Cellpic Sunday: The Guédelon workhorse

Last weekend, we went on a day trip (a very long day trip) to a place called Guédelon. Here, since the late nineties, a group of craftsmen have been using traditional materials and traditional methods to construct a medieval (14th century) castle completely from scratch. It’s not a reconstruction or a renovation, it’s a new build and it is absolutely fascinating.

The site is large and widely spread out, and this noble beast spends its day drawing a cart ferrying workers and materials around it.

Cellpic Sunday 9 June 2024

Cellpic Sunday: Rural Transport Infrastructure

There are many positive aspects of living deep in the French countryside, but easy access to public transport definitely isn’t one of them. People just have to make do…

Cellpic Sunday 2 June 2024

Return of the orange poppies

(Yes, it’s flowers again – deal with it.)

About five years ago we (i.e. Madame) scattered a packet of orange poppy seeds in what we’re pleased to call our garden. For the next three years they went viral – dozens (maybe more – I never actually counted them) of them.

Then nothing last year. However, they’re back again, with a handful appearing in one of our raised beds. This is one of them, preparing to unfold.

Last on the card May 2024

Lens-Artists Challenge: Floral

I don’t know about you, but I probably take more photos of flowers than any other subject. That’s not surprising really, given there are a lot of them about and, for the most part, they are…..well, photogenic.

For this challenge I wanted to post something a little out of the ordinary, so I chose this image of a bee taking nectar from a small orchid. It helps to remind us that flowers are not standalone things of beauty, but an essential part of a broader ecosystem.

Lens-Artists Challenge: Floral

Cellpic Sunday: Big red

Our neighbour is something of an automobile buff. For some reason best known to himself, he has recently acquired this improbably large red Mercedes camion. It does clash somewhat with his blue Porsche with the yellow wheel arches though.

Cellpic Sunday 26 May 2024

Street scene with stray sheep

This is the road that, about a mile and a half further on, eventually gets to the hamlet that we call Tranquility Base.

The sheep isn’t supposed to be there of course, but it’s not at all uncommon around here to come across one that’s managed to escape from wherever it’s meant to be.

CWWC 23 May 2024

“Mud, mud, (in)glorious Mud”

Brits of a certain (advanced) age may recognise the title of this post as being inspired by ‘The Hippopotamus Song’ by Flanders and Swan.

No hippos here in France, but there has been an inordinate amount of rain over the past couple of months, which has left the little chemin down the side of our house in this shockingly muddy condition. Not just a dirt road but a dirt driveway.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge 21 May 2024

Lens-Artists Challenge: Delicate

As usual, I have no idea what these flowers are called, but they’re certainly delicate.

Lens-Artists Challenge #300: Delicate

Cellpic Sunday: Approaching menace…

“Soon it’s gonna rain…”

Cellpic Sunday 19 May 2024

Cellpic Sunday: Anyone for garlic?

The one that got away…

Cellpic Sunday 12 May 2024