Warming up

I've settled into a new routine. Jean-Claude and I try to make time for each other for part of the weekend. We're getting to know each other and I can certainly appreciate the kind, gentle and thoughtful person that he is. He makes such an effort to do nice things for me such as cutting some Spring flowers for me to take back to my studio, giving me fruit to munch dring the week. He completely blew me away by presenting me with a gift of perfume.

It was off to Chartres again for another VO movie, this time Black Swan. No doubt JC thought I'd enjoy it, being a dance movie. It's very well acted but rather bizarre and I certainly didn't expect to see Natalie Portman on pointes. We found the ending unsatisfying but an interesting movie. Camille from work had been to see it and she agrees with my assessment.

I enjoyed accompanying JC on (yet another) castle tour of Rambouillet. Although he has lived in the region for decades he had never been inside the chateau or the seashell cottage and it was a long , long while since he had visited the Laiterie (Dairy). I think he enjoyed the interesting historical and architectural details of the french commentary. Once again the guide gave a different 'rendition' to each of the others I've experienced and I still miss a lot of it because the french is too fast and colloquial.

How lovely to see the spring stirring in the 'parc'. It's stirring at JCs property too, with pink sprigs opening all over his plum tree- the fruits are tiny and inedible, and the lawn is starting to need mowing.

We had to have a wee chat to Jean-Claude's dog. She's apparently very jealous of me and needs reasurance from JC, and then she's OK. As you know, I'm not comfortable around dogs, especially biggish bouncy ones but I'm trying to chill out. She's quite a lovely animal and good company for JC. She stays outside the house so it's easier for me to cope. I've had several bad experiences with dogs throughout my life and it's challenging to get past them but usually my enjoyment of animals wins out.

Yes, Spring is now in the air and we are on European Summer time. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the sunshine and exploring new places in France. Maybe this time I will will be doing it with someone special.


Photos: the chateau, the impressive dairy created for Marie Antoinette (she detested Rambouillet- not grand enough for her), the cottage built for Madame Lamballe to entertain her lady friends while the guys were hunting in the forest, French girl scouts, my perfume Lolita Femnicka in its apple-shaped flacon.