May

What is it with the weather?
Since the last blog we had weeks of rain, which has at least made the countryside around here lush and green. We are now experiencing sunshine with a cool wind, with the odd bit of warmer weather. The pool is clean and sparkling and our guests last week were determined to be first in for this year. They didn't stay in long, but the honour goes to Tommy and Taylor....

Tommy and Taylor get the award for first in the pool this year!

Tommy, Vicky and Taylor seemed to enjoy being here as much as we enjoyed their company.

Aperitif time!

Assault course training!

Yomping through the vines.

Alf

 This is Alf, our new team member! He enjoyed some days out with Taylor - awaiting photos of his adventure.
We have been trying to get to know the area where we now live, so whenever we find ourselves with a free day we set off to explore. Last week we headed to Bordeaux then north along the Gironde to Medoc.

Chateau Pichon Longueville

Fishing nets on the Gironde by the car ferry at Lamarque.

Lovely to see all the fantastic chateaux - but the wine a little on the expensive side for us! Give us Duras appellation every time.
Around Vue de Duras the wildlife is at full throttle. The black redstarts are nesting under the balcony again.

Dinner

me, me, me!

Four hungry mouths keeps the parents very busy, and prevents us from sitting in our favourite spot.

The doves are back too. They have nested in the tilleul tree, as we removed last year's nesting site when we trimmed the palm tree of all the dead leaves. They seem quite happy where they are.

A beautiful dragonfly by the pond (which is full of very noisy frogs!)

An orchid in our un-mown meadow.

One of the many lizards which appear whenever the sun shines.

 Just a little snapshot of life at Vue de Duras in May. The hens are still laying, the guests are still coming and Hugh is settling to a new routine (but not getting far with the shutters!) Roll on summer.....

April

As is now traditional, I am starting this update with an apology for the length of time since the last one! I have been really, really busy.

To compare the view in February and today...

What it doesn't show is that it is freezing cold today, despite the blue skies, there is a North wind blowing and it's bitter!

Since the last blog, I have made a flying visit back to the UK. On Mothering Sunday, which was also Hugh's birthday and the weekend of his retirement, we shared a lovely meal with most of our children (we missed you Alex and Sarah!)

Matt, Tom, Nicole, Dave, Rob, Hugh, Fiona
Ellen, Susie and Orla

We went to the White Hart at Fyfield, who looked after us very well, despite us changing the booking and having a late start due to some lost car keys. So, Hugh finally retired from the day job, to work full time (and more!) at Vue de Duras.

He had a fantastic send off from his work colleagues, with lots of good wishes and euros for a tree and a brass plaque to go with it.

Hugh may, one day get a chance to relax and enjoy those fruits, but not until he has finished painting the shutters....

six done......

...twenty to go!

 Our offspring thought it amusing to design T-shirts to match our new lives!

But little time for marketing until he's fulfilled his role as 'infrastructure manager' (I don't think it would fit on the back!) I like to think that mine is the French meaning of  'boss' although I have had a busy week cooking!

Since Hugh's 'retirement' we have been trying to have days off to explore the area around us. We have managed one day out in four weeks! On a warm and sunny day a couple of weeks ago, we went to the Dunes at Pyla, near Arcachon. When I went with Nicole and Dave last summer, there were stairs up the side of the dune - the highest in Europe. They weren't there this time, so we had to climb up the sand, with lots of stops to admire the views. And what views!

Looking West over the Atlantic

Looking East over the pine forest of Landes.

 We had a leisurely lunch next to the lake at Sanguinet, Hugh's favourite sort - 12 euros 50 for three courses including wine!

Sanguinet

We now have signs to help our guests find us - they seem to be working as we have had plenty of guests! The gite is now booked out for the whole summer, and we have a good number of bookings for the B&B too. Our guests seem to like it here and we're very happy too!

Finally, an update on what Nicole is up to.  She and her friend Neesha are swimming 25 miles over 25 days in April, they are just over half way now, and still in need of more donations to Cancer Research UK. They are hoping to raise £5000 in memory of Neesha's friend James. 

Nicole and Neesha

See the article in the Worcester News

and go to Just Giving  to donate to this fantastic cause. They have raised just over £2000 so far. 

Well done girls!

Weather

In January I had a visit from my three lovely offspring - much anticipated and quickly over! The weather was lovely, just perfect for walking - on one day of the three they were here! The other days were wet or foggy - oh well, you can't have it all - it was lovely to have them all here together.

Ellen, David and Nicole

A beautiful January sunrise.

 Apart from seeing Ellen, David and Nicki, January was long and dull.

February on the other hand has started with the most amazing weather (and frozen pipes and cold draughts!)

I'm told that this sort of weather is very rare, so please excuse all the photos. How beautiful is this place - in any weather! 

Unfortunately the chickens don't agree. They are really disgruntled! They hate putting their feet on the snow, and refused to come out until I had cleared a patch for them. But, they are still laying.

No way!

We're not coming down - and you can't make us...........I did, eventually they had to be lifted off.

You want us to do what?....

We're not stepping on that!

Three days later, and no further snowfall and it still looks like this....

 Temperature hasn't risen above freezing since Saturday, and not forecast to do so for the rest of the week.

Swim anyone?!

 Lovely as it looks......roll on summer!

Happy New Year to everyone

What a year it's been! To top off our fantastic year, Orla Elsie O'Connor arrived, a little late, on Christmas Eve.

Congratulations to Rob and Susie on the arrival of Orla

We had a lovely party last night, with lots of our friends, plenty of wine and food. A fantastic way to end a fantastic year.
I've just skimmed back over the year, and it's hard to believe how far we've come. There is still lots to do, decorating to finish off and most of all the garden to sort out. In March I was hopeful of starting my vegetable plot - that didn't happen, but I'm going to try again this spring. I still haven't done anything about getting bees - but I've not given up on the idea yet. Plenty to do! The coming year will see more changes, the biggest one being Hugh finally retiring from the day job in March and moving out for good. I can't call it retirement, because that is the last thing it will be!
So, a few photos taken over the last couple weeks in and around Vue de Duras.

Christmas at the Chateau in Duras

Duras from the Chateau

Finally, the two 'spare' cockerels go to their new home, joining 150 Light Sussex hens - lucky boys!

The Christmas market in Duras

 

A visit to Bordeaux just before Christmas

Sunrise

Piglets when they arrived at Domaine Gourdon

My Christmas present from Ellen, David and Nicole

After the rain.

Collecting the Christmas tree with Lizzle.

 Following being featured on ITV's Little England, we are in this month's Living France, an article about being filmed for the tv programme

To see the article, go to our website - and wait patiently for it to load.

Happy New Year - hope it's a good one for you all!