Summer was amazing, in the end. My brother and niece came to stay for almost two weeks and we had a heat wave for most of their time here. We spent many lazy lunchtimes and evenings in our picnic area enjoying nice food and the company of friends and family in lovely warm weather.
I love this time of year. September is always good, maybe because I don’t have great expectations, so it can’t disappoint. It always leaves me feeling mellow.
As August eases into September, the days get shorter, the nights get cooler and the days stay nice and warm. A perfect end to a summer, whatever that might have been like.
The roof terrace is finished. We can sit there with our morning cuppa or with an apéro as the sun goes down, spotting the deer and other wildlife that surround us.
Then, in the last few days, as if someone flipped a switch, autumn has announced that it is waiting in the wings. A few showers have brought a green tinge to the grass, which has been completely brown for weeks now. There is a freshness in the air in the mornings and a chill in the evenings, a sure sign that soon the leaves will be taking on their glorious autumn colours before very long.
We have just had a very busy weekend, starting with live music on Friday evening at the little bar in Ciran which is called the “Pourquois Pas”. The local group who call themselves “I don’t know” performed lots of songs from the 60’s that we all know well and we all had a nice time.
Saturday was the start of the weekend of the Patrimoine, when all kinds of country houses, churches and châteaux open their doors to the public for free or for a modest fee. We decided to concentrate on visiting places that are not usually open to the public at all, rather than others that we can see any time. It was fascinating.
Above are pictures of just three of the places we went to see. There were others too. We had a great time.
