We went for a walk around this village at the end of February see HERE, and the leaders of our French leisure group decided to return last month for another country ramble! We left our cars in the village square, where I was taken by these beautiful roses and lavender plants close by, a display no doubt arranged by the local mayor's office.
We ambled for a short distance up the "main road" - this would have perhaps 20 vehicles per hour on it!! - before turning off onto a track into the nearby woodland.
Sadly, the blackberries were not ready to pick, but we know just where they are for a visit sometime soon!!
The wild honeysuckle perfume was gorgeous.
The wild strawberries were ready, however, and once the walkers had moved onwards, there were not many left behind!! They taste more delicate than cultivated strawberries.
I loved the ferns that were everywhere.
Our guides next brought us to the remains of an old water mill, disused since the 1850's we were told.
it was understandably in a pretty sad and overgrown state.
We then came to a small stream, where there was a sweet little wooden bridge.
The water was crystal clear and running quite quickly. We were led to believe that somewhere around this area there is a pool which remains warm all year round. If you have ever tried to listen to a crowd of French people all talking at the same time, you may well understand why we were not too sure what the full story was about. Nigel's French is fine when talking to one person at a sensible speed, but it has its limitations!
There were a lot of these plants near the water, and to us they looked like aspidistras. I can just imagine them in beautiful pots in someone's fancy mansion! We are not saying exactly where they are though, as they are so beautiful in their natural state.
I was fascinated by this little cave under some tree roots; I am sure it has to be home for some tiny creature!!
I have no idea what this wild flower is, but I thought it was quite pretty.
These looked like a long-lasting variety of daisy; note the little hopper on the flower at about 2 o clock.
Finally, we made our way back to the village square, where we noticed, for the first time, this lovely old weighbridge. We have seen a few of them in our travels around the villages, and their purpose seems to be for weighing grain and crops of various kinds. They are invariably quite well kept - note the flower troughs!
Looking through the window, it was possible to see the old scales inside. Sorry about the reflection but ....
Hope that you enjoyed this stroll through the French countryside.
Fantastic walk and beautiful flora and fauna. I'm enjoying the new blog look too. Happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteso pretty and would love a few strawberries oh and adore your new header
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a great walk.
ReplyDeleteJoyful thanks for the kind comments. We really enjoy these walks with the French community and I hope that my followers like to share a little of them also. Keep well Diane
ReplyDeleteRebecca it is fun being able to stop and nibble at strawberries while out walking :) Glad you like the new header. Take care. Diane
ReplyDeleteHorst it was a fun walk. It usually is with this group as they find all sorts of things that we would never know about normally. Diane
ReplyDeleteDiane, I always enjoy your walk through the French countryside photos. Thanks for bringing us along. I wish they had digital cameras when I was in France. It's so nice to be able to document our travel with photos...and not have to worry about film and developing! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Diane,
ReplyDeleteas usual.. your phootos amaze me... love the roses & lavender..
Love your header and the shots of your ramble through the woodland. It is fun to walk with other people even if they were hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteA pretty stroll through the country with vegetation that is so different from the garrigue that we have in Provence and the nearby Gard region.
ReplyDeleteOh Diane.....EVERY TIME I stop in here and read your posts and see your beautiful surroundings...it simply takes my breath away. You, my friend, live in such a lovely part of our wonderful world.
ReplyDeleteJo
Quelle promenade agréable! En cette saison le sous- bois offre de quoi nourrir ses visiteurs(fraises sauvages et bientôt les mûres!)
ReplyDeleteBon dimanche à vous.
What a delightful stroll amongst so many beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane. I certainly did.
ReplyDeleteEverywhere looks so green and lush. Great pics.
Lyndsey I am not sure how we survived without digital but we did. I am finding it difficult with all the scanning I am doing for My Life Before Charente, and trying to work out what is what. Thankfully my Mum labelled many. In those days all she had was a brownie box camera, film and developing was not cheap. So much was wasted. Have a good day. Diane
ReplyDeleteogyep yummy mellow, domestic flowers versus wild, I think I really prefer the wild ones though the domestic are lovely. Take care Diane
ReplyDeletediane b it really is fun walking with this particular group, they are so knowledgeable about the area having lived here all their lives. They are good when just one it talking to us they generally slow down and talk clearly ;) Keep well Diane
ReplyDeleteMichel it amazes me how the country side changes in France, but then South Africa was much the same, changing from desert to forest to the mountains in the Drakensburg. Have a good day Diane
ReplyDeleteJo I have always lived in the country, but I have to admit to thinking that here is probably my favourite. I dearly loved Central and South Africa but the crime there just spoilt it for me. Enjoy your day Diane
ReplyDeleteLucie bonjour, c'était une belle promenade. Les gens sont très intéressants. Bon dimanche à vous aussi. Diane
ReplyDeleteGaelyn it is always fun walking with these knowledgeable people, we learn so much. Haver a good day Diane
ReplyDeleteGaynor, it is so green because we have had soooooo much rain this year. Despite this though my vegetable garden is bone dry it seems to drain just too well!! Enjoy your day. Diane
ReplyDeleteThank you Diane. A very lovely walk indeed! It must be very pretty in autumn too, when all the leaves turn yellow, red and brown. The weighbridge is interesting. I've never seen one before in the parts of France that I've visited. Must out for one the next time I'm there. Martine
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love the French. Here you all are, on a lovely walk in the country instead of in your car going from mall to mall or in front of your TV. Lovely tour!
