Week ending

Friday already and we haven’t stirred greatly. It is in the 30s most afternoons so the cool middle room is favourite. But today we felt we must venture forth so booked at L’As de Coeur in Roaix. The Danes dropped in to say hello on their way to get their new déchetterie card. We got ours last time, smug smug.




Oh yes, and this morning I was up at 6.30 in order to go round to Deb to receive the clearings from her fridge. All delicious unused produce, no half eaten stuff! They left late morning but will be back in October. We all come and go but seem to manage to overlap, which is good.

To return to the outing du jour...it was delightful. Under the mulberry trees. David charming and pleased to see us. The cabaret artiste waitress has left but his son Valentin is helping out - a tall lad of 16.
Hake terrine and Tuna for me, salade nordique and boeuf b. for himself. Mousse au chocolate and crème caramel to finish. Simple pleasures. And afterwards we popped down to the pretty, shady café in Violès for a noisette.

Sauf le mardi

Bruno obviously has delusions of being a National Institution. We were all dressed up and ready to bestow our custom on the new bistro but the shutters were resolutely down. Deb enquired at the Bar only to be told they were not opening on Tuesdays!

So we got in the car and went to the Café du Cours in Vacqueyras. Lovely setting, nice food, altogether a Good Idea.

Another scorccio today so we were off to Malaucène betimes and had breakfast there. Pleasant temperature walking round at that time. Adrian got new shorts and I got new bag. Amazing! Plus vast quantities of meat products for his lunches. Had to drag him away from the Asian girl making caramelised pork!

Sablet Wines are finally getting into Publicity! Bout time. There’s a mini event to tomorrow night too, that we might grace.

Busy doing nothing

Bar Sunday morning in Martel

To recap...we got here on Sunday afternoon with no food. But as we were tidying and unpacking, the Good Fairies appeared in the guise of Kaisers! Invited us to share their meagre supper (well it was very nice quiche and salad actually). So in the end we had a pleasant evening in the glare of the setting sun in their upstairs space. Bit too much rosé wine for me- not my favourite, but Jen was drinking it and I didn’t want to be rude.




Yesterday we stocked up at Intermarché, stopped off at Gravillas to purchase new bidon and contents, had coffee at the Bar then went round to see Deb and Gary. And that was it! Rest of the day passed upstairs on the terrace where despite temperatures in the high twenties it was fresh thanks to a stiff wind. Ah, that Mistral, bless it!

Now here’s a tip. You’ll thank me for it! When eating a chunk of very fresh pain generously smeared with real blackcurrant jam (the sort with actual berries that roll about), do not wear white shorts. Amazing that no one’s thought of that before!

Today, a new boiler repair man has been. Revelation! He is a Viessmann specialist and taught us all about Fafner and his little ways. Considerably cheaper than M. Barnoin too. A motorbiker and he’s just been to the TT races!

Ce soir we are going to try Bruno’s new restaurant Chez les Copains with Deb and Gary. Just to see. Menu is 23 euros so not a competitor for the bar.

Long and winding

Well yes, crêpes were had but to be honest not great! So we went back to Ibis and watched Sweden v Germany. Poor Swedes!

Off at 7.15 again and had breakfast in Martel, a potential Honeypot that manages not to be...cheapest coffee ever this trip - €5 for two and no extra charge for the hot milk that I ordered separately. But alas no sandwiches at the bakery. We should have stopped later to get some but didn’t and this was A Mistake. Because, A decided that instead of going via Millau and Marseillan, we could return via the Cévennes to Alès. A nice journey through impressive gorges. It was, but we just didn’t stop, not for drink, not for food. By the time we got lost in Alès yet again (we don’t learn and like last time we took the wrong direction) we’d lost the will and just wanted to get home. But fate had another trick. We usually take a cut through across the Rhône at Caderousse. It saves miles. Not today...just by the barrage is a sign saying Turn Round, road blocked. Aagh! This meant a long detour through Roquemaure, unlovely place that it is. Anyway we got here at 3pm and are settled. I’ve swept up a ton of dead flies, neatly wrapped in spider silk by my little helpers. It’s hot. Hoping Hussein is open for pizzas!

