Sunday, 1 September 2013

My 100th post


This is my 100th post.

I have been waiting for something important  to happen to report for my 100th blog. Then yesterday, I thought I had it….. It was Mark’s birthday and we decided to go for a walk to visit some Visigoth graves near a village a few kilometres from Caunes.

We set off early and enjoyed a fabulous 7kms walk. This in itself was a real achievement for me. I haven’t walked that far since my surgery last year.

The walk took us through vineyards where the huge purple grapes are starting to hang heavily from the vines. It took us past a beautiful old chateau with gorgeous formal gardens. It led us past a stunning ruined church, and along beautiful flower edged pathways. We saw birds and butterflies, and enjoyed every step of the trek.

Finally we came across the graves. There were 44 of them, arranged in small family groups, large and some incredibly small, all stone caverns,  some with slabbed tops, facing down a slope. We sat for a while, enjoying the peace, and the view, and the realisation that these , now empty tombs, had been on this beautiful hillside for about 1500 years.

I took many photos during the walk, and looked forward to my 100th blog being about our walk, interspersed with some beautiful images.

When I arrived home, I anticipated  time editing the photos, researching some local Visigoth history, and writing my…..100th blog.

The SD card is corrupted. I cannot access the photos. Or at least I can, but only through a wire connection……and the wire is in Hebden Bridge. My laptop here in Caunes will not recognise the photo card.

So…..here it is, my 100th post, with a borrowed photo, found by doing an image search.
A borrowed photo, of Visigoth graves near Villarzel Cabardes
 
It was solemn and beautiful, and I did take a photo from practically this position…..but alas, it is not my photo.

Mark’s birthday continued to be lovely. After our walk, we swam, ate a gorgeous lunch by the pool, dozed away part of the afternoon and went to a local restaurant for a fabulous meal with local Minervois wine.
 
Happy Birthday Mark.







 
 
 
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25 comments:

  1. ArtyZen1 September 2013 at 20:50

    Oh, you know you have my deepest commiserations for losing (or not being able to access) your photos! But you found a good one and your description is wonderful. Sounds like a most interesting place.
    Congratulations on your 100th post! I've enjoyed every single one (...well, apart from a couple last year which weren't fun to read...)and you were absolutely right to start a blog. I've learnt such a lot about you, your family and wide range of other things too.
    A real pleasure.

    And a Happy Birthday to Mark too.
    Axxx

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:43

      100 posts does feel like a milestone, and of course I would never have even thought of blogging if it had not been for you. I'm so glad you persuaded me to have a go. Apart from the enjoyment of writing and taking photos for posts, and actually creating them, the support I have received from all over the world during the last year has been so important to me. So, thanks Annie....and the news this morning is that Mark figured out a way of accessing my doomed photos, so I can now plan a proper Visigoth blog, and another on the Feria in Carcassonne, as those photos were on the same disc. Oh joy, that and an early morning trip to the bar to have a coffee with a lovely American woman who lives nearby.....life is perfect. Jxxxx

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  2. Floss1 September 2013 at 21:03

    Wow, that sounds like a great place to visit! Typical that the photo problems came along, isn't that just the way of things? Happy Birthday to Mark, and Happy 100th Post to you!

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:45

      Thanks. It was a stunning spot. I have also now been able to rescue my photos, so today is a good day.

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  3. Kathy1 September 2013 at 22:20

    Congratulations on the milestone of your hundredth post, Janice, and belated birthday greetings to Mark. That sounds like a super walk and from the borrowed image I imagine your photos must be equally super. Once you've managed to release them from your camera, you'll have to do another post about those historic graves. Keep on blogging - I'm so glad I found your blog back in its early days. :-)

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:47

      Thanks Perpetua. I am looking forward to doing some Visigoth research. I keep discovering things about this area that make me realise how limited my knowledge is. I was a history teacher in a previous life, and I know practically nothing about the Visigoths....soon to be remedied. Thanks for the birthday greetings to Mark. He did have a great birthday weekend. Jx

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  4. Rosemary1 September 2013 at 22:28

    Happy Birthday Mark - a Virgo like me, in fact we share the same birthday. I have only ever met one other person with my birth date. I wonder if you, like me, were always a year younger than everyone else in the class at school? I always felt that it was a big disadvantage.
    Never mind about the photos Janice, you can now get a 101 post out of the Visigoth visit.
    Congratulations on 100 posts, and so pleased that you are enjoying a lovely relaxing time in Caunes, and building up your strength with walking, sunshine and swimming.

