It's really lovely here. The place we are staying at is a an old farmhouse that has been converted into a bed and breakfast. We have our own room and bathroom on a private floor and the family who runs the place has welcomed us in with open arms. We almost feel like one of them. The main farm owners are Pat and Jeff who run the B&B but currently their daughter and her family are also living with them until their house finishes being built that will eventually be right next door. The daughers name is Kathy (or Kate), her husband's name is Ian and they have two gorgeous kids, Charlotte 7 and Georges 11 months. The farm part is mostly just a small field that provides the family with veggies, a garden for herbs and decorative reasons and 2 chicken coops with 27 hens and one rooster, or cockeral as they call it. There is also one pet chicken named peu peu who lives on the front porch and wanders around freely. She's smaller than most because she's a Crested Bantem chicken and acts like a cat loving to be petted while sitting on your lap and will peck at your feet when she wants up. There is also a greenhouse they call the Poly Tunnel on Kathy's land as well as a few fruit trees. A river runs through their land and they also own small plot by a pond that requires maintenance. There really aren't many people who live around here so you can see forever into the distance. Just trees, fields and rivers. So pretty. It's really quite a view to wake up to and hasn't yet ceased to awe me when I get a chance to take a good look.
The side of the barn
Mostly the work consists of feeding the chickens in the morning and doing various garden work. Less planting flowers and more clearing plots of land, digging holes, transfering dirt and plants to and from different areas of the farm and clearing brush. The first day we worked we picked up a bunch of dead brances and brambles that had collected and were sent to burn them in a bonfire. Another day we cleared bushes, dead plants and nettlles from a hillside. We mowed the lawn once and hoed a field another time. These sorts of things. We also got to pick and plant some veggies a couple times. We even got to pluck a chicken once! Overall we get to do a lot of different things and we are always surprised by the task which we would get each morning after the chicken feeding and breakfast. Then we work till noon and have the afternoon off where we read or explore or play with Charlotte. We rowed around the nearby river one afternoon and Camille attempted to help me ride a bike another day. Sometimes we help with meals or other small tasks around the house. On our day off we explored the nearby town of Bressuire with it's wooden shuttered stone buildings and beautiful chateau on a hill. Mostly we just learn a lot and relax. After all the busy travelling we were doing it feels really good to just be in one place and enjoy it.
Camille posing for a portrait by Charlotte. It turned out magnificent. She's a budding artist.
Ruins of old chateau in Bressuire
Newer chataeu in Bressuire with frenchy Camille in front
The family we are staying with makes it easy. They are just great people and so fun. Lots of laughs here. They are helping us learn about British culture mostly, and friend secondarily while we are teaching them our redneck ways. They really like when we do southern accents! And they made a point to teach us some cockney rhyming slang (I think that's what it's called. Sorry Ian!). They will be very missed when we leave.
Jeff, our farm boss, at his perch with an amazing chocolat fondant cake in front that we made!
So that's it for now. Want to put more photos iin later but we will see what time allows. For more check out my facebook page, it's SO much easier to load photos there. Will be heading off to Carcassone with our new Eurail passes Saturday for a day then Montpellier on Sunday. Until then Au Revoir and A Bientot!
-Kim
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