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Transformative magic - Before, during, & after -in our tiny house in Lonlay l'abbaye

12/30/2021

Photo of the magical aurora borealis by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels

Happy New Year to us all! We are looking forward to 2022 with renewed hopes, and with some fond memories of 2021, despite it having been a very difficult year in so many respects.

After many years of starts and stops, Joseph and I arrived near the end of 2021 with a renewed determination to see our tiny Normandy village house made whole and livable.

Over the course of several weeks in November and December, we were cheered to receive regular emails and photos from our two man team of artisans that delighted us as we saw our place being transformed.

Building on the years of solid "infrastructure" that had been laid by our main contractors, the new team tackled the last set of architectural problems that had bedeviled us - an unsafe step on the main stairs, the decrepit stairwell walls, the lack of secure handrails, the exposed electric box, the cavity inside the "door of doom" around the main water valve, the missing door to the attic, deteriorating attic steps, and the need for a door to close over the "cave" under the kitchen stairs.

Then came the painting, always a very satisfying finish for rebuilt rooms in an old house. Because the rooms are small, we opted for all white walls to start, with the exception of navy blue in the kitchen to set the space apart.

Within just a few weeks, the work was done! Our schedule did not allow us to leave Paris for long in early December, but we were very curious to see it all in person, so we gathered up Pipkin and hopped on the train for a one day round trip visit.

Charming as ever, but very cold, the village was following its ancient ways, preparing for the holidays in early December.

Real pine trees were set up and decorated at frequent spots throughout the village.

The narrow river ran fast and high along its channels.

There was a fair amount of business traffic, and the Relais was busy at lunchtime, but no one stayed out on the street in the cold rain for long.

We checked out the Christmas lights set up on the green and all around the village.
Too bad we could not stay to see them lit up. Maybe next year.

The abbey was ready for Christmas.

The newest construction project inspired by Christian Derouet, the village's remarkable mayor, was underway at the corner of Place Jules Levée. Men were bravely working in the bitter cold, throwing debris out the window of an abandoned house. It is being gutted for renovation, along with several others on the edge of our square. With governmental participation and investment, these houses will be remade into six new dwellings with a green space behind. It always cheers us to see the village continuing to change and thrive, even while it retains its homey character.

Seeing that work brought to mind the early days of demolition at our house - when it had to be torn down to earthern floor and stone walls, beginning in 2016.

Somehow, having observed our house's step by step reconstruction from that point over the years made the final result all the more remarkable and magical for us. Stepping inside our place in December 2021, we were thrilled to see transformation at every turn.

Without much further comment, I hope you will all enjoy the "before" and "after" photos of each section of our house. In some cases, I have reached back - for dramatic effect - to include much earlier stages of the renovation. Wherever possible, the photos are shots taken from a similar angle over time.

Advisement: this is a loooong post with dozens of photos. You may want to get a cup of tea or glass of wine (depending on your time zone) before you dive in.

First up is the kitchen...

BEFORE - 2016 - The kitchen after some early demolition - more than ready for a fresh start!

2018/19 - Kitchen appliances and cabinets being fitted

By September 2021 - Lots of work already done. Walls are up, hardwood flooring in, kitchen is installed

AFTER - December 2021 - Painted and finished!

Let's take a quick detour to the entryway, and come back to the kitchen in a minute...

BEFORE - September 2021 - Entryway and the sad old stairwell

AFTER - December 2021 - Entryway and stairs
(Note that we now have a door on the "cave!")

We still need to get the "cave" cleaned out!

Back to the living room/kitchen areas now...

BEFORE - In 2015 when we first saw the house, there was a dividing wall in the living room, looking toward the kitchen

2016 - Entry, stairway and kitchen area viewed from the living room after demolition of the dividing wall and old hardboard on the kitchen walls

August 2016 - New electrical, plumbing, insulation in the walls and metal framing done

2017 - Drywall up and new flooring installed
(New step was created at the bottom of the stairs from leftover oak flooring upstairs)

2019 - Kitchen fully installed

AFTER - December 2021 - A livable, clean and tidy kitchen painted in one of my favorite colors

AFTER - Longer view of stairwell and kitchen from the living room/salon
New cabinet built around electric panel high on the left wall
(And we all remember the "door of doom" covering the water valve access below)

The new cabinet and framing before painting

AFTER - The three utility cabinets near the front door

AFTER - Another view

Inside the electrical cabinets

BEFORE - Reaching inside the "door of doom" to turn the water valve was very unpleasant

AFTER - After painting, the "door of doom" looks better from the outside

And clean inside! Even Pipkin approves.
Now, back to the kitchen for more finished photos...

Note to kitchen planners: decide where your big appliances will be before you have the outlets installed in the walls. We'll have to put a table or rolling cabinet in front of this plug, because we need to use it for the washer/dryer, but all looks good.

Now, let's step into the living room, starting with the way it was...

BEFORE - 2015 - We knew going in that we would have to replace all the floors on the ground level

2015 - But at least the living room had good light and a nice recessed window

2015 - This wide angle shot shows part of the old fireplace that we wanted to keep, but was covered up. We may yet install a small woodstove in this corner, but will have to investigate the chimney before doing so.

2016 - Living room floor demolished. Sewer pipe on the dirt floor amidst stone debris

2016 -Significant progress toward modernizing the space

2017 - Drywall up in the living room

AFTER - December 2021 - Prepped, painted and finished!

Along the way, we also had to replace the old wooden door that opens onto rue St. Nicolas. The new one is an exact replica in aluminum, so the house retains the same look it had in the 1940s. Everything we do to the outside of the house has to be approved because it is close to the Abbey, an historic monument.

There used to be a cabinet in the alcove to the right of the side door. We have not decided yet how to use it.

An evening view of the living room. The wood flooring takes on a different hue depending on the time of day, and natural or artificial light. There is not a lot of room for furniture, but we think a convertible sofa and at least one armchair will make it comfortable.

Aside from the comprehensive wall prep and painting work in every room, our new team took on some significant building tasks as well. We were pleased to see the drywall finished in neglected spaces, and some very creative carpentry. The stairwell needed the most work...

BEFORE - Wattle and daub walls of the stairwell - still exposed in October 2021

DURING - New drywall going up

BEFORE - Stairwell wall & ceiling

BEFORE - The stairwell shelf

DURING - More drywall, cutting and shaping

The original curve of the banister at the top of the stairwell is uncovered and revealed again to provide better handhold stability and aesthetics.

Fitting handrails for the right side descent

Walls painted, new handrails waiting to be stained and reinstalled

AFTER - December 2021 - quite a difference!

An elegant stairwell with character - a work of art in our eyes, uncovering and enhancing the classic beauty of these narrow stairs, probably more than a century old.

The artisans also addressed a safety issue for us: a misstep close to the upstairs landing.

BEFORE - the awkward half step that made the climb unstable

AFTER - The new solid step gives us better purchase, with handrails on both sides now.

Only Pipkin has a bit of an issue with the new step, as it seems difficult for her to get her tummy over the width of the last step without assistance!

Overhead in the stairwell there was more work to be done...

BEFORE - October 2021 - Undercarriage of attic stairs over stairwell - unfinished drywall on the left, and an old slat board wall on the right.

DURING - New drywall installed and undercarriage of stairs enclosed. No more schmutz!

AFTER - Finished stairwell overhang as seen from bedroom doorway - neat and clean.

And now that we are upstairs, let's look at the transformation wrought by both teams of builders over time in 1) the bathroom, 2) the "study/library" (small room at top of the stairs outside the bathroom) and 3) the bedroom.

First, a look at the bathroom in BEFORE times...

BEFORE - 2016 - The wall to the bathroom had been removed, but this is what it was!

2016 - Bathroom demolished. Looking down into the demolished kitchen!

2017 - New plumbing, electrical and base flooring for bathroom installed

2018 - The new bathroom installed!

December 2021 - Ellen and Pipkin in the study/library, ready for the big bathroom reveal

AFTER - The finished and painted bathroom. Tiny, but complete!

