July 2012

I don't know how July got to be nearly over before I got round to writing this blog!
Its now over a month since all our offspring came to visit - sorry for not publishing a big thank you for my prezzies and most of all for the visit. I settled down  a couple of days ago to find some lovely photos of them all, and discovered that the camera must have had a fault and only photos of Orla have appeared!

Orla and Susie asleep in the shade

Orla was poorly when they first arrived - very hot and grumpy, but by the end of the holiday she was feeling well enough for a quick dip in the pool.

Sorry Tom, Ellen and Matt, Dave and Nicole - there seem to be no pics of you!

They should just be visible on this photo, a barbeque on the Saturday evening. (Except Dave who was half way through a cycling marathon in Malvern at the time!)

Since then we had a visit from some more of Hugh's ex-work colleagues...

Ben, Rebecca and Wilbur

Chris and Sara (on their return visit) with Sandy and Michael

  

We have not managed many planned days out, but we did manage to get to Chateau Malle in the Sauterne area of the Bordeaux vineyards.

Chateau Malle

We have, as usual, been looking out for our local wildlife

A shy tree frog - we've seen few of these this year.

A toad in my wellie - a good job I always give them a shake before putting them on!

Clouded yellow butterfly

A deer in the vines

An amorous (and very noisy) frog!

The object of his desire?

A mole cricket - scary looking thing!

A swallowtail butterfly

A lovely photo of a  rainbow captured by Marguerite, one of out lovely guests thank you!

And finally, some rarely seen wildlife in the swimming pool!

Hugh on his retirement/birthday/father's day present - not so wild life!

Couldn't resist!

June 2012

Another busy month has passed at Vue de Duras. Hugh has settled into his role as Marketing and Infrastructure manager, although the shutters are still not painted! Apparently you can't paint outside when it is raining or too hot, and for the last month there has been no in-between.
Still, the pool is looking great, and has had some use, and it now has some lovely decking down one side.

Our new decking

We have had visits from some more of Hugh's colleagues-

Karen and Gav

One of whom stayed in the 'annexe'....

Vue de Duras 'annexe'

...and following an intensive ladder training course trimmed the dead fronds from our palm trees!

Mark up the palm tree

Guests who are willing to climb ladders and cook delicious meals are always welcome!
We have also had a visit from Alex and the lovely Sarah....

If arriving a couple of weeks before the rest of the family was a ploy to get the best room, it didn't work, as they ended up on the bed settee, as we were full of paying guests. It was lovely to see you both, and we hope you will be back before too long - good luck with the exam Alex.
We have also had a visit from Hugh's long-lost uni friend, Dave, now living in California.

He also had to sleep on the bed settee, but still provided plenty of wine to go with the reminiscences and cooked us a lovely meal! We look forward to seeing him again - next time with wife Beth.
We have been noticing visitors of a different kind in the garden too....

A very large cricket

A dragonfly

A Hummingbird Hawk moth

 We have an abundance of birds nesting. The Black Redstarts featured in the last blog fledged successfully and there are magpies and goldfinches nesting in the tilleul tree as well as the doves.

Fledgeling Black Redstart

We had a fleeting visit from Elodie on Peter, and her friend out for an evening ride.

Despite Hugh's onerous duties, he is still finding time to pursue his photography hobby - although he is keen to point out that he was on his way to the Boulangerie for the breakfast croissants and baguettes when he stopped to take advantage of this lovely sight. 

A view of the Chateau across the hay field.

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!