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BOOK 1 – CONTINUED
CHAPTERS 17-31
Chapter 17 – Our Elderly Neighbours. This is the only photo I’ve got of ‘that car’. I remember taking a better one at some point, but after a huge search, I’ve no idea where it got to. Just in case you don’t know what one looks like, here’s a nice shiny one. Same colour, but contained just two tatty front seats and a dirty white canvas roof.
On this photo, that odd looking creature is a small donkey and if you look closely you can see its collar bell. Wish I’d got a picture of Gabriel’s pet sheep to show you, but must have gone to the same place as the photo of the car!
Chapter 18 – Max’s first holiday. Here he is looking for a gecko in a small drainage hole. He never found it after searching for it on every visit. He’s also posing at the top of the steps.
Next are images of Lac Castillon after much of the water has been run through the dam to create electricity, leaving behind sun baked or boggy mud and stones. Old bridges and roads can now be seen as the lake is at least 40 feet below normal depth.
Chapter 20 – Lavender. There are no photos relating to the short Chapter 19, it being focused on the vets, so we’ll carry on with Chapter 20. This was our visit to the Lavender distillery, but I neglected to take any photos of the process. Think it must have been due to shock after a couple of French hikers, perched high above observing us wandering through a lavender field, decided to ‘moon’ us! Still, here’s some of the flower Provence is famous for.
Lavender proves a great attraction for butterflies and the images show just a few. Not sure what they’re called.
Chapter 21 – The Fete of St Jean is no longer held as it used to be, in a field in Clignon Haute. Shame really as it was well attended.
Chapter 22 – Wintertime, Ben’s Fall and the view from the house. Maxwell always loved the snow. The photo is of him with what we called ‘Snobbles’ stuck to his fur. Others are of him enjoying himself on snowy walks.
As for Ben’s tumble there are no images except a few of him on his snowboard. Wish I’d have taken a photo of those tablets!! A couple here of the scenery around the ski area.
Chapter 23 – The Burst Pipe. Just one image that shows the problem pipe joint. It’s the only photo I’ve got that’s relative to this chapter.
Chapter 24 – People and Pizzas. The lovely Albert showing Rob the ropes when it comes to getting the temperature right in the pizza oven to produce that perfect result. So miss him and Simone. Then we had friends arrive, including dear Dickie who spent his time painting. We still have his easel in the sous-sol as he said he couldn’t be bothered to take it back on the plane with him.
An update: Dickie sadly passed away November 2023.
Chapter 26 Chapter 27 & Chapter 28 – No photos. Never took any of the chimney sweeps, couldn’t risk it. Neither are there any of the restaurant as we were always too busy eating! Couldn’t find any of Montelimar, yet I remember taking quite a few. If I find them, I’ll add them.
Chapter 29 – Maxwell and His Smelly Habit. Photos here of the ‘source’ of the Seine, the grotto and Rob and Max. Max is browner than normal!!!
These are a small taste of the hundreds of photos acquired across the years. I really hope it helped bring my story to life or simply satisfy your curiosity. I’m always so very grateful to those who buy my books, and especially grateful if you wrote a review.
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