Bad timimgs

We’d decided that if we were awake, we’d leave early. We were so we did... 07.15 departure. And down to Surgères for breakfast. The bar was only just opening (it being Saturday). Nice little town with fine Abbey. And pleasant agricultural landscape with expanses of cereal crops various, all ripening nicely, and sunflowers  that I mistook for green bean plants! Well they are just big leaves as yet, easy mistake to make. Long views across the Charente Maritime. A few stands of vines destined for cognac and pineau.

As we progressed it dawned on me that at this rate we’d be in Brive by lunchtime. So, handbrake turn on the route. We decided to have a stop in Brantôme.

Well this was a) a Honeypot, as Adrian would call it, ie a town frequented by tourists, and b) a surreal experience. We left the car by the river and walked  down to look at the Abbey and noticed that every shop and establishment was bedecked with Union Jack and St George’s flag bunting. Now I know this area is  expat central, but even so! The reason became apparent...a Britsh music festival.

It is a pretty town though and has a jolly river where folk canoe down the weir. With greater or lesser success!

And a Michelin star hotel.

After that we meandered towads Périgeux, still horribly early. I looked at the map and spotted a tempting yellow road that took us a longer way to Brive along another river. Surely we’d find a spot to eat sandwiches and kill time. At first this seemed unpromising. The river was a mere trickle with no meadows. But along the route  I saw a village with a bridge...had to be the dreamed of site, and so it proved. Delighful, shady, weir. The works!

My new road turned out to be a winner. It went along the tops through lovely stone villages with steeply pitched roofs and we had another break at Hautefort where there is a huge château and formal gardens, smart restaurants, a Hôtel Dieu and museum of medicine. No, I haven’t acquired a drone...this was on the notice by the admission prices!

The family seems to have had an unfortunate
name however.

And the real estate leaves something to be desired!

More fine views and smart villages eventually brought us to Brive and by now it was a respectable 3.30, so we checked into Ibis. It’s pretty warm today too so we’re chilling out! Ce soir there will be another attempt on the famous closed crêperie...

Roscoff to La Rochelle

The Pont Aven sailed majestically out of Plymouth and as we were leaving, up pops the Armorique from beyond the horizon to take its place. Hot docking! Snapped through a salt smeared window. We didn’t eat in the restaurant because we’d had pasties for lunch. But it did look nice and we heard folk enthusing about the quality, so much so that they always chose the Thursday sailing as that is when they put the Pont Aven on the route!

Bit slow getting off but eventually we were released into Brittany and zoomed south through newly planted artichoke and cauliflower fields to breakfast in a village of our acquaintance near Guingamp. Then a rural ride towards Vannes and the west coast, crossing the St Nazaire bridge and parking up in St Brévin opposite Chantiers Navals de St Nazaire.

Two behemoths were in construction, one the MSC Bellissima, the other anon.

And the Airbus carrier was moored under the bridge at the other side. Very windy but delightful to eat one’s sandwiches sitting on the beach wall by the Serpent de la Mer.

After that it was down through Vendée. The Tour is starting here so we were gradually accompanied by bicycles of every vintage painted and scattered about in towns and on roundabouts along the route. I was so intent on snapping this confection that I totally failed to see the gendarme with semi automatic  in front of it and, even worse, the gathering of police vehicles and yet more armed personnel on the other side! What!?

La Rochelle successfully negotiated and we arrived at Première Classe at around five then took a stroll down the quays past the Maritime Museum. And a drink watching the world.
Dinner in the next door Italian where we’ve been before. Very nice!

New album with all the pix in right hand column...Blog summer18

Off... Again!?

Yes. We must. Things to do, people to see! The last six weeks have flown by and the weather has been fabulous. Garden also with my old roses on top form. But at least we’ve enjoyed them to the full.











So it will be the posh Pont Aven on 21 June overnight.