On a New Adventure without reliable Internet

I am having a fabulous time.  But the internet service is only available in certain rooms of the Chateau.  Mine doesn't seem to be one of them.  It means hanging out in the foyer with all the bits that allow me to upload photos, etc.  It's before breakfast and I wasn't quite ready for blogging on the fly.  I can adapt.  But not before breakfast!

Today is a full day of sewing and binding and scrunching of fabric for my Shibori class!  Back to you when I can!

Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val

Every Sunday there is a market in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, a town near Chateau Dumas.  It's often a stop for workshop participants, whatever the theme of the workshop.  There are fabulous fruits & vegetables; street musicians; people watching and brocantes (antique shops).

 View of the church, with my friend in the foreground.

 Narrow courtyards

are magical to me!

 This is probably someone's front window.

Not a shop, but a lovely display all the same!

This group was putting on some sort of pageant.
History related certainly, full of charming costumes.
My favorites are the little boy in the beret and these adorable girls ~

Next to a lovely antique shop.
I will add photos of my purchases later.

These pretties have given me ideas for kits for my next sale.

Chateau Dumas

This is where the Shibori Workshop is taking place.
We will spend 7 hours a day in the studio, but always these views beckon ~

Toulouse Flea Market

Saint-Sernin Basilica

Every Saturday there is a flea market at this lovely church in Toulouse.

You never know what you will find.

Treasures:

And jumbled stuff:

This visit I found a beautiful linen sheet, a monogrammed gift for a friend who loves French linens, and hand-written ledgers from the 19th century.  All beautiful items, all heavy, all make me wonder how I am going to get them home. . . I will worry about that all later!

On a New Adventure

I am back in France for another interesting art workshop and a bit of walk-about time.

I arrived in Toulouse a day ahead of my workshop, so this is what I did on Friday:

The view from my hotel.

It's not a swanky hotel in the best part of town, but it's close to the train station, clean,

and the people who work here are always so welcoming.

 Place Wilson

People watching at the park.

 Lunch

The view from my table

 Gelato

I've never been in Toulouse in August.

It was hot today, not that any one needs an excuse for a frozen treat!

 The Capitole

The view as I savored the gelato.

 Street dancers

 Mimes

These are for my husband!

 I'm not sure the mime was talking, but he was asking this lady to put money in the hat!

Stopped for a coca cola at an outdoor cafe.

Wrote postcards, read a book, people watched,

then headed back to my air conditioned hotel room.

Tomorrow I vist a local flea market, then hop a train to the Chateau.  I like being back in Toulouse.  This is the 4th largest city in France.  With a a large university, there are always students about.  Faculty too.  Airbus is headquartered here; my dad once spent a month consulting for them.  And there is a huge shopping district downtown.  It's August, the month that most of the French go on holiday.  I wasn't sure what it would be like, but if the locals are all away on holiday, they have been replaced by lots of families visiting Toulouse.