Now let's look at the study/library area...

BEFORE - 2016 - Upstairs in our tiny village house:
Old built-in armoire on the left. Openings left to right are: stairs up to attic, stairs down to kitchen/living room, and the gutted bathroom space. Floors are open and being relaid on new beams in the study/library. Old attic door is leaning against the wall on the right.

The study/library, the small room at the top of the landing, was enlarged a bit by our first set of builders who created a new indented wall on the righthand side to give us more room for a desk or shelving...

AFTER: The study/library looks perfect after painting.
Door on the left is the bathroom door.

AFTER: Looking out of the study/library toward the old built-in armoire and window. Bathroom door on the right.

As a special request, the artisans also reconfigured the inside of the old armoire from multiple horizontal shelving to just two shelves and a hanging rod so we can store clothing there until we can create other closet space or purchase a free-standing armoire for the bedroom.

Space for clothing in the old armoire

The study/library at the top of the stairs leads into the main bedroom.

Today the bedroom is beautifully painted and well-renovated (with the exception of the hanging "bulb of shame.") But not that long ago, it was a work in progress too.

BEFORE - In 2016, you could see the window in the living room through the floor beams of the bedroom (bedroom wall not yet reconstructed next to the built-in armoire).

BEFORE - Looking toward the side window of the bedroom, the floor has yet to be installed in the study/library through to the bedroom. There is no wall or door to the bedroom yet. The old fireplace opening is still visible on the side wall.

Even when the new hardwood floors were put in, the walls looked very shabby. Our first team of builders replaced all of the drywall and covered up the old fireplace vent. Our second team finished the job by prepping all the walls and applying several heavy coats of white paint.

AFTER: The back wall of the bedroom and side window.

AFTER: The main bedroom window brings in a lot of light. Looking out the bedroom door, we can see the armoire and the window in the study/library. All the painting is done, including the doors.

AFTER: Everything a very smooth white satin finish. If we decide to paint a different color later, or apply wallpaper, making changes should be very easy. For now, the white is serene and brings in a lot of winter light.

Going back to the landing at the top of the stairs in the study/library, you can see that the old attic door has been restored to its rightful place.

Because some overhanging drywall had been removed earlier from this doorway, the antique door was a bit too short, but our clever team fashioned some additional wooden pieces at the top of the door to fit it flush with the doorjamb.

Knowing that we wanted to keep some antique character in the house, the artisans left the rough rustic finish of the original door, just painting the outside white to blend with the walls.

The inside of the attic door retains its original reddish-brown color.

BEFORE - September 2021 - Several of the attic stairs were in need of repair and the inside wall of the attic stairwell was a decrepit set of loose boards.

AFTER: Attic steps strengthened and replaced where needed, and new painted drywall neatly closed the stairwell.

AFTER: I was especially happy to see that one of the top treads had been replaced with new wood, as that step previously felt very weak.

The attic was very cold and drafty, so we did not dally there on our one day visit. We were glad to have the electric wall heaters in the main living areas to keep us warm.

Many thanks to our builders and artisans who have worked so hard to restore and refresh this little stone house, bring at least some of it into the 21st century, and who have given us a gift that both we and our families will treasure for years to come.

Many, many thanks to all of you, our readers, family, friends, cyber-friends, work colleagues and renovation addicts, who have supported us to this point with your positive emails and comments as we have gone through this process.

There is more to be done, of course. New windows to be created and installed, furniture to be purchased or found, decorating decisions, art to be hung, skylights and renovation in the attic, and the whole of Normandy to explore once we finally buy a car! We hope to continue to share our love of France and this sweet village with you all in the future.

Until next time, best wishes for a splendid year!

Toussaint

11/14/2021

Sunrise over the abbey on October 31, 2021

On our most recent visit to Lonlay l'Abbaye, we arrived on the day before Halloween.

When I was a little kid, in the late great 1960s, in the late great U.S. of A., Halloween was my favorite holiday other than Christmas. Not only did we get to dress up in ridiculous outfits, wearing eye makeup to be Cleopatra or Pocohontas, or smudging our faces with burnt cork and wearing our fathers' flannel shirts to look like sad "hobos," but we got to run up and down the entire street late at night with our friends.

We carried old pillowcases or plastic pumpkins to collect the dozens of candy bars, Pez, wax lips, candy corn and other sugar bombs that we would extort from our friendly neighbors, calling out "Trick or Treat!" at their doorsteps while they smiled and laughed at our costumes.

The whole neighborhood was wise to the game, with almost every house featuring multiple jack-o-lanterns - huge fresh pumpkins cleaned and gutted of their seeds and pulp that held flickering candles that burned black carbon soot inside the orange globes.

The "bad kids" and malcontent teens might toilet paper the trees outside an enemy's house, or smash raw eggs on cars and in the streets. Sometimes shaving cream or whipped cream would be sprayed directly on a rival. If these signs of nascent criminality were somewhat disturbing to witness, they were equally exciting to talk about afterwards with our friends.

Once every likely home had been tapped for its sugary bribes, we would collapse back in our own living rooms and spill the treasures out on the floor, separating the best chocolates from the cheaper penny candies, glorying like pirates over our loot.

Wikipedia has a fascinating article about the history of "Trick or Treating" as it has developed in different cultures. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating

French children getting into the spirit
(Photo taken in Brittany by French Today)
www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-culture/halloween-in-france-toussaint/

The French have not wholeheartedly embraced the idea of trick-or-treat, having their own All Saints Day (Toussaint) traditions on November 1. But there are areas in Paris where the merchants now give candy to costumed kiddies at the end of October, and young adults have Halloween parties and zombie gatherings for fun in many of the large cities.

In Lonlay l'Abbaye this year, we saw a few family groups with small goblins and witches who seemed to be going to friends' houses, so perhaps the tradition will continue to spread.

For the most part though, the Toussaint holiday is more akin to Thanksgiving in its focus on family. Schools are closed for two weeks, and most people strive to go back to their home cities or villages for a few days during that time to gather with their extended families. They visit the cemeteries on November 1, laying pots of chrysanthemums on the graves of their loved ones.

The small hillside cemetery of Lonlay l'Abbaye

A special family monument

WHAT A DIFFERENCE AN HOUR CAN MAKE!
When a time change overnight on October 30 caused the next day (Halloween) to end in early darkness, my Irish blood felt skittish about the thin veil this time of year between the living and the dead.
A group of scruffy backpackers and other strangers appeared to be camping out that weekend under the darkened arches of the abbey. It startled me to see figures walking in the gloom across the village green and down the narrow streets when I walked our dog.

Medieval arches of the abbey

Rue St Nicolas in the early evening

Pipkin wasn't helping matters any, appearing as a demon dog in certain light!

The abbey at night

Hardworking bankers still at the branch on rue St Michel after dark

The travelling fish market van outside the bakery on Thursday night

Our house at night

View from upstairs in our house at dusk, looking down rue du Centre

With the close of another year at hand, and with so many months having evaporated into the pandemic, Joseph and I were plowing on to make some progress in our Lonlay village house. Several late afternoons saw us sorting out thousands of photos by year that we had stored in two heavy filing cabinets. At least we had electricity, heat, and recessed lights in the ceiling to work by. We did not have time to look at all the photos - but the filing cabinets were taking up valuable space in our front room, and they needed to go.

The filing cabinets, with doors open to the electric box and "door of doom" water valve box

Photo boxes in the attic

One thing I realized was that the photos all seem very precious to me, and I really don't want to throw any of them out, but at least we repacked them in plastic containers I had ordered from Amazon, and now they are up in the attic. We still have oodles more boxes of photos and memorabilia to go through that are in cardboard boxes upstairs. My wedding dress, daughter's school projects, old toys and books... Ok, next time....

I had ordered ten big plastic storage boxes for Lonlay, but somehow the order was cut in two and one set of boxes went to our default address in Paris! I got a call on the Saturday from the delivery guy who was standing outside our building there. Had to tell him to take those boxes back. No time to order more while we were in Lonlay, because Monday the 1st was a holiday, and there was no option for expedited shipping. Ok, next time...

