I had a really bad night last night. It was so windy, and raining heavily too. Definitely a day to stay put today. It’s even too horrid to go to the library to get these voting forms printed. I’ll go on Monday.
I did a lot of writing today whilst listening to the Off Menu podcast. One of the episodes I listened to was the menu of Sophie Duker, a comedian who appears regularly at the Edinburgh Fringe so we must put her on the list of “to do’s” for next year!
During the podcast, James Acaster asks (well yells actually) “poppadoms or bread?” And the guest has to choose one or the other. Sophie chose bread. She then began to explain that she lived in France for 12 months a few years back, with French people, and she addressed something that has been on my mind for the last week or so.
The French baguette is one of life’s most delicious things. A fresh, well made baguette is like nectar. It is also, for that very reason, very difficult to stop eating it until it’s done. And they are rather long! So consequently, I have been eating far too much bread- and therefore butter and jam and cheese. In my defence this is partly because, as confirmed by Sophie, if a baguette is left over until the following day then it is stale and hard and not pleasant and so gets thrown away. This is what I was occasionally doing too and I hate wasting food- so instead I just kept on eating!
So, every day, this was me……….
Until a few days ago, in the supermarket, I decided not to buy a lovely baguette, but instead purchased a horrid, processed sliced loaf. Ok, it’s not that bad- it’s along the lines of a Warburton’s white loaf- but it ain’t no baguette! So now, I’m eating less bread and I’m not wasting any either. But it feels wrong. However, during her discussion about bread, Sophie confirmed that the French too eat this rubbish bread if the baguette is stale, the boulangerie is closed etc, almost keeping it in reserve- and now I don’t feel too bad! But still feel like I’m missing out 😦
However, if I was greeted by this man every day at the boulangerie……..
Then I’d eat it until I was the size of a house!!!
FaceTime with Charlotte this evening- England lost to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup Final today 32-12 but a good time was still had by all!
Going to go to Fossé tomorrow if the weather is ok
I got up latish and finished watching a full episode of the current series of Taskmaster that I’d found by chance on YouTube. It was hilarious, especially the game at the end when Ed Gamble got really upset with David Baddiel!
I was out of the house for 11 as that’s what time the library opens on a Friday- but it was closed!!! It turns out that the 1st November is a bank holiday in France. So I came back and emailed the nice man at Kirklees council to explain why I still wasn’t returning the forms!
It was my French lesson in Tours this afternoon- 2 til 5. I left Vendôme in good time and was there at 1.30. We were meeting in the botanical gardens- and it was still raining!
My teacher for the afternoon was a lovely guy called Manu. He asked if I wanted to speak in English or French and of course I said French. I kept having to ask him to speak more slowly though- I couldn’t keep up!
The gardens are lovely. They have animals there, like goats and wallabies, and birds too, flamingos and peacocks. Apparently they used have other larger animals too, one of them being a bear, but not any more.
Because it was still a bit drizzly we set off walking towards a museum that Manu had checked was still open on the bank holiday. As we walked he pointed out various landmarks- including where he went to school- and then we were in front of the gates of the château Plessis-lèz-Tours which was the favourite residence of Louis XI. It’s not open to the public now but is home to a theatrical group who put on shows there from time to time. You can generally go in and have a look around the grounds though- but not today. You guessed! Bank holiday!
The place we were headed for is the Prieuré Saint-Cosmo. The priory of St Cosmo, home to the poet Pierre de Ronsard until his death in 1585. He was the prior of St Cosmo for the last twenty years of his life despite never taking his monastic vows. The monastery and it’s grounds are beautiful but unfortunately the rain stopped us having a proper look around outside.
We couldn’t directly translate this poem- but it just sounds lovely in French
We found a spot indoors where we could sit to talk and write. We wrote a role play about 2 people bumping into each other by chance after many years. Manu wrote in green, I wrote in black- and Manu corrected my work in red. Guess what colour shone out from the paper?! Actually it wasn’t quite that bad but French is a very difficult language to learn and I fear, although I have learnt a lot in the last few weeks, I still have a long way to go! 😦
It was great fun though and I’ve asked Manu if I can book some more lessons with him when I move to Tours in a couple of weeks. He said yes- brave chap! 🙂
Manu asked me whereabouts in England I was from. I said Yorkshire and asked him if he had heard of the Brontës. He said no but he knew of William Shakespeare. When I was around 15/16 years old I went to Germany on an exchange visit. I stayed with the same family both times- the Willmanns- and I remember being very surprised that they too had never heard of the Bröntes. Disappointed too because I thought everyone knew and loved them as much as I did! I gave Manu a brief description of Wuthering Heights and then, because he likes his music, directed him to the back catalogue of the glorious Kate Bush to have a listen to her version of events!
