Soul Food

At a time when I need the occupation because of 'other things' going on in our lives right now, painting and renewal of our home environment is not only very productive, but also good soul food.

Creating or re-creating  an environment is something we are both very practiced at. Like our boating experience, Waz does what he does well, and I do what I do well, and we just get on with it.

We have never had designated 'jobs' per se, but obviously we all have our strengths, and I am being literal using that term. Waz has a whole lot more strength (physical) than I do, and following my January 'trip' up a step which wrecked my right shoulder, I have little of that down my right side. This is important, as most of what we are doing is very physical. As long as I dont have to put my right hand behind me or up my back, I'm good to go.

To say that I'm having a blast with the de-pinking of the house (slowly but surely) is a bit of an understatement, and the fact that I'm painting everything white is really a first for me. I dont normally DO white. This time around, it is cleansing! Yes, that is exactly what is needed in this house.

There is always more work involved in doing these things than initially meets the eye...or should I say...enthusiasm!! Important word that...oh, and did I mention the 32C heat inside today? Hmm....not being a hot weather person, I wasnt too surprised to feel a bit whacked out after a couple of hours of hard at it painting. Water always helps, and Im learning that I am not drinking nearly enough of it. Plenty of coffee...but not enough water! Tsk!

So, while I have been turning all the pink walls into white ones, Waz has been doing a gazillion other things. Changing out light fittings in the basement that were previously just bare light bulbs dangling dangerously by their wires and giving off next to no light in the bowels of our house....

These ones spread the light beautifully~

Some of the pipes downunda also needed to be wire brushed and painted...they look like new! Boiler pipes, these are.

And that 'antique' book case that was rotten on the bottom and top and the back was falling off???

 The Wazster took the back off, painted some 'stuff' on the rotten parts to stop the dry rot et al, and we bought some T&G flooring at the Brico the other day to replace the backing. He tells me it is now ready for wherever I want to put it. Not until the living room is fini!
Firewood anyone?

 In the process of doing other things, Waz discovered that he has a nocturnal visitor of the rodent kind. How fun!
So, we bought a couple of mouse traps and he had these baggy things with that horrid (there is that color again!) pink stuff inside...and guess what?? Our rodent has eaten enough of the killer granules to kill half a dozen rodents. Hmm...how do we know there isnt more than one? We dont! And, do they reside somewhere in the basement, or do they come in at night for a feast? We keep waiting for a bad smell to develop somewhere down there, but hope this animal went back outside with it's belly full of nasties.

 The electrics and plumbing in the house have been (are?) pretty challenging. Waz has spent considerable time and created much blue air over both. The issue he is dealing with here started with a joint in the pipe that meant we couldn't open the door properly as 'someone' had done a shocking job of putting it all together so that the joint was sticking out. WHY do they do these things????Rhetorical question, BTW.
We spent considerable time in the Brico looking for and finding the appropriate pieces to make it all lovely again...well, he did.  All good now!  And the bonus is....we can now open both doors without the pipes getting in the way. Woot! There is also a valve there now!! A lesson in how to make things easier for yourself!

Because it is light until 10.30+ these nights, it is lovely to go outside and do some yard work out of the hot sun.
This poor hibiscus tree had Ivy growing (make that CHOKING) all over it, and I was determined to get the horrid stuff off. The tree is obviously old and I rather like it's blue/purple blooms.
You can still see some slips of Ivy, and it might take a while to remove it altogether, as there is ivy throughout the grass surrounding the tree...and beyond!

 You know this 'sucker' has been on here a while, by the size of it. Yes, that is IVY! Dont grow ivy over anything. Dont plant it, it's horrid!

Our pile of clippings, tree trimmings and hay is shrinking...even though we add to it regularly.

We have read, and been told that burning is unlawful in your backyard, at this time of year. In fact, I think it is now unlawful in this commune any time of year.

So, after opening all available windows and doors, this morning, you would forgive me for the swearing I did when I smelled smoke. Further investigation turned up this....
Guess what! This neighbor obviously waited, this Saturday morning, for the wind to be blowing things away from his house, and into ours. He lives down the hill, and the wind was blowing from the south this morning, and so the whole house filled with smoke for a few hours. Initially I ran around the house like a crazy woman, shutting everything I had previously opened, much blue air following me, and then I realized that I had now trapped all that nasty smoke inside! GAH!
So, throw everything open again, mutter, mutter, and much calling myself horrid names, and "get on with your life, you have better things to do today", never mind that smoke isnt good for my asthma!

