Bonjour
Hope you had a good week.
Easter seems like ages away already, it went by in whirl for me as I grappled with a greenhouse kit at the weekend. The chickens observed the human activity with great curiosity and Barbie the blonde chicken decided to move into the old broken greenhouse now that its been replaced with a new plastic (hopefully longer lasting in a hailstone storm) version. She is nesting on 4 eggs, Kendo Nagasaki, her Japanese ornamental cockerel boyfriend, has never yet managed to be a father, and we’ve had him for several years. But, I’m quite hopeful as I think the offspring of Barbie and Kendo could be very pretty, maybe even contenders for the annual French Miss Chicken and Mr Cock Beauty Contest! Watch this space…
Meanwhile, Madame Pepper Pot has become a regular fixture on my morning walks. After we helped her shunt a cow out of her front garden back into the field, she’s taken to wandering up the lane to say hello, accompanied by her yappy Bichon Frise dog called “Chou Chou” a term of endearment in France, though literally it means cabbage. How such a lovely old lady can have such a menace of a dog is beyond me. Chou Chou growls at me, snarls, bares its teeth and tries to wee up my leg. “Shoo shoo” I call, alas it just seems to make matters worse…
I’m sending you this (if you’re reading it on Saturday when I push the button to send it) from Lille, a wonderfully cultural city in the north of France. I’m here to dicover more about Lille3000 art festival which starts this weekend and goes on until December. It is one of the most amazing art events in France, think giant moon hanging in a train station, huge sculptures, concerts, performances and dozens of exhibitions which range from the sublime to the amazing. If you’re lucky enough to get a chance to visit this city to see some of the truly incredible exhibitions in the streets and public buildings of the city and its suburbs, I think you’ll be as amazed as I am (details). I’m sharing photos on Instagram as I go…
Bisous from sunny France,
Janine
Editor
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