My Week in Review to the 6th May

goat mosaic in Melle 

I'm linking this post up with The Sunday Post at The Caffeinated Reviewer.

We're in our French mobil-home now, lounging on the bank of the Boutonne river (it's more a stream at this point!) and it is Ridiculously Hot! Fortunately we worked out how to put up a large purple parasol that the previous mobil-home owners left so we have some shade! I understand it's pretty good weather in the UK right now too, but I am very glad we're here! It's much greener than back in March and we're enjoying wildlife spotting. Today several vivid blue Beautiful Demoiselle dragonflies are flitting about as well as some slender red dragonflies that I haven't had a chance to google yet. I've seen Orange Tip butterflies, the coypu has been about and the ducks were bickering earlier though they have quietened down now - probably because of the heat! We've even got a robins nest in our outdoor cupboard, complete with several babies! Pretty sure that means we can't use the washing machine out there until they're all fledged though I have been laundering by hand all winter so that's not a huge problem.

my new-to-me reading space 

In Huge News, it was my birthday on Thursday and I am now 43 - nearly a grown up! Thank you to everybody who sent gift, cards and kind wishes. I felt properly spoilt all day! We celebrated with a gorgeous lunch at Secret Garden in Melle. If you're visiting nearby this summer, make sure to eat their Tofu And Quinoa Salad. Absolutely delicious! You'll probably need to book a table - we just got lucky and snuck in. We had a wander around the pretty old town too and bought lovely rich patisserie in lieu of a birthday cake. I spotted a Little Library in Melle but didn't have a book on me to exchange at the time, however there is one in Chef Boutonne too (by the playground outside the Mairie) where yesterday I swapped Lettre à Zohra D for À la folie ... pasdu tout by Valerie-Anne Baglietto. Not my unusual sort of read I admit, but it has lots of up-to-date French conversation so I hope it will be educational at least!

green! 

We visited the weekly Saturday Chef Boutonne market which was a much easier cycle than our previous day's excursion had been. I am not going to blog about cycling here until I am better at it. Flat Spanish seafronts are useless as preparation for undulating French countryside! The market isn't enormous (thank goodness says Dave!) but had a good range of produce stalls including local honey, local goats' cheeses and plenty of fruit and veg. There's a mix of professional traders and folks looking like they are selling straight from their gardens. I'd like to start using the market instead of just supermarkets and yesterday's visit was a good start.

This week on Stephanie Jane you can look forward to the second Reading Women installment on Thursday and next week's roundup will be delayed until the Monday because the 13th is Top Ten Etsy Finds day. I think I might focus on dragonflies for my Etsy finds.
And congrats to Erato whose novel The Cut Of The Clothes won May's Spotlight Post giveaway! You'll be seeing that promo post on Literary Flits soon. If you'd like the chance to win a Spotlight Post for your book (or just a book you love!) make sure to add its link to This Linkup to be entered into the June draw ...

Our first five days in France have been pretty busy so I apologise for being way behind on comments and blog visiting. I've not forgotten you all :-)

wisteria at the chateau 

Around the blogosphere:

Olivia's Catastrophe reviews an emotional YA read, Girl In The Broken Mirror.

The Butterfly Reader recommended books from music choices.

Here's what you might have missed Across My Blogs this week. Click the images to visit the pages ... and don't forget to enter all the Giveaways!

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