Lockdown in Rural Charente, France Mmmmmmm! Ah, that’s better. I’ve finally been allowed to whip off the mask. What a relief after all this time! I’m sure you noticed that, like you humans, I’ve had my wings clipped these past few months. I found myself locked up in lockdown France. Which didn’t give me much to say for myself. Nevertheless, the Oldies and I were occasionally allowed out for a breath of fresh air. For one hour a day at…
-What a din! Who’s making all that noise? -Who! What do you mean who? I’m the one saying whooo! Olivier the owl. Who are you? -I’m Seamus, the insomniac seagull. Do you really have to shout all night long? -Sorry, but that’s what I do. I’m nocturnal. -Noc… what? Well, I wish you’d knock it off! -Pardon? -Aw, nothing. Sorry, I’m a bit cranky from lack of sleep. It was bad enough during the day, what with that stupid cuckoo…
This is great. We appear to be doing a bit of island hopping, this week’s island being l’Île d’Oléron, off the Atlantic coast, south of La Rochelle. Access is easy via the toll-free bridge, and in no time we are installed in our studio apartment which is almost directly on a beach in the fishing village of La Cotinière. Within the first couple of hours of our arrival, we have already had a lovely stroll along the beach and visited…
A peace treaty has been thrashed out and the Oldies have kept their part of the deal. At the first possible opportunity they have set off to the Atlantic coast! Typically, however, Her Ladyship is already whinging. ‘Are we mad or what!’ It’s lashing rain, stormy and freezing cold, so I suppose she has a point – for a pathetic, delicate human. But I don’t care. We are going to see the sea! We’re staying in La Rochelle tonight, a…
Here I am again, abandoned on the window sill! The Oldies are otherwise occupied and I have been left here, all alone. Sigh! To be honest, it is pretty nippy outside so I am not exactly heartbroken to be sitting here over the nice warm radiator, watching the world go by. And reflecting on the past few months. Ah, memories! We left France in rather a hurry. I’ve only now had the opportunity to look at the photos again…