Grandfather singer

On our last trip to the Berry we were invited to have lunch at Boyfriend's grandparents. I politely declined the home made liver paste, only to be confronted with a plate of tongue (as in the tongue of a dead cow) five minutes later as a main course... let's just say things were a little uncomfortable for a while, but I managed to keep it off my plate and I wasn't even sick from the smell (** proud face**).

As we were leaving, Bernard went out to his garage and rifled around in his trailer. This is what he came up with:

Lots of vintage treasures!! I'm still cleaning some of it up, but the sewing machine now has pride of place on our bookcase. 

It only just fits and I don't think I can get any of the books out from behind it but as I'm not the one reading Pratchett in French I've decided that's OK. To my standards it's very big for something that has no function, but it has sentimental value and all my friends are jealous so I guess we're keeping it. 

Christmas Tours: part 2

On sunday morning we rushed off to my old and very first studio flat to see the current tenant out and get the keys back. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures even though my poor little studio is looking a bit worse for wear. It needs a good lick of paint and new floors and most of all a good clean...lucky for you it doesn't really show too much on the pics.

Boyfriend photobomb! This weekend was full of good photobombs wasn't it?

Here comes my favourite part of the whole tiny studio

The built-in desk that looks out onto a view of the cathedral! I sat on that desk for hours with the windows open just looking at the city or sketching the cathedral and pretending to be a cool art student. Wild times.

We took a walk around my old neighborhood which is very quiet and consists of mostly retired people or very large families (see below)

I wonder if the daugther who got married is still living at home with her husband and their baby. Also, why is the baby just "B"? No name? Maybe they finally ran out of names. It's a very cute idea though don't you think?

 Very insistent dog photobomb

Five minutes on this bench and you will be lucky forever

Nice street art. On to my collection of doors!

 

Nothing says Christmas like a cute little wreath. I can't wait to have a front door of my own so I can go mad with cheesy decorations.

Right, now are you ready for some serious before & after material by my friend Manu? You can see the before below or click here for lots of other pics of their "in progress" house. For now let's focus on the wardrobe though.

Ready? Before:

 After:

Surprise! TWO different wallpapers! Toile de Jouy and hound's tooth. Perfect colours, perfect layout, AND perfectly tidy. Now that's what I call a cupboard. 

 And as a bonus, it lives with the coolest cat in town. Purr purr.

What did we do after our yummy lunch at Manu & David's? Oh yes: we visited the most crowded Christmas market ever and took some pictures and failed to find any beeswax candles (Does anyone know where I can find some?)

 Origami lights! Brilliant!

Then we came across a flea market

Stopped for mulled wine on our way to the station, then home and bed!

Christmas Tours: part 1

So before it's too late and people start gearing up for Easter or something, let me show you a bit of our pre-Christmas weekend in Tours.

I spent 4 years here at uni and I really love the town, it's big enough to be interesting but small enough to feel like a proper home. Well it did at the time, now it just makes me feel old to see how much has changed in the last *beeep* years.

This was my first time staying in a hotel in Tours as we didn't want to impose on friends just before Christmas and this made the weekend feel like more of a treat for us.

Check out our cute hotel right in the middle of the old town:

Reception/breakfast room

I only realised on our last morning that the headboard was an actual headboard, not just painted on the wall...go Caro!

Lovely white painted beams, boots thrown on the floor. Nice. 

I liked the "curtains". I'm sparing you the view of richly inhabited pigeon nests and rain rain rain.

Anyway we treated ourselves to a nice dinner friday night...

...and were ready to hit the shops saturday morning, specifically the covered market where we picked up my favourite breakfast from my favourite bakery (oops this post is turning out to be all about food again). Three-chocolate bread anyone?

Then we were ready for some serious shopping:

I love this flower/ home decor shop as it's full of bargains AND now that I don't like in a mini studio (more on that later) I can actually buy some of their stuff!

Like I said: miserable weather. 

But that didn't stop us from raiding the local Irish shop for Banana bread beer that's half the price you'd pay for it in Paris. And a good book. Hopefully. I haven't started it yet. It's been a very intellectually challenging few days, what with all the eating and watching DVDs...

I like the blackboard with the countdown to Christmas. I can't believe we have to wait another 363 days again now. Thank god for birthdays. And Christmas money. And the SALES, yaaaaay!

After some serious browsing, Boyfriend found an old edition of the new testament which he HAD to have. I guess it's a bit like girls and clothes. Boyfriend and books...sometimes I just don't get it. 

The entrance to the Musée des Beaux Arts. Hello photobomber, am I making you uncomfortable?

The gorgeous Cedar from Lebanon that lives in the courtyard of the Arts museum along with this puppy:

Fritz the elephant! It's a real elephant and a sad story so I'm not going to tell it here because this blog is for fluffy bunnies only and nothing bad ever happens here. 

Time for some more photobombing, this time by a strangely oblivious lady. Christmas shopping frenzy maybe?

Oh santaaaaa, I've been reallyreallyreally good this year, lalalalalalalalaaalalaaa (thank you Mariah). Incidentally, The Pale was one of my favourite hang-outs back in the day...I liked that they always ID'd me even though I was a regular customer. There's a lot to be said for consistency.

And at 5PM on saturday afternoon, suddenly the streets are empty and a little eerie. Where is everyone? At the pub! Where shall we go now? To a pub!! And what do you do after you've had a few beers with friends and you're seriously hungry?

You go round the corner and order a vegetarian cheese-naan kebab in memory of the good old days.

Then instead of hitting the bars AGAIN you go back to your hotel and fall into bed with a full tummy because you are now officially old and need to be asleep by midnight.

Coming tomorow: the rest of our adventure including an exclusive glimpse of my very first studio and a lovely before & after by my friend Manu!