Grandchildren catchup

Not exactly a grandchild but Sacha enjoyed trying to get Mr Kite to fly!

It was a bit too gusty though

On the way back from the beach we spotted this lone egret...

...if you look closely you’ll see its beautiful plumage.

One day we took Sacha to the playpark at La Faute

The pirate ship is always a success

Look Papy, I can climb this tree...

...and very happy he is too.

Little did we know but a couple of days later photos came through of Betty & Allie having similar adventures

We haven’t see these two for so long now: Alfie will be overtaking Mamie soon

Hot news: Alfie now has a karate yellow belt...

...Betty has attitude (I think we knew that)...

...and our pool is open and warming up nicely, Sacha testing the temperature.

Walks out with friends

Isabelle doesn’t work Fridays and Maryse & Yves were on holidays from work so we happily said yes when asked if we were up for a cycle ride and picnic on la Plage des Chardons, exactly on our 10km limit at La Faute.

On arrival we find a good choice of beaches...

...with very few other people around. Here Maryse is posing with an eco-bin behind, there for visitors to deposit beach debris.

Five out of six ain’t bad, your faithful blogger behind the lens.

Another day we continue the ragondin walk (not seeing any though)...

...Maryse & I dawdling behind the professionals!

Yet another day and this time a walk near Longeville...

...complete with very strange and rather large butterfly/moth. There’s nothing to show its size but its wingspan was nearly 10cm/4in.

Thanks to Maryse for several of these photos.

Exploring closer to home

Yet more limits with another lockdown here in France: not only under curfew each night (harder when the days are longer and brighter) but also there is a 10 km limit for travel without paperwork. Never mind, we'll just have to find places new to us closer to home. 

La Terrière is a part of La Tranche (you've seen lots of photos taken on its magnificent beach) but it was fun to wander round the backstreets and alleyways of the centre.

This sculpted head looking over visitors entering the cottage...

...and these two wild boar guarding their residence (with a bit of help from a chain).

We were amused by this road name, 'The road that only just goes up/climbs'. An accurate description!

Lots of bright yellows everywhere from the Californian poppies (eschscholzia) growing from many cracks in the pavement

Hidden away is the little chapel, sadly closed so no visit possible

Wow, a commercial aeroplane! We don't see many of those going overhead at the moment.

Easter & a post-vaccination walk

As you will know the Covid-19 vaccination program in France has been rather slow to get going so I was really happy to finally get my first dose on 2nd April and be booked in for the second dose on 30th April. Tine, being SO much younger than me, has her two appointments on 20th April and 18th May. Hopefully we'll be able to travel again soon, and maybe even manage a long-awaited return to the UK.

The appointments are in a big vaccination centre at Luçon so we made the most of the short journey there to sample another walk, Les Charrières.

As you can see the weather was rather dull but we managed to see flocks of egrets...

...a couple of very placid cows...

...and lots of sheep with their youngsters.

We didn't have long as the curfew kicks in at 7pm each evening until 6am next day. We'll have to return to do the full 8km walk.

I'm sure Tikka isn't allowed chocolate but he does make a great Easter card!

Matt, Cynthia & Sacha (disguised as a pirate of course) came round on Easter Sunday, along with Alicia. Here showing off their findings from the egg hunt in our garden.

Sacha with his little 'brother'!

A few days later what should I see alongside the allotments? Yes, obviously the Easter bunny!

Searching for le Barrage du Braud

In late February we explored a footpath near to the bridge between La Faute and l'Aiguillon. 

We spotted the 'barrage' but the weather was bitterly cold and we decided to return another day

A month later: let's see if we can get access from the other side, but no it's still in the distance

Instead we discovered lovely views over the waterways and locks

Posts at an angle: you can tell they're dug into the old seabed with its shifting sands

We're not alone though...

...with Mr & Mrs Stork awaiting their new family.

OK, back to the 'other' side...

This cormorant has a good vantage point...

...overlooking the River Lay at low tide with its treacherous mud-banks.

...but this time we walk right up to the dam.

For those interested, a short YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quvp8Bvl3Fk)

Back to the car but loved these teasels with a blu-sky backdrop.