Un autre insecte en visite dans notre jardin – Another insect visitor to our garden

Stick insect – Bacillus rossius

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Les moulins à vent de Montagne, en Gironde – The windmills of Montagne, Gironde

Les cinq moulins à vent de Calon sont situés sur une colline près de Montagne, en Gironde. Sur les 5 moulins, 2 ont été rénovés.

The five windmills of Calon sit on a hill close to Montagne, Gironde. Of the 5 mills 2 have been renovated.

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Prendre un café dans le cloître des Cordeliers, Saint Emilion, Gironde

Having a coffee in the cloisters of Les Cordeliers, Saint Emilion, Gironde

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Une petite touche d’automne – A little touch of Autumn

Promenade dans la forêt l’après-midi – Afternoon walk in the forest.

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Le coucher du soleil, Saint Aigulin, Charente Maritime Sunset, Saint Aigulin, Charente Maritime

Tempêtes – storms

Les tempêtes, elles vont et viennent.. – Storms, they come and they go.

Avant que….. Before……

Durant……. During…..

Après. After

mai 2021 – Saint Emilion – May 2021

Saint Emilion entered through the eastern, Brunet gate. This gate dates from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Saint-Emilion est entré par la porte Est, Brunet. Cette porte date des XIIe et XIIIe siècles.

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Across Saint Emilion and out on the west side.

De l’autre côté de Saint Emilion et du côté ouest.

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A reminder that stage 20 of the 2021 Tour de France finishes in Saint Emilion on Saturday 17th July.

Rappelons que l’étape 20 du Tour de France 2021 se termine à Saint Emilion le samedi 17 juillet.

Journées d’hiver ensoleillées en Périgord – Sunny winter days in Périgord

Daily walks on sunny winter days near Saint Aulaye and Puymangou.

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Balades quotidiennes aux beaux jours d’hiver près de Saint Aulaye et Puymangou.

The sun doesn’t always shine but when it does….

Le soleil ne brille pas toujours mais quand il le fait …

Soleil d’automne – Autumne sunshine

Every season has its delights – chaque saison a ses joie.

Gurat – a less well known underground church

Gurat is a small, well kept ville in south Charente close to the border with the Dordogne. If you approach from the south turn off the main road as you enter the village, cross the small river and park in the small carpark on the right. The signs for the recently improved path to the church will take you across the road and along the banks of the river. During our visit the landscape was verdent and the river at capacity. The walk was very pleasant.

It is a very short walk to the ancient river cliff with the yawning mouth of the cave ahead of you. The present village sits on top of the underground church. Less than 100m away is the conventionally built church of Saint Roch.

The underground church may have been founded by a religious community between the end of the 11th and beginning of the 12th Centuries and was dedicated to St George. This would make it contemporary with the underground church in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne which probably inspired it. It is believed that the church was partially destroyed during the 100 years war and was abandoned as a place of worship during the wars of Religion (C16th). It is likely that it was for private rather than public worship.

Inside it is dramatic and, given its size, impressive. The ‘nave’ is wide with pillars on one side. At one end is the yawning gap that leads out of the cliff to the burials beyond. Above the entrance is a room with silos for food storage giving an idea of the buildings purpose after the religious function had been abandoned.

The guage on one of the pillars indicates that there is concern for the long-term integrity of this very interesting building.