Then the smell changed, some hours later...you have to larf! This guy obviously didnt get the memo about fires. Well, I would hazard that he doesnt care, because this is what he has always done in his backyard and nobody is going to tell him not to...maybe I will???
Not sure how I would do that with my less than stellar Language, currently, but...maybe next time?

We had purchased the appropriate hangers at Leroy Merlin when we were in Angouleme, last week, and today Waz installed them for me. I know this gets me off his back, but being the sweetheart that he is, he also likes a job well done and dusted. THIS, my friends is the laundry room complete! Yay!

Another one down! Phew.

Because we were warned about extreme heat today, we decided early on to close the shutters when the heat started getting a bit much. This dining room shutter is the only one that we can shut then lever out like this. Pity! Being on the west side of the house, this gets the longest amount of sunshine. I hate that we then have to put the lights on to see in the resulting dark rooms.

 With the lovely big overhang on the north side of the dining room, we just open the windows wide and let the breeze blow through, when it changes back to northerly. It didnt really do that today, being hung up with distributing the smoke from the neighbors! ha!

 Voila! The living room looks so much lighter and brighter all white. Plenty to do to finish yet, but another day might see it dusted. I will then put a mat paint on the ceiling.

 We discovered that where that book case is, there was another doorway leading into this room before they (whoever and whenever) took down the wall between the two rooms to make this lovely big space, now.

Breakfast, lunch AND dinner were eaten outside on the terrace overlooking the vines. It was hot at 7.30am, and we didnt linger out there longer than we had to. The Pink Room was showing 32C, even with the doors closed and shutters shut! Fans have kept us cool , or some semblance of cool for most of the day. Upstairs is warm, but all windows are open up there still, and it's days or nights like this that we wish for an air-conditioning unit! Aint going to happen!

While in Barbezieux last week we made enquiries of a window company to come and give us a quote for changing allllll our windows out for double paned ones. I think we have about 20, in all, so this aint going to be cheap!
We learned that we could get 0% loans from the bank to finance a new Fosse Septique and/or ceiling and wall insulation, and/or new energy efficient windows. This is all in the name of using less power and making our homes more energy efficient.
The bank has asked for quotes, so this is the first step in the process. Monsieur comes to give us a Devis or quote, this Thursday. He speaks a little English we are told, so I will be prepared with a diagram and the appropriate words in French, for him. We will have many decisions to make about the type of windows we want in the house. We already looked at PVC/Wood/Aluminum, which all come with or without screens, electric shutters (being the preferred and no more expensive than manually operated one, we were told) and also some doors. We will need to choose carefully, as we get one go at this loan. Helps if we dont have to use cash! We need a new Fosse, but the insulation is good here, so two out of three aint bad, as they say.

We also want to make a hole for a new window in the Pink Room, south end. This may or may not be covered by the loan. Depends how Monsieur does the quotation, we are told.  I think there is often a little hanky panky goes on with these things to maximize the clients Euros! I sure hope so!
Well, I am about to go and have a cool shower and get rid of some of the paint I have collected on my person, today. My book is awaiting me, as is the sunset from the top terrace, so Au Revoir mes amies.

A Bientot.

New Toilet Seats!

Who woulda thunk we would get so excited over new toilet seats??

It's a big deal. When you buy a new home and you are using the ones that the house came with, it is quite nice to change them out and get new ones of your own, dont you think? We sure do!
Anyway, it was GREAT to get a seat that fits the upstairs loo properly and one that doesn't slide from side to side when you move your butt cheeks. Ok...personal, but it happened. Now it doesn't because we took the time to find one that FITS the toilet, unlike the previous owners.
Waz re-fits a new loo seat in the littlest room under the stairs.

The new ones are 'soft-close' lids, and the packaging reads that they are good for 30,000 soft closes! Yep, gotta keep track of those. We thought it might be a good idea to put a chart in the loo that you check off each time you use it. I wonder how long 30k seat closures would take?? Might have to get an actuary involved in this dilemma?

This came at the end of the shopping trip to Angouleme, Leroy Merlin (hardware), lunch, shopping for copper oxide for the tomatoes and vines, timbers for the backing of the old and yucky bookshelf thingy in the living room....
Nothing much wrong with the book shelf itself, but when we moved it out from the wall, I discovered the cause of my sneezles….mold! on the wall behind the shelves AND on the back of the unit.
Heaven only knows how long it has been like this. Waz will take it all off tomorrow (today) and treat the back where necessary, for dry rot etc, before installing the new back.

