A few of my favourite photos taken over the past few weeks.

I was at a loss as to what to blog about this week - is that "blogger's block?".  Due to the miserable weather around here, we have not been anywhere very exciting to write about, but I have been taking numerous photos which I  put on my daily photodiary blog.  As many of you do not follow that diary, I thought I would pick some of my favourite photos from there and publish them here.

Goldfinch in the garden

Tree reflection in a raindrop.

Now if only we had sound on our blogs you would hear this in full force!

Dunnock, usually very shy, in our garden.

A February sunset; very rare, as it hardly stopped raining last month!

 For the car lovers out there, this well-restored 2CV, taken last weekend at the first wine fair of the year in this area.

 Celandine growing in the lawn; note the tiny beetle.

 A talkative blue tit

Crocuses in our 'mushroom' garden.

A greedy blue tit.

 Seconds after taking this photo, he charged straight into the fence behind which I was standing!

An early March sunset

My favourite shot of Le Tardoire river in the "back streets" of La Rochefoucauld, showing a most satisfying reflection in the water, despite the fact it was flowing quite fast.

Last night's sunset.

See also - My Life Before Charente Updated 10/03/2013

and my daily photo diary  HERE

http://photodiarydps.blogspot.com 

Wow, three years of blogging! How the time flies when you are having fun!

Three years ago today, I published my first blog!  The time has just flown, and when I first started, I expected to run out of steam in a few months!  

Thanks to blogging, I have seen so much more of not only the Charente, but everywhere we have recently visited.  Having camera in hand makes me so much more observant, and I now notice things that in the past would have gone unseen!  In reading blogs, I have also taken tours through other people's eyes to almost all the places in the world, and ones I am unlikely ever to visit in person.  Thank you everyone for this, but I must single out  three blogs for   special praise; to Gaelyn, who has given me the finest views of the Grand Canyon I could ever expect to see, and also to Joan and Graham for keeping Africa alive for me.  There are others who doubtless deserve mention, but these three have been quite exceptional for me. 

I have made friends all over the world; some I have met, and others I keep in touch with by email and hope to meet one day.  When I have not been feeling well, people I barely know have been there for me, and when I feel like taking a short break from the computer, all my followers and vitual friends are there when I return.  Thank you everyone who has made my blogging experience a great one and I hope to be at it for some time to come.

For the past month I have been posting about our trip to Casablanca, so here are a few of my favourite photos that I have taken over this period here in the Charente.

09/01/13 I saw this gorgeous specimen parked outside our bank.

11/01/13 One of very few sunsets we have seen this year. It is mostly cloudy and raining!

14/01/13 While on the highway to Angouleme, being followed (temporarily!) by a Porsche, our favourite car!

and the same day, the flooded River Touvre on the outskirts of Angouleme.

16/01/13 Friends to dinner, and at last I had unpacked the decanter that my parents had bought many years ago in Mozambique. Probably red and white wine would look better but I was drinking Rose so......

20/01/13 We had a luncheon in the local village and decided that taking the car out was too risky, so we used shank's pony instead!

Same day, looking through some trees. Wonder when this cart last had an outing?!

24/01/13 A very cross goldfinch seeing off a blue tit at the feeder.

25/01/13 The River Son, not far north of us, is normally a quiet stream, but has now burst its banks.  The rain just does not stop!

26/01/13 A macro of my flowering orchid; a birthday present a couple of years back.

27/01/13 Raindrops keep falling on my head.........

28/01/13 During a break in the rain, I was walking around the garden trying to find a subject for a photo, when this very tiny fly landed right on the moss that I was looking at. Right time, right place!

minutes later, this goldfinch posed perfectly for me.

29/01/13 I noticed that there were some signs of apple blossom looking 'spring like'.

30/01/13 The church at Suaux seen from the entrance to the Mairie.

and on the way home, we saw this Norwegian Fjord horse in a waterlogged paddock.

31/01/13 I was fascinated by this 'rose' like fungi growing on the wood in the woodpile. 

A great tit poses for me.

02/01/13 The church in La Rochefoucauld

and the supermarket,

while the sky outside suddenly turned black.

Arriving home, we appeared to be in the eye of the storm!

04/02/13  Finally, photos of two blue tits and....

a great tit, waiting patiently for his turn at the feeder!

See also - My Life Before Charente Updated 08/02/2013

and my daily photo diary at http://photodiarydps.blogspot.fr/

Angles sur l'Anglin

I've been stuck inside at home for two days watching the rain come down, and with two more days of it forecast, I have decided to backtrack for this post - to the sunnier skies of June this year, when we were lucky enough to drive through Angles sur L'Anglin on a trip to meet up with Martine from Wishing I were in France, at Susan and Simon's home from Days on the Claise at What a Blogging Party.

This most striking settlement (designated one of the most beautiful villages in France) has been blogged about quite often, but I am hoping that many of my followers may not know the village and will enjoy my photos.  Sorry there are so many of them, despite a hefty edit of all those I took!

It is situated in the commune of Vienne in Poitou-Charentes, this area being very unspoilt, with lovely little roads and many medieval buildings. The site offers an unbelievable view across a river valley to the ruins of the old chateau (castle).

The following is an English translation on one of the local signs (reproduced exactly as written!):- The history of Angles sur l'Anglin started 14,000 years ago.  On the banks of the river Anglin shaded by Witches Rock, Magdelenian men sculpted bas reliefs representing animal and human forms.

Discovered in 1948 and unique to the world in its vast size, the ensemble is closed to the public.  While waiting to discover these wonders on way of an exact replica under construction, it is possible to imagine the rich past of Angles by strolling through the charming alleys and numerous secret passages.  The castle more than 40 metres high, was built in the 12th century.  Wanted by many, the castle has changed hands several times, even becoming a public quarry during the French Revolution.  Today a safe and tranquil visit is possible.

A small map of the area

The chateau towers over the village

The small chapel on top of the hill next to the chateau

Looking down from the chateau across the river Anglin to the lower part of the village, set on the opposite bank

St Martin's Church - Information board

St Martin's undergoing some restoration!!

Inside St Martin's

One of the windows of St Martin's Church

La Cueille, one of the streets that lead down the hill from the castle, to the  river and the lower parts of the village

Numerous narrow streets lead to interesting places!

One of the walks down to the river; some were very steep but someone has put in stormwater drains at some earlier time - see the grating!!

Interesting signs outside buildings in the village

The villagers all take pride in their homes!

Looking across the river towards the lower part of Angles sur l'Anglin

I could not resist this photo of the 2CV parked by the river!

What I believe to be the chapel of St Croix, across the river from the car

and it has this stunning 13th century portal!

A view from lower Angles sur l'Anglin across the river to the upper part of the village. Note the 2 CV on the other side :-)

A view  of the chateau from the bridge with the water mill in the foreground. 

Another secret little lane!

and I am very curious to know where this little door leads to!

For the official website of Angles sur l'Anglin see Here

 

See also - My Life Before Charente Updated 04/11/12