20 May 2011

DESCARTES IN SPRINGTIME

Descartes park 1

Every holiday, we always make time to visit the park and the Sunday market at Descartes, which is just a few kilometres north of Le Grand-Pressigny.  The park is free to wander around and we are nearly always there all by ourselves.  Over Easter we were obviously too late for most of the daffodils but there were still plenty of tulips basking gloriously in the spring sunshine.

Descartes park 3

Descartes park 4

Descartes park 5

We came across this little seating area where the wooden bench seat was under a canopy of wisteria.

Descartes park 6

Descartes park 7

I sat under it for a while and enjoyed the heavenly perfume of the flowers.

Descartes park 78

Fishing cafe

Nick made a pilgrimage to the fishing tackle shop, which is part of the fishermen’s café, to seek out a new landing net, then we wandered up into town to pick up a few essentials and enjoy the sensory delights of the Sunday market.

Descartes market 2

Descartes market 1

There were rows and row of lovely plants for sale.  We managed to resist this time.

Descartes market 3

I don’t know why, but everyday vegetables always look so much more appealing on a French market than anywhere else.

Descartes market 5

I confess I was unable to resist buying a scarf.  So many pretty colours to choose from and only 9€, a bargain.

ethni cite

We went home the back way, taking a bit of a detour along the almost deserted roads.  From here we got a good view of the troglodyte village called Ethni Cité.  We keep meaning to pay it a visit and see what it’s all about.

There are also troglodytes dwellings in Le Grand-Pressigny and one afternoon when Nick was down by the river fishing, Lulu and I walked up to them and took some photos.  

14 comments:

  1. Jean that Park looks so pretty. I agree the vegetables always seem to look better at the market, I wonder why?
    We had 3mm of rain last night which is better than nothing but we need so much more, it is just getting drier and drier! Worried about the garden the week I am away though the neighbour has promised to water for me. Diane xx

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  2. What a gorgeous park. That wisteria is stunning. It's motivated me to get into my garden this afternoon.

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  3. Some much pride shown in the way the village is kept. Hopefully not a sign of graffiti in sight. Love the Wisteria.
    I remember my mother using the term troglodyte when I was young, and never knowing what it mean't, maybe she didn't either as it seemed to be not a good thing.
    We'll be visiting some Trolodyte villages over the next few weeks with "Wednesdays in France".

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  4. I loved the wisteria as well, and as soon as I have somewhere to put it I will buy one! And that park looked lovely - somewhere one could really unwind in.

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  5. Hello Jean, that "fishermans' café" has a very funny name. Fisherman in French is pêcheur, with a circumflex accent. Sinner, as in "the wages of sin," is pécheur, from the verb pécher, with an acute accent. So that café in Descartes is actually "where the sinners meet," not the fishermen. I wonder if it's just a mistake or if somebody with a sense of humor named it that way on purpose. I have a picture of it that I took in 2003, shortly after we arrive in France.

    The Word Verification string is "watere" and that is a watery place for sure.

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  6. What colour of scarf did you pick? Let me guess, 'mauve'?! Martine

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  7. Descartes are determined to get their 4th flower from the Village Fleurie scheme.

    Ethni'Cité is the troglo section of Saint-Rémy-sur-Creuse, btw. I'd like to visit there too. I'm waiting to see if they do the bilingual tours again this summer.

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  8. Oh oh oh! That wisteria is breathtaking!

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  9. I wonder when they DO go to the park to enjoy it?
    The market in Josselin (Brittany) seems expensive for just about everything on offer, although the atmosphere is fantastic and we love to just wander and soak it all up.

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  10. Diane and Craig - it is a lovely park, well cared for and always different.

    Leon - there is great civic pride in everywhere we have been in France. Looking forward to your trog entries !!

    Vera - I love wisteria and would like one chez nous.

    Ken - now there's a very interesting concept !!

    Martine - it definitely had mauve in it - purple and pink being two of my favourite colours.

    Susan - We are determined to "do" Ethni Cité this year - especially as it's only ten minutes away.

    Elisabeth - thanks for visiting - I agree, it's stunning.

    Ken - French markets are great places to hang out, even if you don't buy anything. (But how can you resist?!)

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  11. Jean, we did Ethnicité on Sunday as part of the Archeology weeekend... first Abilly to see the Acheolab site and have a guided tour... on Saturday morning.... then on Sunday a French style Neolithic meal and then to Ethni to see the hut they found at Abilly being reconstructed. Fascinating, but there were distinct chainsaw marks on the points of as yet unused uprights.
    Too much to go into here, but Pauline says she's going to write something up on Touraine Flint when we've a moment.
    I'd recommend Ethni as a well wothwhile visit.

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  12. I love French markest and I recall a quote from Rick Stein saying 'how does a barrow boy arrange his beans so that they look like a painting by Dufy?' As as massive francophile I too adore the atmosphere of the French markets. Like your other bloggers who commented on the wisteria it is truly fab. As I type I am listening to a soundtrack of French Odyssey. And I am wearing a beret and have a a string of onions round my neck. The last sentence is false! lol

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  13. What delightful pictures, Jean!

    I was going to ask about the colour of scarf, but that's been covered.

    Waiting for more pix, of the village and of Lulu.

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  14. P.S.: Don't get Descartes before de horse.

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