There was fresh snow on the ground yesterday morning making the descent into the valley a tad precarious, but a day out was long overdue. The car sported a heavy snow thatch, we huddled in thick Winter clothes and tough boots.
It seemed sensible to head North where the land flattens and the roads become nice and straight. Arriving in a beautiful town called Moulins, there was no sign of snow whatsoever! Nothing, not even little bits of slush .............amazing. I felt very overdressed and the car stood out like a sore thumb.
It made me realise what a difference the altitude makes, I imagine that everyone is snowed in when really it is just the higher villages. In certain places around here you can still find pockets of snow in June.
The walls are entirely covered in mirrors from floor to celing, framed with ornate stucco work.
It seemed sensible to head North where the land flattens and the roads become nice and straight. Arriving in a beautiful town called Moulins, there was no sign of snow whatsoever! Nothing, not even little bits of slush .............amazing. I felt very overdressed and the car stood out like a sore thumb.
It made me realise what a difference the altitude makes, I imagine that everyone is snowed in when really it is just the higher villages. In certain places around here you can still find pockets of snow in June.
I felt seriously under dressed for lunch in the Grand Café.
Built in 1899, the Belle Epoque interior is superb.
^This is part of the ceiling.
The reflections create an impression of a cavernous space.
The food was good as well.
It was supposed to be a day off but I'm not very good at those.
Inevitably theantique shops beckoned, including one that filled a period house. It looked fairly ordinary from the outside but the interior was enthralling. The owner had displayed everything with care and it was all polished and sparkling. She had armoires bursting with linens and several displays that I could have happily bought in their entirety. I did buy some wonderful linens to list came home regretting not buying more.
Inevitably theantique shops beckoned, including one that filled a period house. It looked fairly ordinary from the outside but the interior was enthralling. The owner had displayed everything with care and it was all polished and sparkling. She had armoires bursting with linens and several displays that I could have happily bought in their entirety. I did buy some wonderful linens to list came home regretting not buying more.
Thankfully the snow is slowly thawing in Job now and I'm hoping the cats will venture outside again. They aren't allowed in the main part of the house as it would be too easy for them to hide when there are guests and they don't understand that not everyone is a cat lover. So, they have their own room in the basement! Mountain views, a cat flap into the garden and central heating! As you can tell life is hard for them (?) and they do whinge a lot when it is cold. I sneaked down there this morning and took this photo of Coco and Phoebe toasting themselves on the radiator!
True to form I found Phoebe tucked up alongside the feral tom cat 'Papy' a few days ago. I always wondered how he would cope as he gets older, I had no idea that living 'chez nous' was part of his plan.
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