We are normally in France by Easter every year. In fact, even when we had the little holiday home in the village we spent every Easter there. It was the first chance every year for a break away from work. Even way before that, ever since Nick and I first met in 1993, we have spent every Easter in France on holiday, one way or another. Last Easter we were stuck, like everyone else, at home, wishing things were different and wondering how it would pan out. We never dreamed that one year later we would be spending another Easter still in the UK and not in France.
This means I have to go back two years to find pictures I took in France at Easter time. These pictures are of a shopping trip we made in 2019, wine shopping to a couple of our favourite producers. Having just arrived in France for the next few months we needed to stock up and on the way we stopped at St Aignan to give Hugo a walk along by the river.
We stayed in the Grand Hotel many years ago, in Spring, probably in about 1995.
That year we were on our motorcycles and treated ourselves to a few days in a nice hotel. The holiday was most memorable for the weather, which was terrible, and the hotel dining room. It was really old fashioned, serving a very traditional French menu (which we liked) and it was the first place I watched a waitress serve the cheese using two knives. Balancing the cheese plate on the palm of one hand she deftly cut slices of cheese with the other using two knives. We were in awe!! The cheese was delicious (the local goats cheeses are fabulous) and we had the cheese course every evening just so we could watch the two-knife spectacle.
The weather was pretty nippy at Easter in 2019, judging by Nick's thick coat.
Hugo enjoyed his walk by the river, which looks quite full and very grey, reflecting the cold grey sky. Hugo himself is quite grey now. I sometimes forget how totally densely black his fur was when he was little more than a puppy.
A double row of tilleuls - pollarded linden trees along the Cher river bank.
They're a frequent sight in France, waiting for the change in the weather that brings them into bud and then magnificently into full leaf providing so much important shade from the sun.
I hope you get a bit of sun wherever you are this Easter.
Plenty of sun here in the Yorkshire Dales- clear blue sky, breeze and cold.
ReplyDeletePat, it was warm in the sun here when it showed its face.
DeleteCuriously most of my memories of Easters past, particularly from childhood, involve cool weather. I attribute it to my Mum’s tradition of kitting us out in new summer sandals and a dress for the occasion. These days, I rarely consider such garment changes until May!
ReplyDeleteI was reminiscing just the other day about the obligatory switch from winter to summer school uniforms after the Easter holiday! Gone were the heavy pleated skirts and thick tights as we shivered in cotton frocks and little ankle socks, whatever the weather!
DeleteWhat fabulous photos - I sooooo... miss France. The only conatct I've had in recent weeks is a call to tell the water main is leaking and its evidently my responsibility to fix it!!! Oh well... C'est la vie, as they say... It will come I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the so called 'Stanley Johnson' clause in the recent legislation - Google it for it may be helpful to you in future. visiting - for now, let's hope they can get out of lockdown and catch up with the jabs...
Mark, it's not good in France at the moment. We also have issues with our house that need fixing but as for the Stanley Johnson clause, I'm sure there will be plenty of people who use it but I think we'll sit it out for a while.
DeleteSame here - I have to go later in the summer for work so will wait till then if I possibly can, but it's good to know it's possible to go and tend your own property.
DeleteEven if the British authorities say you can leave the U.K. legally for certain purposes, will the French let you in?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that they would under certain circumstances. Getting back into the UK afterwards might be problematic very soon. It's all very risky so, as I said above, I think we'll sit it out for a while. Much as we'd love to be in France as usual, we have to be realistic.
DeleteStarting tomorrow, we are not allowed to travel more than 10 kilometers from home. I suppose in dire circumstances exceptions could be made. Luckily, we have two supermarkets in town, neither more than 5 or 6 kms from our house. I see it snowed over there. There is a chance of snowfall here tomorrow or Wednesday.
DeleteHappy Easter. Sorry you are missing France and experiencing a traditional British bank holiday. MrFF just reported it’s below zero mid morning where we used to live in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteJenny, we are very envious of your lovely weather!!
DeleteOurs was hot and sunshine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to all of you!