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~ Living life as if someone left the gate open! Taking the chance and seeing what happens

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Tag Archives: French churches

Galavanting: Lonlay L’abbaye

05 Sunday May 2019

Posted by RosieJoseph in Galavanting, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The continuing adventure, The good life

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Babbling brooks, Benedictine, blustery days, Cider Press, cosmopolitan, French Abbeys, French Bars, French churches, French Villages, Galavanting, life shows the way, Monasteries, Normandy, Spring days, tranquil atmosphere simple things, tranquility, Welsh Terriers

I know lots of you enjoyed my last galavanting post, so there will be more through the summer.

As normal I am in bed drinking a cup of tea (for my Non English readers I am from Essex in England so it is pronounced: cuppaty) whilst writing this blog. It is unseasonably chilly here in France so necessary to stay tucked in bed with a Welshie and cat snuggled up to me, whilst my lovely hubby makes the second cuppaty of the day.

Last Sunday Rich was asked to go and meet someone for a job, and we ended up in the pretty little village of Lonlay L’abbeye, in the Department of Orne, just over the border in Normandy.

As you may have guessed the town started as a Benedictine monastery originating back to 1020, which has had at least three fires, and was sadly decimated in WW2 when the Germans punished the villagers for welcoming American troops.

Only the church and some of the cloisters now remain of what was the abbey.

So we found ourselves in this pretty village on a blustery spring day. We walked around the gardens at the back of the church, surrounded by small apple trees, where, although now divided up, you could see what had been the land belonging to the Monastery.

There by the stream was the original cider press used by the monks all those years ago to make the cider for which Normandy is so famous. Amazing that this building had survived all the trials and tribulations that the village had endured.

With a stream running around the church gardens you had to cross small bridges to get to other parts of town: so quaint.

There was something about this place: it had a tranquility about it, it was so calm, and I loved it.

You can see from the photos all the tiny higgledy piggledy houses, some backing on to the stream: how I would love to live there with a babbling brook for company all day.

Rich & The Welshies, chilling by the brook

There were a number of small bars and restaurants and a little square with terraces, but sadly because it was Sunday all the bars were shut. So we have vowed to come back on a warm sunny evening to have a meal, and some vin, and to soak up the tranquil atmosphere whilst listening to the babbling brook.

Nothing came of the job, but life had still showed us the way: we found Lonlay L’abbeye.

Moisy

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Farewells

15 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by RosieJoseph in Change is a coming, Friends, People, The continuing adventure, The good life, The seasons

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

adventures, baguettes, BBQ's, Blue skies, Boys of summer, Change, Contentment, Dogs, Don Henly, end of summer, flowers, French churches, Friends, Good Food, good times, Happiness, Inspiration, laughter, medieval cities, memories, Moving on, new adventures, night skies, Piscines, Poignant, ruby beer, Stars and hearts, summer, summer weather, Swimming pools, The seasons, Welsh Terriers, Welshies

‘Nobody on the road,

nobody on the beach

I feel it in the air

The summers out of reach…’

Don Henly..

A week ago a dear friend bought me these flowers from his garden. We had invited him and Matt our young French friend around for a bbq, we wanted them to meet Jenny and Karen and despite the thunderstorm that hit just as we were serving the food a wonderful evening was had by all.

But as with anything in life everything must change, and our holiday has been and gone, Jenny has flown back to England and my flowers have died.

To finish the last few days of Jenny’s holiday and to celebrate Karen’s birthday we visited the vide grenier at Evron on Sunday, and found it’s beautiful medieval church and monastery and a small little bar in the square, a rare thing in rural France to find a French bar open! We were so excited we sat there for a couple of hours drinking in the atmosphere, and ruby beer of course!

As you can see we had a typical French time, beer and baguette!

We meandered our way home and sat in the garden star gazing, and drinking wine (no! I hear you cry!) and had a supper of minted lamb chops, chips, peas and tomatoes …….mmmmmmmmm.

For Jen’s final day we took her to Fourgeries, I did say recently we have decided we should visit more often….. we are looking forward now to visiting this breathtaking city in all seasons, with the different colours that they bring to the old French buildings.

As with rural France in August everything shuts for the vacances, so our plans to eat were scuppered and I rustled up a mean spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread with some help from the girls when we got back home.

And then that was it! After all the weeks of building up Jen was going back home; and we are left with the memories of the last ten days, with the laughter echoing around the garden. It really has been brilliant….

It is as if the weather knows that our mad, crazy, wonderful days of summer are coming to an end; the sun is not showing it’s face until the evening, and, although it is warm it feels kinda sad. Only six days to go and Karen will be on her way, where has that time gone?

But I know that, sad as I am, we have to let go to make way for new things, nothing can stay the same; and as if to remind me, my husband bought me some new flowers for our wedding anniversary yesterday, just as I let go of the old the new came in the door.

There is lots to tell you soon…… and there will be lots of change, so keep reading folks, things are starting to get busy…..

Moisy

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We’re all going on a summer holiday

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by RosieJoseph in Friends, The adventures of living life in the French countryside, The good life

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

adventures, Contentment, Dogs, Fish dishes, French churches, Friends, Happiness, memories, new adventures, toenails, vendee, Welsh Terriers, Welshies, Wine

No more working for a week or two (or a day or two!)

Fun and laughter on our summer holidays

No more worries for me or you for a week or two ( or a day or two!)

So we have arrived in the Vendee, an area in France where the French holiday. After much driving down dirt tracks, courtesy of the sat nav! Much swearing from my husband and a McDonalds (we’re on holiday! It has to be done when in a road trip, other burgers are available!) we arrived at our pretty little Ibis, with it’s indoor pool, and the sun is shining.

So off we went, without our map, and got lost! So back we came and opened the wine, fed the puppies, ate crisps, painted our toenails (yep Rich has gone for a pale pink!) and are sitting on our terrace.

We are soon to shower and change for a venture into the town, and a lovely fish dinner by the church in the square.

More to come folks…..

Keep reading

Moisy

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