Thirty five years ago, we got a bunch of family and chums together, first for a fairly intimate ceremony at North Shields Registry Office, then a lot less intimate party at Tynemouth Sailing Club. Since then, we have tried to do something special together that day each year. This year our plan for a day out in Angers, visiting the Jardin des Plantes, having a nice meal, and using public transport (we were going for a green theme) fell at the first hurdle - the bus timetable was not at all helpful. Plan B was a day out at the Zoo de la Fleche, where they film the French version of A Year at the Zoo (Chester Zoo is the location in the UK).
We have lived here over 20 years, so it is a bit poor that this was our first visit, but I don't think it will be our last. We were very impressed. The staff were charming, the food was really tasty and not too expensive, the flying bird show was rather special, with 4 vultures circling over us at one point, plus kookaburras, macaws, eagles and a really stroppy kestrel, and the park was well laid out so we never felt crowded by other people. Here are a sample of the Important People we met.
There were a few meerkats, these one did the classic pose for us.
There were some very lovely rainbow lorikeets, and I managed not to get covered in bird poo (when I was in Australia, every time I saw one, it pooed on me).
We met a rather splendid cat, that would not answer to "kitty, kitty, kitty" but treated that endearment with suitable contempt.
There was a pile of otters that are clearly close relatives of cats, due to their clear enjoyment of chasing small bits of wood, and when not doing that, sunbathing.
Finally, although it was probably the first thing we saw, we were able to watch a flamingo egg hatch and a little bundle of fluff start its adventure in the world.
At the end of the week (today even) was the Noyant Comice - it is nice to go to these things as a complete visitor, not involved in any way. After a slightly disappointing edition last year, they really had pulled out all the stops in the commune this year. It was a vast festival field with lots to see, including a bit of a car boot sale, some funfair rides, commercial exhibitors, and of course big boy toys.
John is anxiously watching his phone for the message to say he has won the electric wheelbarrow(!) that was up for grabs. There was also a mobile sawmill in demonstrating what it can do with large tree trunks - we'd like one of those too, please!
In between all that, there was a procession of floats, more and better floats than last year as the villages get back into the swing of an annual Comice (last year was their first since Covid, and many are tiny villages). We particularly liked the Auverse bakery, complete with puffs of smoke coming out of the bread oven from time to time and the baker batting old broiche at people.
Noyant itself had a number of floats and a couple of bands, the main float was a village shop and was beautifully done - the tractor pulling it was tiny, and isn't in the picture.
In between all that frivolity, we have been working hard, either to earn cash or to cope with the garden and the produce. There are more tubs of tomato puree in the freezer and more jars of jam and jelly stashed in the garage. We either have already eaten or will eat shortly most of the contents of today's basket of goodies.
So there we have it, quite an exotic period - the next one will be much quieter I think. Have a good week!
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