If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you have seen these photos but I’m going to use them for this post anyway. While we have Sunshine today, we also have a very strong wind so, except for a trip to the grocery store, I’ve stayed inside.

After days of rain I was so happy to get up one morning and see this. Blue sky, rising sun reflected in the clouds-perfect.

I was so happy to see sunshine on the flowers for sale at our little market. Just brightened my day.

We had Maurice’s sister and her sister in law over for lunch one day but it was too cold to eat on our terrace so we brought our new table inside. You know what was a hit? My American mashed potatoes. My secret? Evaporated milk and Lawry’s Garlic Salt.

I was brought these lovely pink roses fresh out of the garden. I enjoyed them for days and they were sometimes the only color I saw unless you count shades of gray(50 shades of gray?) and flat beige beach colors. This coming week is said to be a bit better but on the cool side. All I know is that I love it when the sun comes out.

It has been raining and blowing for four straight days and I haven’t been outside in all that time. I don’t mind rain but, add the wind, and I choose to stay inside. I have many photos of warmer, sunnier, blue skied days so, until I get outside which should be today as there is no rain today (!!), here’s all I’ve got:

There’s a cute little street in our village where Maurice’s doctor has her office and this is one of the sweet little cottages there with blooming roses over the door.

Almost all of the homes here have names on them. I liked this one.

A cottage called My Dream with a glass awning over the door.

Many places have this lace like trim along the roof with this house having lace in the window too.

And a corner boulangerie advertising all the types of bread you can find inside.

PS-I fixed the problem with the comments all by myself just by chance so feel free to leave one!

The weather has been bad here the last few days with more rain on the way so, even if I wanted to go outside, there wouldn’t be many opportunities for photos so I’m posting a bit more on the very interesting walled city of Brouage. It was a really important place at one time, not only for military reasons but it was also the top exporter of salt. The areas eventually became unusable and that trade died out.

I saw a bust of Richlieu and wondered why until I read a girl that King Louis XIV loved was sent here to Bourage to separate the two lovers so a marriage could be arranged for political reasons. Life can be an opera for some people, especially if you are a king.

I’m a sucker for painted doors with flowers over or around them.

The huge stable area which had been converted into shops.

A giant wisteria vine. I’m a sucker for that too.

One of the turrets on the wall which surrounds Bourage. I always wonder about the soldiers who had to stand in these day and night looking for possible enemy approaching. Not how I would want to pass my time in a job.

The other day we had lunch with Maurice’s sister and her sister in law. Afterwards, Sylvette, took us on a little tour-it’s not far from where we live-and, as always, we saw a new and interesting area. We went to an old fortified town, totally surrounded by walls, called Bourage. It’s a delightful place and it was fun to stroll around.

There were cute shops to visit and this one had these very old mannequins out front wearing some vintage clothing.

Loved this door with the vine growing around it.

The little church there has a connection to Quebec as you can see by this window. The reason is because Samuel de Champlain was born here in Bourage. He discovered Canada for the King of France and opened up fur trade. Who knew?

A friendly cat outside the church desperate for attention.

Poppies are starting to bloom.
I realize as I posted these photos, that I don’t really show much of the village of Bourage. There were ramparts to explore, and a large stable area which had been converted into shops, and I have photos of those. I may get them up in a blog post at some point. So much fun to explore this new to us area.

I’ve done a lot of eating-and drinking-this week. I could post photos of just what I ate and have a full post but I decided to add a little variety.

I didn’t eat this. Maurice did. Many Americans are grossed out when a fish arrives with the head and tail but you just remove them and then cut out the filet and it’s very good and moist. I had fish at this meal too but mine was already filleted.

A pretty flower I saw at a house where we had lunch. It’s a clematine, clematis, something like that. Very exotic looking.

This being Spring in France, I am always on the outlook for wisteria and finding it. This was a huge vine and smelled especially wonderful.

An old lighthouse taken with my IPhone and, using Instagram, changed a bit in color with filters. I love lighthouses.

The best sunset I’ve seen since we’ve been here. Most don’t seem very dramatic. I guess I’ve been spoiled by those in Arizona, but, I’ll take what I can get.

Life is interesting on the beach. I don’t even have to leave our apartment to get photos but it’s always more fun if I do.

There was a vide grenier (a French flea market) nearby at a school and it was mostly junk-no professionals like there usually are. I didn’t see anything I wanted but this pink seltzer bottle but the seller wanted too much money. He would give us a special deal if we bought the blue one too. I don’t think I would gave done it but Maurice, unlike himself, handed over the cash so now I have both. I may give the blue one to someone as a gift but I sort of like it now.

Look at this wisteria! We were in a car with Maurice’s sister looking for the vide grenier when I spotted it and had her stop the car. I”ve seen photos of this variety before but never in person. So beautiful.

We saw this on a bike ride the other day. I loved the yellow flowers reflected in the water.

There are fences separating parts of the beach from some protected sand dunes and I saw this lady sunbathing probably hoping for privacy. I thought she looked rather artistic, like someone in a painting.