One storage box was broken in the set we received. I braved calling Amazon.fr. Got someone to speak to me in English. Did not expect much, but they gave me a refund of nearly half the price of the full set!

Bedroom "bulb of shame"

Speaking of builders, we were happy to be able to walk with them through our house, room by room, noting projects that may require their expertise in the coming months - after they first address the ruined stairwell and paint all the interior - which is quite a lot of work already.

In our bedroom hangs the "bulb of shame." We already have recessed lights in most of the rooms, but I imagined that all we would need in the bedroom was a "chandelier," as I envisioned several smaller lamps on chests and nightstands that would supply ample additional lighting. Well, naturally, I discovered that the central position I had chosen for said chandelier was going to hit everyone in the head. Nor is the ceiling high enough to accommodate a classic chandelier. So the bulb of shame hangs there to remind me.

Most likely we will install a light fixture here that will fit closer to the ceiling to remedy that problem. Our leading contender at the moment is a classic 20th century art deco style. www.luminaire.fr/plafonnier-antique-caecilia-42-cm.html

Moving on to the attic...

The attic stairwell, steps and side wall all need work

Eventually, we plan to cover over the attic walls with drywall and make the attic into another bedroom or office.

But first we will have to be sure that all of the small leaks, like the one we had near the old chimney, are fully sealed. We will need at least two skylights, and we will put in a permanent floor. Right now, the floor is made of strong plywood that allows us to walk on it and store items, but we would like it to be hardwood.

The drywall is already up in the attic, along with the old attic door (on top) that will be painted and rehung.

In one corner of the attic, a beam crosses in front of the water heater. Thanks to plumbing and electrical connections placed here by our previous builders at our request, it should be possible to make a small powder room in this corner in the future. People may have to duck under the beam, however, in order to use the loo!

At present, only two small windows let natural light into the attic. This one is clear, but the other is covered with lichen and does not allow much light to enter. We look forward to having a better view one day through a larger skylight toward the center of the village.

We like visiting the house and making future plans for all the rooms, but who can stay indoors for long when the crisp outdoors beckons, and Normandy puts on all of its reds and gold and rust colors for us to admire?

The abbey and its surrounds are the serene center of the village, reflecting each season.

One bridge leads to another, crossing the several tributaries that course the village. The flowers change with the seasons as well. Pansies are planted for late fall and winter, being resistant to frost.

Long buses and tractor-trailers that provide transport and goods to the region pass through Lonlay periodically throughout the day, but for many hours at a time it is still very much a pedestrian village, as it was a hundred years ago, and a hundred years before that.

Signage reminds us that many areas are for "pietons" - pedestrians only.

This is a village with a sense of humor. No excuse for not picking up by saying you don't read French!

A visit would not be complete without steak and fries, hake in white wine sauce and a casserole of buttered vegetables at the Relais de l'Abbaye.

Always there are so many other things I wish I could show you about our time in the village, but I cannot capture them well enough or furtively enough with an iphone:

icy air that seizes my throat as I marvel at early morning lawns covered in frost, sparkling like white sugar in the sun,

an older man in his reflective vest who kindly warns us of a big intersection at the top of a hill,

little urchins at the preschool being reminded over and over that they are not to eat "that,"

the mayor getting his coffee and making his appointed rounds,

the scent of fresh breads at the boulangerie,

the friendly dog that lives at the supermarket,

the sound of rushing water under the bridges,

and the splendid midnight show of stars, majestic against black sky over the village green.

You'll have to take my word for some of it.

November in Lonlay l'Abbaye, in the time of All Saints.

Halfway down the stairs

10/15/2021

Ernest Shepard's illustration for A.A. Milne's poem "Halfway Down"

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

[Fragment of "Halfway Down," a poem by A.A. Milne in When We Were Very Young (1924) E.P. Dutton, p.81.]

Our ancient oak staircase with wattle and daub wall

Our ancient "characterful" staircase ... suitable for sitting and even for a spot of poetry perhaps, but not looking quite as finished as we would like...
Having been away from Lonlay l'Abbaye and our little house "project" for almost two years, thanks to the "gilet jaunes," transit strikes and the pandemic, we walked in to take stock of where we were once we arrived. In memory, and in our store of photos, it seemed to us that so much work had been done - the place was nearly habitable. Walls up, bathroom done, kitchen in place - check, check, check.

Certainly the charming lady who has been keeping our place clean and who has alerted us to two leaks has done a very good job, working around our storage boxes and filing cabinets, chasing away spiders, cleaning up after the dear swallows who leave their messy mud nests each year, and leaving traps to discourage insects and mice from getting into our storage boxes.

We had hoped to be able to get the place painted and begin to move in some furniture.
Our first walk through upon arrival however, revealed that there was substantially more work to be done before we could even think of moving in to live here, or to have friends visit. Surely we were well more than halfway, but certain areas were discouraging. The main staircase was a glaring reminder that this is a very old house still in need of more rejuvenation.

To begin with, we looked at the stairs from the ground floor to the first level. Fairly steep and narrow, the stairs are ancient but strong solid oak. The surrounding walls however, are mostly wattle and daub, old panelling, and peeling paint. So the staircase surrounds desperately need a refresh - new wallboard and/or plaster all the way up.

Staircase wall - more wattle and daub - and wood?

Curve of the stairs - old panelling and paper

Last few quirky steps

Most disturbing are the last few steps to the upstairs level. The penultimate step is only a small half-step that does not hold your whole foot. Then you have to step up higher to the next level with no handrail or newell post, as the old handrail disappears into a corner of wallboard at that point. A person could easily lose their balance here, especially if they have had a glass too full, (not that that would ever apply to us ;-)

Going down these stairs from the first level is also precarious for the first step or two, due to the half-step, no handrail on the right, and no handrail on the left until you have already gone past the unsafe step.

So we are getting bids from two sets of builders to make all of these necessary staircase repairs (and a few others noted below) before painting can commence. Also getting bids for painting the whole interior of the house. And, until the painting is done, bringing in furniture will only complicate matters, so that too has to wait.

Exposed undercarriage of old attic stairs

Standing at the top of said stairs, there is also the unsightly undercarriage of what may be part of our existing stairs to the attic, or perhaps part of a staircase that once linked to one of the adjacent townhouses. These old stone homes have been carved up in somewhat peculiar ways.

I think that the wallboard that previously covered this undercarriage had to be removed to allow for new electric wiring, as did some of the wallboard on the staircase wall, but now it is time to close up again, refinish and move on.

Window at the landing/study area with new heater. Opening to attic stairs on the right.

Turning immediately to your right once you have gotten to the first level, there is a window here at what we call the landing/study area. The doorway to the attic stairs is on the right again.

The attic stairs have got to be repaired, as they look rather precarious, and we do want to be able to use the attic space now that we have a floor in there again. There are wallboards already up in the attic waiting to finish the space off, but that is another project for later.
For now, we need to have functional stairs going up there, and a new door built for the entrance to the attic stairs. The old door was taken off its hinges at some point, but was rather shabby, and seems to have disappeared in any event.

Throwback to 2016

This throwback photo from November 2016 shows the unfinished first floor at the landing/study area with stacked wallboards. You can see the opening to the attic stairs on the left, my ungraceful climb to the top of the stairs, and the gaping hole on the right that is now our bathroom.

Small storage space at ground level under the stairs

A peek inside the "cave"

Back to the present day...

Under the stairs on the ground level is a small Harry Potter-sized storage spot that we grandly call the "cave" (French pronunciation: roughly "kaahv" or "kaaaahhv-uh" if you want to sound more snooty!). A French "cave" is a wine cellar or storage space, usually unheated, and therefore suitable for holding wine.

Over the years, this space has become a catchall, or "débarras" for cleaning supplies and leftover building materials. It seems neatly bricked and dry when empty. We'd like to clear it out, reorganize it, and have a door made for it. Maybe there will be room for some wine!

