Before anyone starts, yes, I have been to see the Azay One, and in order to fill in the accessing the building forms with an easy conscience, yesterday I invested in a packet of lateral flow auto-tests (they allege they are 97.5% accurate!). Once it was nearly time to head off, I followed the instructions, remembering also the advice from the nice lady at the pharmacy, and after the appropriate waiting time, the result was.... Negative! Yey!
First stop was Chinon to meet up with the Chinon One, put the world to rights, confirm my suspicion as to why there are mushrooms growing out of the top bathroom ceiling (hint, it is just under the hot water cylinder...), have a spot of lunch and see which of the Azay One's requirements we had, and what we had forgotten or failed to do. There I was able to admire the fact that the freesia I planted last summer was having more flowers, and once we had been driven inside by persistent drizzle, admire the crow that the next door neighbour hand reared last year, who has come back after a winter away.
The visit itself was not the happiest - while last week everything was fine and she was putting on weight as she was eating so much, this week nothing was right, the food was inedible and she needed to find somewhere else. Once that was off her chest, the staff are actually nice and she gets a good glass of wine with her meals, but the place is full of old people, some of whom are missing bits (from the person who lost half an ear last year). After that there was a flight of fancy, but we did threaten her with a cribbage challenge next week, which might improve her mood.
When I got home, after a beautiful drive through the Anjou-Touraine National Park (woods, fields, lakes and pretty villages), and before entering the house to be shouted at by bored cats, I took a moment to enjoy the plant display by the door. The Snow in Summer is starting to put out flowers, the tree peony is out (I really must repot that once the flowers are over, as it starting to suffer), the lemon thyme that had suffered from lack of water has sprung back and the cistus looks like it will flower shortly. This pleasing display helps to shake off the feelings of guilt and self-loathing only a mother can inflict on her child!
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