Sunday lunch

Finally we’ve made it to Côté Terrasse in Séguret!

I walked there across the vines and Adrian drove up with Anne. Really fabulous and copious meal. Anne and I had magret de canard with fig sauce and Adrian Black Iberican pork feather steak. Then a strawberry delice, rhubarbe tarte and chocolate entremets for pud. We were stuffed!

Lovely and sunny on the terrace. Starlings and house martins are back.

Market day

Saturday. Ste Cécile. A lovely sunny day. The natives are obviously pissed off (sorry!).

We gathered produce as we processed down to the Bar...salmon, tuna, walnuts, asparagus, strawberries, broad and French beans, fruit, cheese, yoghurt! Said hello to Nicole and enquired of the sheep. They are only going out for three hours a day because of no grass. Lady at the bar pleased to see us - she’s had a chic haircut over the winter!

I got some more violas. These ones are amazing ochre yellow with fine stripes and a wonderful perfume. They will be brought back to benighted Blighty in due course. At the moment they are being revived after a morning in a hot car boot.

Then we headed Drômewards to St Restitut, a pretty
village, where there is a tapas bar. Not really to eat, though that would have been nice. This is our second attempt with Anne. Adrian and I once managed it but last time they were closed. Today however the tables were out and we were pre 12 so you’d have thought it was a goer. We had apéritifs and looked at the list of dishes in case we were tempted. We were. But waiter squashed that. As he brought our olives he said they were fully booked. And by the time we left they jolly well were!

Bof! Were we bothered? Well maybe a little. But instead we went up to La Garde Adhémar to gaze at the view over the valley and then at the diners in the square! Then home for chocolate tartlets and a cup of tea on the terrace.

Sun still shining

Off to Roaix mob handed today! Seven of us disturbing the peace of the courtyard. All very jolly and a good time had.
It’s warm and calm. Apart from that nothing much to report.

Sablet now has a little book exchange box by the library so I’ll be taking donations soon.

Yesterday we passed the tulip fields - a bit reduced this year but still lovely. This is just a drive by guerrilla pic so not in focus!

Thursday already

so that means we’ve been in France over a week. Tuesday really was cold despite the bright skies. Hatches battened, books read. I bought some petunias but couldn’t face going out to plant them!

But yesterday the wind dropped and we went to Malaucène for food and a sit in the bar. A bonus was that we were spotted by NI and their dog! So an even nicer sit at the bar with chat as well. So nice in fact that we nearly failed to get any supplies! The stalls had started closing up.

And today it is Spring again. Birds are twittering, La Patrouille entertained us with precision formations, chaps are mowing grassy banks. After some housework, we had a stroll round the outskirts, admiring the growth of the new olive grove, astounded by the completion of all the new dwellings - many occupied with parasols and awnings in place.

Tried and failed twice to raise the Kaisers but left tokens of dates and marmalade on the step. Now just killing time until we set out to get Anne from TGV at teatime.

Settled

Yesterday was really warm. T shirts and cropped trousers as we sunned ourselves in the bar and on the terrace then later at the Kaisers. But Jen warned of approaching mistral, and so it was. This morning looked the same but the wind...oh my stars! So chill.

We went to Bedouin, not really because we needed anything, more because we knew it would be quiet pre Easter. It was. And not too blustery. We had a drink in the sun, bought couscous and walked up round the château and church, which is being extensively cleaned. Good views.





No snow on Ventoux so it’s probably open.
The strangest thing is that the landscape still has that dry, bleached winter look yet at the same time everything is flowering - wisteria, iris, a rose or two, cherry blossom and even red poppies.

Back in Sablet at the bar, no one was eating outside but we tucked ourselves in on the ‘Mistral Table’ in the doorway and had sandwiches in relative warmth.

Arrival day

By some miracle we got up at 7 and were out by 7.15. All quiet in Chasse sur la Rhône as we headed south to Vienne, so prettily situated on the river and looking inviting in the sunshine. But it was too early for breakfast so we continued down to Tain l’Hermitage and across to Tournon. The reason...Tain faces west so the sun was shining on east facing Tournon. Four Viking Cruisers were in, and crocodiles of passengers were trouping across the bridge.

Both towns had a market and it was all very jolly. We sought a boulangerie but despite tramping round the whole town there was none to be found, or at least none open. Could this be possible! Despondent, we returned to the main square where unexpectedly we found a pâtisserie. It really did not have the look of a cake shop! And a café next door where we sat and supped and watched four coachloads of floating tourists being whisked northwards. And one longship doing similar.