Electric box and circuit breakers on the wall above the "door of doom" - water valve access - down below.

Water valve access and "cavity" inside the "door of doom"

Another space that we would like to see addressed is the one I call the "Door of Doom." On the same wall that houses our electric meter (behind a door) is a lower door that opens into an unfinished space. In it, there is an open cavity to the dirt floor with electrical wires running close by the main water valve.

The space is accessorized with some floating insulation, crumbling granite, soil, spiders and God knows what else might live down there in the crawl space under the house. Putting your hand in to turn on the water is like reaching into a tomb. So we have asked our builders for some ideas to block off some of the open cavity here, but leaving the valve cleanly accessible.

Wide angle - bedroom windows

And finally, the windows....For years I resisted the advice of several builders who said the wooden windows on the house would have to be replaced. I could not bear losing them, with their clear panes that had seen so much history, and their antique hardware (see blog archives - 15 February, 2016). But after yet another expert evaluation, I have had to reluctantly conclude that they have to be replaced, just as our doors had to be replaced.

We are determined that they will be remade exactly as before, however, in oak with traditional hardware. This will be quite an expense, but as with the rest of the renovation, it is also for continuity, for history, and for what we hope will be the next hundred years of life for this tiny old house in this charming village.

Our village house - September 2021

Looking forward to our next visit very soon!

Un très beau village: Lonlay l'Abbaye

9/30/2021

The village green and orchard

Finally, after nearly two years away, we were able to visit Lonlay l'Abbaye again this September! What a welcome sight were the broad lawns of the green, the weathered stones of the abbey, the slope of the main street, and the good-humored folks who tend to every corner of this well-maintained village. A lowkey but joyful homecoming for us.

The weather was perfect, with just a few rainshowers to refresh the flowers and lawns, and seeing so many butterflies and birds was a delight.

The end of the rainbow just slightly left of our house with the white door.

Archways of the ancient abbey

Despite more than a year of pandemic woes and surely much less tourism than usual, the village looked prosperous and cheerful. We had read of several projects that the resourceful mayor and his staff had brought to fruition, including renovation of the former veterinary into a group gîte, a childcare center, groundbreaking on a new senior living space and another major building project that will transform some disused village homes into six new residences very close to our house on Place Jules Levée. Somehow the mayor obtained 750,000 euros for that project!

Wild white roses

Bridge across the Égrenne in the middle of Lonlay l'Abbaye

The Égrenne river running through Lonlay l'Abbaye. Cobbler's cottage in background.

Bridge across the Égrenne river

Purple flowers beside the stream

Very old fountain in the main square

Mysterious purple door between the Abbey and the Mairie

Computer work center and the doctor's office housed in the renovated abbatial offices

Proud homeowner's cascading floral arrangements

Flowers on a private bridge

Lonlay was festooned with flowers, along the riverbanks and in planters and windowboxes all over the village. We had heard that the village "fête" (that usually features spectacular fireworks) was cancelled this summer due to Covid concerns, and I suspect that some of that budget may have been wisely redirected toward buying more flowers to brighten the streets. An annual contest for floral displays at individual houses encourages delightful color in the narrow passageways.
An association called "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) counts 159 small villages among its members. They are mainly in areas of natural beauty, must number fewer than 2000 in population, and must have at least two national heritage sites. Lonlay has the abbey (11th to 15th centuries), and a historically classed Merovingian tomb (Le Sarcophage de la Thomassière) on its outskirts. I'm sure that I am not alone in thinking Lonlay l'Abbaye's charm could certainly merit designation as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
While we were visiting, a crew from TF1 (a major French tv channel) was interviewing the mayor and other residents for their perspectives on keeping rural village life alive and well.

Back of the Abbey and offices now housing the Mairie and other functions

Backside of the Abbey - open to the public

Private gardens across from the Abbey grounds

The contiguous Abbey, Mairie, computer work center, media center and doctor's office in renovated quarters

Looking toward the square from in front of the Mairie and the Abbey

A walk around the back side of the stately abbey brings you along another small tributary and to a look across some private gardens before coming out again to the main square. One of our favorite things to do in Lonlay is to explore all of these picturesque locations on foot. No need for a car during a short stay.
Our little dog Pipkin was also keen to explore this new land, which was like Mars to her, as it was her first visit to Lonlay. We found we needed to bribe her almost constantly with treats to stay calm at our feet if we stopped for a glass of wine on the terrace of the bar/tabac or took her to lunch at the Relais.
One morning she ran loose out the door of where we were staying, and I was afraid she would wind up in the road in traffic. Lonlay is a relatively quiet village, but in the morning and late afternoon, it does see a fair amount of cars and enormous container-sized 18 wheelers delivering goods to the scattered villages. Fortunately, she ran back to me on the green just a few minutes after her disappearance and greedily ate the end of the baguette I had for her!

The Relais de l'Abbaye restaurant

Lovely view of the square and the abbey from the terrace of the bar/tabac

A gift of pamphlets to prepare for longer stays

The Relais de l'Abbaye restaurant is a surprise for visitors. The front section on rue du Centre looks like a casual coffee shop, but more formal tables are laid out in a light-filled room at the back, and outdoor tables are available in fine weather. The young couple who run it (husband is the chef and his wife is the hostess and waitress) are very friendly and hard-working. The restaurant is only open for lunch Monday through Friday, but we went every day we could, as the meals are delicious and varied. You can have a starter and main dish or main and dessert with wine and coffee for only about 15 euros, with a choice from among three starters and three mains. Or you can have all three courses for just a little more.
An example of what you might have: a choice of cold terrine of salmon, hot quiche or salad with gésiers, followed by either pork roast, rumsteak with pepper sauce or sandre (a flaky fresh water fish) in sorrel sauce. Your choice of red, white or rosé wine in a small carafe.
A very genial place, so inviting and enticing for both local folks and visitors. One day when we were there, they served lunch not only for the normal number of tables (about 10) but also for a group of 20 who had reserved one long table and a special menu in advance!
Down closer to the abbey and adjacent to the bakery, the bar/tabac is run by the wife of the baker with help from an assistant in the morning hours. In the early evening, their terrace is a wonderful spot for an aperitif. We were warmly greeted as regulars after a few days, and the baker's wife gave us some pamphlets for exploring the surrounds of Lonlay on one of our next trips. She was very patient with our wiggly pup, and brought her a big plastic bucket to drink from.

Salle Sainte Thérèse on the right of the driveway down to the village green

Countryside farm on the road to Beauchêne

Poster for "The Mauritanian," a 2021 film based on the true story of an innocent held in Guantanamo. "Désigné Coupable" ("Presumed Guilty" or "Deemed Guilty") in French.

Lest you think that entertainment in Lonlay l'Abbaye is limited to eating and drinking and countryside walks (as refreshing as those can be), there are often recent movies being shown in the community center (the Salle Ste Thérèse) and other dinners, dances or plays organized by social groups in Lonlay and the surrounding towns.
While we were there, we were fortunate to hear a choral concert of Renaissance sacred music by the composer Josquin Desprez in the setting of the abbey. The choral group Metamorphoses is known for performing Desprez's classic works, particularly this year, 500 years after his death. They were more popular than we expected, because about 200 people attended the Sunday afternoon concert.
Before the concert, we chatted on the bar/tabac terrace with some ladies who had driven from Alençon (about an hour away) to hear the music. We were impressed that they had come prepared for the afternoon with their own jar of paté and cutlery, so all they needed was bread from the bakery and a glass of wine.

As is the case with all of the restaurants, bars and group gatherings indoors anywhere in France at the moment, we were asked to show our proof of vaccination "passe sanitaire" before entering the abbey. We sat masked at the very back of the church. Acoustics were a bit problematic for the contrapuntal music, but some contemporary work inspired by Desprez at the end was glorious. The singers were all very accomplished and the audience appreciated them very much.
If you are interested, this is an example of their singing Desprez's work on Youtube:

Pipkin, who had been left behind with a special soft-boiled egg in her dish as a bribe, was adorably quiet. We all went out for a walk after dark, and revelled in the peaceful quiet of the night.

