Looking back it’s over 3 months since the last blog post!
That might be because we haven’t been out and about much but at last it looks like Summer may have arrived ☀️😊
April was spent in the UK giving us the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. May was spent mainly at home trying to keep on top of the garden which has become forest like due to all the rain. However that does mean that we have some lovely colour now that the sun is appearing.
Sun or not France is up and running with seasonal festivities.
Recently we drove south for an hour, on the spur of the moment to check out a Fête de la Ruralite expecting a few artisan trade stands and a local band. Got there to find it was being held in the grounds of a wonderful Domaine and it was amazing! (If you aren’t happy about tradition and country pursuits then read no further)
The tradestands were varied woodcrafts, metalwork, artists, basket weavers, taxidermist and plenty of food and wine.
These smart gents were part of the chasse ‘band’, there with their wonderful circular hunting horns as part of the celebration and service to Saint Hubert patron saint of hunters.
A full service led by this gentleman
And click below for the sounds of French chasse horns
we were also fascinated by the field trials in progress, with some very enthusiastic pooches!
Most of them moving too fast to catch a photo 😂
This fellow just liked posing.
Then we took a wander around the chasse area, I never knew so many types of hound existed!!! All very friendly or chilled out to the extent of falling asleep. Just a little aside here, sanglier (wild boar) and the various breeds of deer are hunted at specific times in the year, when they require culling due to their numbers doing damage to crops. Any killed are subsequently consumed and not by the hounds! Nothing goes to waste in France.
Just a few of the hounds on display large and small.
And tucked in a corner two hunt horses, put money on them being French trotter bred.
The previous weekend was a visit to view Chris’ sort of horsepower at the annual vehicle rally in Sigogne.
And so this post swings from wet, wintery weather to blue skies and sunshine ☀️ hoping that Summer has finally arrived.
Yes, mostly the chasse are on foot but also there are mounted chasse days.
Great to read as always Sue. Loved seeing the hounds of course as they always so interesting for me. We now have Archer our 3yo English Pointer who would so love to go hunting with them – I have to keep him on a very tight lead when he sees roos. It is very cold and frosty here so most envious of your lovely looking garden. Hope to see it one day. We have just got back from 3 weeks in Canada which was most interesting. Keep the posts up as I love reading them and it also reminds me so much of our valued friendship.
Glad the Canadian trip went well Liz, look forward to seeing you here one day.
I thought you might enjoy the gundogs. 😂 At last we have Summer with temperatures getting into the 30’s