On April 25, 2021 - Our path to Narnia ...
All will revealed tomorrow. Be sure to come back and follow us through the rhododendron to who knows where ...
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Notre chemin vers Narnia ...
Tout sera révélé demain. N'oubliez pas de revenir et de nous suivre à travers le rhododendron jusqu'à qui sait où ...
On April 26, 2021 - One of the most magical places can be found in our woods. You have to search for it, it's not easy to find. You start by being observant and realising that the gap in the rhododendron is not a gap, but rather a door ...
We say it's the entrance to Narnia ... My dream is to find a solar lamp post to put on the other side, once you make your way through. But once you do, like magic, you will find some steps.
It feels like they shouldn't be there, but they are. And you'll spend ages wondering who put them there and why. But once you follow them, you'll realise that they lead to a well-trodden path that leads up from the farmer's track. You now have to decide which way to go. Do you follow the trodden path to the left or turn right towards the broken gate? My advice? Turn right.
Go towards the broken gate. We used to tell Max and his friends that if they passed through that gate, we wouldn't see them anymore. I have used this photo so many times as "evidence" that he disappeared.I keep it in my favourites, just in case ...
If you walk toward the gate, look towards your left and you just may see a step and then another.
The path is worn, but it's there, covered in moss and leaves. It's steep, but if you pace yourself and go slowly you'll find a place of peace at the top.
My favourite, secret place which I'm happy to share. A folly, a prayer hut, a tiny little chapel...I have no idea how or why it was built. We are fairly certain it was built by Peres Blanc.
On April 28, 2021 - This overhead shot will allow us to help you understand the layout of the buildings. It's a complex, really. We have the Chalet, which was a purpose-built building. We think it may have been built towards the end of the 1970s. It probably has about 8 bedrooms. It even has a lift (we haven't tried to turn it on and are going to have it removed). It's a really big space.
Next, we have the Old Laundry. This is what it was really used for. It still has two industrial-sized machines in there! We aren't sure if they are just washers or washer/driers or one of each. There are loads of cupboards used for storing linens. We've recently had the roof replaced and in the fullness of time this will be a games room/cinema.
The gites are in a building known as the old stable block. There are three independent units: a five bedroom gite which is where we currently live when we are there; a two bedroom gite - it needs to be completely gutted and redone and a studio that is currently storing furniture! Underneath the gites are some fantastic garages and caves.
And then of course, there is Madame, the grande lady, our beautiful Chateau Joli Bois!
On April 30, 2021 - We have a pond in the woods. We didn’t even know it was there when we bought CJB. We are pretty sure it’s man made. The wire fence sits on a stone foundation. It’s very deep and filled with mud and detritus and fallen trees. It’s actually quite dangerous! It’s a mud suck that has stolen wellies and flip flops. The plan is to dredge it and maybe build a bridge to the other side. May be float a tiny wooden boat where the kids can pretend they are on a deserted island (hopefully more of Kensuke's Kingdom than Lord of the Flies).
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Nous avons un étang dans les bois. Nous ne savions même pas qu'il était là lorsque nous avons acheté CJB. Nous sommes à peu près sûrs que c’est l’homme. La clôture métallique repose sur une fondation en pierre. Il est très profond et rempli de boue, de détritus et d’arbres tombés. C'est en fait assez dangereux! C’est une merde de boue qui a volé des bottes et des tongs. Le plan est de le draguer et peut-être de construire un pont de l'autre côté. Peut-être flotter un petit bateau en bois où les enfants peuvent prétendre être sur une île déserte (espérons-le plus du royaume de Kensuke que du Seigneur des mouches).
Til next week!
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