Its quite a pretty item, but it has previously been painted and then stripped and not in a nice way. Shabby chic? hmm...see item below.

Yes, that is what it looks to be. I cant stop painting. I have the de-pinking bug.
Getting ready to paint out the pink!

I alternated between here and the pantry ceiling. Waz finished the mud on the ceiling and did the necessary sanding and a slight second coat somewhere, and after it dried, I went to work in there.
Before....

during...

After...

The little freezer is back in there and everything back on the shelves. We have a fully functioning pantry now! woot!

Today, we also bought some hooks to hang such things as the mops and brooms on the wall in the laundry room opposite here. It gets them out of a corner where my step-stool will go and makes it all the more functional. I'm big on function, as you can tell. Especially when the spaces are small.

Our first stop today was at Electro Depot where we went to buy another 3 drawer freezer. We briefly contemplated a small chest freezer, but I dont like diving to the bottom of those and drawers really are much  more friendly. Ask Waz what we are putting in there, and he will tell you  "Ice-cream'! In his dreams, I think.

After that we went for lunch at our favorite café in the Carrefour mall in Soyaux. This is an area we really like for the variety of good light industrial and supermarkets, Bio markets, and Grand Frais. This last store has a fabulous variety of products, but they are more expensive by far, than our normal supermarket. Pays to go there looking for items on promotion THAT YOU NEED! she says in bold. Easy to be swayed into buying things you MIGHT like rather than the needs.

Then on to the supermarket where we found something to spray on the tomatoes and grape vine to stop any mold/rust...we hope. It took a while to find someone to serve us, but you cant rush these things, here.
Oh, we found a kg of Blueberries at Grand Frais for 9,90euros, and they were 14,50 pkg loose. It looks like we will be eating blueberries for the next few days:) We are enjoying the apricots and other stone fruits. Flatto peaches in particular are super sweet and gorgeous.

When we returned to the car with our Leroy Merlin purchases, it was 36C. During the drive home it went down to 33C, and as we turned into our driveway, it was 27C. Phew! Hot out there, but lovely at home. I think cities are hotter because of all the tarmac everywhere.

Always glad to be driving home. Less trucks on the road today, going to Angouleme, and way less coming home. I think all the trucks go north on Monday, and return on Thursday of each week. Today we saw trucks from Spain and Portugal, of course, Russia/Poland to Spain. Who knows where it was originally from.

At the end of the day I had two coats of white on the wall. It looks very patchy, but I am intending to do at least 5 coats to get it looking more even. We will see! Pink is hard to cover.

 The MESS in the pink room....(because it is ALL pink)....before I refilled the pantry. SOOO glad to get everything off the floor and back on the shelves.

 I have wayyyy more cleaning supplies, paper towels, rubber gloves and aluminum foil that I might ever need in a lifetime. Well, I wont need to buy any more then, will I!

Weeding out brooms, mops etc was necessary too. Hard to get rid of some things, but if they really dont work, ditch and or repurpose. I'm sure we can do both.
At 10.30pm I took this photo out of our bedroom window before I shut it. Full moon tonight, but it was lovely looking out there last night. Cool, and swallows swooping all over the place, chirping and going about their feeding. Lovely:) See the moon just left of center, and above the beginning of the trees?

Wednesday evening.

Of course I didnt have my camera with me tonight...
Knowing that our local bar now has a functioning restaurant, we kind of wondered if they were open for dinner, thinking it might just be lunch at this stage, but lets give it a go anyway.
We bought some pretty flowers at Carrefour supermarket in Soyaux in the appropriate colors to go with the décor there....and hoping that flowers were ok to celebrate a restaurant opening here in France....

We did some 'stuff' around the house until 7pm, when dressed and with flowers in hand we drove down to  the bar, kind of expecting to be disappointed. Indeed we were, as Ben explained that lunch was the only meal available...and did we want to reserve for Thursday lunch?? Oui! Of course. So today we are doing laundry and odd jobs and filling in our time before changing and going down for lunch. We will let you know!
We did hand over the flowers last night, and were told that flowers were acceptable along with the Felicitations for the opening of the restaurant that they had waited so long to open.
A demain,  (until tomorrow) we said, and exited.