As often happens, the best weather that day came later on- and after my lesson had finished. So, instead of setting off straight back home, I went and had another walk in the botanical gardens. The colours on the trees are so beautiful at the moment. I also saw a rainbow, over the hospital on the other side of the road. October was breast cancer awareness month here in France and there are two big pink ribbons still on the main gates.
It was almost dark as I left Tours, the satnav took me a different route to the one I’d come in on- and what a sight met my eyes in the centre of the city! It’s beautiful! A big fountain in the middle of the road was all lit up in purple and the buildings are gorgeous! I can’t wait to explore when I move there!
I got back and made a delicious tea of avocado and poached egg on toast. Now I know a lot of you out there are fabulous cooks so what I am about to say will seem a bit silly- or perhaps unbelievable. But I made my first poached egg today using just a pan of boiling water! And to say that this apartment is, to say the least, very poorly equipped in the cooking utensils department, I think it went very well! Runny yolk! Yum 🙂
Queer Eye was back on Netflix tonight! Hurrah! Just four episodes from Japan! The first episode was about a nurse in her 50’s who has opened her home up as a hospice and has to sleep under the table because there is no other room for her. The Fab 5 were having none of that! If you’re in need of watching something really heartwarming, then that’s it, right there 🙂
It rained really heavily last night- even sleeping on my good ear I could still hear it because I’m right up in the roof space. I should have taken Julia up on the earplugs after all!
I’ve had a letter from Kirklees council saying that they have been made aware that I no longer live in my house and so will have to take me off the electoral register if I don’t contact them within 14 days of the date of their letter (24th October)
I obviously want to keep my right to vote so I rang them this morning and they were very helpful, considering that I currently don’t have a home/permanent address and that my post etc is going to Will in Scotland! They’ve emailed some forms to me that I need to print off, fill in and email back; overseas proxy voting forms. I went to the library today to print them off but it’s shut all day. It’s open tomorrow so I’ll try again then. I need to get a wriggle on seen as there’s going to be an election on 12th December! Least said about that and the B word the better!
Today is of course Hallowe’en. It’s not something I have ever celebrated and we didn’t do “trick or treat” when the boys were little either. I’m not a fan of scarey things and masks. I only remember dressing up for Hallowe’en once. I was a student nurse at Airedale and there was a party in the aforementioned central facilities. I went as a cat! But the star of the show was Frances (the highlighter) who went as a mummy, dressed head to toe in crepe bandages! I wonder where they came from??? Four us (I think Frances, Tjarda, Maxine and me) recreated the iconic image from Bohemian Rhapsody, with the four heads and the shadow behind. Great photo. What fun! 🙂
Anyway, as I was walking back from the library I could hear some fabulous drumming coming from the direction of the main street in Vendôme. So I went to investigate. There were so many people on the precinct- from little tots to Mums and Dads- all dressed up in scarey guises! They followed the drum band over the bridge to the park and then continued to another main square in the town. The band were brilliant! I saw another band like this in Glasgow a while ago too. All percussion. You can’t help but move to the beat. Today I looked across the crowd to see a rather frail old gentleman dancing along. He was loving it- and really moving to the beat! All his aches and pains momentarily forgotten:)
A lot of the shops were trimmed up for Hallowe’en too and children were running in and out of shops with little buckets collecting sweets from the shop owners. Very cute 🙂
No salsa tonight. But definitely Lindy Hop next week.
I woke up and watched the Bake Off Final. It made me cry! Poor Steph! She had such a bad time and I so wanted her to win. David was a very worthy winner though (although I believe there has been a lot of stuff written on social media saying that he “stole” the title- ridiculous) so well done to him. A whole year to wait for it to be back- but Junior Bake Off starts on Monday and, if you’ve never seen it before, you’re in for a treat. The kids are brilliant- so open and honest as children are. Not to mention being very talented.
