Grand Coudray

Found this on our patio today !

At this moment I have removed this post, please pm if you would like further details,

As promised, your pics

When we first started looking for a house in France we looked at a lot of places in and around the Dordogne area crossing the boarders into Charante.  We grew very fond of an old farmhouse with barns and a small house at the end of the building arrangements. It was on the market for 250,000 euros and in the time we were looking it dropped to 200,000 euros.

It was too expensive for us as it did need major renovations but the views were gorgeous and it had just over an acre of land, much more suitable for a garden than what we have here.

Towards the end of the year we did offer 100,000 euros but this was not enough and we let it go, later finding the house where we are now, and although not in the same area the Loire Valley and especially Sancerre are very pretty and historic in their own right so we are happy.

When we went to Cambo we went back via the Dordogne and visited the farmhouse with very mixed feelings, what had happened to it ?

Well, it was still for sale, 160,000 euros now, still not low enough, we thinks.

Here are the pics I took,

Well time goes by.

Off we set one quiet tuesday morning, in true abbo style of late !! We stopped for lunch just after Bourges and then set off in earnest on our travels.

We lost the will to live around Limoges, the traffic was awful, we are just not used to it, if we see 5 cars a day round here in the winter months we call it a traffic jam.

We were late arriving, true to our reputation, nearer 9pm than 6 when we were due, and it was dark, we were staying with our neighbour in her rented holiday chalet, fortunately it was warm and cosy, and food waited so we ate and went to bed.

The next day we awoke to such a surprise, the view from the french doors was amazing and our short holiday continued in such a manner.

.

No – I am not joking !!

Off we went on sunday afternoon to the meal at our salle de fete after much nagging by our neighbour, we weren’t sure but thought that it would be good for our french and mixing with our other neighbours.

Now, just when I thought it was not the right time of year to go to Ikea I have decided that it is the perfect time, next time they have a shindig like this I’ll let you know and you can pass the afternoon at Ikea in peace. All 359 inhabitants of our commune where there, every single one of them and therefore Ikea was empty.

We were summoned to arrive at midicannes and duly did so, realising when we arrived that the meal would not start until at least one as it would take at least three quarters of an hour to kiss everyone, and it did. The background music was good, it was the band that plays on bastille day in Jouet.

Eventually things settled down and the aperitifs arrived, 4 glasses of kir for all, then a salmon quiche with salad and then quaille with cabbage and potatoes, all very nice.

Then the music started again, well what can I say, my way in french ? ever heard it ??

But, to give credit every one got up and danced, Mr stripy shirt and his wife and Mr mauve shirt with his two wives, one matching and one not, proved to be the most entertaining of the afternoon. Really not to be missed was their viennese waltz which they managed to make fit to most dance beats, they also did quite a good chachachacha.

Any lull in the dancing resulted in the band groupies starting the line dancing, which I must admit got somewhat boring after a while as they seemed to only know one version, but hey, who am I to criticise, we only had one dance, some clingy hold on for dear life type number to save Petes knee.

After cheese and salad and then apple bombs with ice cream we had coffee with digestives and then a raffle. I suppose that it must be something like and english afternoon tea dance without the tea !

The band were good, they were good on bastille day and they were good for the no-cup-of-tea dance, pete sang angels with the lead guitarist so he was well chuffed. We then went home as it was definitely too late to go to Ikea.

I’d post a photo but they are all on my mobile and I don’t know how to get them on to the pc !!

The thing about writing is that you need to be in the mood, I often lie in bed and write a book in my head but in the morning the details and the flow of words has gone. Its a bit like our visit to Lyon, it was lovely, it was funny and it was a very pleasant few days but once we were back I quickly forgot about it and it was only the other day when I uploaded some photos from our camera that the memories came flooding back.

Here are some photos from when we where there in June with Jude and Peter, we drove straight there and then stopped in Bearne and somewhere else on the way home.