Waz suggested that we return home for left over curry....Hell NO! I had my French jewelry on and was lipsticked and dressed to dine out, so dine out we would! He suggested the Indian restaurant we had found, but um...more curry??
Cognac came to mind, and we set off in that direction. Now going on 7.30pm. You cant get a dinner in France until 7pm, so we were early in the scheme of things, but late in OUR day to be eating much.

Entering Chateaubernard, there was a roadblock up ahead, and a cyclist on the side of the road taking a pee in clear view of everyone. C'est France!
It turned out that the Police were sending us down a road we actually needed to go, and had been before, so no problem, we knew where we were. Phew! There was a cycle race on in Chateaubernard, hence the Deviation.
Not getting very far towards Cognac, where I had momentary visions of us sitting  river-side Charente, we ended up at a Buffalo Grill, an American styled restaurant with funny English/French menu.
He chose the steak Saignant (medium) and Frites, and I chose the Alaskan Cod and chips. My fish was excellent considering it was obviously par-deep fried/frozen previously. The meal came out hot and crisp, just how we like it! Waz's meat was still on the hoof, but he said he would have eaten it raw, anyway, lol. I guess that means it was good??

We enjoyed a dessert of three boules of ice-cream SMOTHERED in canned whipped Chantilly cream, sprinkled with candied pecans (never seen them in the USA, but...) between us, and followed by an espresso! ZINGO! I forgot to ask that the espresso be served WITH the dessert...I like the bitter to cut the sweet...and the woman indicated that I was being impatient, in the nicest possible way:)
They insisted on speaking English to us, and I insisted on answering in French, which I could mostly do. We were asked if we were on vacation/holiday, to which we said Non! No further comment came from the nice young man:)
The restaurant was nice and I noticed the kitchen person thoroughly cleaning the microwave, so that was  good sign. We know its there, but prob. wont go there as a default, despite the good food. Preferring to eat French.

It was suggested that we have a walk after all that food, and headed down to the Charente River in Vieux Cognac (old town). Not having my camera is always a bummer, and I regret not taking it with me, of course. Not intending to go this far, I had left it on my desk.

The still waters of the river perfectly reflected the large and imposing Cognac Distillery buildings fronting the Charente. Hennessey is just one of them. The old town gates  are fabulous reminders of times gone by, as are the cobbles of old on the streets leading away from the water.
We walked along the opposite bank for a way before Waz started getting attacked by critters of the flying kind. We will remember to put some anti-critter stuff in the car, I think...along with the sunscreen, paper towels, loo paper, snacks, extra water...you get the picture, lol. not to forget the hand wipes!!!

Good thing we remembered where the 'kind of nice' public loos are on that bank of the river. We made a quick visit there before our walk. We had looked on google earth not so long ago, and discovered a large park not far from the old city. We decided to go for a drive down there and look-see. What a wonderful discovery, including the lovely waterside restaurant there. We might have to go and check it out some time. Such a pretty walk along the river, and wonderful to discover so many activity grounds there also.
Time to get going home. We returned along the path back to the car at around 10pm. A full moon night!!! Glorious driving home slowly with the full moon rising on the fields of wheat about to be harvested...that fabulous gold glow around the moon, and the patchwork of green vines, golden wheat and barley field, and green/gold of newly cut hay. We love leaving the river plains behind and climbing into the hills that we call home. I will go out with my camera some time soon, and document it all for you. So hard to know how to convey the richness of the patchwork, countryside, the living history that we all so much take for granted.

Time to take in the now dry laundry and think about getting down to the bar for lunch. The sun is hot! good thing it dries everything out.
Waz has been opening all the windows in the basement, and the place has dried out considerably. That fact that this house was unoccupied for so long has a legacy we can well do without...mold!
Im hoping that by painting our own colors on the walls, cleaning like mad (well, that will never stop!) and replacing and renewing, will make this our own and we wont feel like we live in someone elses house.

Those new toilet seats are wonderful,  by the way:) Nice to start out with our own new ones. :)

When the Day Is Done...

..at 2pm on a Sunday, it's time to play!

We could easily have stayed at home and continued working, but we have to have SOME time off.
It's a while since we did anything other than food shopping, visits (and return visits) to the Brico (hardware) and things that have to be done.

Today we had determined that we would go somewhere different. Perhaps we would follow the Charente River somewhere?

