These are pictures from the Medieval Town, Peruges in France where we stopped on our way to Switzerland.
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| We ate lunch here |
As you can see, nothing has been changed (except modern life) since the 11th Century!
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| Medieval garden in Peruges |
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| Retta and Behcet |
It was approaching time to leave Lyon and I was filled with a bit of anxiety about having to take a train to Germany with a 7 hour trip that would take me back through Paris and alot of complicated timing. I was asking a few people from the conference if they were headed my way and they were saying " No". Then a voice came out from behind belonging to my savior, Behcet Cirigan from Switzerland. He graciously offered to drive me closer to Germany by way of his home in Switzerland. I was very pleased to learn that Behcet is active as an administrator on HelpMeFind!
So the next morning after we explored Odile Masquelier's garden together, we headed away from Lyon. About 20 miles out Behcet asked me if I would like to visit an ancient Medieval town. What a treat! We stopped in Peruges from the year 1050 and nothing had changed except for a couple of restaurants and little shops. We ate lunch in a very expensive restaurant which was very good, then went into a shop where I bought some batteries for my camera and some German Fairies. Then we drove the rest of the way, past Lake Geneva and on to Behcet's home which was near Aarau. The home was a labor of love designed by Behcet and his wife Reta who he had met through the internet. His wife Reta (Margareta) and I hit it off from the start as she is a Rosaholic like me and loves to be with her roses. Every inch of her yard was full of roses of all classes along with a variety of clematis (never to be found in Florida), Hostas and perennials known and unknown to me.
Behcet, Reta and I spent the rest of the day wandering through the luscious garden with their list and my camera which helped to identify each rose. Reta's English is minimal so we had a good time trying to sign and understand each other. Her roses were being grown with only a little homemade compost and the greenest thumb I have ever witnessed! She had ingenious ideas for the garden, like she made a rock wall out of a double wire fence where she dropped the stones from the soil between the two fences. A wonderful church clock looming overhead went off every 1/2 hour. Reta was one of these gardeners that have not green but emerald thumbs. I was in awe!
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| Jasmina |
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| Caramella |
Retta and Behcet introduced me to their 2 wonderful sons, Andrin (16) and Corsin (13) and their 2 giant dogs Coura and Rina with giant dog beds in every room. The next morning Behcet had to go off to Russia on business and so Reta and I spent the morning taking cuttings from her garden to be shipped to my home. We lost track of time and had to race to the train station where I had 4 minutes to run to the train .
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| Fragrant Cloud |
Clematis was everywhere in many different colors amongst all the roses and they also had an incredible array of Hostas. I was in awe of the unusual perennials like the yellow one above that I had never seen before.
Behcet's record keeping is meticulous, an asset which comes in handy as one of the administrators at HelpMeFind.com.
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| Mme. Bovary |