ReplyDeleteA fascinating walk of discovery. Great shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
And of course - Onya yellow Bradley.
Martine it is strange but we have now seen two weigh-bridges in a matter of a couple of weeks. I suspect we are not very observant normally. Good luck for finding your weighbridge on your next visit. Have a good day Diane x
ReplyDeletelostpastremembered yes and a much healthier life style as well. We don't really do a lot of walking but we do cycle on a regular basis. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteLeon and Sue, sorry about Evans but Bradley really has excelled here particularly in the time trials. I hope that Mark makes it again in Paris :) Keep well Diane
ReplyDeleteQuelle chance de profiter d'une nature aussi riche.
ReplyDeleteA bientôt
Nadji, Nous aimons nos promenades dans la nature. Toujours aussi très intéressant. Bonne journée. A bientôt, Diane
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab walk through all of that greenness.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love that little bridge - great place of photographs I would think. :)
Ellie it is a lovely spot. The land is all privately owned but the walk way is free to use for the public. Hope you have a good week, Diane
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos Diane.
ReplyDeleteThe Tour de France ended today so I am feeling quite low – I won’t watch it every day anymore and also won’t see the beautiful French landscape. Bradley Wiggins had a wonderful race and he is such a gentleman on wheels – very British – he does not get over excited! The whole team was exceptional. Reading your post though made me feel mélancolique too. I saw your meal at the fish meet - we never have meals like this here – with wine and a cheese course. Also your walk in the woods – looked so pleasant. So I enjoy being part of your group, at least virtually.
ReplyDeleteI love aal your pictures but especially love the strawberries picture; look so nice!
ReplyDeletePam glad you enjoyed the photos. Keep well. Diane
ReplyDeleteVagabonde we are also sorry that the TDF is finished as we also enjoying seeing parts of France that we have not been to. Great race, and what a gentleman BW is.
ReplyDeleteThe fish pie is very yummy nothing to stop you from making one :-)
I am glad that you enjoy the virtual walks, they are such a great crowd of people. Bonne semaine. Diane
Gloria I struggled to get that photo, everyone was eating the strawberries too fast :-) Have a good day. Diane
ReplyDeleteit's pretty there and I can imagine the beatiful smells of all the flowers!
ReplyDeleteBlog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking
Ola it was a lovely walk, full of beauty and amazing perfumes. Diane
ReplyDeleteDid you ever find out about the warm pool?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that many people appreciate these village walks. Are you all friends?
what a great compte rendu of this walk
ReplyDeleteI love the weigh house and sometimes pictures with reflection make them extra artistic
I made pictures at a museum last week and have two shots with nothing but reflections
i am hesitating whether to post them or not..
Bonne semaine
Rosaria so far as we understood the pool definitely exists but we are not sure exactly where.
ReplyDeleteWe are friends from the point of view that we all belong to the same club, but we are the only English speaking people. Keep well Diane
This is Belgium, the weigh bridge was an extra surprise at the end of the walk. We have driven past it many times but only on foot did we notice it.
ReplyDeleteI love reflections on windows, but they did not look so good on that particular window, or I did not think so :) Diane
What a lovely place for a walk. I especially like your shot of the lavender and the bee. Very French.
ReplyDeleteSam
Sam we really enjoy these walks, they are always interesting and the company is good. Have a good week Diane
ReplyDeleteNow the weather has finally picked up in England I may finally be able to go for some walks here as well. Really good to see your walk and all the lovely photos. Thanks so much for your comments as well Diane, I really do appreciate them. x
ReplyDeleteFroggy we also needed the weather to improve, it has not been nearly as warm as usual for this time of the year. It was better today, but I still had a jersey on in the house. These stone wall certainly keep the house cool but once warm in winter they seem to hold the heat as well.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that we both look like we may get some warm days in the next week or so.
Keep well and take care Diane xx
Oh, that looks like such a special place! Quite lovely!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your walk, Diane and wish I could've been there. The pic with the bee and lavender is so pretty and that's good you didn't include the location of those attractive plants by the water. They are definitely unique. Thanks for the tour and nice pics!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful ramble and your comments about language are exactly the same issues we have with Italian!
ReplyDeleteWow, looks like a walk though a magical wonderland! Just breathtakingly beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful walk it must have been. These woods look lovely.
