Auguste Poulain, was firmly established in the heart of Blois. Bought by Cadbury in 1991, the factory moved to the north of Blois, next to the A10 motorway. Today, it is owned by Kraft Foods. The remains of the …
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Gathering Walnuts – Ramassage des noix
Today I gathered nuts for the first time, in a public park at the bottom of Château de Chaumont. Most of the nuts were separated from their husk or pericarp. When I separated the others, my fingers were covered in a slightly sticky black substance that is used as a dye. Now I’m going to …
Autumn Nasturtiums – Capucine d'automne
Nasturtiums add a lovely splash of colour in autumn. Capucine is a girl’s name in French and there is a popular song called “Dansons la capucine” that children use for a circle game. You can listen to it here: http://www.mamalisa.com/mp3/dansons_la_capucine.mp3 (lyrics below). The reason why the dance is called “Capucine” is obscure. Les capucines rajoutent une belle touche …
Turquoise and purple house – Maison turquoise et violette
I love going past this house overlooking the Loire. It makes me think of those lovely seaside houses in Normandy. The photo was obviously taken in the spring during wisteria time. Chaque fois que je passe devant cette maison qui surplombe la Loire, je l’admire. Elle me fait penser à ces belles maisons en bord …
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Mandavilla & Pelargonium – Dipladenia & Pélargonium
I was looking for a flower for our rental accommodation that wouldn’t mind not been watered very often. My neighbour suggested the dipladenia (mandevilla splendens). This flowering vine with its pink, white, red and yellow flowers, is subtropical and mainly cultivated in pots in Europe for climatic reasons. Pelargonium is the real name of what we usually …
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Coffee al fresco – Café en plein air
My first memory of Blois is Place Louis XII. Even in autumn, you can have a coffee outside sitting in a comfortable armchair! Mon premier souvenir de Blois est la place Louis XII. Même en automne on peut prendre un café dehors assis confortablement dans un fauteuil !
Sahara Rose – Rose Sahara
We bought this rose bush at Prieuré d’Orchaise last year under the name of Saharan Rose but apparently it’s called Sahara Rose. It is a climbing rose that changes colour at it matures – from a tender pink to a luminous abricot. Nous avons acheté ce rosier à la Prieuré d’Orchaise l’année dernière sous le nom de rose …
Peacock Butterfly – Paon du jour
I know little or nothing about butterflies but I hope my knowledge will improve with time. In any case, I think this one is beautiful. It’s scientific name is Aglais io and it’s commonly called a peacock or Irish butterfly. Je ne suis pas experte en papillon – loin de là – mais j’espère améliorer mes …
A Cherub at Chambord – Un angelot à Chambord
Château de Chambord has many sculptures like this little cherub who looks like he’s about to climb out of a miniature balcony. Le château de Chambord contient beaucoup de sculptures comme ce angelot qui semble s’échapper d’un balcon miniature.
First edible mushrooms in our wood – Premiers champignons comestibles dans notre bois
L’année dernière nous avons trouvé des champignons dans notre bois mais nous n’avons pas su les identifier. Cette année, nous avons trouvé des bolets sous un conifère. Last year, we found some mushrooms in our wood but we couldn’t identify them. This year, we found some boletus mushrooms under a confier.