Sunset from rue de Stogursey in Lonlay l'Abbaye

Our shadows on the Abbey

The quiet moonlit night

Coming soon...Update on our house. Remaining works to be done!

The Plague Year - Waiting It Out

8/29/2020

Street art in the 7th arrondissement

We have been fortunate, very fortunate, to be healthy and safe during this difficult year. We sorely miss Lonlay l'Abbaye, and have not been able to visit our village house there since last October. The coronavirus has been only one obstacle, but a constant one since March 2020.

Pipkin, our Cairn terrier puppy, after her operation

Before the plague hit Paris, however, we were otherwise occupied. For instance, our Cairn terrier puppy Pipkin had her sterilization operation in November. Several weeks of rehab at home. The onesie was supposed to be enough to keep her away from the stitches, but we had to put on the cone as well. She's a determined little thing.

In many ways, it was a glorious November. We were happy to relish the daily pleasures of Paris - her museums, restaurants, concerts and pastry shops.

Greengrocer on rue Cler

The autumn markets were full of marvelous mushrooms, chestnuts and mandarins. We could crowd cheek to jowl as we shopped, without fear.

The "Gilets Jaunes" continued to protest every Saturday, sometimes accompanied by destructive fools who smashed windows, set fires, and looted shops. By the end of the year, the Gilets Jaunes were periodically blocking highways near many cities throughout France and causing transit issues. The major unions called for general strikes, particularly in transportation, creating havoc in the train schedules and shutting down even the Paris metro system. There was general discontent with President Macron, and particularly in relation to his proposed changes to the French pension system. We did not feel we could count on being able to travel to Lonlay l'Abbaye without disruption.

But what did any of that matter, as it was Christmastime in Paris? Always a magical season, even if the transit strikes made it more difficult to get to our favorite places. In solidarity with other unions, the Paris Opera ballet company went on strike, and the performance we had planned to see on Christmas Eve was cancelled. Strikes are commonplace in France, though this one was prolonged, and impacted holiday plans for thousands of French who could not get out to visit their families in the provinces. Visiting Lonlay for Christmas was impossible. But we believed everything would reopen soon.

The metro, bus and train strikes continued into January. We began to use Ubers more frequently, and generally stayed closer to home on the cold short days. Near the end of January, the strikes were exhausted, but news of the deadly virus in Wuhan was disturbing. Like so many others, we feared the virus, but wanted to believe it would not spread to countries outside of China's orbit.

Bouillon Pigalle photo by Thierry Richard

For most of February, with the buses and the metro running again, we could enjoy the regular winter pleasures of Paris, visting friends, meeting for lunches and apéros, frequenting some of our favorite restaurants, neighborhoods and shops. We had family planning to visit us near the end of March. We thought we'd be able to get out to Lonlay l'Abbaye then with them, or at least by April. We continued to roam around Paris, but as the numbers of Covid-19 cases increased in neighboring Italy, we began to wear gloves on the metro and took hand wipes with us everywhere. No one was wearing masks then except for some of the Japanese tourists.

We began stocking up our cupboards and fridge, adding canned, frozen and prepared items that would keep longer, whereas previously we would have shopped daily. In early March, events for more than 5000 people were officially banned. How minimal a step that seems now! Our family members cancelled their planned trip from the U.S., all of us assuming they'd be able to reschedule in a few months.
On March 8, I wrote to a friend that I sensed things might be very different by the Ides of March. I could not comprehend how dramatic the difference would be! From one day to the next, March 15 to March 16, all restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and museums were closed. Sunday March 16 was a beautiful day and hundreds of people went to the parks to meet with their friends, trying to cope with these changes. After Sunday, the parks were closed as well. Macron told us that we were at war with this virus. Beginning on March 17, Paris went into an unprecedented lockdown.

The people of Paris disappeared. Apart from essential workers, the entire population was strongly urged to stay at home. Schools, businesses, hotels and offices were suddenly shut up tight. Only the food stores and pharmacies were allowed to stay open.
You've all been through similar shutdowns by now, but Paris was one of the first major cities to close up so completely. We had not known what to expect.
It was eerie during the day, and strangely beautiful at night, when I would hear only my footsteps on the normally hectic streets. No tourists taking photos of the Invalides or the shimmering Eiffel Tower. No sets of young people laughing along to their next drink. No elderly couples arm in arm.
Walking the dog, I was often the sole human to be seen for blocks on end. Masks were difficult to come by. Once in a great while, I would see someone wearing a mask on the street, and found it actually disturbing. My mind played tricks with me, and the masked people seemed like villains in a horror movie, popping up around the corners.

Pont de l'Alma - looking from the 7th arrondissement into the 8th

The bridges across the Seine and all of Paris's broad boulevards are normally clogged with city buses, tour buses, passenger vehicles, electric scooters, pedestrians and bicycles. Not in March, not in April, not for most of May. We were all in the great "confinement," holding our breath.

Even during the day, the only vehicles seen regularly were taxis, police cars, and ambulances. Passenger cars were few. As there was no traffic, we got used to crossing even the broad boulevards without ever waiting for the light. Paris became a different place altogether. A few oldtimers said that it reminded them of the Occupation.

I missed the cafes most of all, particularly in the early morning when I used to see the owners setting out their rattan chairs and tables as the sky turned pink in the distance. In so many ways, the cafes are the beating heart of Paris.

The storefronts were equally dispiriting. Some of the shopkeepers and restauranteurs put up signs in their windows. Most encouraged people to stay safe and said they would see us soon. A few were more poignant, offering help to their neighbors, or humorous. On the menu above: "Bat soup" and "Sautéd pangolin."

Day and night, we had to have our identification with us, and a paper stating our purpose for being outside on the street. Each "attestation" had to be signed, dated and with the time of each foray noted on it. Technically, you could use only one sheet of paper for each outing, but I sometimes fudged a bit going out so many times a day with our pup. We ran into frequent checkpoints where municipal employees or the police would ask to see our papers, particularly near the market streets. At some point, everyone was limited to going out for exercise only once a day for an hour, and further limited to a one kilometer radius from home. It was still ok to take Pipkin out multiple times a day, and I was grateful for the extra exercise.

The odd thing was that this empty Paris was stunningly beautiful. By April, the absence of cars and trucks had lowered air pollution levels, and the sky was Monet blue every day. The city was so quiet, as if we were living the legend of Sleeping Beauty in real life. A princess had pricked her finger, and she and all the inhabitants of this kingdom had fallen into a silent slumber.

Finally, by mid-May, we were released from confinement. France had flattened the curve, and Covid-19 infections were much diminished. Everyone was grateful to the medical teams who had endured and sacrificed during the surge. About the only time we saw our neighbors during the lockdown had been evenings at 8:00, when the windows had opened and the applause began for the doctors and their staff.

Masks could now be sold to the general public, and we all began wearing them more often, especially to the grocery store. We were happy to see the cafes open again and people smiling. Joseph and Pipkin and I enjoyed getting out beyond our one kilometer radius again. We were able to eat outside at the restaurant tables that now spilled into the streets, properly distanced. But even as museums, cinemas, stores and other indoor venues were allowed to open, we decided to hold back on going inside any public spaces.
After the long confinement, the summer vacation season brought a resurgence in virus cases as people could not resist having parties and going to newly opened bars and crowded beaches. The government does not want to shut the country down again, and inflict any further damage to the economy. We still have a long path to tread carefully before a vaccine may be available. On one recent day, France recorded almost 6000 new cases of Covid-19.
The city of Paris has now made mask-wearing mandatory in all public spaces, both indoors and outside - and even in private offices. We are optimistic that this and other measures will tamp down the spread of the virus, but our next visit to Lonlay l'Abbaye, using public transport, may still be months away.

Meanwhile, we will tough it out in Paris....

Photo from www.saisons-vives.com

And let the swallows enjoy the windowsills of our place in Lonlay l'Abbaye.

