Winter, winter, winter

Bushfires and record temperatures in Australia, flooding and gales in UK, snow storms in US…and winter in south west France is mild and a little damp. Sorry everyone. Hope you are coping OK where ever you may be.

There is a very large holly bush at the entrance to the old town in Ste Foy

We had been warned that winter here is very quiet. That’s an understatement. Many have gone back to UK to stay with family, or gone en vacance to sunnier spots. There are no marchés on Sundays to tempt us out. The only social occasions are bad English quiz nights. After trying one we have decided we are not that desperate.

Moss and funghi on our garden wall

A mossy stone seat in our garden

While the trees have lost all their leaves and the ground is a little soggy we have had only a couple of frosts  and just as many foggy days as sunny ones. Funghi  and mosses are everywhere. And we are told that these ‘puffballs’ of leaf in so many otherwise leafless trees are a parasite -  it’s mistletoe !

Seasonal decoration - mistletoe on otherwise naked trees

There aren’t any Sunday brocante markets until spring but there is always the rugby Top 14 and the Six Nations competition. And for those who are interested the Winter Olympics in Sochi are providing a few laughs over the  infrastructure issues. The brits have just won their first ever Olympic medal on snow - who’d have thought it !! Good luck to the aussie team. Well done Torah Bright !!!

The Dordogne is full but no threat to us so far.

There has been some flooding on the riverside at Bordeaux and on the Dropt river a little to the south of us but the Dordogne has remained  friendly.

There are, of course, compensations – a slab of foie gras and a glass or two of french champagne can always help one through the day. Not to mention the ability to stay in bed a little longer in the mornings. We do not usually get up until 9am at least unless there is some reason....like having someone come to read our water meter. It is still a little too damp to get out and prepare the garden for the coming spring....oh well it will all happen soon.

Bon weekend et à bientôt mes amis