Its lovely tiki-touring on a beautiful day...specifically a Sunday... as most people are either at home or visiting family. There was hardly any traffic, and most importantly for me, I was able to stop in strange places that during the week might have otherwise been impossible because the roads are so skinny, and harvesting is taking place right now. Barley, some winter wheat and of course there is plenty of hay making going on. This means that the possibility of meeting large vehicles on the aforementioned skinny road, is a distinct possibility. Only room for one vehicle, and we know who will win that contest!

We rose late. 8.20am.

With all our American appliances sitting around waiting to be found a home, I had remembered that there were some fresh strawberries in the fridge, and a Waffle maker sitting on the floor of the dining room. So, waffles with strawberries (and a banana for Waz) it was, for breakfast.
I started out whipping the cream but gave up as the cream appeared to be getting thinner, not thicker, lol. I had bought these little strawberries at the Bio foods store (organic foods) in Barbezieux, and found them to be not too sweet, which was rather nice.

After breakfast Waz went back to installing the ceiling in the Pantry. The 1/4 round just has to be installed along the right hand side and above the door, now. Having these lights installed that turn on instantly, vs the former fluorescent bars that take a wet week, is a delight. He just has to skim the joins and screw holes with mud, tomorrow, and then I will come in with the paint again and do the finishing touches. We should have everything back in there by Tuesday evening.

The two of us had finished everything  in the Laundry room, yesterday. All appliances have been reinstalled, new cupboards and the white paint makes such a huge bright difference. We are delighted. It makes me want to go around the whole house now, and paint everything white to make it cleaner looking. I dont normally like plain white, but it has it's place.

The wind is still blowing a gale around the house, and this keeps the temperature at a comfy 26C. I like it, but sitting in the sun with that wind isnt much fun.
Lavender all over France is in full bloom right now. Ours is a light lilac...well, actually LAVENDER color. Such a pretty blossom and the scent is divine.

 I had gone outside this morning to check on any damage the wind might have done to the tomato plants. Fortunately they are relatively sheltered, and appear to be thriving.
I have some babies coming along nicely.

Remember I told you about the pool noodles coming in handy for stopping the windows from banging closed all the time?? It doesnt take much! I cut slices like this for all the windows in the house and even cut some for door stops. They are excellent for this also.
The view from our bedroom window is glorious. I love flinging open the windows first thing in the morning...yes, even on a wet day...and admiring our view.
The washing was dry in a flash. Having the laundry out of commission for a week meant we had some catch up to do, this morning.

Saturday morning....well, I was tempted to get up early and make some cheese and bacon muffins to take down to the Bar to watch the Rugby test match, but I was lazy and we had bought an Apricot Tarte at the supermarket the day before. It proved a good decision!
Waz took our kiwi flag down this morning, and we enjoyed that Celine and Ben had done some decorating, because the Soccer World Cup is on at the moment in Russia.
The Rugby match was the final of three Test matches in NZ between the French Bleus and the NZ All Blacks. Again the kiwis prevailed, but the French played a good game, in our opinion. We were sorry to see them not put more numbers on the score board.

 Ben and Celine have done some redecorating. The table cloths look so much nicer this color, and we are eagerly awaiting their restaurant opening on Tuesday, they told us.

 The flags represent all the nations competing in the Soccer World Cup. It looks very jolly.

I sat beside the window and watched the comings and goings of the townsfolks from about 10am towards noon. They were in and out of the Boucherie opposite the bar during that time. Others walked by with their baguettes under their arms. The Boulangerie is just a couple of doors up on the same side of the road. Fascinating. I told Waz that we really needed to be flies on the wall in this village to know how to live here like locals.

We departed the bar for home and some lunch (Waz ate lunch, I didnt feel so good) and to carry on with painting etc. We needed to make a run into Barbezieux to the Brico store for some lumber. We did this towards 2pm, knowing the store would be open then. Arriving at 2mins past the hour we were right on time!

It was a long day, to be honest. We didnt finish our various projects until 9.30pm. Almost bed time! it also appears that I either have hay fever (not impossible) or a cold. I will reserve judgement on both of those for a day or two.

I have been feeling that I need to paint the bathroom...where it is yellow. I'm not a proponent of the blue and yellow thing, much preferring a clean look in the bathroom. One thing about it though, the morning sun comes in that window and keeps the room lovely and sunny. I am favoring white, again. I know....white!! Yes, well, it is clean, and this yellow is painted in Mat paint which makes cleaning it virtually impossible, and I'm painting in white satin..(I feel a song coming on?)

