And so, ten days after my last post, the situation at the Crumbly Cottage MkII remains the same. We are now on our fifth (or is it sixth?) heatwave since June, but in truth, it feels like just one long continuous hot summer, much as we had in 1976 (if any of my readers here remember that one?). Granted we've had a couple of days when it's dropped below 30º, but those days have been few and far between, so I'll say no more about it and focus on what I've seen instead.
In my last post, I had a photo of cows and their calves, but they were all in the distance. Now there's no grazing left for them, they spend more time gathered around the hay the farmer is providing. These calves looked so contented, and I smiled to see them still feeding from their mums. They really are so pretty and sweet.
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| Happy babies. Still with their mums and still being udder-fed! |
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| Cows and calves gathered around the hay feeder; one was quite curious about me, though. |
As usual, Koos and I are drawn to the canal and the river wherever we go. On one hot day, we took a drive along the Marne and its accompanying canal. The bridge below lifts for boats but is inaccessible to cars. We'd hoped to have a picnic here, but found there was no shade or anywhere to sit, so we enjoyed some sinfully delicious cakes from the local boulangerie instead.
As for Zoe, it's been quite a struggle to keep her cool. She doesn't like swimming but she loves paddling in the river. I bought her a little paddling pool to see if I could gradually get her used to swimming. However, I didn't dare fill it because of the drought, so I put two washing-up bowls of water in it and popped her in. As you might observe, she wasn't too impressed and we haven't tried it again. Maybe next year...
On another day, we went to the departmental capital of Chaumant to explore a bit more of its historic centre than we'd seen previously. The last time we went, it was a cold day and we didn't feel inclined to linger longer. I'm so pleased we took the time to go this last week. If anything, it was too hot for comfort this time, but the city's delightful ancient alleys, marvellous basilica and beautiful stone buildings made it worth it, and then of course, it was a real reward to sit and have a fresh drink at a pavement café. Chaumont's roots date back to at least the 12th century. It holds a commanding position on a hillside above the Marne and its incredible railway viaduct is one I've posted about before (see photo below). I've also written about its history here. However, this time, I truly appreciated what a lovely, if small, city it is. With a population of only around 21000 people, it's quite a diminutive provincial capital.
That said, I'll let my photos tell their own story. Showing, as they say, is always better than telling!
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| In the centre of the city, the buildings are typically French but a variety of styles |
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| I loved these arches around the old shuttered windows |
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| Good company is always found at a street café |
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| I liked this balcony decked out with hanging baskets |
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| The basilica dates from the 13th century and is very ornate on the exterior |
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| The details on the basilica's entrance were quite gorgeous |
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| One of many matching gargoyles on the church. Isn't that sky amazing? |
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| An alley way around the church |
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| And another |
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| And this really caught my attention. How to make room for a staircase in a small house! |
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| Above and below: lovely old doors, shutters and stone cottages |
On Friday, we met my daughter and her boyfriend for lunch at a rural restaurant in the gorgeous village of Vouécourt, also on the Marne. It was a wonderfully typical plat du jour; in other words, nothing fancy, but good wholesome food served in three courses and eaten outside in the sunshine. It couldn't have been better.
Other than that, I have been walking Zoe early in the mornings along our sadly empty canal. The bankside flowers are a delight and we both enjoy the tranquillity of the towpath, but I do miss seeing boats. I can only hope that next year will see all the canals open again for the full season and that we can be on the water rather than next to it.
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| Gorgeous scenery along the towpath |
We have also managed to sand down and re-varnish all our shutters, so that is at least an achievement of sorts. I should have taken photos, as we're rather proud of them now, but I'll do that tomorrow.
Wishing you all a wonderful week allemaal. We're heading for another scorching few days, so look after yourselves and each other!
