Lac du Der

A full lake earlier in the year

Lac du Der is full again. I am sure Paris is relieved (Paris drinking water is here, it also stops flooding in winter and drying up in summer).

Sailing?

And on bank holiday weekend the sun came out. Here some enthusiasts enjoy being in and out of the water.

Flying?

Walkabout

April. Time to get out into the parks, although this April has been spectacularly wet!

Beautiful borders

Here the Mayor's garden in Vitry has been beautifully planted and tended. It is too early for photos of the roses, but this border was worth a picture using my phone.

Bluebells

And there are bluebells in France! We have seen very few but these were in a park in nearby Chalons.







And in the same park, another rare bird, a 'space-age' toilet. Most impressed, and also in need, I approached it to understand its workings...

Modernity

As you can see there was a complex-looking control panel. It had an electronic display.

Use, don't abuse

There is audio help if needed. 

The seat is disinfected, washed, and dried after each use. 

The floor is cleaned too.

The control display said

"Pas Disponible"

or in other words

"Out of Order".

Moving house

We moved.
Not far.
Just a few streets away.
But now we have a small garden and lots more space.
It went quite well. Not least due to the 3 men, a car and a small van, that turned up from our church to help on the day.
All done by noon.
Phew!
And we are nearly straight. Already Brian has visited (he came the day after we moved, but we spent most of our time at the country house - see pictures). And we have lots of space to host families, 3 bedrooms and an attic to be precise. We even still have our sofa-bed in the living room.

Dining in Vitry

Here a view of the dining room ready to entertain you....
There is a little more furniture now and the plant has moved! But you get the idea I hope!

Hot Cross Buns

Just baked buns

Hot Cross Buns don't exist in France (at least we could not find any). So June did the logical thing and made some. Kind of hard to get all of the ingredients exactly the same but I can vouch for the taste.

Mariette pulls a fast one

The blog about our visit to Mariette got messed up by dear Blogger and co. 
So it's gone.

The Glums

Re: Les Miserables

The English name for the stage production is "The Glums". - AJW
I can believe it!

The film versions were very long for all their abbreviations so I can't imagine it on stage at all. There are so many stories on the periphery that you would probably confuse your audience in you did include them. Most of them are depressing in their concept but the book does not come across that way. Probably why it is remarkable literature.

Most of the stories are typical French romantic- terrible self-sacrifices for a lie (but they don't know that and often die in happy ignorance). And then there are the main characters who triumph despite the odds stacked against them. For the rest, all of humanity is analysed within the backdrop of "the glorious history of France"- or sometimes "inglorious".

Can't put it down once I have picked it up!

--
Terry 

Les Miserables

Terry has seen this film im the English and the French versions. The
actors are the same but the French version has more scenes than the
English (dubbed one).
Now he has read up to book 4 (but not as far as volume 2) he can
confidently report that both film versions have greatly abbreviated
it!
"I will watch the film versions with a much better understanding!" T

--
Envoyé avec mon mobile

Regards
Terry and June Westoby
Fixé +33(0)9 81 47 75 13 (à Vitry)
Mobile +33(0)6 75 91 87 71
Business email twestoby@acthom.fr
Roaming email terrywestoby@gmail.com
Skype: terry.westoby
Website www.westobyweb.com
Blog: http://westofthetown.blogspot.com/
Photos: photo.westobyweb.com