Yes, alarmingly it is now meteorological winter, and the year is really slipping away. On a happier note, in about 3 weeks, the days will start to get longer, but we have the three cold months to get through now. The area has got its Christmas decorations out promptly this year - to do with Baugé being a Pettit Cité de Charactère and they are collectively looking to brighten up people's lives. What has livened up our village rather more is that the pub reopened last night after a closure of nearly 18 months. New leaseholders, new décor, new name (not sure about that) and hopefully a new attitude towards the establishment from the locals. The local mayor was pretty blunt when he announced that a taker had been found - use it or lose it! Let's hope people take that to heart! I took a photo at the opening night but it was truly awful, so here is the Christmas Tree instead.
On the sunny days this week, I have been determined to go out for a walk and admire the area. On Wednesday morning, I was up at la Flèche for the market, and le Loir was looking particularly attractive after the recent floods. Sadly I can't load up the photo of that - not at all sure why!
Later on Wednesday - as it really was so beautiful out - I went for a walk around the village. I went part way up what is often called the Roman Road, and it may well be. It is straight, making no apology for the gradient of the hill, and is well buried into the hillside, with tall oaks and chestnuts at ground level. Half way up, when the water table is high enough, a spring follows the line of the path for some distance, so I only went as far as the mud from that, before turning back to the village.
I made my way down the hill and took the road to the Pont de Godot - yes, really you can go and wait for him there, but he never shows up! The river splits into two arms upstream towards the town, and the water looks clear and bright and is flowing rapidly at the moment in both arms, apart from where measures are in place to slow the flow.
From the bridge the view up to the church shows the relative height of the hill and the thoroughly twisted nature of the spire. It can be seen from quite a distance, if you know where to look!
Other days have not been so sunny and crisp, and have also been filled with distractions such as battling customs forms and websites to send a parcel, the French health service and finding an electrician. Rebus the kitten spends much of his time trying to eat me, and when he isn't doing that, he is asleep and growing. The slow descent to the "Festive Period" makes me less likely to do anything useful, and more inclined to sit under a rug in front of the TV with a pot of tea and a chewy kitten. However, I need to give myself a metaphoric kick in the pants and design a Christmas card, write a Christmas letter, and more importantly, undertake the necessary steps to close my business and structure my retirement.
Here's hoping for some motivation sometime next week!
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