ReplyDeleteFreda it was so peaceful there, we will go back and walk it on our own sometime soon. Have a good week Diane
ReplyDeletePam I am happy that you enjoyed the walk. It is always difficult to put across what these walks are like to us. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteLinda it is just so difficult when they all talk at once! I try to close my ears to all but one, but it does not work very well! My French is also going backwards as now N is here he does all the talking!! :(( Diane
ReplyDeleteThe Café Sucré Farine walking through forest areas always gives off a magical effect to me. I did not see any fairies or elves though :) Diane
ReplyDeleteJM it is so nice to be able to walk in these places without worrying about 'highwaymen'. Where I come from there was little chance of being able to do this sort of thing alone. Diane
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog.. I love France and have so enjoyed your blog. We Have just retired so I'm not sure when I can get back to France. You are living my dream. My husband is a California boy, though, so I am probably firmly planted here. My only hope is my daughter who speakers French ( I made her take 4 years of French in high school - haha). But she is glad she did. I will live vicariously through you!
ReplyDeleteRetirement, I hope that I can do a good enough job that you can enjoy a bit of France through my blog. I wish I had done French at school, my big regret!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your visit and your comment. We are living our dream, so I hope that you can enjoy a little of what we get up to :-) Keep well Diane
How lush and green and pretty Diane. Now where was the big lunch afterward?
ReplyDeleteDenise sadly not, we only start the walk at 14h30 but there is always cold drinks and cake or biscuits afterwards :) Diane
ReplyDeleteI so love these frequent country walks with your new French friends. This woodland looks a magical sort of place, with all its lovely greenery, wild fruit and flowers.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed every minute of the stroll!. Glorious color, cooling shade and running water have the makings of a perfect day. I hope all is well. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteDolly I hope that one day I will be able to take you on some of these walks :) We did a forest walk again yesterday which was a good place to be. The temperature was 38F. Hope all well there with you and the kittens. Diane x
ReplyDeleteMary nothing better than the forest, wild flowers and cool running water :) Keep well Diane
ReplyDeletewow...wat a lovely time you had..thanks for sharing the beautiful cliks..:)
ReplyDeleteTasty Appetite
Jay the walks are always good with the club, they are such interesting people. Glad you enjoyed Diane
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous walk! I have a wild strawberry bush growing in my back garden and they are the most delicious strawberries I've ever tasted :)
ReplyDeletebeautiful clicks...
ReplyDeleteEvent: Dish Name Starts With N till August 31st
Learning-to-cook
Regards,
Akila
Akila Thanks for the comment. I do not normally allow links on my comments but this once.... Diane
ReplyDeleteSara Louise the wild ones were very much smaller than normal strawberries but they were very tasty. Have a good day. Diane
ReplyDeleteYour stroll looks much like the ones we had in Alaska! That little wooden bridge is precious :) I love little surprises in nature.
ReplyDeleteThat scale is exactly the kind my husband has to weigh trucks of wheat and barley at his place of business. He can actually weigh a farmer (unbeknownst to them haha!) by subtracting the truck weight after the farmer steps out! :/
wow, I am inspired by your activities. It must be nice to have friends going out for a walk with you. The views are beautiful too!
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed this stroll through the French countryside. Thanks for taking us along.
ReplyDeleteVelva
Diane, thanks so much for taking us along for another walk in the wild. Gosh, those wild berries look so good. Guess the bears would love them too. haha... It's simply amazing. I bet you guys enjoyed the walk & the view along the way.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Kristy
Hi Diane, beautiful and excellent. Thank you for sharing the walk with us.
ReplyDeleteThe strawberry definitely look delicious and the wild flowers are so pretty. All your photos are very well taken, excellent click.
Have a nice day, regards.
Auntie Bliss Thanks for your visit and comment. Re the scales, I don't think that they are used here as such any more, but yes I can understand how you can weight the driver as well when he jumps off :) Have a great weekend Diane
ReplyDeletechubskulit it is really fun walking with this group. Because the have lived here all their lives they are so knowledgeable about the area. Have a fantastic weekend. Diane
ReplyDeleteVelva I am glad that you enjoyed it. Not madly exciting but a very enjoyable walk for us :) Have a good weekend Diane
ReplyDeleteKristy so far as I know the bears have pretty much moved out of France but the European bear does still exist in small areas of Spain and Italy as far as I understand.
ReplyDeleteWe always enjoy these walks they are always fun. You enjoy your weekend also. Diane
Amelia thanks for the very kind comments. Glad that you enjoyed this walk through the woods. Have a great weekend. Diane
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed your stroll through the countryside.
ReplyDeleteFantastic walk and beautiful!
ReplyDeletebackroadjournal so glad that you enjoyed this walk, we certainly did. Have a good weekend Diane
ReplyDeleteChristine's Pantry thanks for the comment and the visit. Hope you have a great weekend. Diane
ReplyDeleteThis was a very lovely stroll. I loved the roses and lavender too.
ReplyDeleteWords Of Deliciousness I am pleased you enjoyed it, the flowers were all quite lovely that we saw. Have a great weekend. Diane
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tour...you would love the rose garden here in the Aventino in Rome, they have all kinds of roses. You are so funny Diane, always complaining about your connection. Just like me!:) You can sing Fly me to the moon, video yourself and then I can listen to you, but you won't be able to listen to yourself...ha-ha. Hugs,
ReplyDeleteFrancesca