Easter in St Severin D'Estissac

Friday was also painting all day, but it started for me in a hedge, listening to what I am sure was a nightingale. I also heard a golden oriole briefly and a hoopoe in the distance. I worked on my paintings of the bridge from Bourdeilles, and Steven did a demo for me. It took several goes before I felt I was pleased with my work. In the evening I spent an hour and a half walking very slowly round the village hunting for the hoopoe, it was worth it!

On Thursday, we all decided we would paint all day rather than go to the market at St Astier. So we did. In the evening, it was Sally's night off from cooking and so we were taken to Le Kayola, a family run restaurant a 15 minute drive from the village. We had vegetable soup and then salads from the buffet, followed by fish, gammon, steak or duck.  I thought the o melette à la norvégienne sounded interesting, but it turned out to be baked Alaska!

On the way back from our trip to Bourdeilles, we stopped at a huge supermarket so that Ainsley could get baskets for Leo and Eva's new bikes. There was a little time for a wander around. I didn't find any shoes, but there was a wonderful book swapping area outside the bookshop. What a great idea!

A bit understated, but lovely nonetheless.

When we go out for our day's painting expedition, Sally always packs us a magnificent picnic. We found a sheltered spot on the riverbank at Bourdeilles and enjoyed the sunshine.

After lunch on Tuesday, Ainsley took us in the minibus to Perigueux. I had a look in shoe shops, but, as I have come to realise, French women have very small and dainty feet, and the assistants look at mine with a mixture of horror and amusement. On the way back to St Severin, we stopped at the art shop for a little shopping there.

This morning we were taken in the minibus to the small town of Bourdeilles, which is about an hour away. We had a look around the town and then chose places to sketch and paint.

I found a beautiful male common redstart while I was hoopoe searching.

Tuesday was a day when I struggled with skies. I gave up and drew a hoopoe!

No run this morning, as I decided to go and find the hoopoe before breakfast. Chased it around the village, and then found that it was on the road directly in front of me.

Lunch was pate for the coarnivores, with a veggie equivalent for me, and then Sally's scones. It was warm enough to eat outside. Dinner was Ainsley's barbecue, with quorn cooked safely inside for me. Hot fruit salad for pudding.

No more hoopoe sightings, but I did find a lovely swallowtail butterfly and a handsome male stonechat.  

I started by completing the picture of the gate from yesterday. Then I started struggling with the skies. It was hard work and I was way out of my comfort zone!

Went out at just after 7am for a little run. The hoopoe was going oop-oop-oop as I ran round the village. On the third lap, I saw it in a tree near the pond. Had a quick croissant and then excused myself from the group and went back. I think that tree might be a key singing perch for it, as it was only a few minutes before it was there again. I was quite a distance away, but managed to get a record shot.  I will have to work out how to creep up on it now!

Hmmmmm. As usual, croissants for breakfast. At least I had done an early morning run, so had earned mine. Lunch was goats cheese and beetroot salad (some meat thing for the carnivores) and rhubarb fool (I had seconds). At dinner, we had creamy mushrooms (I had seconds) and then salmon with coconut and garlic crust, followed by simnel cake.

Painting wise, I have been wrestling with clouds. Bird wise, I have seen a hoopoe! Steven sent me out to take a photo of the barn that I am doing a loooong picture of. As I reached the other side of the village, I heard 'oop oop oop', so I legged it back to the farmhouse to collect my binoculars, and then chased the sound. The hoopoe flew right overhead. No photo yet, but at least I had a really good view. I have been finding orchids and trying to identify them. Also had a lovely view of a very beautiful lizard in the garden.

Went for a run before breakfast. Only a mile, but at least I did it. It was then time to start painting. I was going to have a gentle introduction with some drawing in the village, but Steven said I should go straight into paints. I have been looking at the work of local watercolourists and so he suggested I copied parts of a painting by one of these artists, and also had a go wth some of my new posh paints.  It didn't go that well! At lunchtime, the other course members started to arrive. Caroline and Jeff are in their 70s and are on their honeymoon. Caroline is an ex primary school principal and is very nice. Jeff is a Trump supporter. Eeeek. Lunch was fish - tuna, prawns and smoked salmon. Dinner was pork (quorn for me), cheese and a pudding I couldn't have as it contained gelatine!

After lunch (which was one of Sally's amazing open sandwiches, and kiwi fruit and chocolate cream), I went with Ainsley to Mussidan to take the strummer for repair and then to Neuvic to collect Leo from school. Back at St Severin, I had a tour of the garden, with its new hen house and new member of the family Lulu the chicken. She is lovely and follows the children about like a little dog. And when they run, she runs after them! We went down to see the tree house and the new pizza oven that Steven has built in the garden. Later, we sat in the courtyard and had some wine and I gave Eva and Leo their books and read them a story. It was a lovely evening. Supper tonight was fish and chips and ice cream.

Friday morning was spent wandering between Le Negre and St Severin,  listening for the sound of a hoopoe. Sally and Ainsley had a message that one had been heard in the village, so Ainsley came in the car to find me. I have a feeling that what was heard was a wood pigeon, though. I walked up to the pond,  where there was a deafening sound - of frogs! And I spotted a turtle too. 

By the time we arrived back at St Severin from the trip to Bergerac, it was 9pm, so I was very hungry! Sally made prawn and coconut curry for supper, and we had puddings from a patisserie we stopped at on the way into Bergerac.

Sally and Ainsley had appointments with their physio, so I went along to Bergerac with them and had an hour wandering round the town. The sun was still shining, and it was over 22 deg C even at 7:30pm. I experimented with the ideas I had been reading about on the iPhone photography webpage - i.e. putting the iPhone as close the the ground as possible to take the picture! I also managed a quick sketch of some old buildings as a bit of practice before the course starts on Saturday.