Crozes Hermitage vines

And so we proceeded down past the orchards of the Rhône Valley, all pink with apricot and nectarine blossom. Then through Crest and into the Drôme hills. Went through an amazing gorge where the legendary words Mural Precipices were uttered more than once! Pretty villages, lavender fields neatly clipped, bare vines. Shopped at Valreas Leclerc and got home at 1.15. House intact, geraniums survived and anxious to be outside. Washing done. It’s warm.

Bourges to Rhône

We eventually had very good pizza in St Florent but Octavia was a bit sickly this morning and found starting difficult - upset tum! Wrong fuel possibly...but all is well now we think! Then we had the worst coffee evah in a place called Cérilly. First of all we couldn’t even find a boulangérie. Then they only had one croissant left so Adrian had to have a chocolatine. We found a bar called The Blues Bar. A weird little cubbyhole with murals of Ché Guevara and diminutive proprietor. The café crème came in a vast cup only one third full with a carton of UHT plonked on the table. Semi skimmed to boot! Fortunately only 2 euros each. Adrian needed a proper cup so we stopped at the next village and braved the bar..phew! A good one. I had a really nice lemon tea and A a real coffee. Faith restored.
Countryside was now bucolic with hedges and livestock and it was getting warm. A bright sunny day with dew on the grass.

The target was the Gorges de la Loire where we haven’t been before and we arrived nicely before midday in a picturesque village called St Maurice with ruined keep and viewpoint over the dammed river. Poor Loire - how it is exploited!

There’s a metal spiral staircase to the very top of the keep - just don’t look down.

Then around to the actual dam at Villerest and a drive down the other side of the river. Not exactly spectacular but pleasant enough. We stopped for a drink at a little port called Bully.

The food of choice on offer at all restaurants hereabouts seems to be Frog and Chips which somehow we didn’t fancy so instead we parked up by this confection of fairytaleness and finished our hard boiled eggs and sausage.

 It really was a 13th century chäteau on an island, then they dammed the river and it now sits at water level. But even before that it once flooded to the height of the top windows in 1790. Much restored and currently used for Escape Games whaever they are!

After that it was a bit of a slog into La Chasse sur Rhône, where we currently lounge twixt rail and motorway with a grandstand view of Friday evening Auroroute shunts. Good Ibis though - quite swish in fact. On our way down the valley we saw snowcapped mountains in the distance. The Alps one direction and Massif Central the other. The Receptionist has recommended a restaurant that is walking distance. We shall see...




Alas...they were full. Couldn’t even squeeze in two more. So it was Campanile (sigh)

Spring

21st is the First real day in my opinion. Sunny, warm. Idyllic drive through countryside where everything is just coming out. Especially the weeping willows - fountains of pale green, always the first to leaf. I am sure England is just as beautiful.

Even saw some cowslips and violets. Good coffee in Ducey for brekkie.

We stopped for sandwiches by Le Loir at a tiny village called Laverdin. So pretty with ducks battling the current, a ruined château above, gothic bridge, violets.

And best of all, no one else!

Gilets Jeunes 

Then a cup of tea and beer in Selles sur Cher 

and on to Bourges for a look round the cathedral. 

Only a few harsh words exchanged re directions!

Now in Budget by the motorway south of Bourges. We and Octavia need fuel so will be heading into St Florent sur Cher ‘ere long.

As always, more pix on google (Spring19 in right hand column)

Avranches

Well it was a millpond. We got to Poole at 7.15 and after a dismal couple of slices of toast (the croissants were still cooking!) settled down in our cabin for a few more hours rest. Lovely. Only £10 as we are Club Voyage members and worth every penny. The sun came out half way down the Peninsula and we travelled along verdant lanes and banks strewn with primroses. The odd deviation but nothing major. There are  always roadworks!
Ibis located sans problème. Now to find supper... and google how to send texts on iphone 🤔

We went into Avranches and the Jardin des Plantes  all afroth with municipal magnolias various, overlooking the bay with le Mont St Michel in the distance. Had quite decent crêpes and then home to our bed.













Somewhat strange décor however...

Crack of Dawn

We rise tomorrow at 4...AM that is! Have to be in Poole by 7.30 to board good old Barfleur en route to Cherbourg. Phew, the storms have abated so hopefully it will be the proverbial Millpond. I’ll let you know!