This weekend I have been showing my work at a small exhibiton in the village. The private view was on friday night, and is a different affair from a PV at home. For a start no one gets a drink until some speeches have been made. This entails all the artists standing together, usually with the mayor or similar dignintary starting off proceedings, and then all the artists in turn talking about their work. It can take quite a while...and not even a glass of wine to hand! Although asked, I managed to avoid having to speak this time...what a terrifying thought, speaking french to a group of people I don't know. Still, it was all good fun, and I got to meet lots more locals who have seen me cycling around for years but didn't really know what I got up to.
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| Looking through Quince blossom to my studio |
I heard them say on GQT last week that the blossom has been particulaly splendid this year and I have to agree. I can't remember a time when the spring looked so good as this year, perhaps partly because it was a long cold winter...or it seemed like that because of the early snow in november, but whatever, it does seem like a really lovely spring.
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| Hazel window in hedge |
My friend Hamish comes out once or twice a year and sorts my hedges for me. Not being a person to to do anything conventionally, he makes little windows in the hedges to frame certain aspects of the house or garden.
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| Orchard in front garden |
Many houses in France lay their front gardens to vegetables or fruit...I love this idea, and this is one of my favourites. It is on the route I cycle from Dieppe, and I think it looks just georgeous.
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looking south down the Scie
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| looking north up the Scie |
On the way to our house you have to pass over a little river. It is kept really tidy and clean down there, as most of rural Normandy seems to be, and is a great place for a picnic in the summer.
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| Hamish's houseboat |
Last week I had a 'Warmshowers' cyclist staying with me in France. He is an American, touring through France and Britain on his bike. He came back to Brighton with me and I took him down to see my mates on the houseboats in Shoreham....well, you can't come all the way from Americay just to see the usual tourist sites eh?. At the moment I think he is wild camping somewhere in rural Wales, eating cold oatmeal and fish from cans. Hope you're keeping warm Ryan?!
Hey Fran!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and garden. Let me know when you will let me build a water garden there with spawning gold fish!
Cold oatmeal starting to taste better. Cold coffee isn't
North of St. Davids now. Dreamy pebble beach camping. Snowdonia here I come.