Last day

We left Rochefort at the usual just before 8 am deadline and were well up into the Vendée by breakfast.  The marshes were lovely as always and I spotted a family of coypus chomping on their grassy breakfast on the banks of one of the canals. But later it was foggy and treacherous. Someone had spilled diesel on the road and we were skidding a bit on roundabouts in the damp! Good coffee in Ste Gemme restored the nerves. Not a terribly interesting drive- relentlessly up via Nantes and into Brittany proper along the seemingly endless D137. It was busy and we were glad to be going north, not south. Look at this tailback outside Rennes!

It started to rain. Our first for over a month. Fortunately by the time we pulled up on the clifftop outside St Brieuc, it had stopped.

Stunning views over the bay with mussel beds and islands at low tide.

 We’d bought sandwiches and some Lait Ribot (Tom Archer take note!) and ate them as we watched a group of walkers on the sand, miles out, hoping they’d make it back before the tide!

Arrived in Roscoff about 4 and settled into Ibis Ibis. A bargain at 47 euros.

For some reason we have a room with two shower rooms and two single and one double bed. Luxury! Overlooking the church and backing right onto the water in a lovely old building. The fancy hotel down the road can’t be any better placed despite its outrageously expensive restaurant. Cheapest menu there is 48 euros. The only downside seems to be the family of elephants above us! A table for two is booked at Surcouf across the way for 7 pm.
Up betimes tomorrow for the last boat out this month. À bientôt!

Rivers

Last night was ghastly. We went in search of Del Arte restaurant for a proper pizza and ended up in some diner that served pizzas in a centre commercial. Reason,..it was twilight and rush hour and it was a nightmare trying to find our way through the maze of Marsh Bartons on speed. And then the hotel wifi packed up in the middle of The Archers.aagh.

Today was better - milky sun, warm, lovely country. Agen will have to be visited another time-it all looked so easy in daylight. We crossed kilometres of of orchards, all netted against hail, and then came across the confluence of the Lot and Garonne. Or rather a viewpoint that overlooked it. Right on top of a cliff. So we hill-climbed up the hairpins to the table d’orientation. Great view but no confluence! It is hidden behind trees.

Back in  the town (Aiguillon) we parked up for breakfast only to find the whole of the main square fenced off and being dug up. Ringside view fom the café tables. The owner was less than thrilled - it’s taking eight months!

And on we went through Marmande, under St Emilion, Libourne, some lovely small towns north of Bordeaux, and finally to the cormiche along the Gironde. This is the actual meeting of the Dordogne and Garonne at le Bec d’Ambrès.

We had the rest of the eggs and sausage looking in the direction of Château Margaux (this isn’t it) on the opposite side of the estuary.

There’s a huge low lying area farther up that is home to birds, farms and a nuclear power station. Bit like Hinkley Point and the Somerset Levels.

We gravitated there! Egrets, herons, a kingfisher, birds of prey various.

It sounded like chips frying standing under the huge high tension cables.

And lots of little ports. All very atmospheric.

But it was getting towards 3 and the day was closing in so we reluctantly beat a retreat north to Rochefort and another Ibis Budget. We know this one and it’s nice.
Here is the wreck of Frisco. A petrol carrier built 1906 in USA and scuttled 1944 by the German navy.






This time we drove into town before dark and went to see Hermione, the reconstruction of the ship Lafayette sailed to America. This is the first time we’d seen the completed ship. Last time, many years ago, it  was still in dock being built. Oh it is a lovely sight to see all finished and proper. Then delicious galettes and crêpes at our favourite tiny crêperie and home to IB, sandwiched so elegantly between Burger King and McDo!

Leaving Sablet

Well Tuesday afternoon we returned the Livebox to Orange Orange and spent two days cold turkey with no link to the outside world except telly!

Yesterday we sat in warm sunshine at the bar and had a pretty grim shepherds pie. Then a walk in the vines and farewells all round before packing the final things.

 Up at 7 today and off at 7.45 in milky sunshine with the Dentelles standing to attention behind us. Ventoux swathed himself in sulky cloud. John and Louise beat us to it - left at 6 and will be in Paris mid afternoon! (They go on Motorways you see)

We didn’t stop for breakfast until 11, in a strange boulangerie cum bar in Flavin somewhere southish of Rodez.

Home to the local skittles team (quilles) who seem to have amassed considerable silverware in the form of cups and trophies.

It was a pretty drive through Quercy with picnic lunch in a village called Bach south of Cahors. Watched by a flock of black sheep.

Still amazingly warm even here. And very autumnal. Bright red apples on the netted trees and fields of military planted hazel trees as we approached Agen. We stopped in Intermarché to stock up on local confit de canard and prunes before struggling with directions to get ourselves to Ibis Budget Agen.
Going off in search of a pizza any minute!

Disconnecting

Wind has gone, sun is warm. We went for a walk along the canal into Beaumes. Just a perfect autumn day.

We parked below Notre Dame d’Aubune more or less opposite the Giant Hands and took the canal path between wild pomegranate trees and canne de Provence. Lots of little birds and lovely colours reflected in the water.

The canal crosss the road just near the boulangerie opposite the old public weigh station. So I bought some croissants which we took up to the bar to eat with coffee and watch the market.

Then back up through the village and along the inspirationally named Chemin de derrière le château to join up with the canal again. Really just putting off the evil hour when I unplug the Livebox and pack it away. We are off to Orange this afternoon to return it.