Lovely FaceTime chat with Barbara, then off to the Chateau du Clos Lucé.
Built in 1471, for Louis XI’s master of the household, and standing 400 metres from the Château Royal d’Amboise, the most famous occupant of this château is the great Leonardo da Vinci who lived here from 1516 until his death in 1519. In the service of François I, he worked as an architect and town planner, continued his research into anatomy, meteorology and geology and completed his painting of John the Baptist. He then displayed this masterpiece alongside those of the Mona Lisa and Saint Anne which he had brought with him to France.
Can you tell I’m a fan?! I love his paintings. Going to Milan to see his Last Supper was a real highlight for me. I always think of Will too when Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned because he is also a big fan and he would love it here.
The grounds of the château are beautiful and are full of images from his paintings and working models of his inventions.
Do you think he wants a ticket?
Then inside the château you can see his actual bedchamber and his actual workshop and laboratory. So good! There are several exhibition spaces too and also a “museographical hall” where there are lots of interactive and creative things going on, from recreating his inventions to doing jigsaws of his paintings. It’s still school holidays here so it was very busy yesterday. A lovely hive of activity 🙂 Reminded me of when my boys were little. We’d have definitely been in there doing stuff!
After looking around the château I had a delicious crêpe with stewed apple and a coffee. Mmmm!
A small observation from today. There seemed to be an abundance of very handsome men at this château One of them was wearing a long black cloak. I thought initially he must be a priest (Fleabag priest moment!) but I think he was actually an employee of the château as he kept stepping behind the barriers to the exhibitions and talking a lot!
I also saw as I was leaving the park, and at really close quarters, a red squirrel. It was holding a fir cone or something in it’s paws but took off up a tree before I could get a photograph.
I know I bang on about it a lot but I listened to another hilarious episode of My Dad Wrote a Porno on the way home. So funny. It’s not the book- it’s the reactions of James, Jamie and Alice to the content of the book. Love it!
I also listened to Off Menu tonight whilst I was writing and wonderful Tom Allen was the guest in the dream restaurant 🙂 Brilliant!
The gas is fixed! Hurrah! The connector thingy on the top was faulty so lovely Michel spoke to Luca, brought a new part- et voilà! I made coffee with my super duper coffee pot and it was delicious 🙂
I went to the fabric shop I’d spotted today. It’s a bit of everything- fabric, haberdashery etc, but also fancy dress and, I think, bridal. The owner’s little girl was in the shop and buzzing around. I wanted to ask her if it was school holidays and was she having fun, but I didn’t because I was worried I might not then be able to continue the conversation if she or her mum spoke too quickly or used words I didn’t know. Georgie, my lovely Goddaughter, says she always found it easier to speak in French after a few glasses of wine! Sounds like a plan, and I can see how that works, but I can’t go around permanently sloshed and I’m not really going out at night. I just need to do it (the talking not the drinking!) Just say it and if it’s wrong, or I get stuck, then so be it. And yes I bought fabric and ribbon and buttons 🙂
The cafe where the salsa is on Thursday was shut again today. I wanted to ask them if the class is ok for beginners but it says “initiation salsa” so I’m guessing it will be.
I bought bread and a pain au raisin on the way home, did some writing, had tea and then watched tv.
I felt a bit bored tonight. As I say I’m not going out at night and I’m missing that. I like company. I like to have a drink and a chat and a laugh. Not really doing that here yet.
Anyway. Onwards and upwards. Chateau de Clos Lucé tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I bobbed into Vendôme this morning to the supermarket. Provisions very low and no red wine left! Problem rectified and, on the way back home, I stopped to have a look in the estate agents window. There was a little “maisonette” advertised for sale, in Vendôme, for 34,000 euros. I love it here and I’m so tempted to go and have a look at it………..
Anyway, off to the Château de Cheverny today. The weather wasn’t brilliant as I set off but it wasn’t raining- just a bit dull. It’s around 11 degrees here. Poor Will (I spoke to him this evening) it was minus 2 when he set off to work this morning in Glasgow! Brrrr!
I think Cheverny has taken top spot as my favourite château so far. It is in Sologne, near Blois and was one of the first châteaux to be opened to the public in 1922. It’s been in the same family for 6 centuries and is still lived in today by descendants of the Hurault family, the Marquis and Marquise de Vibraye. It’s gorgeous!
