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Norman has a new barrel


NormanH

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With a communal garden which has been left untouched for years:

[URL=http://s253.photobucket.com/user/bfb_album/media/20140410_125545_zps7c61a449.jpg.html][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/20140410_125545_zps7c61a449.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s253.photobucket.com/user/bfb_album/media/20140410_124920_zps4230b9e7.jpg.html][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/20140410_124920_zps4230b9e7.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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Sorry to be so totally ignorant but I have google translated both "blochaus" and "barrel" and come up with the same word for both. Medical, Scientific and Engineering terms I can deal with, but I still obviously still struggle with French.

Also, given the colour in my garden borders, I also can't understand how such a beautiful display can be produced without human intervention. Mine in England is a lovely display, but presently all yellow with daffodils. I have yet to attack the garden in France ( chose about 1,000 sq metres rather than the massive amounts that were the norm to buy at the time (2007)), which I'm sure could be wonderful but I always seem to have missed the best bit!

Given that we are now of a certain age, hopefully we can start to enjoy the French house - we certainly will loose financially otherwise.

NB We are quite active in house exchange and we have noted that recently more people are wanting to exchange with our  English house rather than the French one, even though the English one is in a depressed industrial area compared to a tourist area in France.

Richard.

NB I describe flowers by colour, whereas OH will wax lyrical over the incomprehensible official names.  

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[quote user="NormanH"]Cower in the blochaus...[:D]

In fact it does rain a lot more here than in the other place..

[/quote]

Wishing you Happy Days in your new barrel[:)]

Rain shouldn't be a problem if you caulk the exteriour thoroughly.

Are you going to be calling it "Barrique Neuve" much like people call their houses "Maison Neuve" and then, in the ripeness of time, someone will wonder at the past when it was your new barrel.

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[quote user="Gardian"]

Beziers?

Or have you emigrated?

[/quote]

I now have a résidence secondaire. [:D] not far from Quillan's haunts.

I doubt that the house in downtown Béziers will find a taker, so I expect to be a frequent returner.

I have begun to discover the France of which I have read about here with wonder.

The other day someone stopped to let me hobble across the road, and the neighbours speak to me, for the moment at any rate [6]

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[quote user="richard51"]Got even more confused when "Barrique Neuve" translated to "Newfoundland Barrel", but now its all Greek to me. Enjoy.

[/quote]

I can't tell if you are genuinely in the dark or joshing, but in case it is the former, there is a long-running private joke started by WB in which NH is reputed to live in a (presumably wine) barrel. WB likes living dangerously, and I am utterly amazed that he has yet to be found lying in the road with several sets of slowly-applied narrow-track wheel-marks up and down and across him which quite coincidentally have the same spacing as those on NH's electric carriage. Although NH will have to overnight several times and recharge said carriage in order to get within striking range of WB.

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[quote user="richard51"]Thanks. I was genuinely in the dark as I was not aware of the previous discussions.

I was wondering, though, if it was anything to do with the Greek Philosopher named Diogenes who lived in barrel (actually a huge clay pot).

[/quote]

Oh, LOL!

But, I doubt that even Norman would claim to be a philosopher!

And, Pickles, don't you think that WB is very aware that he is well out of physical range of any flak from NH to be making all these remarks that he does make so regularly and disrespectfully?[:D]

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[quote user="richard51"]Thanks. I was genuinely in the dark as I was not aware of the previous discussions.

I was wondering, though, if it was anything to do with the Greek Philosopher named Diogenes who lived in barrel (actually a huge clay pot).

[/quote]

I'm not sure that we had scaled such intellectual heights ... but it's always possible ...

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[quote user="PaulT"]Yes, ever since NH posted this I have been waiting to read the remarks made by WB but none - is he OK?[/quote]

I think WB was last on the Forum on the 14th, the day before NH's post. I think we might know via Loiseau if he was indisposed. Might just be away or busy, seeing as it's coming up to Easter.

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[quote user="richard51"]Thanks. I was genuinely in the dark as I was not aware of the previous discussions.

I was wondering, though, if it was anything to do with the Greek Philosopher named Diogenes who lived in barrel (actually a huge clay pot).

[/quote]

I have always believed that that was the second level meaning, and have taken it as a compliment since Diogenes "made a virtue of poverty, used his simple lifstyle and behaviour to criticise the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society", and was also known as Diogenes the cynic...

My reference to 'blochaus' was intended to be an ironic reference to these sort of buildings   in speaking of the shed which lurks behind the wisteria and which could do with a coat of render:

[URL=http://s253.photobucket.com/user/bfb_album/media/20140416_111356_zpsa74f5095.jpg.html][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/20140416_111356_zpsa74f5095.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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[quote user="You can call me Betty"]You can keep the parpaings, but now I have Wisteria envy....

[/quote]

Well then, I won't show you MY wisteria.  OTOH, no need to be too envious as they can be unstoppable and sprout like trifids and try  and grow into your house!

However, I WILL admit to a sigh of regret as the wisteria is in the house that is being sold [:(]

I do love wisteria and that was the first one I'd ever had.............

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I admit to wisteria envy.

OTOH I had assumed that the use of barrel was a shortened version of barrel drum, where drum was synonymous with one's abode, as in "spin his drum" . . .

I think I may have spent too long mixing in the wrong circles . . .
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