Road Trip

My sister and her family are in the south of France for a week, so I am  headed down to see them for a couple of days.  The first stop was Boissezon, a small hilltop village in the Tarn department.  In looking for fixtures for remodeling our kitchen, I fell in love with a light produced by Terre d'Hautaniboul, and it was basically on the way there, so I decided to stop by their pottery and order it in person.  The town apparently is known as a bit of an artists' colony.

We are going for the one on the left.

The village was quiet and most of the galleries had closed for the season

Hilltop Church

It rained off and on for most of my drive down

The pottery is located just outside of town, but luckily the person who answered the phone spoke a bit of English,  which combined with my limited French allowed me to find it.

Shards used to gravel the drive

This is a small, family-run operation and the showroom above the studio was misted with a layer of dust from the clay

Their fixtures are beautiful and I found out there is a 40% discount for buying in person, so might have to get a few!

The biggest challenge is picking out the color combination, so they gave me some shards to take home and decide with Jörg.

I found there was an Emmaüs just 30 minutes south in Aussillon, so had to stop

Beautiful blue scale (that needed cleaning), but there was no price and the guy quoted  €30, which was too much

But I Couldn't pass up this €6 gadget labeled "crocmoi".  I am guessing it is for making delicious croque-monsieurs (one of my favorites), but couldn't find anything online and will have to do a little research

The old part of Aussillon

The welcome committee at my hotel in Carcassonne

View front the hotel bar

Chateau Vendoire

After a drizzly morning, it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so I decided to go out and take a few pictures with my new iPhone (thanks Jörg for the early anniversary/Christmas/birthday present).  I can't find too much information about the Chateau, because it is privately owned and I don't think the current owner wants looky-loos coming around.  Rumor has it that she is an heir to the Auchan grocery fortune, but most people that have run in to her have said she is not too friendly and doesn't care to interact with anyone in the village.  

The back of the chateau facing west over farmland

What I can find indicates that the current structure was originally built in the late 17th century, with numerous renovations and additions along the way.  Apparently, it was in quite a state of disrepair when Ms. Auchan acquired it.  The site itself is believed to have housed a castle originally built in the  15th century.

A view over the side wall

One of the few remaining sunflowers

Back gate from the adjoining field

Visitors not welcomed

The chateau is located just within the western border of the village

Gates

Out Buildings

Detailing on one of the gates

Side View

The village church, which is apparently also owned by Ms. A and is rarely open to the public

Gate to additional land owned by the chateau that abuts our friends' property

The Marie

Our relatively modest abode

Afternoon Walk

The Pups Get Some Exercise

Fields Behind our House

Who knew artichokes had such beautiful flowers?

Foosballers

Flea Market Finds

Having our old house in Vendoire, I love to hit up the flea markets (vide-greniers), antique shops (brocantes), and thrift shops (Emmaüs - like the Saint Vincent's of France) for treasures large and small.  Unfortunately, we don't have a vehicle large enough to haul furniture pieces, so I've had to pass up a couple of wardrobes and tables, for now.

L'agenda des Brocantes is the bible of antique shopping in France.  They publish one for each region, so I picked one up for Aquitaine, where our house is located, and one for Rhône-Alpes, which is the region surrounding Lyon.  Of course, you can now find the information on the internet, but it is not the same as having the little yellow book to highlight and mark up.

Jörg checking out the Vide-Grenier at Sainte-Julie, near Lyon

Plaques de Muselets (from champagne bottles)

Figurines from les Bûches de Noël

                       

Cheese Plates - no real dinner in France is complete without the cheese course

Happy Goat

60's or 70's Wooden Helicopter Lamp

Charade Movie Poster - This is the first movie we owned on VHS because the shop we rented it from in Longview, Texas in 1982 shut down and disappeared while we had it checked out.

Old French Ballot Box

Ballot Envelopes inside from the 1910's.

We think this was a crate for carrying chicks or other small foul.  Don't know what we will use it for, but when it is cleaned up, I'm sure it will find a purpose.

Bin for ashes at the house in Vendoire

Orange Underwood 130 Typewriter

Pétanque Boules

Double French School Desk - probably from the 60's - notice they still used ink wells

Three books by Émile Zola - our apartment in Lyon is on rue Émile Zola

Set of 5 Aluminum Tournus Sauce Pans

Land Rover Defender

Notice the pipe on the side that allows it to drive through water.

Waiting for the Bus

All three of the school children in the village waiting for the bus.  Notice the fluorescent yellow vests, which they love here - you are required to have one inside your car (not in the trunk).