We had company

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that I told you about our arrival in Vouvray two weeks ago, our lunch at the Val Joli and the air show we witnessed sitting by the swimming pool of our chambre d'hôtes.

After the air show we sat around for a while relaxing and watching the sun reflect in the water of the pool. Then we noticed that we were not alone ... Between the boards of the wooden deck around the pool had appeared a tiny little head. It glanced around furtively, checking whether the coast was clear. In less than the blink of the eye, an agile small brown-greyish lizard was slithering over the deck. It stretched out in the sun, soaking in the heat. I grabbed my camera, but it must have seen me moving and by the time I had zoomed in, it had already disappeared between two planks.

We waited patiently till it poked up his little head again. I was standing behind it and, completely oblivious of my presence, it hopped upon the deck to continue his sunbathing. Carefully, like a cat stalking a mouse, I moved in closer ... Got it! And this is the result.






It was a very common little lizard, not really pretty, but so much fun to watch. As a child I was told that if you managed to catch a lizard by its tail, it would break off and that it would grow back within a couple of days.


Lizards are a rarity where I live. They are not uncommon in the southern part of Belgium, though. If you are very observant, you'll find them basking in the sun on a stone wall or swiftly disappearing into the foliage as soon as you get too close. As I never got to catch one, I don't know whether the tail story is true. Do you know more about it?