Candes Saint-Martin, my favourite spot in La Touraine.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

An award

Although most of my readers are probably waiting for a sneak preview of the second day of my upcoming Loire Valley trip, I must ask them to be patient. First I want to dedicate a post to my blogger friend Jean from A Very Grand Pressigny and the nice blog award she presented me with: Kreativ Blogger Award (see side column). Jean has four blogs. That’s right: four!! I even have trouble keeping one blog up to date. I don’t know how she manages it: a job, her baking and beading activities and making a nice home for her husband Nick and their dog Lulu. (Sorry Nick, no blog about you ... yet!)


On the second day of our Loire Valley trip
we'll almost certainly see this (photo 2010).
Any idea?

Jean, thank you very much. I really, really appreciate this kind gesture, not to mention the fact that you were my very first follower, way back in May 2009, when I started this blog!  
As Jean explained, the award comes with some ‘obligations/requirements’, which I’ll try to fill in as much as possible. Finding seven bloggers to pass it on to is the first challenge. I’m afraid I’m not entirely ready to meet it. But there are some blog friends who really deserve this special award: 

Chez Charnizay, a blog about living in … southern Touraine; who would have guessed! Antoinette and Niall have lived all over the world (well almost). The fact that they spent several years near Maastricht, a town just across the Belgian border in the Netherlands, almost makes us neighbours. Their blog is an intriguing mixture of everyday life in their little French village, the antics of their kinky cats (Shadow and little Katinka), their travels to meet up with family and friends in places where they used to live in the past and fascinating posts on historical sites in and around their home in France. 

La Petite Presse, by Gaynor, who lives in Staffordshire with her husband, but who also spends part of her time in … southern Touraine. Her blog is always a joy to read and a nice mixture of life in France and England. I thoroughly enjoy it. Gaynor is a thoughtful lady too. When 22 Belgian pupils, 4 teachers and 2 coach drivers were killed in a coach crash in Switzerland in March, Gaynor sent me an email offering her sympathy to the victims’ families and the whole Belgian nation. Coming from someone I’ve never met, this really touched me.

Manners and other Matters, by Louise … whom I appreciate very much. Louise lives in … no, this time you’re wrong … Australia. She’s a very faithful follower and commenter and writes a captivating blog about ‘good manners’ – or the lack of them – in our modern society. We agree on most matters and often think alike. I’m sure that, if we weren’t living on opposite sides of the world – we would be very close friends. Louise showed this ‘complicity’ by offering her sympathy on the above mentioned tragedy. 

Melbourne, our Home on the Bay, by Leon and Sue. We stay on the Australian continent with this blog … although … Leon and Sue are avid France ‘addicts’. They love everything ‘French’ and can’t resist travelling to France. In fact, they’re in France right now, posting a daily report on their travels and experiences. They’ll be in the … Loire Valley soon. Leon and Sue write about France, cooking (Sue is a fantastic cook!), the history of Melbourne (featuring amazing bl/wh photos) and Leon’s passion for cars and cycling. Hence his interest in Belgium, my small country that used to ‘produce’ some cycling champions like Eddy Merckx.

The second requirement is to tell something about myself that you didn’t know yet. 
Well … 
I was ‘thrown’ on stage at the age of three. Luckily I was too young to feel embarrassed. Because, looking back, it was! According to my mother, who was 32 at the time, I was a big hit tough, because the audience couldn’t stop laughing. My ‘moment de gloire’ on stage, however, came when I featured as Snow White in the yearly festival of our gymnastic club.

8 comments:

chm said...

When I saw the picture, at first, because of Jean, I thought it was Le Grand Pressigny, better known as LGP, even though I didn’t remember LGP that way.

Then, I cheated and found out it was a city that rhymes [?] with Oshkosh, in Wisconsin.

Congratulations for a well deserved award.

Jean said...

I know exactly where the photo is taken, we parked there last visit to Loches....!! We are really looking forward to our visit to the golden gerbil.....!!
You deserve the award, Martine !!

Louise said...

Martine, I am so touched! Because I know we will be friends when I visit Belgium next year, hoepfully...and for the award. I can't believe it and I am so very grateful. Louise

Carolyn said...

Are you parked near that beautiful blue gate in Loches that you and I both photographed? Too bad we weren't there at the same time.

Leon Sims said...

Sue and I are sad that we won't again meet but hopefully we will all have long lives to meet all our wishes. We stayed with a couple in Castellane who came from the top of Belgium to retire. See our post on our blog.
Leon et Sue

Niall & Antoinette said...

Oh congratulations Martine! A very well deserved award. Your blog is always great fun to read :-))

And... thank you so much for nominating us!! merci merci! The cats of course think it is only their due, as 'naturellement' they find themselves hugely important ;-)

And yes we do know where this is --entry to the cité médiévale in Loches :-)

ladybird said...

Chm, Thank you. As for the photo, I didn't even knwo that there was a town called Oshkosh, in Wisconsin :) Is it worth a visit?

Jean, Thank you, I really appreciate the award. I knew you would recognize the photo. It's only a stone's throw from the golden gerbil. In fact we were on our way over to the restaurant after visiting the donjon when I made this photo in 2010.
When will you be leaving for France?

Louise, I really hope you can make it to Belgium next year. Let me know well in advance so that we can spend a day or two together.

Carolyn, No, it's not really close to that pretty blue gate, but the parking near the steps that lead from the old town (where the gate is) to the 'new' part of Loches. If we get a chance to meet, I suggest we rendezvous by that gate. What do think? :)

L&S, Quite a lot of older and not so old Belgians have moved south to open a B&B in France. Did you enjoy your overnight stay there?

N&A, Maybe the cats should start their own blog, taking turns writing a daily entry ;)

GaynorB said...

Hi Martine,

Thanks so much for the award, I'll try to live up to the billing!

Sorry this reply has taken so long - lack of internet, then lack of time followed by another lack of internet. ORANGE who....