Ok, back to today, Sunday.
All work ceased after lunch, and we set forth.
We turned right out of the driveway and headed towards St Preuil. That place where the sign says "Route Barre" (Route closed, basically). This is the direction I headed off after the truck carrying our container, which then disappeared into thin air. I swear I never saw where it turned around, and I sure didnt pass it along the road, yet it was at home when I got there....!hmm...
These folks are our closest neighbors on this end of the road, which is about 7 or 8 kms long...I think. I believe it ends up in Segonzac, but dont quote me on that. Cars and motorbikes whizz up and down this road. I wish I could install a speed bump outside our place. I swear some of them are doing in excess of 120kph. No markings on the road indicates that it is very much a secondary road, and as such, come July 1st, the speed will drop from 90 to 80kph legal limit. Too many accidents happen on these types of roads, in France.

 4kms down the same road and St Preuil is in sight.

 I had to stop along the way to take photos, which can get annoying for the passenger, but of course he is used to this, bless him.
Take note of the color of the soil here.(you will see something different shortly) We are in the premier Cognac grape growing area of France, known as the Grande Champagne ( Grond shom parn ya, in case you didnt know how to say that!). It is free draining,  almost sand-like, grey colored with chunks of chalk.

 Large farm complexes abound in this region of undulating countryside peppered liberally with forests. We are on the slopes leading down to the fertile alluvial plains of the Charente River to Jarnac/Cognac on the one side, and Barbezieux on the other.

 The road is obviously open now, but take care, those exclamation points tell us.

 This Christ on the cross is typical at cross-roads. This one in the middle of St Preuil. (prer eel).

 The same complex as above, just a bit closer and from the bottom, now.

 At the bottom of the hill are the gates to the property. It is owned by none other than that famous brand, and one of the first to distill Cognac....

 You can better see the soil in this photo. These young vines may have been planted at the beginning of  Fall.

 What a fabulous place this looks....Backed by part of a very large forest, and fronted by glorious views across the vineyards.

 Aha!

 As you can see, we were quite taken by this place.

 Down the road just a weeny bit further and the road narrowed again...yes, it was already narrow, as in one car width, but...Now driving through part of the pretty forest that starts somewhere near out place.

 There are so many micro-climates in this area. This particular little basin was very warm, as you might imagine. The Vintners will be loving this warms weather and long sunshine hours.

 Cresting another hill we take in this view.

 We were on our way to Bouteville, but didnt actually go there. We have been that way before, and headed off in the opposite direction this time.

 You can see how steep that hill is! See the distillery on the mid-left? Large stainless tanks are everywhere in these parts

 When we stopped, Waz pointed out this pretty butterfly. The wildflowers along roadsides are glorious.

 Zooming way in on this 11th century church...

 ...and putting it into context.:)

 There is a ruin on that promontory, and what a view they would have had. The newer home on the other side of it will be enjoying that now.

 Down we go to the flat, and the temperature went up about 3 degrees C.
Love that wide view and huge open sky.

 Too bad there wasnt really anywhere on the side of the road to stop and soak in this view. It really is glorious to us. This photo is woefully in adequate in conveying the grand scale of the scene.

Now on the flat, we are in Maize and sunflower country.

 And we are driving on one of the ancient Roman Roads.

 These trees are ancient too. I have always wanted a driveway down an Allee of trees like this. Stunning!

 As always, we are very taken by gateways and gates.

 Another tree-lined driveway with filtered sunlight. Wow!

 On our way past this driveway and we couldn't see the Chateau inside until we were well past it, and Waz managed this photo of the tower, looking back.

 Wheat and Vines.

 Still on our way down hill, and yet another 12th century church. When I say 12th century, it is usually started some time in that century and altered from thereon in, during successive centuries.

 Far in the distance we spied another town, but weren't going that way.

 A small town cemetery.

 Coming into the small town of Graves (Grarves)...yes, that's the church a couple of photos above.

 Most of the streets were particularly narrow and we negotiated them with caution, glad nothing was coming from the opposite direction. These gates belong to a Distillerie.

 We saw the occasional new building, usually on the outskirts of villages. One in particular caught our eye, but the owners were outside, and I didnt want to point my camera at them, but they were built beside a small lake...with an island in the middle...can you say envious?:)

 Now, about that soil! You can clearly see that we are not in the chalk hills now. This is on the flat alluvial plain, so the soil is a rich red/brown. A different method of growing the grapes too. Here, the rows are all tilled, whereas only every other row is tilled in our area.

