There have been times over the past few years when Conor and I have toyed with the idea of moving to the country. Well now we're here and actually doing it, and it is beautiful. Le Roc St Andre is in the heart of provincial France. Think of Van Gogh's haystacks with Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony playing in the background, and you'll have an idea of the surrounding landscapes. Small roads cut through the countryside linking village to village, and we drive past fields with neatly rolled hay bales, oak trees and hedgerows skirting the edges. Farmhouses and village houses in old stone crawling with roses, geraniums sprouting from terracotta pots, bushes of blowsy hydrangeas (or hortensias, as they are called in France) in blues and purples nestling close to the walls. Sleepy villages that are impossibly pretty, we find ourselves murmuring Wow so often that we are wearing the word out.
The river Oust runs near our house. It links up with the canal that runs from Nantes to Brest. It also runs past the beautiful town of Josselin, famed for its medieval castle. A fifteen minute drive from our house, we visited on Friday, and were so impressed that we went back again on Saturday.
The river runs right past the castle. A family still occupies those splendid towers.
Josselin is built on a hill sloping up from the river. It's full of lovely narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants and houses with windows and shutters in pretty colours, flowers adding to the colour of the scene.
Some of us wanted to rethink our wardrobe choices.
There's a bustling market on Saturdays, and we spent most of that time at the cheese stall.
At the heart of the town is the church complete with protruding gargoyles.
The sun shone down and all was well.
Tout va bien!!
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