Charlie's New Bike, Guémené-sur-Scorff Art Day and Cats

This morning I decided to go and collect a bike which I had seen for sale.  A red bike, for 6-8 years - Charlie's four and a half now, so it won't be long before he can use it. 

The vendor lived near Silfiac so I drove over in the Peugeot and I shall store it and wait for Charlie to get bigger. 

After leaving there I drove on to Guémené-sur-Scorff to a carboot sale the vendor's wife told me about.  There didn't seem to be a carboot, but it was an Art Day in the town and a small part of the main street had been closed to allow the artists to put up their stalls.

This is the florist at the end of the street and then a photograph of the reflections in the florist's shop window.

As I entered the street I could hear what sounded like a piano and Pan pipes playing. I wasn't wrong, there was a grand piano on the pavement, next to to a man drawing and a woman weaving. I spoke to the pianist and she not only performed frequently, but also taught the piano.

There was a man doing charcoal nudes - from memory - no nudes women acatually posing!

Also a girl with amazing hair, shoes and stockings was painting a water colour portrait of a Frenchman.

There was a boucherie/charcuterie open, and it was selling the traditional Guémené andouilles. 

I have copied this extract from the internet:

Genuine andouille from Guémené (100% pork, 30 cm long, 8 to 10 cm diameter, 1.5 kg) is only produced in the Morbihan department, in Guémené-sur-Scorff and the surrounding districts. Guemene andouille sausage is made from about thirty large pig intestines which are pickled in brine, calibrated and wrapped in layers around a central part called the "core" (with a diameter equal to about one quarter of the finished sausage). The core is also made of intestines cut into strips and assembled "on a string".After being inserted in a cow bladder, it is then tied off with string at both ends, smoked over beech logs, cooked for several hours in a bouillon flavoured with hay, and left to dry for a time that varies depending on the desired maturity. This delicious traditional speciality is celebrated particularly on the last Sunday in August at Guémené-sur-Scorff (56).

There's no doubt that andouilles - chitterlings in England - are an acquired choice.  They smell awful, but for me they taste brilliant.  I don't know of any other English people here who like them - I am alone!  I was brought up on chitterlings, which my father loved ,and I always ate anything he liked so I had a head start on liking them.

Just along from the classical piano player was an old house, partly boarded up and there was a cat crying inside.  A small group of people gathered on the pavement nearby and someone was trying to get inside to release the cat - I hope they succeeded.

A couple more views of the part of the street which hadn't been closed off.

At one end of the street there was this mimosa foliage against the sky.  I love the patterns of the frondy leaves.

As I walked back to my car I saw this white valerian growing out of the wall. 

I love valerian, but had never seen this colour, I have only seen pink and red before.  I stole a couple of stalks with the tiniest of roots on them and have planted them in my driveway bed and am keeping my fingers crossed.

I took these photographs in a rare sunshiny moment this week - foxgloves in my garden - most of the blossoms are sodden with rain at the moment and poppies have all collapsed.

and Purrdy washing, but it's the pots I like best in this photograph.

Here's one of the other two, Alfie and Daisy, taken yesterday afternoon.

I have been reading lots of other people's blogs this week and had a lovely time with them.  One, Snapdragon's Garden, inspired me to pick some of my garden flowers and pop them into a vase in the sitting room.

Three things I like:

1.   Coming home.
2.   Making chicken stock.
3.   Listening to The Archers.