The new and improved Starfish & Coffee

It's been all change at the Starfish & Coffee in December, whilst Matt, Cynthia & Sacha jetted off to Bali, leaving the old folk to keep their eye on things.

Old windows removed, new wall built near the dartboard...

...and fake wall for security. You never know who might be knocking.

The entrance is now higher up the road...

...and there are much easier-to-use openings.

There's even an electric shutter on the entrance

The tiles look like wood and have been laid at a jaunty angle

There was a slight hiccup when they ran out of wider tiles. Luckily a further order from Italy arrived just in time!

It was all hands on deck to be ready for the reopening...

...but everyone was impressed with the finished product!

Painting the shutters & Alicia's tree

Now that the render is all finished on 'the turret' we thought we'd better tackle the shutters before the winter set in. It's a big job, with seventeen shutters of varying sizes, the front door and porch, and all the frames to be done. Using the trestle pairs it took four days to do one shutter. With four pairs of trestle tables I'll leave you to do the Maths!

We had two workshops: this one in the conservatory, and the other in the 'East Wing'

One of the artists in action

We're very proud of our efforts!

Now to repaint the render on the rest of the house, which is looking very jaded in comparison. That can wait for the spring though...

In early December there was the annual tree-planting ceremony in Les Floralies park, one for each new-born in the town.

It looked like young friends Séb & Anna's daughter Alicia would sleep through it...

...but she woke up just in time for the big moment.

Meanwhile Sacha's tree is now taller than Tine...

...and new arrival Victor was on hand to watch proceedings.

Wanderings

Whilst Tine enjoys one of her classes at La Faute I've been doing the 'big shop' at L'Aiguillon Super U, then going for a bit of an explore.

These are the mud-flats of the River Lay, with L'Aiguillon in the background,...

...the scene of the terrible storm in 2010 when 29 victims lost their lives.

I couldn't find any information about this permanent display by the bridge between the two towns...

...but this campsite is still not in use.

Venturing into L'Aiguillon I spotted this old windmill hidden away. This is as near as we got as it's privately owned.

Another day we did my regular walk through the houses to La Grière and back along the beach

There weren't a lot of people to be seen...

...except for a few kite-surfers.

La Pointe de l'Aiguillon

Waking up on a Sunday morning to such a blue sky we couldn't resist driving down the coast to revisit La Pointe de L'Aiguillon.

This is the 'spit' where the water from Le Sèvre Niortaise meets the sea. It can be more dramatic when there are big waves.

Tine has inherited my old camera and was having fun!

You think you're on your own, then you spot a group of bird-watchers

Don't think they were very impressed with the cormorants, but we were

Further along, a couple of fishermen. Can you make out the bridge from La Rochelle to L'Île de Ré on the horizon?

A few arty shots with the new camera

We've driven past this derelict house so many times. It IS in the middle of nowhere though.

The ancient island of La Dive

You can well imagine the waves lapping at the base of these cliffs