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:51

      Being born on the last possible day for entry into a particular school year has always been problematic hasn't it. You and Mark really are the latest summer borns that faced the difficulties of being babies when you started school. Mark took a while to catch up. He failed his 11+.......but did include being a Director Of Education in his career portfolio, so I think he got his own back on those 11+ markers.
      Reaching my 100th post does feel good, and as I have now rescued the photos, I suspect 101 isn't far behind. jx

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  5. Unknown1 September 2013 at 22:31

    Congratulations to you both. 100 posts and Marks birthday. A very happy birthday Mark. It's the first day of spring here. Sue

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:52

      Thanks Sue.... and congratulations to you on all your wonderfully good news recently. Long may such times continue ! Jx

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  6. Hazel Maria Blakeley1 September 2013 at 22:48

    Pleased that you found a good borrowed photo.What wonderful birthday celebrations you shared.Congratulations with this 100th post.You inspire me with your blog postings as i feel very new to it all.x Maria.

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 07:55

      Thanks Maria. I have really enjoyed the process of blogging, and the lovely friends I feel I now have all over the world. I am so pleased I followed Annie's example and got stuck in. Taking the photos, whilst being somewhat less professional ( considerably so) than your gorgeous images, has also been a real pleasure, so I know you will understand how annoyed I was at not being able to illustrate this last post with the images I wanted to....but all is not lost. AS soon as the sun goes in, I think post 101 will be started ! Jx

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  7. Helen Devries2 September 2013 at 00:03

    What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday...and your remarkable bounce back from a rotten time.
    I'll look forward to seeing the photographs once you can reassemble all the techie things...and look forward to many more posts - especially if you are off to the Ashes...
    This is a super blog and I'm so glad I came across it ...probably through Perpetua, like so many other good things!

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 08:00

      We did have a wonderful day Helen, and I think a large part of it was that we felt incredibly lucky to be having such a lovely day. The future doesn't look nearly as grim as it did not so long ago, and I have no doubt that blogging has helped me through those rotten times. Perpetua has many introductions to answer for hasn't she...and I remain delighted that I now have a Costa Rican/ now Spanish, by way of France view of the world to consider. Jx

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  8. Patricia2 September 2013 at 01:46

    Happy Birthday to Mark, and double congratulations to you Janice for 100 blog posts, keeping it up through the difficult times, and for walking 7km! Have to confess, I don't have the stamina for that despite my efforts. Such a disappointment being unable to access the photos, but the words and borrowed pic certainly convey a great walk and interesting experience. We love anything to do with archaeology and the Visigoths must be quite fascinating. Looking forward to seeing the photos in a future post. Love xxx

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 08:02

      Thanks for the good wishes. The 7kms and the 100th post did seem like milestones. I am planning to be able to run ( jog) 5kms with our son Matt, and grandson Dexter, in the middle of November...so I need to build up a bit more strength yet! I don't know much about the Visigoths, but am intending to remedy that, as soon as the sun goes in, and I feel I have a few hours when I don't feel the need to be outside enjoying the gorgeous early French autumn/ late summer. Jx

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  9. Ayak2 September 2013 at 03:58

    Congratulations on your 100th post Janice. And hasn't a lot happened in those 100 posts? Happy Birthday to Mark, and it sounds like it was a lovely day, in spite of not being able to use the photos...they will do for another post. xxx

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    1. Janice2 September 2013 at 08:04

      Thanks Ayak....yes, a lot has happened in 100 posts. I suspect if it hadn't, I would have been on 200 by now ! We had a lovely day, in fact, lovely weekend for Mark's birthday. The photos have now been rescued so, I will use them soon ! Jxxx

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  10. BacktoBodrum2 September 2013 at 13:39

    Looking forward to the next 100.

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  11. Maria3 September 2013 at 02:07

    Congratulations on your 100th post, Janice! What a lovely day it sounds and how wonderful that you can now go for such lovely long walks. When I read about your photo uploading problems, it was so familiar. I'm actually going to write a post soon about the convoluted way I've been uploading photos because of a corrupted program.

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    1. Janice3 September 2013 at 07:43

      It can be so frustrating..this was particularly so as I had been waiting for an event that I thought was worthy of my 100th blog ! Oh well, never mind. I have now managed to access the photos, through adapting another camera lead I happened to have here in Caunes. It took some messing around, but eventually, I was able to get at the missing images !

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  12. Chrissie3 September 2013 at 09:57

    Lovely to share you beautiful day, look forward to seeing the now rescued photos, facinating to discover the local history, so pleased you are feeling well and enjoying your time in France.

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  13. Erica (Irene)3 September 2013 at 13:02

    Janice.....Congratulations on your 100th post which each one I have enjoyed.
    Happy Birthday to your husband Mark and what a wonderful way to spend it.
    It must be so wonderful to live in such an area....I just love history and ancient ruins. I also as weird as it sound love rummaging through old cemeteries which we don't really have here because of the country being so young.......

    Take care XX

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  14. Penny O'Neill4 September 2013 at 02:44

    A fabulous way to celebrate Mark's birthday and your 100th post, Janice. Congratulations to both of you. This is just our kind of day. With all of the history you are surrounded with, it makes for a perfect locale to walk about in.

    I am so grateful for being a blogging pal with you, Janice, and for the history you tell us, the family life and homes you share, and for all the ups, along with the downs, of life. I hope you write 100,000 and more.

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