The Chateau de Javarzay ..read more

Poking around the hidden corners of the village The official village nosey parker In the last ten days, I’ve covered over one hundred kilometres on my bike just noseying around our commune. In addition to the main village where the Mairie is situated, the commune is a collection of six small hamlets, with over two hundred properties, covering an area just over twenty kilometres squared.    I’ve poked my nose into gardens, driveways and narrow lanes I’ve never before noticed. I’ve peered into letterboxes, noted whether shutters are always closed and whether cars come and g ..read more

Silly hats for story time  One week in, counting my hats and blessings, among other things   If you told me it was the 29th January today, I’d have believed you, as it’s been so busy, I can’t believe the new year is only just over a week old.   I do love a hat (as these silly photos from the library last year show) and I seem to have worn many different ones this week, the first one being my accountant hat. This is not one I feel overly comfortable wearing these days, but one I have to dust off each quarter end to prepare the company figures for our French a ..read more

The Woman Who Came Back to Life by Beth Miller The Woman Who Came Back to Life by Beth Miller   It’s never too late for a second chance at happiness… Pearl Flowers has been hiding away for so long that she has forgotten what real life is like. Her quiet routine in a woodland cottage in France is a sanctuary, far away from her past life running a beauty salon. But even when she is sitting at the foot of a beech tree with her drawing pad, surrounded by birdsong, her mind is never still. If she keeps herself distracted and far away, her past can’t hurt her… can it? But then ..read more

The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey   Vianne rushes through the crowded streets of Paris as the German bombs begin to fall. As she rounds the corner she sees the familiar spires of the old church burst into flames. Too late, she realizes that her mother and sister are trapped inside… Paris, 1918. The end of war is in sight, and young seamstress Vianne Mercier is longing for the day when she can stop sewing military uniforms and start creating the beautiful dresses that she has been dreaming up in her head. But just when it seems like peace is w ..read more

French public and school holidays 2022 Happy New Year.    January is with us once more and as in previous years, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2022.    Nothing much seems to have changed from when I wrote a similar post last December, as we once again find ourselves living with strict Covid-19 controls in place, concerning who travel to France from the UK and the rules they must follow.    I can only hope that travel and holidays in 20 ..read more

Three years of owning my Brompton Today I am celebrating three years of Brompton bicycle ownership and I’m still enjoying the fun, fitness and freedom that #KTTinyTourer has given me. Every year has brought new adventures and new places to explore, as well as seen me challenge myself to longer distances and harder mountain climbs. It is no exaggeration to say that owning a Brompton has changed my life for the better.   January cycling Despite turning fifty this year, I struggled to set myself cycling challenges for 2021. I would have loved a long-distance tour, ideally one ..read more

The sun on the winter solstice 2021 Winter solstice bike ride We took ourselves out for an afternoon bike ride today, to enjoy the sunshine and celebrate the winter solstice. Sadly, we hadn’t gone far, when we hit a strong and freezing headwind that brought with it a thick mist, that obscured the sun once more. This is most definitely not our favourite time of year, but at least from today the nights will slowly begin to shorten and our daylight hours will increase.   The last of the blue sky before the mist rolled in This year seems to have been even more disruptiv ..read more

My Lucky Night by Olivia Spring My Lucky Night: Romance Can Happen When You Least Expect It… She hates Christmas. He’s about to change her mind…   Cassie isn’t a fan of Christmas. After a string of unlucky incidents during the festive season—including getting dumped—this year she decides to spend the day at home. Alone. No men. No complications.    But then her nightmare boss demands she track down this year’s most coveted Christmas gift—and the only person who can help is an annoyingly sexy Frenchman she’s just met.   Nicolas might look hot, but Cassie can ..read more

The Lost Girl in Paris by Jina Bacarr The Lost Girl in Paris by Jina Bacarr 'I will never forget what the Nazi did to me. Never' 1940, Nazi-occupied Paris. A powerful story of love, tragedy and incredible courage, about one woman whose life is ripped apart by war and risks everything to seek justice. Brand new from the bestselling author of The Resistance Girl. As Nazis patrol the streets of the French capital, Tiena is alone, desperate and on the run. After defending herself against the force of an officer, she must find a new identity in order to survive. An ..read more