29 May 2017

Hamlet

Praline the donkey and small bird on branch


No, not Shakespeare but a wander around our little hameau this afternoon.  

Monsieur Escalier's hen house
Philippe's well


view through Philippe's old barn

Philippe's other well close to our house
 
This is Philippe’s other well.  He uses it quite a lot in summer to keep his vegetable patch watered.  He has told Paul that he is welcome to use it too if there are water restrictions during the summer.
Paul covets that well.  There would be something very reassuring about having your own source of water.  This particular well originally belonged to our dwelling.  When the previous owners bought the property back in the eighties they sold the well to Philippe.  Seems like a strange thing to do but I suppose they never had plans to cultivate the land.


 

17 comments:

  1. Well, well, well! Sounds like Philippe pressurised the previous owner so he could secure that well for himself. Interesting pictures Sue - more evidence of rural France's long history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suspect in olden times the community here would all have had access to the Lavoir (wash house) that adjoins Philipe's well.

      Delete
  2. Lovely - your little corner of paradise looks so peaceful. Praline, what an unusual name for a donkey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She used to have a friend called Framboise.

      Delete
  3. Maybe you can buy a share of it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Philippe would never sell anything but he would share the water if we needed it.

      Delete
  4. Dessert donkeys. If you do not have a well, from where do you get your water? (I'm assuming you are in a rural area) -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are connected to a mains water supply but water for the garden can be restricted during a hot, dry summer.

      Delete
    2. We are have septic tanks, and when the house was built we asked the builder to install a system that would clean all household waste water (including the lavatories)so that we could use it in the garden. It's known as grey water, is cleaned 80% by filters and is piped round the garden using seep hoses. It works very well, but we have the system on overnight, as it can be a tad pongy in very hot weather !

      Delete
  5. There must be water around. Maybe you should dig a well. I believe you just place a huge concrete tube on the ground, and dig. As each tube sinks, you replace it with another, keep digging, then stop when you have wet feet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like too much hard work! Just niggles Paul that 'his well' was sold off.

      Delete
  6. Sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a nice place to live if you enjoy a quiet, rural lfestyle.

      Delete
  7. We are still waiting for the power supply and a split pipe to be repaired to our well and it's tap near the house. Hardly important but I do hate using drinking water for garden jobs and the pressure washer. Water butt being topped up now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I collect rainwater exclusively for my blueberry bush. She doesn't like tap water.

      Delete
  8. Rural idiots who sell things off annoy me. Rural living and the unsuspecting. Happens around here too.

    ReplyDelete