Saint-Aignan in summer (7)

You might have noticed that I've returned to "one photo a day" blogging. It's my way of taking a summer vacation, I guess. These photos of Saint-Aignan date back to the first days of our lives here — 2003, when we arrived and moved in, and 2006, when we had one of our busiest years, with many visitors as well as a five-week trip to the U.S. in autumn. How things change, right?

By the way, I'll be getting my fourth dose of the Covid19 vaccine on Tuesday morning. Just when we thought the maladie was about to become a thing of the past, we're being warned that the current strain is spreading rapidly. It's important to be fully vaccinated, including the second booster shot, not so much to avoid catching Covid, but to make sure you don't end up in the hospital with severe symptoms.

Saint-Aignan in summer (6)

If you have stayed at the Grand Hôtel Saint-Aignan, as I know some of you have, you might be surprised to see
what it looks like now. It underwent major renovations in 2020. I've never stayed there myself but I have seen
some of the rooms. The hotel dates back to the 1880s.

From what I've read on TripAdvisor, air-conditioning was not put in as part of the recent renovations, so beware.
Speaking of hot weather, it's cooler this morning than it has been for a few days,
but very high temperatures are predicted for next week.

Saint-Aignan in summer (5)

Looking north toward Blois from the terrasse of the château in Saint-Aignan

No significant weather changes here, though it is not supposed to be quite as hot today. Hotter weather will return on Sunday, according to predictions. Beyond that, who knows? We really need some rain.

Saint-Aignan in summer (4)

The weather this morning is about the same as yesterday. Mornings feel very cool, almost chilly. Afternoons are hot but not as hot as the predictions have said. Nights are warm but it's a dry heat, so sleeping is okay. A big fan up in the loft keeps the air moving so we're comfortable.

Oh, and by the way it's Bastille Day — le 14 juillet. People are saying that many of the traditional fireworks events have been cancelled because of the danger of starting "vegetation fires", as I've heard them called. It's very dry here. One of the three weather forecasting services we track says we can expect a high of 34 today, another says 35, and a third says 36 in degrees Celsius. So between 93 and 97 in degrees fahrenheit.