A Few Days in Town

The view from the hotel bedroom window, the rooftops, zinc guttering and cooing pigeons reminded me of my time living in Paris.

We have been away for a few days, staying in the beautiful south western town of Pau.  It's only an hour from us but the reason we went was so that the menfolk could enjoy the Grand Prix de Pau Historique.  Pau and Monaco are the only street racing circuits still in existence in France.

A change is as good as a rest and it was lovely to wake up in the centre of a town, walk down the road and enjoy coffee and croissants at a pavement café however the weather was extremely fickle, I think we experienced everything bar snow! I forwent the races and concentrated on the shops and Pau has beautiful shops!  I tend to buy most things on-line these days but nothing beats browsing round a beautiful town, I walked round clad in high heeled ankle boots, that somehow feel wrong in May but ... with the weather. My feet were almost dropping off by the time I had finished. 

 My purchases included a new tote bag and these plimsolls, every Summer I invest in a pair, normally classic navy blue, this year I was thinking about Converse, all the well heeled ladies in Pau seemed to be wearing them, but I wore Converse when I was a teenager with drainpipe jeans and mohair jumpers, as soon as I clapped my eyes on these lavender Pataugas, I was sold, with a Summer holiday in Provence and Corsica looming, I just know they will get a lot of wear!

My new plimsolls

We are back home again now and typically the weather is beautiful, whilst we have been away things have been stirring in the garden.

White Clematis Montana clambering into the Neflier tree

White Bleeding Heart

Crusoe happy to be back home in his garden, taking a break before the next round of ball chasing and tackling anybody willing enough to run with his ball...Johnny Wilkinson, you have serious competition, Crusoe is available on most days to assist Rugby training, you kick he will bring the ball back every time...he is happy to do this for hours!

A quick stretch before the off!

The haze of White Wisteria on our balcony is coming into bloom

This creature is a Carpenter Bee, they are huge but harmless, you can't see here but their wings are iridescent and they are really rather beautiful, a friend of ours nicknamed it 'The Prada Bee'

 Prada Bee, photo from the internet

Because everything cannot be White... the First Rose in bloom, from the garden and yes the scent is sublime.