Glorious Autumn in Lonlay l'Abbaye

11/3/2019

The ostensible purpose of our visit to Lonlay l'Abbaye near the end of October was to receive a shipment of boxes from our storage unit near Paris to our tiny house. There was vague talk of beginning to sift through the photos and memorabilia the boxes contained, but the quiet magic of the country village redirected us to wander and ponder.

Because our village house still has no furniture, we stayed again at Sarah and Geoff's "Cobbler's House" (AirBnB), which is delightfully situated between the abbey and the commons area, close by the stream that runs through the village. The small commons orchard was full of apples, some still on the trees, and others piling up on the ground.

The owners of the Cobbler's House have collected old reminders of the original occupant's work. Old wooden clogs and shoemaker's tools are used as decorative elements, some inside and some outside the house.

The village commons area has been extended and improved, from what I last recall. There is a sweet new playground area, more picnic tables, and a gravel path that winds all the way up the hill past green lawns and chestnut trees. The people of the village, and their indefatigable mayor, Monsieur Derouet, make the village more attractive with each visit.

The view from the top of the hill is stunning and unspoilt. Makes me so happy! You can see the reddish roof and wooden frame of the old cider press in the center of some of the lawns, with the abbey behind.

This is the approach to the cider press from the other side of the commons.

Inside the cider press is the enormous stone wheel that would have crushed the apples into pulp and juice - much of the juice to be turned into cider - and some eventually used to make Calvados, my favorite digestif.

After a few sunny days, we had some clouds and rain, but the grey skies made the greens even more lush. This is the path that leads around the back of the abbey.

With the school closed for the "All Saints" holiday period, the village was in repose, but the delicious butcher/charcuterie shop was open, as well as the bar/tabac and the bakery.

Our banker, Monsieur Bouillaux, at Crédit Mutuel, was kind enough to spend nearly an hour with us, sorting out a problem with Électricité de France (EDF). So we were especially pleased that the bakery had a nice selection of eclairs and fruit tarts we could bring back to his office for him and his staff.

Everything we needed was within walking distance, including the general store. Once again, we did not bring a car. The ever-welcoming Monsieur LeBlond of La Bergerie in Sainte Opportune arranged for us to have drivers to and from the train station in Flers. It seems much more restful to us once we are there, to just stay within the village, though I know we will soon want to explore further parts of Normandy and Brittany we have not seen.

Three days in a row we had lunch at the charming village restaurant "Le Relais de l'Abbaye." The tower above is part of a residence that faces one of their windows. The Relais food is quite tasty, and a very good value with a quarter carafe of wine included with your meal. A couple of days we also had a "kir" to start. Kir is an aperitif of dry white wine with a few drops of cassis (blackcurrant liqueur).

This drink was already known in the Burgundy region of France as a "blanc-cassis" from the 19th century. After World War II, it was renamed the "kir" after Félix Kir, a Catholic priest and Resistance member who became mayor of Dijon. He delighted in serving this cocktail to visiting delegations to promote both Bourgogne Aligoté, the dry white wine of the region, and crème de cassis, also made in Burgundy.

Well, this is not our table at the Relais - just the only free photo of kirs I could easily find. A very pretty drink, and nice aperitif. After our second day of ordering them to start our meal at the Relais, I noticed two other tables that asked for them as well. Such trendsetters we are!

The abbey itself was open and welcoming, so we also made a visit inside.

In existence for many centuries, it has elements from the 11th century to the present - and a fair amount of mystery and dignity.

Joseph had read that the oldest part of the abbey was the transept, which is where I believe these finials atop their columns are located. Most likely they are restorations, but true to the originals.

The rams on the left remind me a bit of "Shaun the Sheep" from the Wallace & Gromit stop motion clay animation movies. On the right, could that be an image of wind or a fire-breathing lion? Whose tiny head is up in the corner there? Perhaps next summer we will take a guided tour of the abbey and see if there are any answers to these questions.

"Alright, but what about your house?" you ask (or perhaps you don't, but I will tell you anyway).

Électricité de France (EDF) has installed a thicker and more powerful electric source cable to give us the power we need for our appliances, but I did notice some new cracks in the mortar on the face of the house that seemed to emanate from where they drilled to put in the new line. Hmmm.

The dear little swallows have gone, but left behind their mud nests and a spattering of poop to remember them by. We are looking to find someone to clean this up before they return next spring. A tall ladder will be indispensable.

We did succeed in having our stored boxes of mementos, books, and family favorites like old toys moved into the study. The door to the bathroom here still opens, but this takes up much of the room. We will reduce the volume soon, and store the remainder in the attic once our builders have put in a floor up there. They are working on it now.

A few things got unpacked, and we took measurements and photos of the interiors of all the windows, so we can order curtain rods. We'd like to come back for a longer stay next time, perhaps to take delivery of some basic furniture.

We love every season in the village.

Below are several short videos from this visit that we've loaded to Youtube. We hope you will enjoy these moments too.

Coming Together

7/30/2019

Our tiny house is coming together! (note: curtains in most of the windows), and as you will see below, on our last visit to Lonlay l'Abbaye we had the opportunity to visit a beautifully renovated chateau where we got together with some very nice people.

Fabulous barn conversion!

Rear of Chateau St. Cyr

We were delighted to receive a surprise invitation from Americans Wendy and Ashley Lane, the owners of Chateau St. Cyr. Their charming home away from home is located in St. Cyr du Bailleul, a village about 20 minutes from Lonlay. Wendy and Ashley Lane operate a full service vacation getaway with curated side trips from their lovingly restored 19th century manor house. chateaustcyr.com Self-described "Franco-fanatics," the Lanes are from New Orleans, where they have a home in the French Quarter (of course!).

We were invited for aperitifs in their restored barn along with several other blogger/expats from the surrounding area. (Sadly, I did not take photos of the gathering. The photo of the amazing barn with its long table is from their attractive Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ChateauStCyr/.) When we were there, the ancient fireplace was lit and provided a cozy corner for all of us to gather and talk while cider and wine were poured. Delicious appetizers grilled on the open fire as we enjoyed the lively conversation. Ideal.

The photo above is a quick shot of the back of the chateau taken on our way out. You'll have to go to their websites to see the gorgeous interior restoration work they did and the perfect rose garden they lovingly brought back to life.

Ashley and Wendy are wonderful hosts, and we fully enjoyed meeting the other bloggers, Dawne and Dean from www.instagram.com/french.blessings/, and Julie and her friend from www.thefrenchmanoir.net.

Dawne and Dean are talented professional photographers and teachers. In 2014 they starred in a House Hunters International episode about the search for their home in the Perche region of Normandy.

Julie is from South Korea originally, lived in Melbourne, but has now moved semi-permanently to France with her Scottish husband. A very impressive person - English is her third language after Korean and Japanese, and now she is learning French, of course. She just had a book about her French manor house published in Korea.

Back in Lonlay l'Abbaye, Joseph and I had lunch with some new American friends, Deborah and Rand. The couple had looked at many properties in Normandy and are now in the process of buying "Katie's house" across the square from us. While they do want to remodel and redecorate a bit, the house is basically already good to go as it has been an AirBnB rental. We hope they will have many happy days each year in Lonlay, though they may still spend much of the year on the Oregon coast.

Coincidentally, Katie's house was where I first stayed when I came to Lonlay l'Abbaye in September 2015 to complete our house purchase. The wonderful view above is from the top bedroom in Katie's house. Two months later, in mid-November 2015, Joseph and I were staying there when we learned of the horrible terrorist attacks in Paris. We were so grateful to be able to stay an extra night before we had to return to the city. Lonlay was a haven.

Speaking of havens, we were happy to see our new kitchen in real life...

We were "chuffed" (as our friends the Brits would say) to see that our tiny house is now habitable. While we did not take the time to read through all those appliance manuals and test out everything just yet, we were assured by our builders that all was in working order.

We have hot water, a functional bathroom and kitchen. They helped us label the circuit breakers for our major appliances, and showed us how to turn the electricity on and off, as well as the main water supply.

