Fiona Alderman’s Blog: Just A Heartbeat Away
I write this with a heavy heart but feel it will be cathartic after this very sad month, losing Barry that I have known for nearly 40 years. Meeting him way back in the late 80’s in Glasgow was, to say the least, different? I was a young dancer newly returned home after several years […]
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Tuesday, June 28, 2022 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: French Elections and Tricky Bureaucracy
The main story this month was the Election of a new President of France. The incumbent, Monsieur Macron was criticized for being too interested in forging good links on the international stage, going to Ukraine and being less on his own home ground. He didn’t even campaign here until very late on. The other main […]
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Friday, June 3, 2022 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: The Eye Van Comes to Salignac
Blogging from Rural France When it comes to going to the optician in France, and especially in rural areas where we live, it is really quite difficult. Firstly, unlike the UK, where you can even go to Boots and get a complete eye test, it’s not like that here. You must go to the opthalmologist. […]
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Saturday, April 16, 2022 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France, Pat's Home Page Blog
Fiona Alderman: A Touch of Spring
Blogging from Salignac in Rural France After a long period of cold weather here and the continuing Covid pandemic, we sense a hint of Spring in the air and the flowers are now blossoming to cheer us up. Preparations for the season starting in May are underway and the family Starkmann are busy at the […]
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Monday, February 28, 2022 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France, Pat's Home Page Blog
Fiona Alderman blogging from Rural France: A New Day and a New Year
January, 2022 I wish you all a very Happy New Year from France , and looking back over the past year, it has been interesting, to say the least . From Covid restrictions to daily life seemingly becoming more difficult, I am searching for something positive that has come from it all? Putting up my […]
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Sunday, January 30, 2022 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blogging from Rural France: A Winter Tale From France
December, 2021 For the first time in many years , Salignac held a Christmas Market , drawing many people together to enjoy a little good cheer at the end of a difficult year. It took many days of preparation, with our local council workers up ladders and cranes to attach pretty garlands and fairy lights […]
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Monday, December 27, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blog: One Year On
One Year On I was looking through photos on my blog recently and comparing them to today? With the COVID pandemic still firmly in place and with a fifth wave, plus a new variant, in France, I wondered what have we gained or perhaps lost? Maybe we are clearer regarding what is and what is […]
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Tuesday, November 30, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman’s Blog: Filming in France
France is one of the most widely used countries as a favourite location for films and has hosted International Directors in the last years such as Ridley Scott, Woody Allen, Christopher Nolan and Christopher McQuarrie. The Last Duel by Ridley Scott, who filmed in our area last year using our nearby Chateau Fenelon, has just […]
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Friday, October 29, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blogging from Rural France – A Change of Scene
Bonjour! Yes, this month I am taking you away from my village of Salignac Eyvigues, to another one called Domme, an incredible hilltop fortified village steeped in history, which is 30 minutes away by car. I have been visiting Barry, my dearest partner, in hospital there this last month. Despite the awful circumstances he is […]
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: The Day of the Ancients blogging from rural France
Grand Fete a L’Ancienne in Salignac On the 9th August, which just happened to be my birthday, there was a very grand Fete a L’Ancienne in Salignac. The first one since the pandemic and it attracted many locals as well as tourists. We are still maintaining hand sanitizers and mask wearing though, but a little […]
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Friday, August 27, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blog: Another 14th of July
Blogging from Salignac in Rural France The 14th July is so important and the National annual holiday for French people. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten? Where has the year gone to I say. I went up to the supermarket but everything was closed of course. Happily we had food, wine and cat food!! I […]
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Friday, July 30, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blog: The Reopening of the Chateau
Reopening of the Chateau de Salignac After many years and a lot of restrictions due to Covid, the Chateau has opened its beautiful arched doors to welcome us again. I went to visit it and was transported back in time. I’ve done a lot of translations for the English/Dutch visitors and learnt a great deal […]
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Tuesday, June 29, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: Blogging from Salignac – Out of Confinement
Well, we are all excited here in sunny Salignac that slowly we are coming out of the long lockdown. Our local Cafe de la Place, Le Tabac/Cafe des Voyageurs is putting out the tables and chairs on the terraces again after many months of closure. For French people, their way of life is based around […]
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Friday, May 28, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman blogging from rural France – New Mayor
A New One Yes I promised you the results from last month? It has been and continues to be a slight problem. Mr Ferber won the fight, but it was not with a great majority. The outgoing mayor, having only lasted for a year, got very few votes, and the opposition ie third party was […]
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Thursday, April 29, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: Blogging from Rural France -The Chateau
Le Chateau Things are slowly happening here in Salignac, even with the continued lockdown and curfew. Another month has gone by and with Spring arriving after a long winter, there is a little bit of hope at the end of the tunnel. Our beautiful Chateau is being cleaned and like the blossoms of Springtime, it […]
