Bonjour!
I hope that you and yours are well.
First a great big bienvenue, welcome, to new subscribers. And as always, a massive thank you to long term friends here, some of you have been with me for more than ten years and I am very, very grateful for your support, messages and friendship.
I’ve just got back from Rouen in Normandy where the fantastic Armada event is in full swing (until 18 June). It’s one of the most feel-good, fun and fabulous events I’ve ever been to, tall ships galore in port, sailors singing sea shanties, concerts, street performers, pop up bars and restaurants and this year – wall to wall sunshine! It’s definitely one not to miss, I’m hooked on this event, but we’ll have to wait until June 2027 for the next one. I’ll be writing about it in the Autumn magazine and give you dates and details then (you can subscribe for free here).
At home the new puppies – Nina and Lady, are now nearly 10 weeks old and Bread Man, the man who delivers the bread, is I think just as besotted with them as we are – me and the other half Mark that is, and Ronnie and Reggie the one-year-old Labrador pups who are utterly in love with their new baby sisters. The cats and chickens not so much, the chasing about don’t impress them at all! (You can see all the dogs here on Instagram).
The newbies came home with us a couple of weeks ago and the next day Bread Man arrived with our baguettes and croissants to an orchestra of squeaky yip-yap barks.
“What is that?” asked Bread Man, closing one eye halfway and turning his head to one side.
Bread Man is an animal lover.
“Not more dogs?” he sounded as incredulous as our vet when we took the girls in for their welcome check-up.
I led Bread Man round the back of the house to the garden where Lady and Nina have a little pen of their own under a shady tree and umbrella to keep the sun off. First Nina (the black and white one), then Lady jumped up with excitement.
“Ah ah ah” laughed Bread Man – because French people don’t pronounce their h’s! “I want a ‘ug.”
I let the girls out and they ran straight into his arms as he sat on the floor.
“French President Charles de Gaulle once said ‘The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs’ – I understand him” he said. “‘Appiness is puppy-sized” he added as Lady and Nina licked and nibbled his fingers and tugged on his twirly moustache.
I predict more coffee stops in Bread Man’s future at our ‘ouse.
Wishing you a very bon weekend full of joy from roasty toasty northern France and I hope you find a ton of inspiration from the website and the top picks in this week’s newsletter.
Bisous from my little corner of France,
Janine
Editor
Janine Marsh is Author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life and Toujours la France: Living the Dream in Rural France all available as ebook, print & audio, on Amazon everywhere & all good bookshops online.
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