Monk's Transport at the Cluny Abbey?

An arched passage on a courtyard in the Cluny Abbey...

outside a high tech British motorbike...

with engine waiting.

From the City

From the City

via the country side from the TGV

to the Cluny market

Some Images From Summer 2014

I look at the blog and am disappointed that its gone nowhere for so long!

Maybe its because when we have been in France we have been busy or that we have moved on a bit to renting through external sites which also require inputs.

A bit more about this later, but in the meantime a few images from my last visit.

Cherries from The House at Le Gros Chigy

 

 

Signs of Summer

Are these the first signs of the coming summer?

The fruit trees are blossoming!

The charolaise are out of the barns and back in the fields!

Then rape on the hill is turning yellow!

Dandilions flowering in the fields!

 

We are past the spring equinox and have had a very mild winter, so are hoping that there is not a cold snap before the summer as this would reverse these signs and damage the crops.

Watercolours in Burgundy

I have just got a new camera which really ups the potential I have to take better photographs. At the same time I've found a technique that allows the photographer to become a painter.

The St Catherine's bridge in Salornay su Guye takes on another look with a touch of watercolours, as does the main steeple of the Cluny Abbey.

Both these images are based on photographs taken by ChigyTweet and are available. Six megapixel versions of these files, which should make good prints are available by email on request.

 

Local Lotto - Rural Village Life

This was quite an experience, for the first time we joined the population in the Salornay community hall for and evening of LOTTO in aid of funds for the football club.

While I first had thoughts of a real LOTTO win in the millions it was actually more what the British would call BINGO. The number drawer was on the stage at the top of the hall with a board which showed the current state of numbers drawn. Interesting was that you bought a set of cards for the 20 or so games of the evening, but could at anytime change your card to change your luck.

I leave it to Allison Feeley in her blog La Farat to paint the picture of what these events are like and just make a few further observations. 

The overall feeling was noise and restlessness, mainly resulting from the need to speak to ones friends and from the hyperactive children who ran wild.

The evening moved along slowly as numbers were called, draws settled, claims checked, prizes distributed, which called for a distraction - this was provided by the counters used to track your numbers on the card. A pile of assorted household and workshop items were provided.

There were, however, pros at our table who apparently attend LOTTO evening all around the are and buy 4 to 6 cards unlike the one each we used. These players often used a magnetic wand with wire ringed counters. This allows the counters to be collected quickly for the next round.

Sorting, organising and playing with the counters supplied by the game used up time which seemed to pass very slowly at certain stages.

We have no room to complain though - having attended two LOTTOS we have won a leg of ham and a flat screen TV!

 

 

 

Christmas and January in Le Gros Chigy

My ability to post, on our return to Le Gros Chigy was marred by some amazingly incompetent service. It took more than a month for ORANGE to get us online. In the meantime, being cut off, I wasn’t motivated to write the posts. So what I am going to do here is just present a few photos that reflect whew we have been.

Christmas Tree in Living Area

 

The Church opposite Market Square in Cluny

 

A Statue of Saint Odilon in the Church

 

Looking Over Cormatin with Its Chateau to the Left

Building Facade in Cluny

 

Small Side Entrance to Church in Montceau Les Mines

 

 

Sheep on a Mist Morning at Bourg Rameau

 

 Winter on The Salornay Sur Guye Square