The street gardens are alive with insects this year

fabulous flowers in the mairie carpark

I usually post a story in may or june about the street gardens in our village but they were planted late this year , no doubt because of the weather. Each spring the commune workers replant the little gardens on street corners and road islands and each time they include some form of sculpture with a theme. The past two years it has been ‘birds’ but this year it’s ‘insects’. This must be their indoor activity during the winter and they have proven to be very talented people.

The heatwave that has overwhelmed Europe has kept us indoors on many days. We complained about the cold and rain through winter and spring, then summer hit suddenly . Looking forward to autumn already.

the local patchwork group has wrapped the trees in the street in fabric -
it's an unexpected and happy surprise

We did enjoy a lunch with australian friends last week at a popup restaurant  on the quayside at Pessac-sur-Dordogne.  It was lovely to be outside enjoying a breeze off the river . Someone brought their horses down for a swim, and others arrived by canoe.

Garder au frais (keep cool)

Lily’s first visit to the sea

Biscarrosse Plage 

The weather has now turned summery so a trip to the beach seemed appropriate. It was Lily's first experience of the sea. She wasn't keen on getting wet but was quite happy to play in the sand and say hello to anyone who showed an interest. Another big adventure in her little life.

that's a lot of water, dad

surf's up !

The Atlantic coast from the Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux almost to the spanish border is one continuous beach known as the Côte d’Argent ( the silver coast). One would have expected lots of seaside villages and expensive homes with views of the sea. Not so here near Bordeaux. The few villages that claim the name “plage” are small and simple and sometimes sit behind sand dunes so there isn’t even a view of the sea from their bars and restaurants. The houses are usually quite simple and nestle low as though they are hiding from  atlantic storms. Gardens are non existent, perhaps because so many houses are only inhabited for a few months of the year.

"interesting" toys for the beach

chasing a rogue umbrella

The countryside is very flat and forested. Apparently this region , the Landes, was once all swampy heathland and considered only good for raising sheep. Because of the wet conditions the shepherds walked about on stilts. Heaven knows how the sheep managed.

old postcard of a shepherd and his flock

During the nineteenth century the sheep were replaced with pine plantations, and now the local economy is based on forestry.

marina on one of the lakes

the sailing club on the lake

Behind this long beach is a series of lakes. These too are very popular in summer for boating and fishing and there are many camping areas. As much of the region is a Parc Naturel the forests take priority over everything else  and , apart from the summer holiday towns, most of the villages are small. And then there are the nudist resorts scattered along the coast.

enjoy wherever you are