Holidays




Open the front door of my house, take a right turn and continue along the path. The fields are bursting to the brim as far as the eye can see with sunflowers. Scattered in between are fields of newly harvested wheat, their stumps creating a deep golden ragged carpet. On a clear calm morning such as today the entire vista is picture postcard perfect. Le Vent Marin, a warm marine wind from the Mediterranean blew this week though, and boy did she blow. It made the girlie's dance, shake and lift their faces to shiver and shimmy in their flouncy yellow dresses. It was too violent to open the windows, the old shutters groaned and strained on their hinges and I lost two of my beloved flowerpots as they flew over the terrace discarding their jolly bright red geraniums. I sat and cursed silently, pacing up and down as I watched the pool water level plummet and imagined the garden shrivelling up and dying in front of my eyes. I valiantly struggled out to pull some weeds but they were thrown back in my face as the wind laughed at such foolishness.

Progress though, and this is depending on your viewpoint or maybe its just a sign of the times, took place the other day with the installation of English satellite TV in my house. Apparently its now a real clincher so I hastily added this vital gobbit of information on the website and am now sitting back awaiting the flurry of late enquiries as people tire of waiting for the great British scorcher which hasn't arrived according to my sources and decide to come to the South of France for their own Indian summer in September/October. I'll let you into a little secret, and I don't often do this but I will on this rare occasion. I stared long and hard at the most ridiculously cheap flights in October last night but in the end decided there was nothing I wanted to do more than to stay put.

We lead such an exciting life here you see. You never know when a phone calls going to come through and you're off for a 'jolly'. Take the other day for example, completely out of the blue there's a film producer on the line wondering if 'The Grand Duchess' (my 1951 Riley motor car) can pootle along to the utterly charming Chateau de Saint Michel de Lanes . We didn't take much persuading and the old girl was given her customary buffing. Sadly though the heavens decided to open on July 14th this year so it was a rather soggy affair to say the least. By the time we arrived back home it was too late to go and see the fireworks in Carcassonne but as it was Bastille Day I rather reckoned that French TV would, at the very least, have some footage of the old crooner Johnny Hallyday warbling in front of the Eiffel Tower whilst rockets zoomed into the night sky as the whole of France revelled. No comment. Nothing. Zilch. The air turned blue.

I daresay you may be thinking that I can't have it all. Sunflowers, Chateau's, film shoots and she wants the fireworks too ?

Well yes, that's the sort of person I am.

Easy going.

Comments

Frances said…
Bon jour, Sally.

Your glorious sunflowers are so cheery ... they really say French summer to me.

That fierce hot wind sounds amazing. Is it a once a summer push, or can it repeat as weather fronts undulate?

Sometimes when we have very, very windy days here in New York, I am worried about heavy "stuff" blowing off skyscrapers under construction. Does happen every now and then. All the same, sorry about the flowerpots and geraniums.

Think you are brilliant to get that tv access, and to invite the sun-deprived for early autumn.

xo
ChrisH said…
Nothing wrong at all with wanting fireworks too! Well, it's lovely to see a field of jolly sunflowers as all I've seen for days are thumping great grey clouds and lashings of rain - if it goes on like this you'll be flooded too, but only with last-minute bookings.
Pondside said…
I loved that photo of the sunflowers, with their petals blown back like a girl's long hair in an open-topped car!
You live in a paradise - why on earth would you ever even thing of leaving?
Your photographs are a joy to look at - thanks, Lesley
muddyboots said…
higher sweetie! love the flowers.
susan said…
Hi sally
just been led to your blog via garden fate now we're talking! we've just got back from long weekend with friends who have a prop in Carcassonne I'm in Love
best kept secret Missed jousting at the mediaeval town plane to catch gutted
Susan
susan said…
Don't bother me with your problems hot weather indeed!!!
Anyway back to good old blighty I'd love you to come and join us in Somerset for a get together of talented ladies guess no chance.
Web-site link renaissancebespokecurtains apologies still under construction but the bones are there
Have your guests arrived yet!!!wish it was me
Susan

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