Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Le Tour 2017 is coming through!!

At last I've found a decent map on the internet of the 10th stage of the 2017 Tour de France which very much confirms that the race is passing in front of Le Manoir des Granges on Tuesday July 11th.

The map above shows the route from Perigueux to Bergerac passes through Montignac on its way to Les Eyzies via the D706 and I'm pretty sure the red dot between the two towns is Le Moustier......can't wait!!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

One step at a time!

Since our return from Portugal, we've been busy on improving the steps that lead from the courtyard up to the Haybarn gite. The original steps (above) we're very uneven, steep and really not very user friendly.
So first thing, knock out and move debris from the offending area and plan the way forward, or upward in this projects case!
Four simple and straight forward steps leading down from the existing path above was our decision and after laying concrete and building the walls to the left and right of the new steps, yesterday we finished off using local stone (the same as used on the patio in front of the house). After 2 weeks hard work, we're very pleased with the final result and are looking forward to hear the thoughts of our guests when they see them!  

Saturday, November 19, 2016

A change of scenery!

Tuesday November 2nd saw our last customers of this year leave, so we decided that after a very busy 9 months since our first guests of the year arrived it was time to head south as we usually do for some r&r! Rather than Spain where we've been for the last 3 years, we decided to go a bit further and drove to the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal.
Carveiro, a beautiful seaside resort, is a place we visited with our daughters probably about 20 years ago and it was a bit of a surprise that after all that time we had actually booked into the same villa complex that we had stayed in all that time ago. Great weather for all of the 10 days there and plenty of rest plus local food & wine did the trick of recharging our batteries ready for another winter of renovations and decorating.
We're back home in France now and already the first project is underway, pics to follow soon of the gite courtyard improvements, it already seems a long time since we were sitting on the balcony watching the sun set from our apartment (above), here's to next years possible visit!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Lazy river, Dordogne style!

A couple of weeks ago we took a day off and as it was such a nice day decided to do what most of our guests do whilst staying here, canoe (for the first time for us) on the Dordogne river. Starting at Vitrac we meandered with the strong river current taking in all the major sights that are on show. La Roque-Gageac (above) with its houses clinging to the side of the sheer cliff face being the first.
After over 2.5 hours, the finishing point of Beynac (below) was in the distance with its magnificent Chateau perched on top of the hill. It certainly is no surprise why this is one of the major 'to do's' for all whilst in the region!
A big thank you to all of you who follow this blog, we have now gone over 20,000 viewings of the blog since I started it many years ago!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Big news!

The route for next years Tour de France was announced at lunch time today, great news for our area is that the tour has a stage starting in Perigueux, ending in Bergerac and is passing through Montignac, our nearest town, in July 2017. We're not sure at the moment but we think the route is passing very very close to Les Granges but this has not been confirmed yet....watch this space again soon for more information as we find out!

Friday, September 23, 2016

Harvest time!

After the fields opposite Les Granges became a sea of yellow for a few weeks, yesterday the combine harvester machines arrived and within an hour or so stripped the dried sunflower heads from their stalks, now leaving us with our normal view across to Le Roque. Still no let up in the sunny days but the evenings are now certainly becoming more on the fresh side!

Now I always thought that Praying Mantis's were a luminous green colour, wrong again, the one I spotted on the flowers in the courtyard outside the Roque Terrace gite is certainly not and if you can spot it, it certainly blends in with the background!
Remember, for a larger image click on the picture!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

The Chasse is back!

The early morning straight after one of the busiest days for tourists departing the area returning to their homes marks the prompt return to our surrounding fields of the local Chasse (hunting group). A bit of an obstruction for them this year is the many fields of sunflowers that make perfect cover for the deer and wild boar and consequently we heard no shots fired whilst they were in the area!

Even though many families with children are now on their way home, we are still very busy with bookings right up to the end of October and also quite a few enquiries and bookings already for 2017 and even 2018!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Butterfly time!

Spotted as I was opening up the gite swimming pool, a large swallowtail butterfly on one of the shrubs that border the surrounding path. The first I'd seen all year and consequently since that day I've seen lots!
Our region has now been in full tourist mode for the last four or five weeks, weather has been and is still going to be superb for the foreseeable future and all our guests are making the most of it!

Monday, August 1, 2016

Roque & Pop festival!

Last Saturday night was a big night for our village with the first ever Le Moustier Rock & Pop Festival. Many locals and tourists gathered in the church square to listen to 4 bands play from 6.30pm onwards, dodging a few storms early on, the evening went really very well with a mobile catering company and bar doing a great job keeping everyone fed and watered!