Autumn seems to be celebrated in a big way here and the grounds, as at Chaumont, were decorated with all manner of pumpkins etc. The colours and designs were so lovely.
I do think someone had been a bit naughty with this one though!
There is a permanent exhibition to the cartoon character Tintin at Cheverny. Tintin’s creator Hergé was Belgian but he based Marlinspike Hall on the Château de Cheverny (minus the east and west wings) and so there is now a fabulous Tintin exhibition here. It’s really great. My brother Jim is a big fan of Tintin and so I sent him a message and some pictures – all the way to where he is working on the other side of the world. Technology again- amazing!
Then I went to the Jardin de l’Amour- or the garden of love……an exhibition of bronze sculptures by Gudmar Olovson who was born in Sweden in 1936 but came to Paris in 1959 and remained and worked there until his death in 2017.
The château itself is so beautiful. The rooms are just gorgeous. There are many events taking place this year to mark the 500 year anniversary of the death of Leonardo de Vinci and, at Cheverny, this takes the form of paintings being recreated in Lego bricks! There are also models of the château and some hounds on display which are all made from Lego. So clever.
I think that’s the one thing I didn’t like about the château- the hounds. They are kept for hunting and I just didn’t like seeing them behind the bars and with a “V” shaved into their coats. I’m not a hunt fan. They were huge dogs- bit smelly too. Not for me.
As I have already said, being ill last year really gave me the kick up the bum I needed to do this trip. Losing my licence was massive and getting to work and back from where I lived (and of course doing a really full on job in between that) took a big toll on me, both physically and mentally. Add to that that my lovely Mum was very unwell and I couldn’t get to see her and, yes, it was bad. My saviours (aside from the amazing people around me) were my headphones and music and, in particular, a group called Caravan Palace that Tom recommended to me. I will always equate the song “Dragons” with walking up from the bus to LSMP. It lifted me. I also listened to a playlist I’d made called “September” and on there are the songs that remind me of when my boys were babies. “Stars” by Simply Red for Rob and “Dreams” by Gabrielle for Will. These were the songs that were in the charts when they were tiny and I would dance around to them with them in my arms. I requested “Stars” to be played at Rob and Amy’s wedding and Rob and I had a little shuffle around the floor to it 🙂
One morning I was walking across in front of the art gallery in Leeds and “Dreams” came on. I sat down on a bench and rang my friend Alison. I can’t remember the exact conversation (maybe Alison can?) but it was largely around me wanting to come here to France.
Yesterday, as I set off to Cheverny, I felt the happiest and most at peace with myself that I have felt for a long time. And as I was walking along the path to the cafe at the château I heard a noise. I looked around and then I took my phone out of my pocket. Gabrielle was singing “dreams can come true” and Spotify wasn’t even switched on. I kid you not. Those exact words. Sounds a bit like mine and Helen’s double six dice moment does’t it? And a lot of you will, I know, smile and shake your head. But to me it was fabulous. It really meant something. So I celebrated with a delicious fruit crumble washed down by an equally scrummy hot chocolate!
As the clocks have changed here now I drove back for the first time in the dark- and it was raining too 😦
When I got back to Vendôme the church next door to me was all lit up and the bells were ringing 🙂
I had a FaceTime chat with Julia and a chat with Will. Two glasses of lovely red wine with bread and goats cheese and that’s me for the day.
Raining heavily this morning. I couldn’t park my car for free last night so had to use my permit for the first time and park on the square. You can park free from 7 at night until 9 in the morning but then you have to update the time on your permit every 2 hours to be able to stay there. Got it?! No, it took me a while too and even now I’m still not too sure! Anyway I got back at just after 7 last night and set my permit for 9am and then set a reminder on my phone to go and move it on 2 hours at 11! Which I did. What I hadn’t realised was that the clocks changed here too last night! I couldn’t understand why the clock in the appartment was an hour fast!!! Dope!
I had breakfast, wrote a bit and then decided I could put it off no longer. I had to go and find a launderette! We really do take it for granted don’t we? Having washers and dryers and things in our homes? It was 1pm, so time to change the time on my parking permit. But when I got outside- result! There was a space now on the side street where the permit isn’t needed, so I moved the car. Then I set off, on this dreary day (stopped raining though), with my bag of mucky stuff and my persil, to find the launderette. Good old google maps! A 9 minute walk. No problem.
