Weekend Reflections Lavoir

 
 
 

Again the lavoir or washing place in Bracieux( see previous post). This was the water in which the laundry was done.It was apparently very clean. Here you can see how the women washed the laundry

This is a new meme which gives us the opportunity to show our best photos of reflections. It is a meme that is started by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on.

Bench of the Week Lavoir, Washing place In France

 
 
 

This bench of the week is in Bracieux, France. It's very old. It's part of the "lavoir"or public washing place of the town of Bracieux.It has an interesting history and it's therefore so important to preserve this place.
On 28 May 1861 the town council took into consideration to build public washing places for the sake of hygienics and health of the mothers and women professionally involved in doing the laundry .On 12 November1861 the mayor proposed to have a shelter built for the women, who were until then exposed to cold and bad weather.
The washing place was used until 1950 by only two women. The washing women were replaced by washingmachines and laundries.
here you can see how the women washed the laundry

RuneE of Visual Norway
began this informal meme on "Bench of the Week". Please visit his site for other participants. PERBS has a whole site dedicated to benches called "For the Love of Benches", which is going on for two years and every day she posts a new bench.

ABC Wednesday P for Paua In New Zealand

 
 
 

Shells found in and around New Zealand.

Click to enlarge!

When I was in New Zealand on a holiday with my daughter and her children, I fell in love with paua, and so I bought some souvenirs. I gave some of them away, but I kept this lovely set of salad servers.

It is only found in the sea around New Zealand. This marine mollusk eats seaweed and lives clinging to rocks at depths of 1-10 meters, normally along the shoreline. Paua Shell is the most colorful of all the abalone shells. Most other abalone are pale in comparison.


ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt and a team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for their work.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with P.

Today's Flowers, The four seasons,

 
 
 
 

Autumn colours in France!

........by R.L. Stevenson
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!




TODAY'S FLOWERS was created
by LUIZ SANTILLI JR
Now it's managed by SANTILLI and DENISE BC Thank you, Luiz and Denise!To see more flowers click on the logo in the side bar.

Bench of the Week in France

 

A French Bench of a Dutch Family!
We don't leave our shoes outside the house, only clogs, but we don't wear them any more.The clogs under the bench are only symbolic and not used.

RuneE of Visual Norway
began this informal meme on "Bench of the Week". Please visit his site for other participants. PERBS has a whole site dedicated to benches called "For the Love of Benches", which is going on for two years and every day she posts a new bench.

Sky Watch Rainbow over Chambord

 
 
 

When I went to France on Saturday 17th October, we saw this magnificent rainbow over the castle of Chambord(see my entry of 16th July 2009). The problem with rainbows is: you see a perfect round bow but you can only shoot half of it with a point and shoot camera. Believe me the other half was exactly the same.

Sky Watch is hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy & Louise
Thank you so much for this great meme, it's always a pleasure to participate, and see all the other skies around the world. If you want to see some real skies please click on the logo in the side bar.

ABC Wednesday O for Origins

" Humpty, Dumpty.."

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

The imagery of Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty was a colloquial term used in fifteenth century England describing someone who was obese. This has given rise to various, but inaccurate, theories surrounding the identity of Humpty Dumpty. The image of Humpty Dumpty was made famous by the illustrations included in the 'Alice through the looking glass' novel by Lewis Carroll. However, Humpty Dumpty was not a person pilloried in the famous rhyme!

The History and Origins of the Rhyme
Humpty Dumpty was in fact believed to be a large cannon! It was used during the English Civil War ( 1642 - 1649) in the Siege of Colchester (13 Jun 1648 - 27 Aug 1648).



"Little Miss Muffet"
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away

The rhyme first appeared in print in 1805, in a book titled Songs for the Nursery. Like many such rhymes, its origins are unclear. Some claim it was written by Dr. Thomas Muffet (d.1604), a sixteenth-century English entomologist, for his stepdaughters; others claim it refers to Mary, Queen of Scots (1543-87), who was said to have been frightened by religious reformer John Knox (1510-72). The former explanation is speculative and the latter is doubted by most literary scholars, who note that stories linking folk tales or songs to political events are often urban legends.


"Pussy Cat"
Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

The ORIGINS of the "Pussycat pussycat" rhyme dates back to the history of 16th century Tudor England. One of the waiting ladies of Queen Elizabeth Ist had an old cat which roamed throughout Windsor castle. On one particular occasion the cat ran beneath the throne where its tail brushed against the Queen's foot, startling her. Luckily 'Good Queen Bess' had a sense of humour and decreed that the cat could wander about the throne room, on condition it kept it free of mice!


"The cat and the fiddle..."
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

This old nonsense rhyme is probably just that - nonsense, however some people have suggested that the cat is Elizabeth Ist and the dog is Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester who she once referred to as her ‘lap dog.’


"London Bridge"
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.


The 'London Bridge is falling down' Nursery Rhyme is based on the one of the most famous landmarks in London. It's history can be traced to the Roman occupation of England in the first century. The first London Bridge was made of wood and clay and was fortified or re-built with the various materials mentioned in the children's nursery rhyme. Many disasters struck the bridges - Viking invaders destroyed the bridge in the 1000's which led to a fortified design, complete with a drawbridge. Building materials changed due to the many fires that broke out on the bridge.

ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt and a team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for their work.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with O.

ABC Wednesday N for Nursery Rhymes

 
 
 
 

NURSERY rhymes are often used to teach children(and adults) the English language! At least I did! And they are so delightful, that we always remember them! Try to find out which NURSERY rhymes are represented by these collages.
BTW the girl baking the cake is my granddaughter!






ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt and a team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for their work.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with N.

Bench of the Week My daughter on a bench in New Zealand!

 

My Australian daughter had hired a car and drove us around the South Island of New Zealand( see previous posts). Here we had a coffee stop in the Abel Tasman National Park in the north of the South Island

 

Click to enlarge photos if you want to see more details.

The children, on another bench, were enjoying their ice creams! I had an iced coffee, which was delicious!


RuneE of Visual Norway
began this informal meme on "Bench of the Week". Please visit his site for other participants. PERBS has a whole site dedicated to benches called "For the Love of Benches", which is going on for two years and every day she posts a new bench.


BTW From the 17th October I will be in France for a week, so I shall only post a scheduled entry for ABC. Probably I won't be able to answer any comment or visit your blogs, but as soon as I have the opportunaty to start blogging again, I'll do so.

Weekend Reflections Mirror Lakes NZ

 
 

During our holiday in New Zealand we visited the Milford Sound, and this Mirror Lake. The upside down sign should reflect the name MIRROR LAKES! But it doesn't show the reflection very well, does it?! Therefore I show you another part of the Milford Sound which gives a better result.

This is a new meme which gives us the opportunity to show our best photos of reflections. It is a meme that is started by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on.