Here's hoping there's a second festival on the cards for the same time next year!

Monday, July 25, 2016

2 weeks later.....

....and the flowers are all out, it's an amazing sight over the road!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

10 days later....

....and the sunflowers are blooming nicely! Taken at 9am this morning, the plants are now about 7 feet tall and about 50% are in flower, this afternoon we're going to try and get some pics taken from the river towards Les Granges...will have to take the steps to see over the crop....to be continued!

Monday, July 18, 2016

Iced drinks weather!

For all those that have been to stay here over the last few weeks and commented that when the temperature reaches above 30 degrees it would be 'too hot', well, it is as I write 35 degrees in the shade! As the picture taken a few minutes ago shows, the sky is an incredible deep blue, not a cloud to be seen and the grass is already starting to turn brown but the pink mimosa tree is now in full bloom and looking spectacular!
Weather forecasts indicate the temperature is to stay like this for the next 2 weeks with the odd thunderstorm here and there, good news for all our guests here now and our next arrivals on Saturday!

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Watch this space!

Have just cycled back from the camp site (ok yes it was for a beer at happy hour!) and spotted two of the first sunflowers to bloom in a field of thousands of plants. Not unusual in France I know but this is the first time in nearly 6 years since we moved here that the fields directly across the road from us and in front of La Roque St Christophe have been planted with sunflowers.

This time next week it will be a sea of yellow flowers between us and Le Roque....a photographers dream...I can't wait!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

30 degrees plus...and increasing!

The heat is well and truly here now, over 30 degrees in the shade and the gite pool above will not be empty very long after our customers return from their days activities!

Last Monday, a group of 16 guests all the way from Australia had a special 50th and 40th birthday party here in front of the house for two members of the group which included a lunch time cold buffet of local dishes supplied by Jerome & Sidonie of cafe Le Martin Pecheur in St Leon Sur Vezere.
A great afternoon and evening was had by all and it's a good job we'd purchased the two new white gazebos to keep everyone away from the afternoon sun!

Happy Birthdays Simon & Mark!  

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Wine delivery!

Spotted whilst driving through Le Bugue a few days ago, this very old Citroen truck was parked in the car park of a very well known wine merchants cave in the town, not in particularly good condition but certainly was worth a look!
All our latest guests are very pleased that the weather has now changed for the better, the pools are crystal clear and a very nice temperature to cool off after being in the top 20's degrees sunshine!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Warm but wet time!

After purchasing a pool cover for the gite swimming pool a couple of years ago, it has been proved that during that time it has been warmer by quite a few degrees so good news for all our guests renting the house is that the new cover for the house pool has now been fitted and will be keeping the water that bit warmer in the future.
The above picture was taken late yesterday afternoon on a walk along the path next to the river Vezere showing the poppies in the fields and that this part of France has not been without the bad weather seen in the north of the country, good weather indeed for all the plants etc but not good for the many people in the area at the moment, still plenty to do though with all the attractions i n the dordogne area but some sunshine does make a massive difference!

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Happy Foxes in France!

In May 2011, exactly 5 years ago to this date, we welcomed a party of German men as our first guests to stay with us at Les Granges in the big house, every day of their stay, the club that the head of the party supported proudly displayed his club scarf from his bedroom window, that of Borussia Dortmund, because they had just won the German league championship, well today I can say that I will carry on that tradition by displaying my original 45 year old Leicester City scarf from that same bedroom window after the fantastic news last night that the Foxes cannot be caught and are now 2015/16 English Premier League Champions....the FANTASTIC FOXES HAVE DONE IT!!!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

No harm done whilst pruning!

Apologies for lack of posts for a while, I have been back to England to visit my Mum for a while before the main season starts here at Les Granges, I know she'll like to see the picture above!
After last years rather harsh cutting out the vine and pruning at the front of the house, this spring the wisteria has come into bloom very successfully and is looking and smelling very nice.
We have also managed to complete at last (pictured below) the walkway between the Roque Terrace gite and the pool which we are very proud of!
Much spring cleaning going on now and all going well in readiness for the summer, we already have customers in 3 of the gites.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Summer is nearly here!

.A shopping trip last week took us to one our favourite shops, one we've recommended to many of our guests, Grand Frais in Perigueux has the most amazing large stock of different fruit & veg from mainly France but also from all over the world. This area of France is the biggest producer of strawberry's and there was a counter full of different varieties producing a fantastic summery smell, plus, below, on another aisle, a tray full of even stronger smelling bunches of smoked garlic, what a combination!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

New terracing (nearly) complete.