To celebrate the milestone of habitability, we even persuaded our usually camera-shy builders to let us take their picture. Here are Jim, Barry and Nicola in their work garb. Good sports.

Joseph took a few wide angle shots of the main bedroom, as well as the smaller study at the top of the stairs with the door to the bathroom. These will help us figure out furniture placement. For now, we may have to fill the study with boxes of our belongings that we want to take out of our storage space near Paris.

We plan to give ourselves time during our visits to Lonlay l'Abbaye to sort through and condense all the papers, photos and memorabilia. Maybe we should ask Marie Kondo to come and help us!

The new water heater has pride of place in a corner of the still precarious attic. I say precarious because there is currently no flooring over the main beams.

Top of the stairs looking into the old attic.

Our next project is to have insulation and a basic floor laid down in the attic that will make it possible for us to move around up here. The French word for attic is "combles," which makes me think of "shambles" - in its current state anyway.

We may use this level of the house for storage until we are ready to finish it off with skylights and wallboard. Eventually, it will be a second bedroom for visitors who don't need to stand upright.

The new custom-built doors seem well-fitted and sturdy. We are glad they are nearly identical to the old wooden ones we had to replace. The only difference is that the front door does not have a mail slot, so we will have to figure out how to attach a mailbox onto the solid granite next to the front door.

We do not have curtain rods yet, but Joseph devised a way to hang some lace panels inside most of the windows. I miscalculated how many we would need, so will have to order more and measure for the rods. Lace curtains are not mandatory, but they do fit the WWII era feeling of the village, and are evident in most houses.

The village looked better than ever to us. Roses were blooming and the commons grass was deep green. Mayor Derouet has had great success obtaining government support for improvement projects.

The ancient abbey facade has been cleaned and its statues restored.

The most impressive restoration has been the extension wing of the abbey where the monks and priests used to live. Once vacant, it now houses the mayor's office (mairie), a media center (mediatheque - a kind of modern library), and a tech center (espace numerique). All open to the public.

With so many small villages dying in France, it is good to see that Lonlay l'Abbaye seems to be thriving and that the mayor is doing so much to make it a welcoming and prosperous place. Even the local cookie factory is expanding.

At dusk we watched swifts and swallows flying in groups to catch the summer insects. The old mayor's office has been renovated into a new hairdresser's place with three employees. The red and yellow sign on the building reads "Lon'lay Cheveux." I think this must be a play on words of some sort, pronounced phonetically the same as "longs les cheveux," or "long hair," but that's just a guess.

Closing for now, from "cheveux" (hair) to "chevaux" (horses). While we were waiting for our ride back to the train station, three riders pulled up to the bar/tabac and bakery. Now that's the way to travel in Normandy!

American Heroes - Crew of the Chow-hound

6/6/2019

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, always a day for reflection and appreciation for all the men who were part of that great invasion which turned the tide of World War II on the beaches of Normandy. Such a bloody tide. Joseph and I have been often to the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, always grappling with that sense of loss mixed with honor and gratitude that comes over us as we cast our eyes over thousands of white markers.

The village of Lonlay l'Abbaye was a battleground as well in 1944, well into August, both on the ground and in the air. When we first saw the French war monument that stands in front of our village house, we were moved to see that part of that memorial was dedicated to nine Americans. They were the young men who all lost their lives when their B-17, nicknamed the "Chow-hound," was shot down in a field near Lonlay on August 8, 1944.

Over time, I learned more about the incident, and how a battered wing of the Chow-hound was repatriated to the U.S. Air Force with ceremony and respect just a few years ago. More recently, I came across a website dedicated to the Chow-hound and her men.

I hope you will all have a look, because it tells the tale much better and more concisely than I could here. www.chow-hound.org/OUR-STORY.html

Astonishingly, the villagers of Lonlay l'Abbaye have never forgotten or put aside the sacrifice of these men. I was surprised to see that there have been several ceremonies over the years. The crash site was excavated, remains transferred to Arlington National Cemetery, and relatives of the Chow-hound crew have made pilgrimages to Lonlay.

The 1944 crew of the Chow-hound, an American Army Air Forces B-17 bomber. Pilot Jack "Tex" Thompson and his men. This is believed to be the only photo available of the Chow-hound's third and final crew. With the exception of Frank Bolen, who did not fly that day, they all lost their lives on their 14th mission, August 8, 1944.

Front row, left to right: Sgt. Gerald F. Gillies, Tail Gunner; 1st Lt. Jack R. Thompson, Pilot; Tech Sgt. Henry F. Kortebein, Engineer; 2nd Lt. Frank Bolen, Bombardier [not aboard on the fateful flight]; 2nd Lt. Charles Sherrill, Bombardier.

Back row, left to right: 2nd Lt. David J. Nelson, Co-Pilot; Tech Sgt. Blake A. Treece, Radio man and Gunner; 2nd Lt. Charles F. Bacigalupa, Navigator; Sgt. Warren D. Godsey, Lower Ball Turret Gunner; Sgt. Richard R. Collins, Waist Gunner

This photo shows a different brave crew, the "Newquist" crew, who were the very first assigned to do bombing runs in the Chow-hound in May, 1944. They had all finished their tour of duty and most were on their way home before D-Day. I'm including this photo so you can see the plane, along with these lucky guys.

Pilot Jack Thompson and his men were the third crew assigned to fly the Chow-hound. They completed many successful missions before they perished. Last August, the daughter of Sgt. Gerald Gillies, the Chow-hound's tail gunner, came from Houston, Texas to Lonlay l'Abbaye with her three granddaughters. The mayor, Christian Derouet, responded by arranging a touching tribute just for them.

I only recently became aware of the event when I came across an article about it by Nathalie Guerin in Le Publicateur Libre online: actu.fr/normandie/lonlay-labbaye_61232/a-lonlay-labbaye-roses-blanches-le-sergent-gerald-gillies_18191068.html The article is in French, but I took the liberty of translating it as best I could to be able to share it here with you. Today seems like an appropriate day.

In Lonlay-l'Abbaye, White Roses for Sergeant Gerald Gillies

Posted on August 17, 2018 at 17:57
By Nathalie Guerin in Le Publicateur Libre

A ceremony was held Wednesday, August 8, 2018, in honor of Sergeant Gerald Gillies who was aboard the American bomber shot down by the DCA [German anti-aircraft] August 8, 1944.

Coming from Houston, Texas, to pay tribute to Sergeant Gerald Gillies, their father and grandfather, Dolly, Jody, Jana and Jill were welcomed by the Mayor of Lonlay-l'Abbaye, in the Orne, Christian Derouet who had instructed his assistant Christophe Pellerin to organize this day rich in emotions.

Associated with this ceremony, Jacques Paris, President of the Association Normande du Souvenir Aérien, recalled the circumstances in which Sergeant Gerald Gillies died.

9 Crew Members

On August 8, 1944, the B17 "Chow Howard" [sic – should be "Chow-hound"] bomber, belonging to the 91st squad with 138 elements, was tasked with bombarding the axis between Caen and Falaise. On board 9 crew members including Sergeant Gerald Gillies in charge of the rear machine gun. They flew at 15,000 feet. A relatively low ceiling for this type of plane. The ["Chow-hound"] receives its first impact of the DCA [anti-aircraft fire] over Mantilly.

The debris of its cabin will extend over more than 400 meters in fields in Lonlay-l'Abbaye. No survivors.

A Vibrant Tribute

After a poignant speech of thanks followed by a minute of silence in front of the memorial to the plaque dedicated to the 9 crew members, it is in procession that the descendants of Sergeant Gillies go to the exact place where the rear turret of the "Chow-hound" was found....

In the Le Guédier Field

An American flag stands, lost in the grove among the weeds. It is precisely in the Le Guédier field, midway between the villages of La Houdière and La Guerche Midi, that the rear turret of the ["Chow-hound"] crashed.