Fermé le lundi

We are in that limbo period prior to leaving. Still three days to go but aware that we are packing up. So to drive away the blues we headed out in the biting wind and razor sharp skies towards Richerenches where there is an exhibition of Papal Wines (?). Only to find the place closed for some reason. There were lights on but no one in sight. After a walk round the inner village we tried again. This time a lady appeared and said it was closed because there was no-one to man it. Presumably she isn’t qualified! The lanes were a touch gruesome too. Two dead pigeons on adjacent streets, obviously blown against the walls by the wind.

But the countryside looked super and we were happy to be up in the northern bit again. On to Valréas where there is a good café in the square. Oh and we thought we’d visit the Packaging Museum again. The suspicious amount of street car parking boded ill. And, yes, the museum was closed on Mondays, as was most eveything else. By now we were muffled in our fleece lined coats and heads down in the icy blast. The café was reached and amazingly was sheltered so we actually sat outside with our coffee, surrounded by dazzling displays of petunias in front of the town hall.

 In previous times we’ve had good food here but not today...you guessed!

And the plane trees are due for the big prune next Thursday.

I now realised why there had been an exhibition of Papal Vin in Richerenches. It’s the 700 year annversary of the Enclave des Pâpes, that area within Vaucluse that belonged to the Pope - Richerenches, Grillon, Visan, Valréas.

Flags and banners all over the place.

Moving on...St Pantaléon-les-vignes has a nice Bistrot de Pays but it was obvious from a distance that there was nobody home.
Closed Sunday evening and all Monday. From there the last chance was up the hill to our favourite Rousset-les-Vignes through pretty fields of vines, olives and lavender. Resigned now to the inevitable. And so it was. So we just had another walk and admired the grand and pretty houses and the view.

Returned to base via Nyons where some places were doing business but all were heaving, unsurprisingly! We’d lost the will to eat by this time. Doesn’t matter, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and we had a pain raisin left over from yesterday to be shared! Luxury.

Dance of the Hours

Only 7 when the light trickled in today. Groan...it’s winter. But as I’d been in bed since 9.30 last night (reading my Fred Vargas) it was time to get up. So washing done by 8.30 at which point I battled with flapping sheets and pegs in the teeth of the gale. Then three hours vacuuming and changing beds so that all will be pristine for our departure. I realise that more dust will accumulate over the winter but it won’t  be my dust!

Very bright and sunny and we needed to inspect the circus. Vans are cruising round town exhorting us to come along at 16 hours, only 5 euros...

First we visited Paul and Linda for a chat then headed for the Stade where trailers and tents were set up.  Here is a poster...Looks grim, doesn’t it!

It’s actually pretty warm out of the wind so we braved the vines. Where we got blown to b******! But we passed the cemetery decorated on every tomb with chrysanthemums, tulips, pots of cyclamen. It’s Toussaint on Wednesday. A National Holiday and big business for the chrysanthemum growers.

After all this we deserved a lunchtime snifter so in the balmy sun of the bar terrace, out of the wind, we supped on pastis (monsieur) and thin gruel mascarading as a café crème (madame).

Le dernier marché

And what a windy one! Cold Mistral, everyone muffled up and no chance of sitting outside for coffee. So we said our farewells to Nicole and the café ladies and briefly to our recent English acquaintances from Rasteau with the lovely sheepdog. Masses of people on holiday from other parts - Belgium and the North I suspect. Apparently round here they get two weeks!

The plain was dazzlingly bright and colourful. Flocks of birds dancing in the wind above the leaves. And our aeolien has been painted bright red!














The good news is I managed to get TWO Paris Brests from Mme Moulin. Now we are tidying and sorting prior to departure on Thursday - really do not want to leave.

Carpentras

Via Beaumes coop. This is even more bling than before. Glass chandeliers and dark cavernous hall of wine leading to the sales area. Here all manner if tasteless accessories are displayed, from high heeled peep toe shoe champagne bottle holders to this - a pink pig bag in box dispenser.

Sanity was restored in Carpentras. Looking very fine today and very quiet.

Without the market throng it was possible to see the buildings properly.

Wendy bought some pretty pottery.

We repaired to Jouvaud for hot chocolate and delicious pâtisserie.

We ended up with a trip to Séguret where Adrian spotted this lovely creature.
Still warm.

Drôme

No wind. Temps back to mid 20s. So off to the Drôme and lunch at La Garde Adhémar. First we detoured to the Val des Nymphes and the Eric Linard Gallery. It was closed but we did manage a little peek before Mme L scurried up and politely said she had to lock the gate! Then a look at the chapel and fish pond.

We reserved table at Absinthe, a bit surprised that they didn’t want us on the terrace because of wind - what wind? And then down to the garden in the ramparts overlooking the valley.

It is half term and there were a few families but not too many people and it was pretty quiet among the formal flower beds. That is until midday when a group of dogs in the village joined in with the bell ringing! 

We managed to persuade the restaurant to let us sit outside and were soon joined by loads more people. It was warm and sunny so they must have misread the forecast. Nice meal but rather slow service.

The aftenoon was a cultural experience at Grignan. Well it should have been more so but a lot of it was closed. Like Orange yesterday...we obviously cause mass shutdown wherever we go. This regal rabbit could have been purchased for 65 euros. The shop was open.

The château is being beautifully restored. And it was hot up on the terraces overlooking the surounding town and countryside

We all covet this house! Final stop was the Colophon café and bookshop for mango tea and a look at the books.

Back in Sablet we took advantage of the warm evening for a drink at the bar. Just like summer.