Exploring on foot

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Yesterday we explored the area on foot -- the previous day's driving tired us out for the road! We walked along the narrow streets to some grain fields where poppies are sprouting up, then in the late afternoon, we walked the other way, on a path along a stream, winding up in the town of Fontaine-sous-Jouy, where we saw the church and city hall. 

The entire time, we were serenaded by a chorus of birds. The air is full of birdsong here -- it's so wonderful to hear. The one that makes me laugh is the Tourterelle turque (Streptopelic decocto), which begins his call with a "Woo Hoooo." We also love the Rouge-gorge (Erithacus rubecula), which, upon checking a birding site, turns out to be a European robin. All my British readers will laugh at me for thinking it was so exotic -- but we don't have them in North Amerca! Our robins are a bird of an entirely different feather.

My absolute favourite is the cuckoo -- it really does sound exactly like the clocks! The cuckoos sing almost constantly here. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale!