a day with the horses in Normandy

Here in our little valley we are not that far from Deauville, and it makes a nice day out to drive there for lunch and a quick flutter on the races, followed, if the season is right by a polo match.

I love going to the races en famille.  We are not experts on form or breeding, but it is fun to watch the line up before each race, then pick a name that sounds promising before placing a small bet.  Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, no matter, it's taking part that is fun.

The polo grounds are in the centre of the racecourse, so it's easy to move from one to the next.

Once inside the mood and the tempo change.  The horses still as stunning, but the action is totally different.

The polo matches attract a different crowd,

 more chic ...  more restrained,

 more champagne less coca-cola  .... if you see what I mean.

This is surely the only situation where elegantly dressed ladies are happy to use their  pretty shoes to flatten turf in between chukkas!

how about you?  do you have a favourite venue for a family day out?

images from a sunday in Normandy .. and a modest loot shoot

 Well yesterday I saw the sun rise and I saw it set and the hours in between just flew by!

First fair of the season, modest but still enjoyable , a cold cold start, but I came home with a few nice things to make me happy.

Would love to show you the chippy stools I nearly bought, and the black desk I hankered after but left behind ... but when the weather is that cold I'm afraid the camera is left in the bottom of my basket.  Next week I'll do better, promise! 

Here are a few of the things I found; including a beautiful sheet, some ticking, a yellow jug then a roll of yellow ribbon just for fun .... a quirky painting that I love and some - more! - oval ironstone plates (don't know why I like these so much!)  some pretty volumes of Victor Hugo, including les Mis!

First horse jumping competition of the season too, and we went along to support some friends taking part.  So many memories of the years when my girls competed, how many Sundays were spent this way ... grooming, warming up, holding my breath as one jump followed another, un-plaiting manes, and returning home weary but happy.

 There seemed to be as many dogs as horses at the show, and that sort of added to the charm - I really should have taken Ghetto and Gibson too.  An afternoon outside, with horses all around, and the added interest of a competition - good country fun!

All of that under a bright crisp sky, with birds singing loudly to encourage the arrival of the spring that we so long to see.

Hope you had a peaceful weekend too. 

 Thank you to the lovely readers who sent me some 

very special emails this weekend, answers are on their way.

If you are interested in anything from the loot shoot just drop me a mail.

a cold french country morning

 Brrrr!! - It is a freezing morning here, but gloriously sunny too, and I love the way the morning sun catches the sparkle of the frost on the ground.

I never tire of the view from our field, over the roofs of the village in one direction and across to the forest and open valley in the other.

I tried to sneak out to feed the horses on my own, but Ghetto and Gibson managed to follow and even brought Gibson's lead for me, so how could I refuse their company?!

 The dogs had fun with the lead while I clicked away on my camera

A good start to my week?  -  yes, I'd say yes, definitely yes!

the damp loot shoot

It is hard to convey just how damp it is in Normandy right now!  We seem to have had incessant rain for days or even weeks,  ....  I wanted to take some pictures of the pretty creeper covering so many houses in the valley at the moment, but conditions are not ideal so that will come later in the week

 

Anyway back to the loot.  Needless to say the fairs are tricky in this weather, and once I get home and dry myself off, I don't feel wildly enthusiastic about setting up a loot shoot somewhere in the garden, so today I shall simply show you shots of stuff I found today, and during the week on a foray into deepest normandy. 

.... I found a few more monogrammed teacloths, ....yeah I know ....

 I have loads already but these are quite lovely, with their red AS

 the sweetest glove box, lined in and out in a pretty 19th century cotton

a really charming and feminine chandelier, and these excellent tin plaques with MA written on

 and the most wonderful hat box, from Paris, but a store speciallising in hats for American and English clients - !!

some lovely tiny Sarreguemines coffee cups and a few more bits ....

I'm hoping to update my store very very soon, so all of this stuff will be available for sale

thank you for your patience :)

 and finally, Quick is out regularly despite the rain and is strengthening that leg, 

thank you for the emails asking after his convalescence.