Christophe Pellerin points out: "You see, at the end of the road, 400m is the farm of my mother Thérèse Pellerin born Lebreton ... They saw everything ... "

Solemnly the flag is lowered.

The American flag will be folded in the rules of the art: "The American flag never touches the ground," confides Jacques Paris. It will be offered to members of Sergeant Gillies' family.

The Sergeant's Wedding Ring

One regret, however, for Jacques Paris: "The sergeant's wedding ring was saved and passed on to the Resistance. We did everything to find it. It may today still be in a forgotten drawer of a chest of drawers from Lonlay-l'Abbaye ... We would so much have liked to offer it to his daughter Dolly! ".

There are four white roses at Le Guédier field, amid tall grass that the August wind stirs up. Four white roses that must hum in this Norman grove: "If the 'Ricains [Americans] were not there ...".*

[*This last line is a reference to an old pop song by French singer Michel Sardou]

The war memorial sits on the square, on a diagonal directly in front of our house. Ours is the last house on the right. We are proud to share the memories of these American heroes.

D-Day is not just about Americans, and the Americans did not win the war alone. We feel enduring gratitude to the men of every country that joined to fight fascism in World War II, but these names are precious to us, and to the people of Lonlay l'Abbaye.

From Concept to Kitchen

5/28/2019

“I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and say to myself "well, that's not going to happen.” - Rita Rudner

Yes, we finally have a kitchen!
With limited wall space (about 300 cm or 9 ft 10 inches) to dedicate to our kitchen in Lonlay l'Abbaye, we had some doubts as to whether or not we could fit in all of the elements that we deemed essential, and not have it feel cramped or cluttered. So when the kitchen planner at the Leroy Merlin store took our wish list of cabinets and appliances and created the above schematic, my first thought was, "well, that's not going to happen."
But somehow....

Jim and Nicola started to put the pieces together in March, and it began to look possible.

Fitting the countertop, and pre-made cabinet walls and doors into this corner cannot have been easy, as I had, as always, insisted on leaving the "charm" of the uneven wall angles of the house.

By May - Voilà! Our kitchen is installed! We'll have to think of something to do in the odd corner wedge - maybe fit in a wine rack, and we may buy another small table or island to have more work space, but this one wall has all we really need.

The tall cabinets on the right contain the refrigerator. We have not been out to Lonlay yet to test out the appliances, but we do plan to visit in June. It will likely take us three days to read and decipher the appliance manuals!

The clothes washer is also hidden behind a cabinet door. It is a "lave-linge sechant," meaning that it is a washer and dryer in one. Depending on the program you set, it can wash or dry, or wash and dry the same load. Theoretically that is, as the similar machine in our Paris place interprets "dry" to mean "damp."

We opted not to put in a dishwasher, as we normally don't have a lot of dishes to wash, and space is at a premium in the tiny house. In France, every major appliance also has to have its own dedicated electrical outlet.

The main kitchen storage space will be in the overhead cabinets, under the sink, and in the four drawers. The cabinetry is a soft-white painted wood. Would be curious to see your suggestions for wall color and backsplash tile.

Not sure yet where we will store pots and pans, but we will work it out. Our meal preparation is typically very simple, and we rely more on knives and whisks than on specialty appliances.

Our Paris apartment kitchen is similarly compact, but built in a "U" configuration, with cabinets up to the ceiling. I have to use a step stool to reach up to the top shelves.

BEFORE

AFTER

For now, we are looking forward to stepping into our very own "After" version of the kitchen.

And we'll be stepping in through our new door as well!

Hungry for Progress

1/11/2019

Copious breakfast at Le Presbytere

During an internet search in 2014, I first saw the tiny "half-house" that would be one day be ours on a British property website called "Cle France" (a website I would still heartily recommend: https://www.clefrance.co.uk).

Actually purchasing the village house in Lonlay l'Abbaye took more than a year, but in the autumn of 2015, we had the keys in hand. Around that time we sought help for what was surely to be a somewhat extensive renovation, but we had no idea that it would eventually involve rebuilding most of the interior of the stone house from the dirt floor up!

So it is that it is now 2019, and we are hungry for progress - more anxious than ever to see the place finally habitable and capable of sustaining life, liberty and our leisure pursuits in Normandy. The early part of 2018 did see some progress: walls and floors were finished upstairs, interior doors were hung, and some heaters installed.

By September of 2018, we had reason to celebrate with another visit to Le Presbytère, the lovely B&B run by Toinette and Tom Jack in nearby St. Bomer les Forges. Le Presbytère was the perfect stopover for us and our daughter, Andelys, as we enjoyed a glorious breakfast there before heading over to see the newly installed bathroom (!!) at our village house in Lonlay.

If you can believe it, this is the BEFORE and AFTER!

BEFORE - 2015 - Soon after we bought the house

AFTER - 2018 - Nearly complete!

Here is a slide show of some of the intermediate steps:

To jumpstart the bathroom work, Joseph and I had travelled to Castorama outside of Caen in June, where we met with the builders and ordered all of the fixtures, tiles and bathroom fittings that they estimated would fit in the miniscule space, giving us a functional bathroom.

The floor plan was reworked a few times, but we were very happy when they sent us photos showing us that the basics were in. By the time we stopped by with our daughter in September, they had added a heated towel rack and the only remaining work to be done in the bathroom was installation of a light and fan/vent on the ceiling. Of course it needs painting, but we may do that ourselves.

Downstairs on the main level, we could see that the electric panel was nearly complete - no more medusa-like wires waving out from the wall as before. The hot water heater we had purchased along with the bathroom materials was still downstairs waiting to be muscled up to the attic level for installation.

The wall that the hot water heater is leaning against in this photo is where our small kitchen will be installed soon. In October we met Nicola at the Leroy Merlin superstore outside Caen and ordered all of our kitchen appliances and cabinets. That visit became something of a comedy of errors when we could not summon an Uber to pick us up at the suburban store and were worried we would miss our train back to Paris.

Nicola bravely volunteered to drive us back into Caen - the roads around the city being a snarl of highways, industrial develpments and connecting routes. There was only one catch, and that was that Joseph would have to ride in the back, if he didn't mind. Well no, except (ahem), there were no seats in the back of the van, only tools and building materials, paints and her sweet dog.

I sat in the front passenger seat and turned on my phone for navigation to the train station. Due to construction and dead ends however, Google maps was taking us in circles, the minutes were ticking by until the train would arrive, and Joseph and the dog were sliding around in the back with levels, lumber and the like. At last, we saw a sign that showed us where to go, and Nicola made a hairpin turnaround on the highway, qualifying for the next Fast and Furious film. We made it back to the train station with a few minutes to spare and Joseph upgraded us to first class as a reward for our jangled nerves!

The Grand Tour

To get back to our September visit though, this was the first chance that our darling daughter had had to actually set foot in the house. She was supposed to come with us on a prior visit, but a Lufthansa strike complicated her plans. We do like to consult with her about everything we do here, because this will be her house one day and always a place she can visit and retreat to if she wants to write or needs a break.

Upstairs in the bedroom we had a huge surprise! Swallows had built a mud nest right outside the window in the corner under the eaves, and it was full of chirping little heads popping up and down. The photo on the right is from another blog and approximates what we saw, but we could not get a clear photo of ours as our window was streaked with mud and bird doo. Well, no matter.

The swallows are amazing and intrepid creatures who make a long pilgrimage every year from Africa to nest in their preferred locations. Their habitat is shrinking, so we are pleased to welcome them. We may have to have someone come to clean those windows again before the spring though, and perhaps install a removable shelf under the nest to catch the droppings. It's always something...

Overall, our trip was a good one. Being able to show our daughter the house, and the magical village of Lonlay l'Abbaye, was something we had long joyfully anticipated. She was charmed by the place as well, though she exclaimed that the house still needs "a lot of work!"

Speaking of construction work, we also met a lovely and fearless woman who has taken on the project of renovating a "maison de maître" with a fascinating history in the hills of Lonlay l'Abbaye. She gave us tea and a tour of the wonderful place. Perhaps more about that next time as well.