A Maison Bourgeois,  in the middle of the town of Graves.

 On  the other side were equally impressive gates, next to a church yard with a really old church. I didnt manage to get a photo of that..you can just see a corner here on the right.

 and I couldn't turn around to photograph the building, so I show it to you this way~!

 Onwards to the pretty town of Argeac Charente (Ar zhay ack Char ronte) The Mairie is part old and part new, facing the lovely church.

 Another large Maison with attached dependences, opposite the church and the Mairie. Not a large town, this, but the Mairie also was attached to the Mediateque/Library.

 We parked under a tree next to a group of French people having a picnic in the shade. They had obviously been enjoying some off-road driving on their CanAm quad bikes.

 Like so many churches in this region, they have flat 'spires' or bell towers. The white Charentais stone isnt obvious until you go inside. It has greyed on the outside, but is quite glorious inside, as you shall see.

 What a lovely way to view this 11th century structure.

 It is quite obvious that parts are original (perhaps?) and the rest has been added and subtracted over the centuries.

 As always, stained glass windows show their beauty from the inside looking out. This was no exception.

I am always sad to view the details that have been worn away by time and the elements.

 Look at this glorious interior. Very simple, but those arches and ceiling are amazing.

 The round window from the inside

 Who knows how old this window is, but much of the face detail is now gone.

 Outside in the town laundry basin, or Bassine Linge (which used to have a cover to it, but now long gone.) This is behind the church. Waz spied what looked like a Langoustine, in the water. Another one was in there moving around. On closer inspection, this one looks a bit 'cooked', as the other was not pink. I think this big old fella is dead!

 The back of the church is very different to the rest of it. I wonder if this was original? Or when it was added??

 Details and weeds!

 The Bassine Linge.(I hope I have that name correct...someone tell me if I dont!)

 Back in the car and on our way. Looks like we are now following a river, doesnt it?
The fellow on his bike on the right hand side didnt blink as we went by. I wonder if he was just checking his mail, or trying to find where to go next?
These bridges are all single lane. It is a bit of a crap shoot going over when you cant see the other side.

 Of course one has to stop at the top and peer over, as long as there is no opposing traffic, that is.

Not far down the road we came across an interesting looking memorial.
This board was one of three at the site.
I was truly surprised by this information and felt very emotional. Here we were in the middle of nowhere with a memorial to a New Zealand airman who died, flying a mission in a Lysander aircraft, in 1943.
When we got home Waz did some digging to see if he couldn't find out more about this. There was very little available, so we are none the wiser, sorry.

 The memorial is actually for a Frenchman who was a man of vision and action, a Mines Engineer by the name of Claude Bonnier.

As we had parked, we thought we may as well walk down the road a little. The land is completely flat, and we heard water, somewhere down there.

I also found Blackberries...but these flowers are pink/mauve!

 Aha! It is actually the Charente River, and there is a weir on our left. We drove over this little single lane bridge shortly.

 See the young men sitting on the far right?

 There was a group of young women sunbathing on the side of the road. They continued chattering as if we weren't there. We walked on!

 I stopped at the top of the bridge again, of course, to see what was down thataway...

 and another bridge not long after...

 and a quick look left told us this is where the Ecluse or Lock is. So this is where boats by-pass the weir and continue on the Charente River. How lovely is this scene.

 There were many cars about and people having picnics under the trees. I imagine this is a popular spot with locals.

 One more bridge like this and we turned left.

 Some serious gate envy going on here! Love the urns on top!!!

 Next stop was Bassac. Nothing happening here at 3pm on a Sunday.

 A sign on the main road told us that there was parking for the Abbaye...turn left, and carry on to the sign, Monica.

 Look at the blue under his wing! These lovely flowers with attendant bees were in the parking lot at the Abbaye de Bassac. Wardrade, Comte de Jarnac (Wardrade, Count of Jarnac - town close by) and his Spouse Rixendis, established the Abbaye in 1009.

Single old-fashioned rose.

 Parked and exited the vehicle. Looking left down the rest of the driveway. It looks like I have something on the camera lens...a bit cloudy?

 The church attached to the Abbaye is huge. What an imposing structure! The Abbaye was known as the Monastere de Bassac in 1009..

 The Abbaye. So much has been changed over the centuries, and not all for the better, IMO.
I was seriously disappointed to see that the Cloisters have all been filled in and made into offices or other rooms.

