the poppy fields of Normandy

I don't know if the farmers are being more careful 

with  their spraying but, in Normandy this year, 

we are blessed with abundant poppies .

Their bright orange red heads look so pretty sticking up

 between the wheat and barley, or running along the road edge.

And strangely enough, there is a field where

 they have taken over completely. 

 A red triangular field, guiding

 us home like a phosphorescent beacon.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend, 

thank you for reading me this week.

the french countryside in May

I may have lived here for ever, I think I'll never 
tire of the beauty of the countryside.

I take my camera nearly everywhere with me; my family is  quite used to the car screeching to a halt on the road so I can capture a view, or the light that is "just right".

Here are just a few things I snapped over the past week, 
I hope my enthusiasm is contagious!

Wishing you a lovely weekend,
 thank you for reading me this week!

french irises on rooftops

It is iris time here in Normandy, and as well as enjoying them in the garden, we are also happy to admire the purple spires growing on thatched walls and rooftops.

This is a tradition peculiar to our part of Normandy, where there are still craftsmen to thatch, and where we like to add a few succulents and irises to the peak of a thatch covering, so the roots help anchor the reed thatching.

The lifespan of a good thatched roof can attain about  45 years; it is said to keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer.  When it rains (which it does a lot in Normandy!) only the top layer is humid, the rest remaining dry as the water runs away.

Personally, it works for me.   I love the country charm it adds and the soft palette of colours.

What do you think?  Would you like  a home with flowers growing on the rooftop?!

What is sure is that I loved the outline of this thatched wall, early one  sunny morning this weekend.

 Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into traditional normandy.  Thank you for your comments over the past days, so sorry I've been too busy to answer all my mails, or comments.  Next week I should do better .....

lilac time in Normandy

 Why do we love lilac so much?

Because it is so generous?

for its fragrance?

for  its gentle hues?

for the way it invades our valley in May?

or because it passes so quickly?

 

Lilac time in Normandy, where you can't drive
 through a village without seeing 
lilac tumbling over an old stone wall.

I can never resist its charm. 

Watercolour portrait of our house by Patricia von Esche at PVE design

dawn in Normandy

This morning saw me hanging around waiting for a 

friend at dawn ... these things happen!

It was cold but beautiful, and I didn't mind the wait one little bit.

Grabbed my camera and clicked away at an empty field, 

much to the surprise of the rare car that drove by.

My clients this weekend left with a truck full of goodies,

 but the hours flew past so quickly that I had no time to 

buy for myself and no time to take pictures of their loot.

Just a couple of villages we drove through

Next weekend is my April tour, and then,

 I promise you lots of brocante pics!

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend, whether 

you are entering spring or leaving the summer.

Thank you for reading me.

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!