Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, a lovely riverside villa.

 Winter view of a riverside villa in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.

French antiques, - an eclectic display of 'objets vintage and antique'.

A mish mash of French vintage and antique objects displayed on a stand in an antique centre in Abernyte, nr Perth,  Scotland. Formica kitchen chairs c1950, zinc lanterns, metal bottle carriers, 18th century pottery plates, and rustic country jugs mingle.  A large antique French flag stands in the foreground.

Antique English tile with snowdrop design.

A 19th century English tile with attractive snowdrop design. This type of tile was used extensively to decorate fireplace surrounds, this one is c1890 - 1900. 

 

A lovable dog, a 'heinz 57' variety waits for his master in Paris.

A lovable dog, a Heinz 57 variety waits patiently, tied to a waste bin.  This  photograph was taken  in the 5th arrondissement  in Paris!

Another view of the above! taken November 2011.

Gelatine, advertising recipe booklet.

Gelatine is a strange substance derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. Since approximately 1997 there have been fears about using gelatine because of the potential risk of transmitting animal diseases, especially BSE, and since 1997 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been monitoring it.
The above recipe booklet of c1940 contains recipes for savouries, salads, milk puddings and ice cream.  

Paris staircase.

A magnificent Paris 6 floor staircase.

French sheep and a lonely rabbit.

Two sheep and a caged rabbit enjoy the sun on a late November day in France.

Dolmen, Pierre Folle, St. Priest la Feuille, Creuse, France.

Distant view of the mysterious dolmen.

The Dolmen, St.Priest la Feuille France,  is set in the magnificent Creuse countryside with Limousin cattle grazing nearby. The dolmen sends a strong shadow and the top stone rests on  only 3 stones. Probably a tomb, it stands on a hill with a standing stone nearby. The supporting standing stones may have moved over the many years and a front stone is broken. It is magnificent, particularly from a distance.

Chinese lanterns, marigolds, nasturtians, quince, and gym shoes. Paintings by Tessa Bennett.

French edible mushroom.

This is an edible  mushroom picked in the woods of Limousin today. In French it is called a culmel (that spelling may not be correct)! It is as yet not open. I am told they taste good especially in an omelette. Could be the Scaly Tricholoma.

A loved Paris mongrel awaits his master.

Dog awaits his master in a Paris Boulevard.

Autumn leaves on a lawn just outside the Grand Palais, Paris.

These beautiful leaves were lying on a lawn outside The Grand Palais, Paris, 13th November 2011. 

Paris - Has the magic gone? Down and outs roam the streets, November 2011.

Moving on.

All their possessions packed into 2 supermarket trolleys.

A home from home constructed from pallets and orange boxes, central Paris.Inside is a man asleep on a mattress with bedding.

There could be goodies here. The contents of a litter bin are emptied onto the pavement.

 

 

Photographs taken in Paris, France. November 2011.

Limousin bull takes a liking to a cow.

A young Limousin bull takes a liking to a particular cow. She appears to be already pregnant.

Windfall apples, painting by Tessa Bennett.

A painting of French windfall apples, by Tessa Bennett. 

The common toad just before he hibernates.

The common toad.  Yesterday evening he visited the back door, no doubt he will soon be hibernating for the Winter.

General de Gaulle, Monsieur Rising Price, cartoon Daily Express 1962.

A pertinent cartoon from The Daily Express 1962.

Quinces 2, November 2011

Painting of quinces by Tessa Bennett.

More cranes migrate. They fly South over Central France, November 1st 2011.

Hundreds of cranes re-orientate  themselves in their flight South towards Spain.

Cranes fly South in echelon formation.

 Cranes fly South in echelon formation.

Hundreds of cranes regroup and realign their flight path to form echelons  heading towards  their Southern Winter home probably in Spain. 

Hundreds of cranes move into echelon format on their migration flight South.

Spoooooooooky! a pumpkin carved out to make a Jack o' Lantern.

One of the traditions at Halloween is to display a pumpkin carved into a comic or a gruesome head. A candle is placed inside, and this makes a Jack o' Lantern. In earlier times in Ireland and Scotland instead of a pumpkin a turnip was used or even a fat cabbage stalk. The lantern was placed in a dark window and was thought to keep the evil spirits away. Let's hope it works!

Cranes spotted in France flying South, October 2011.

Cranes spotted in central France flying South, probably to Spain.  They  form an echelon which is aerodynamic, and they keep in touch with each other by calling  constantly.  This photograph shows a few of many hundreds that fly on this trajectory every year.  

Knitting and crochet - The Tricot Journal, Paris 1934

Front cover illustration from the Tricot Journal of Paris 1934. The magazine is full of patterns for making chic  jackets, socks, waistcoats, blouses, hats, dresses for children etc., when the skill of the crochet hook was at its height.

Gaspar and Gontrond, the Yorkshire miniature terriers go on the offensive! and a small gothic house in France.

The miniature Yorkshire terriers Gaspar and Gontrond spy out the next door garden where a large Pyrenean  mountain dog stares back at them, through the fence!

A wonderful little gothic house in France, - probably belonging originally to the priest.

The attic window in a small gothic house in a village in Indre, France.

Quinces, a painting.

Quinces in a bowl, a painting by Tessa Bennett.

French chestnuts, (marrons/chataignes).

Chestnuts date back to prehistoric times and are a wonderful food source. They were introduced to Europe via Greece. Chestnuts contain twice as much starch as potatoes, and can be eaten in many forms.
The photograph shows the chestnut in it's outer prickly shell and its shiny brown shell, beneath is an inner skin which has to be removed before cooking and eating.They are collected in October in France, and can be roasted, boiled, or ground into flour.

Walnuts in France.

Walnuts gathered in France. The shells in this variety are fairly smooth not thick, and unlike many types of walnuts don't have ridges, so more nut and less shell.