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Friday, March 26, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France, Pat's Home Page Blog
Fiona Alderman’s Blog: Sunlight in the Sahara & Pierre Cardin
(Photograph Pierre Cardin – Attribute Benjamin Loyauté, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons) Sunlight from the Sahara Yes, a strange light in the sky appeared a few weeks ago. I woke up feeling that there was an eerie calm and I looked out of the window to see an orange sky. I thought at […]
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Wednesday, February 24, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: Happy New Year from Rural France
Thank goodness 2020 has gone, and what a year, let’s hope for better times this year. I didn’t write anything last month as it was a difficult time “chez nous”. I hope to be a bit more inspiring for readers this month. It was a quiet Christmas but marked again by neighbours and friends’ gifts […]
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Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman’s Blog: Life on the Square
Another month and on lockdown again. People are resigned to it but fed up too. We go out with our pieces of paper to say where and when we are going and for what reason. Life is difficult even for a small village in rural France. I notice how people are trying to survive. It […]
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Monday, November 30, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blog: Life in Rural France
Reflecting on 20 years in Salignac After 20 years here in Salignac, I stopped one day to reflect on what we have done and achieved.Which is a lot. Learning a new language has been a huge thing to do but essential and now we feel very integrated into our village. Age brings new problems and […]
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Friday, October 30, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman’s blog: Winter Is Coming
When I saw my neighbour bringing in huge wooden logs – I thought this is early, non? Life in rural France has its peculiarities but this still seemed strange. However, nothing much surprises me now after 20 years. He was hard at work with the chainsaw cutting them into smaller pieces –often very early in […]
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Saturday, September 26, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman’s Blog: A Sunday afternoon in sleepy Salignac
Opening the front door this last weekend I was greeted with the sound of accordion music coming from my neighbour’s open window. So French. Lovely. Another neighbour was on the phone to someone and his voice was raised drowning out the music, until he slammed the phone down. I decided to go for a little […]
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: Blogging from Rural France, July 2020
The New Mayor and a Tent for Sale A busy month here in rural France with the local elections for Mayor. Monsieur Laurent, from this village won the battle, but it was a close shave. We have known him for a long time as he used to live down the road from us and when […]
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Thursday, July 30, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman blogging from Rural France: The End of An Era
I don’t know where to start this month, so will begin with the end. I have just lost my lovely cat, Toerag, who I had to put down last week. The French call our pets “animaux de compagnie”. So true. They are our companions, giving us unconditional love. It is the end of an era […]
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Thursday, June 25, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Blogging from Rural France, May 2020
Making Masks. (Photo by Elena Djelil) This last month has been long and strange during the confinement relating to Covid-19. However, we have all rallied round and tried to keep our spirits up. The local hall has been transformed into a hive of industry, making masks for the population in Salignac. People have been asked […]
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | Filed under: Coronavirus, Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman: Stuck in Salignac and Just Waiting
A month later and we really are housebound here during the Coronavirus lockdown. It seems never ending but we are all pulling together and obeying the restrictions. Going out for a very necessary walk for health reasons each day in the beautiful sunshine is not a hardship however. We still have to have our piece […]
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Saturday, April 25, 2020 | Filed under: Coronavirus, Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France, Pat's Home Page Blog
Fiona Alderman: France Has Shut Down
It is extraordinary to see and one I never thought I would experience in my lifetime shops, cafes and restaurants are all closed in France. Only shops selling food essentials, pharmacies and hospitals are open. Schools and universities are now closed for the immediate future.There is fear and worry about what is going to happen […]
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Saturday, March 28, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman blogging from rural France. UK is out of Europe.
Brexit What a disaster but it is now done after a tortuous 3 years. We are waiting to see the effects for us and what will happen next. It is still uncertain but there will be a transition year to put things in place. However, because we have lived here so long now, it might be […]
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
From Glasgow to Salignac: 20 years on. Fiona Alderman.
This time 20 years ago, I was amidst boxes and paper packing up for the big move to France. How quickly the time has whizzed by? I can’t believe it but it’s true. I remember that my beloved had gone on ahead to start preparations at our new house in France. Setting up the phone, […]
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Tuesday, January 28, 2020 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman Christmas in Salignac
The Yellow Liqueur of Christmas Once again, our local corner shop L’Epicier has some unusual items for sale at Christmas. I had seen a poster in their window, very eye catching, advertising La Gauloise, a strong liqueur. Named as a Liqueur Hygienique it comes in a beautiful bottle which lists all the prizes it has […]
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Monday, December 30, 2019 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
Fiona Alderman blogging from Rural France – time is marching on
Local News from Salignac A strange time here with one thing and another. The village is quiet before the mad rush for Christmas starts. I am thinking what a year it has been and how quickly time goes by. We have had health issues and we seem never to be away from waiting rooms and […]
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Sunday, November 24, 2019 | Filed under: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