I haven’t used a self service launderette since I was a student nurse at Airedale Hospital. There was a building called “central facilities” which had a common room and a launderette, which was, I think, free to use. All the nurses accommodation was built around this building so we used to put our stuff in and then just keep bobbing back to see if it was done. Often we would put it in before we went on duty. It was a regular thing to find that someone had taken your things out of the washer and just left them piled up on the top (not folded). Worse still for me was if someone had taken your things out of the dryer- AND THEY WEREN’T DRY- and again just dumped them on the top!!! You just ended up with screwed up, foisting smelling washing. Grrr! 😦
Anyway, here it’s 4 euros for a 35 minute wash and then 2 euros per each 15 minutes in the dryer. And although only a 9 minute walk back home I felt I should wait with my washing here.
I went to get some cash whilst I was waiting. I hadn’t been to this end of town before and found some really nice shops, including a fabric shop! I also found a vintagey style cafe (that isn’t open Sundays) and it’s got a salsa class there on the 31st so I’m going to try and pluck up the courage to go along!
The guy from the Levis add didn’t come in (can’t remember his name now?) but plenty other people were, like me, spending their afternoon in the launderette. As I say, we do take things for granted.
I got my first like for my blog today too! 🙂
I watched all the dances this evening from last night’s Strictly. It was the Hallowe’en show that I usually watch with my lovely friends the Vernons (and Trish’s Mum of course) Hope you all enjoyed it 🙂 As ever the costumes were amazing! I had thought that Craig was being a bit kinder this series but some of his scores seemed a bit mean this week.
I watched yesterday’s Coronation Street this morning and sobbed my heart out. It was so terribly sad. My heart goes out to people who are in that situation at the moment or have been through something like that in the past. Throughout my nursing career, both in hospital and in the community, I have always marvelled at the courage shown by patients who have cancer and are in the terminal stage of the illness and their ability to provide support to their loved ones who are feeling lost and helpless. I felt that, as difficult as it was to watch, Coronation Street dealt with this very difficult subject so well.
So, with the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky I set off for the Châteaux de Chaumont. Another day, another château 🙂
Chaumont is a UNESCO world heritage site (there are 41 in France) and it is stunning! Originally built around the year 1000 by Odo I, it was used to keep watch over the border between the counties of Blois and Anjou. It was owned and lived in by Catherine d’Medici too but in 1559 she swapped it with one of her rivals for another château – the Château de Chenonceau. Chaumont was taken possession of by the French State in 1937.
It’s beautiful. There aren’t very many rooms to look around but everything you see is well worth a look. There is also currently a modern art exhibition at the château, mainly located in the stable block and out buildings. Some pieces are absolutely amazing and some, as I often find with modern art, just make me think « what? » I guess it’s all down to personal taste isn’t it? You can probably guess too that I only took photos of the ones I liked 🙂
There is a garden festival on at the château too until the beginning of November which is lovely- and the weather was just perfect to make all the exhibits look their absolute best. Pumpkins and all things autumnal decorated the paths and gateways. So pretty.
At 18 euros it is the most expensive place I have been to so far- but I feel it was worth it.
I met a nice man today. He works at the château. I was wandering along a path trying to decide which way to go when he came along in one of those buggy things that they provide for elderly and disabled people to get around in. He stopped and asked if I was ok- wondered if I was lost. I said no, but thank you for asking. Then he passed me again a bit later on and waved. When I was ready to leave Chaumont at the end of the day I decided, before I did, that I’d go and get an ice cream because, contrary to what I said previously, it was 20 degrees and NOT boots and tights weather- and I was boiling!
As I walked towards the steps that led to the exit he was there again, riding towards me on a bike, and he stopped to talk. We talked for so long (mainly in French I’m pleased to say) that my ice cream was melting and running all over my hand and dripping onto the ground! It turns out that he lived in Paris for a while but now lives in Blois near the Mona Lisa steps (there’s a pic of them on my blog from when I was there). He asked if I was having any French lessons, what are my plans etc and said he’d like to stay in touch. I told him about the Lindy Hop class on the 5th November and said he should come along as he said he loves dancing. I was rather hampered by my ice cream and so he found a scrap of paper and wrote down my mobile number. He also said he owes me another ice cream!
