Rugby Champions Cup, Leicester Tigers verses La Rochelle

 Its that time again, Leicester Tigers verses La Rochelle in the European Rugby Champions Cup, playing here in La Rochelle December 6th. Got my tickets and looking forward to cheering them on and hopefully a better score for Leicester this time. 

Kestrels in the barn

 Remember the Baby Kestrels in the barn?

They grew up quite fast

And have now flown away to make there own lives away from the nest.

Surgeres (13km)

 

Surgeres 

The closest small town to our gites, Ideal for a shopping and nice for strolling around in the center.

Last weekend of the French summer holidays and the beaches are full

Fouras center plage

 

Entering La Rochelle from the sea

Summer very hot and Beaches now very busy. Helping everybody to cool down.

Busy springtime for the birds this year

 Every year Birds nest and have chicks in our old buildings and barns, this year we have our usual sparrows and house martins but missing are the little owls but instead for the first time we have Kestrels! One of our guests has kindly sent me some photo's of when they were very small and he managed to catch the mother in the nest too.

 and 

Waterways of the Marais Poitevin (40 to 50 km from our gites)

 

The waterways are great for exploring by all different types of boats but rent a cycle or by foot are just as good

Local Beaches warming and bracing themselves for the tide of holiday makers

 

Chatelaillon and one of the beaches at Fouras 

Spring time at the gites and Landrais

Its warming up, the sun is out, the migratory birds are back, the landscape has turned to a nice shade of green and the flowers and trees are starting to show there true colours and blossom. I love this time of the year in the Charente Maritime.