 Outbuildings. The rose gardens need some serious attention, but the blossoms were abundant, regardless.

 As you can see, the arches of what would have been the Cloisters, have all been filled in. Sad, but successive needs of congregants and those who inhabited this place has meant these changes were made for those times. The whole complex is in remarkable shape for an 11th century property.

 A very decorative well.

 A knobbly spire.

 I think the original Cloisters would have been very lovely.

 This doorway fascinated me. It is a side entrance to the church, but it looks like someone arbitrarily decided they needed a door RIGHT THERE! It blocks part of the left hand archway!

The light at the end of the tunny beckoned, and I had left Waz in the parking lot, having dashed off to just take one more photo, and 20 mins later, he was still waiting for me to appear. I had to show him what I had found.

 This is what you find at the other end of the tunnel

 Turn to your right and you find the façade of the Church. How incongruous is that modern clock??

 Interestingly, the entry to the tunnel obviously had a scallop shell relief here. Some of it remains, but what of the rest of it? I can only visualize what it might have looked like.

 Interesting details abound, but I didnt go to the Abbaye shop to read about all of them.

 Can you see the scale of this place? That door within the larger doors is full size for an adult.

 Back into the tunnel, and looking up at the apex of some of the vaulted ceiling. There were a couple of these intact, but most of them looked like the one below.

 Inside the church is that glorious white Charentais stone again. Lovely vaulted ceiling, but I was disappointed to see nails sticking out of walls where things have been hung and nobody thought to take the nail out. Well, that is speculation on my part, but there were plenty of instances of this sort of thing. Nice to see that the church still holds Mass a couple of times a week and there are concerts here for the public. The air was dry, inside, which is why most of the woodwork remains in good condition, I would say.

 This looks to be the original stone floor of the alley.

Signs inside nicely asked visitors to stay off the beautifully carved 17th century wooden pews and Choir. It is in excellent condition as a result. No hand prints on this!

The light inside this huge space is glorious because of the white stone. I didnt find out when the paintings were done or installed, but they look to be 18th century. purely conjecture on my part.

Decorative cobwebs!

Outside and before we decided to depart for home, this path lead us down into the garden and towards the river.That tree ahead, is an Acer (Maple family). There is a row of them to the left. Glorious!

We knew not what lay ahead, just looking through this gap in the hedge.

Voila! The building is a Dependence of some kind with a lovely rose garden along the sunny wall, at left.

Hollyhocks popped up out of the concrete, cracks and garden alike. They are a bit of a weed, but such a pretty weed!

I imagine that this place would take a lot of Euros to upkeep. Entry was free, so we aren't sure how they do keep it. Lots of maintenance required with any of these buildings. This staircase faces the garden leading down to the river.

We could easily have pulled up a chair and sat in the cool and calm under the trees at the bottom of the garden. Such a lovely place. Quiet only interrupted by the music of the  leaves on the Poplar trees on the opposite bank.

We weren't the only ones enjoying this special place.

Serene and lovely.

A kayaker was a surprise. We thought this might be a fabulous way to see the area.

The exit from the garden to the river below.

Farewell, Abbaye.

It is hard to resist any signpost directing us to a Pyramid, and not knowing how far down the road it might be....that really irritates us! Why cant they say it is X kms down the road??? Fortunately this one was only 2ks away. Quite unexpectedly there was a park...someone was shooting off a 22 Rifle somewhere….and people were swimming in this little lake. Being a Sunday, and pretty warm, folks were enjoying their picnics in shady spots while also enjoying the water.

The Pyramid was a bit underwhelming, but the history is always  interesting. Many of these monuments talk about the Wars of Religion...some being the 1st, 2nd or 3rd. All wars over religion. I dont think mankind has learned anything, sometimes.

Onwards and upwards....literally. We are on our way home and the land is rising above the Charente River. We are back in Cognac country now. This is Triac, just before Jarnac. Jarnac is one of my favorite places. The town square opens towards the Charente River and makes for a very attractive entry to the town.

Another Chateau?? Yep!

As we entered Souillac which seems to blend with the outskirts of Jarnac (zhar nack), there is this glorious Chateau fronting the Charente River (on the other side of it).

We had rather hoped there would be a bar open in Jarnac to furnish us with a cup of something, but we were disappointed, of course. C'est Dimanche! It is Sunday.

Home bound, and happy to be here.