So this is what we've been up to recently! First we had to de-construct the existing terrace that runs between the Roque Terrace gite and the swimming pool, dodging between heavy showers and very strong, cold winds, it took quite a bit of brain and physical effort to sort out how to do the work.
The terrace frame work took the time, making sure it was all secure, stable and level, then over the last couple of days we've laid down the boarding on top which is now all completed, only bit to do now is the fencing around the edge.
We're both feeling pretty proud of the (nearly) finished result, not bad for a nurse and graphic designer trained team!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

..and there was more!

Yes the rumours were correct, more rain came over the weekend, as people who have stayed here with us in the past will recognise, the little seat at the bottom of the track was definitely not the place to sit and admire the view, in fact at its highest the seat was very nearly completely submerged.

Thankfully, as I write, the level is now back to normal!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Water everywhere!

Ok, I hold my hand up and say it's all my fault! A week ago in my last post I said how nice it was being able to sit out in the nice February sunshine for lunch,,since then, the heavens have opened resulting in the river Vezere being at it's highest that we've ever seen it since we moved here over 5 years ago. Reports have said that the level that was recorded at its peak in Montignac was 5 meters above normal, that's over 16ft. Bad news is they are expecting a lot more over this coming weekend, fingers crossed not too much more!

Sunday, February 7, 2016

2015 guest numbers

It may be early February but it's still nice and warm in the sun to sit out and have lunch in the fresh air!
Last years visitor figures have now been counted and verified (by me!) so here is the annual post showing how many and from where all our 2015 guests travelled from to be with us for their holidays.....

Visitors by country of residence were:-
                 2011     2012    2013   2014   2015
Australia      27       35        11       23       10
Belgium        -          1         2         2         -
Canada        8          2         10       19        9
Catalonia     -          -          -           2         -
Denmark      -          2         -           -         -
England       87      133       116      95      112
France         38       19        20        52       16
Germany      25       21        11        7        12
Greece          -          2        -           -         -
Ireland         3          4         6          2        4
Israel            -         -          -          -         5
Italy              -         -          -          2         -
Malta            -         -          -         10        -
Netherlands  12        1          9          4        -
New Zealand 6         5          2          -        3
Northern Ireland       -          -          -         4
Norway         -         -         -           -         1
Philippines     -         5         -          -         -
Poland          6          -        -           -         -
Portugal        -          3        -           -         -
Scotland       4          7        5          14       14
South Africa  -         -         -           -         12
Spain            -          -         -           7         -
Sweden        -           -        5           -          -
Swiss            -          1        -           1         -
United Arab Emirates -        -           -         4
United States 43       25      21        53        24
Wales           2          4        2          2         -

A total of 229 guests came and stayed with us in 71 groups with 4 new countries added to the list,

2016 is already looking like another busy year so we're looking forward to meeting new and returning guests in the coming months!

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Toulouse time!

Two weeks ago I celebrated my 60th birthday in Toulouse, a city which every time we visit never fails to deliver something different that just makes you feel that we must return again to this great place. The first day we spent walking around finding museums, galleries, beautiful sights plus ofcourse bars and restaurants for all tastes.
And then on the second and final day, a real treat for me, a visit to the Airbus factory where they construct the massive A380 double decker passenger aircraft. A fantastic informative one and a half hour tour of the site. As we were coming to the end of the tour one of the planes under construction was being moved (below), being built for the Emirates airline company, you really can't get an idea of the size of the aircraft from pictures, you'll just have to go next time you come to France!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Brive encounter!

Happy new year everyone! We hope you all had a very happy christmas as well as saying good bye to 2015 and welcoming in 2016!
A couple of days ago we wanted to go somewhere different, of which there are still plenty of places still to choose from, we decided to go to Brive. Having been to the outskirts many times, we have never been in to the old town, quite simply, we really liked the place, lots of lovely old streets and shops surrounding a wonderful cathedral.
It must be the graphic designer still in me that I spotted this fantastic old fading wall advertising poster (above) on one of the buildings that reminded me that these signs are becoming more and more rare in France, such a shame they can't be renovated in some way to keep them visible for the future and we shall be returning to have another look around soon..
Then there is the other side to modern day city decoration, another part of the old town with a shops shutters adorned with so called street art, now call me old fashioned, I know which one I much prefer to look at!