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Fiona Alderman: Storms Over Salignac

The storms are violent when they come, and this last month has been quite outstanding. I wrote about the flower farm last month and it has been totally destroyed. Moraig is devastated but has replanted her flowers and is hopeful that no further damage will happen.

Fleuribelle farm before the storm

The livelihood of farmers, and the impact on produce plus our shops is heavy. Buildings too were badly affected. Roofs torn off and huge powercuts. All power cut off at my house.  No phone or Internet but plenty of candles.

I am used to this now. However one night was a bit frightening; hailstones the size of golf balls bouncing down on top of my first floor tiled roof. Missy the cat rushed in and hid upstairs in the bedroom. The force of them and the speed at which they rained down for nearly an hour. It was amazing. My floor was full of water as there is a problem with the roof tiles but it could have been worse.

The Internet

This last week I was contacted to see if I wanted the high-speed fibre optic installed. Another decision to make. They are phasing out the ADSL in every department in France to the view of it completely shutting down within 5 years. We will be obliged to do it anyway. For no charge, a technician would come to check the accessibility within the street and into the house. I have already been through this with another Internet provider and they couldn’t do the work. Plus I think it was a scam. This time we will see.

Discovering the Chateau 

A new season for my neighbours at the Chateau de Salignac. Restoration is never ending and each year I visit it there is always something new to see. This year the main project is the huge tower and the main roof. A lot of money has to be raised.Father and son work relentlessly both in the interior and exterior. A thousand visitors came over two days for the Opusculaires. Knights and costumed ladies enacting days of old. Telling stories and playing music, the castle comes alive again.

The owners bought it in 2006, the Starkmann family with father Remi at the head, and son Eduard work together to restore piece by piece this largely unknown chateau. Others in the area are more prominent like Beynac, Castlenaud, Fenelon, Commarque, and Milandes,

Eduard doesn’t think he will ever live there but hopes his children will continue his lifetime’s work.

For the moment, his three children are running happily throughout and they are enjoying their summer holidays with their grandparents.

<h3=>And where is the Circus ?

This section: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France