It's the kind of weather that makes you think about the past. For me nowadays, that means looking back at pictures I've taken. And looking back made me realize this is the fifth February that has found me in Saint-Aignan. 2003, '04, '05, '06, and now '07...
* * * *
A year ago, on February 6, 2006, I apparently took a drive
out to Orbigny, in the area of Touraine that is south of
Saint-Aignan. I took a picture of this typical old farm,
with horse and human.
* * * *
Two years ago, on February 6, 2005, I took some pictures
of the sunset from our back yard.
* * * *
Three years ago, on February 6, 2004, I apparently took the dog
for a walk over in Noyers-sur-Cher, across the river
from Saint-Aignan. We walked along the
Canal du Berry, which ends in Noyers.
There's a house near the canal that has a chicken coop
on a little corner of the property near the road. I think
the chickens were looking suspiciously at
the dog and the man with the camera.
One of our neighbors has a sister and brother-in-law who live
in this house in Noyers-sur-Cher. There's a lot
of mistletoe in the trees around their house.
It was a gray but reflective morning.
* * * *
Four years ago, on February 6, 2003, I was in Saint-Aignan
and Montrichard to finalize the deal to buy the house
we now live in. I took advantage of a free morning
to go to Chenonceaux with a friend who
had never seen the château before.
It was a very cold morning, as you can see from this picture
of frosty primroses I took on the château grounds.
There were big fires roaring in the fireplace inside
the main building, I remember.
And there were ducks and black swans in the gardens.
Unlike today's weather, it was crisp and clear
on that February morning.
A year ago, on February 6, 2006, I apparently took a driveout to Orbigny, in the area of Touraine that is south of
Saint-Aignan. I took a picture of this typical old farm,
with horse and human.
* * * *
Two years ago, on February 6, 2005, I took some picturesof the sunset from our back yard.
* * * *
Three years ago, on February 6, 2004, I apparently took the dogfor a walk over in Noyers-sur-Cher, across the river
from Saint-Aignan. We walked along the
Canal du Berry, which ends in Noyers.
There's a house near the canal that has a chicken coopon a little corner of the property near the road. I think
the chickens were looking suspiciously at
the dog and the man with the camera.
One of our neighbors has a sister and brother-in-law who livein this house in Noyers-sur-Cher. There's a lot
of mistletoe in the trees around their house.
It was a gray but reflective morning.
* * * *
Four years ago, on February 6, 2003, I was in Saint-Aignanand Montrichard to finalize the deal to buy the house
we now live in. I took advantage of a free morning
to go to Chenonceaux with a friend who
had never seen the château before.
It was a very cold morning, as you can see from this pictureof frosty primroses I took on the château grounds.
There were big fires roaring in the fireplace inside
the main building, I remember.
And there were ducks and black swans in the gardens.Unlike today's weather, it was crisp and clear
on that February morning.
Ici aussi,il fait froid et gris, mais, dimanche, il faisait un soleil radieux :-)
ReplyDeleteDis, Ken, quel jour avez-vous emménagé dans votre maison tourangelle ? Bises et bonne soirée ! Marie
We moved in in June 2003. Before that, we came to the area in Dec. 2002 — that's when we found the house — and I came back alone in Feb. 2003 to sign papers chez le notaire, measure the rooms for furniture, etc.
ReplyDeleteOui, il a fait très beau dimanche mais depuis il fait un temps pourri.
the little house we looked at a couple of years ago was in Monthou-sur-cher...so if ur in the neighborhood, drive down that lane but watch out for the sinister looking group hanging out around there! We could have been neighbors.....is there a little berg on the map for ur hamlet? I have a huge Michelin map book.
ReplyDeleteMonthou-sur-Cher is not more than 5 miles from us. One of the prominent citizens there is an Englishwoman named Jane who runs a hot-air balloon company. Monthou is a nice wine village. I've driven through there many times but never seen the sinister-looking crowd there. Maybe they were transients...
ReplyDeleteWe looked at houses in Thésée, Bourré, Pontlevoy, and Montrichard before we decided to buy a house near Saint-Aignan. Our hamlet is too small to be on a map.
Did you decide buy something somewhere else in France?
this was just one little group of 4 houses...and the guy who was selling the house we looked at was from south africa & I think selling because of the immediate neighbors.....judging from the junk in the cour and sheet in doorway, transient types for sure.....and we heard some of them yelling loudly (didn't sound like any french I knew)...glad to hear there are nice people around there...we haven't bought anything yet....that was just a 2 day exploration.....I debate Paris vs Loire valley as I love Paris but have & will always have dogs and now cats too ....u would of course need a car unless in Paris which adds to expense...but you get more for the $ in the provinces...nice to hear y'all are still enamored of that area & that there's enough to do to keep from getting bored (there's always some fairly close interesting place to visit just about anywhere in France tho)
ReplyDeleteMelinda, you were certainly right not to buy such a place as the one you saw in Monthou-sur-Cher. Here as in all regions and cities there's a little bit of everything, the wealthy and refined along with the rural and rough. You just have to figure out where you fit in and where you want to live.
ReplyDeleteThis is real life. A world unto itself. And as they say, "il faut de tout pour faire un monde."
Paris is very expensive and it's also full of temptations to spend money. Unless you are fabulously wealthy, you have to be prepared to live in a very small space if you want to live in Paris. Animals are an encumbrance.
Life in the French countryside is different. The winters are long and can be boring. You have to find an activity to keep your mind active -- work will do it, or a blog, for example!