Who knows if he will get in touch? It doesn’t really matter I guess- it was just very nice 🙂 Maybe that chocolate does indeed have magical properties though……
Not the best journey home. My satnav decided to be a bit silly and kept trying to send me into fields and up roads that weren’t there! Added about 10 minutes onto the journey. Also very rural roads- very narrow with nothing between you and the field but a shallow ditch. Needed my wits about me!
Safely back around 7 and lots of people just arriving at the church next door.
Read a bit, wrote a bit, had a chat with Will, then early bed.
I was going to go to another château today but got engrossed in writing and stuff and so decided to stay put.
Update on the gas- it’s not working! I bought myself one of those lovely coffee makers that goes on the hob before I came to France. I got it all ready to use for the first time today, put it on the hob and- nothing. So I’ll have to contact the lovely Michel again- but not today. Can’t be bothered and I can manage without coffee and gas for a little bit longer.
I had a nice FaceTime chat with Jane today. Caitlin takes her driving test (is it ok to say again!) today. Good luck!
I had an email back from the dance school in Blois today. They said yes come along on the 5th November. Nervous about going there on my own but looking forward to it.
I managed to watch a full episode from the current series of Taskmaster on YouTube today. Brilliant! I also watched clips from Say Yes to the Dress, including my favourite one from Atlanta « We don’t want no foxes in our hen house, honey!» Fab!
I’ve subscribed now to the Duolingo app. I can’t seem to find a teacher so I thought I might as well subscribe so I can do harder lessons and also do regular tests to see how (or if) I’m improving. They do all sorts of different languages. I would definitely recommend them.
I coloured my own hair today for the first time ever!!! When I was a student nurse my friend Frances used to highlight everyone’s hair with one of the those kits that came with a cap to pull your hair through. But I’ve never done it myself before. Was it a success? Well ish I suppose. But I think next time I need to get a darker colour. Maybe purple or bright pink or blue? Just kidding. I would love to do that but not brave enough!
I went back to the post office today too with my appropriately parcelled parcels. No further problems but it cost me 18 euros to send them!
I bought some chocolate from the gift shop at Chambord the other day. A bit expensive I guess but delicious. It contains « épices aphrodisiaques » whatever they are. But here’s hoping……. 🙂
Before I came away people very kindly gave me lots of bits and pieces to do with France that they’d seen in newspapers and magazines. One of these is an article from the Daily Telegraph which is the author’s guide to the French départements, these being the French equivalent of our counties. There are 96 in total (numbered alphabetically) and for each one he lists the must do things. Number 41 is where I am currently and he says to visit the châteaux of Chambord, Blois, Chaumont and Cheverny and then head to Trôo where people still live in caves.
I had two parcels to post- one to Scotland and one to England. I’d bought brown paper at the supermarket the other day so I’d wrapped them, as I would in England, and set off to the post office. In my best French I explained that I wanted to send the parcels to the UK please. But the lady said I couldn’t. It seems in France you can’t wrap things in brown paper to post them. You have to buy the proper packaging and for one of the gifts I had to fill in a customs form too. I can’t say exactly what the things were at this point because the people they are for will (I hope!) be reading this. But suffice to say, the package that needed the customs form may well be seen to be highly suspect! I’ll explain all in a week or so. So I bought the packaging (4 euros) and brought my things home to rewrap!
Whilst I was out I went for a wander around the town. The river, le Loir (no e) flows right alongside the main shopping street in Vendôme and a man was just stood there fishing- and no one battered an eyelid! Ha! See what I did there?! That’s straight out of the David Kelly joke book ! 🙂
I sent an email to a dance school in Blois today to ask for details about their classes. I need to dance! I checked it all over, sent it and then realised there were two glaring grammatical errors in it. So maybe I won’t hear back!
I’ve also booked myself a French lesson in Tours at the beginning of November. Curiously all the sessions online were from 10pm until 1am. I emailed the guy who does the classes thinking that there had been a mistake with the times. But no, that is the time of the lessons! Bit late for me, I felt, to be travelling back home on my own. A bit odd too to be so late at night?! Anyway I’m going at 2 in the afternoon now. He created a session specially, which was kind, so I’ll let you know how it goes.
A little French language thought I had. The word for a hook is « un crochet ». So I’m guessing that’s why we call crochet crochet- because of the hook that forms the pattern?
Jane’s Tour de Force 