Monday, Monday

 

Another early start from Amboise. Very nice hotel this. We were hoping for breakfast in Chateau Renault but no luck. We did manage to buy the bread products but absolutely no bar or café was open. And so it continued for a good 60km. Every little village was inspected, closed everywhere! I know it was Monday morning when shops are closed, but bars ?? A worrying sign of economic depression. 

Eventually, driving through the outskirts of Vibraye I spotted an open door. Les Deux Entêtés. We screeched to a halt, backed up and parked opposite. A single customer and owner on the phone, but we did get our coffees and also a long chat with him. A sad story - he was astounded that we had found nothing else open, interested to know if the hospitality industry in UK was also finding it hard to get staff, totally against the pass sanitaire for small restaurants like his. I hope we did something to persuade him that not all Britons are mad!

Then a long drive up through Sarthe and Normandy, finally stopping for a late lunch by the port in Carentan. Here we were asked for pass sanitaire but the owner was satisfied with a glance at our print outs! But everyone else did get out their phones to be scanned.

We had time in hand so detoured up to the west top end between the various nuclear facilities sited on the most picturesque headlands. 

There would have been great views of the Channel Islands, had it not been for the sea mist. Not bad even so.

We were still miles too early for the ferry but anxious in case the checking of documents took ages. 

In the end we just had a quick visit to one of the harbour beaches where we learned that the Fastnet Race is imminent, together with a Patrouille fly past.

Fun and games at check in with some people seemingly not having their passenger locator form etc! We managed to hand over ours on the ipads with little trouble but then completely blew it by failing to stop at French Passport Control because we were distractedly looking for Lane 6 as directed! Loud shout of Stop! Police Berlingo comes racing up and agents leapt out to usher us back…oh the red face🙀They thought it was hilarious though.

The ship Galicia is super - spacious, lots of contemporary art, tapas bar, all Spanish Galician themed. Even a TV in the cabin. And the welcome message (see top photo) projected onto the carpet!

Under the volcano

 

Early start and we were off by 7.30 into Volcano Park. Lots of cone shaped hills rearing up in the cloud as we drove through the high plains of sunflowers and cereal crops. Kites galore. 

Breakfast in the utterly typical old fashioned French town of Champeix. A touch chilly up here despite the sun.

The route circled round the Puy de Dome who, as is the way of big hills, huffed and puffed under a puther of misty cloud. Then we were into the upper reaches of the Cher and down into La France Profonde of Creuse and Berry. Home of George Sand, Balzac etc.

Quick change of river to the Indre and we were passing through a significant little town- Ste-Sévère-sur-Indre. Not that we realised at first. I spotted posters of Jour de Fête (Jacques Tati) and thought they were just showing the film. 

Then saw big images from the film on various walls in the town and a sculpture of the film’s postman. Penny dropped - this is where they filmed it! So we about faced and had a look round. Charming. 

Apparently Tati found refuge here in the war and wrote his screenplay while he was sitting it out. Of course there’s a centre with all things related including a filmshow which we didn’t have time for.

And a festival going on with political cartoonists in the ancient market hall, and other events and local radio interviewing folk.

So that was the day’s high point. Downhill from there. We had hoped to buy wine from our favourite producer in Oisly near Blois, but with sinking hearts we remembered it is Sunday. Of course they were closed. Ditto our second choice near Chenonceau. Once ensconced in Ibis B Amboise we then spent Two Hours filling in Passenger Locator Forms and booking Day 2 Covid tests at £65 a pop. Not wildly hungry and unwilling to traipse into town on a Sunday evening we walked next door to the smart Novotel to see what we could find. All looked super but alas they were fully booked! Of course they were - it’s an August weekend! Fortunately we had hard boiled eggs and a carton of Gazpacho in the boot. And on the plus side, the salt water worked and my trousers are now pristine - if rather soggy!

A testing time

 

Ah well the day arrives…yesterday we vegged out in our lovely rooms watching dear Laura Kenny power to success in the Madison in the middle room, occasionally clearing up, swabbing floors, reading upstairs, having snacks on the terrace. So nice not to have to go anywhere. All packed and car loaded ready for the off today. It was day 1 of the fête so we were lulled to sleep (ha ha) by the thrum of heavy music up in the square and woken periodically by loud shouts in the street below but all in all we managed to snore the hours away until dawn. 

Out of the house at 6.30 and off to Monteux for a swab up the nose. There was already a short queue at 7 when we got there but it was relatively swift and we were back home by 8 or thereabouts. Then the final sorting of food to take and rubbish to chuck, water drained, shutters shut, power off, busy lizzies left for Barbara next door.

Black clouds ahead and by the time we stopped for coffee and croissants in Villeneuve de Berg in the Ardèche it was raining! And did so for the whole way up the valley. Only 13 degrees!! life improved from then on and we had a sunny ride up the pretty valley of the Allier arriving in Issoire at 3.30. Supper across in the park at Le Petit Mas which was very nice until I scattered bilberry tart all over my white trousers! Aagh. They are currently (😀) soaking in cold water and salt which for some reason Adrian had sachets of in his bag. But obviously won’t be wearable tomorrow…

Just now the phone pinged. It was our test results and with much trepidation I struggled to log in and save them. Not used to these Sms things and how to or even where to save them. Plus it is a poor signal in the room, but Phew they are negative. We’d been wondering where to spend our isolation if they were positive. I mean who would know!

Anyway, tomorrow it’s Amboise and the Loire where we will obtain our final wine allocation from Oisly Thésée. Then Monday up the river and the Cotentin to Cherbourg for the overnight to Portsmouth on Galicia their new ship. Bullsmead Tuesday afternoon in time to receive the Sainsbury delivery.

Groan

Oh dear oh dear. Overfaced!

After a morning’s vacuuming and washing we reckoned we deserved a treat. So a roundabout journey via Ste Cécile found us in Villedieu at exactly 12. A table was secured on the corner by the tree and lunch was ordered - entrecôte frites salade x 2. Delicious. 

The service as always prompt and smiling. Only fly in the ointment a Dutch/other Northern family with two tinies by the fountain. The elder of which - a girl of course - totally undisciplined and a pain. Ripping her clothes off, lashing baby bro with them, having a tantrum and generally bad news! Parents took bugger all notice and let her wander across the road, get under the feet of waitresses.. As you can imagine, my smacking hand was itching! She’d have been marched off and incarcerated in the car if I’d had anything to do with it. Thankfully they departed and we weren’t greatly troubled.

Once home I slumped on the sofa to snore away the afternoon😉

Le café la pluie

Wednesday again. Should be Malaucène but the threatened rain came and by departure time it was pouring down. I’d already been out at 7.30 to get bread before the Soviet style queues began outside Mme Moulin’s. At that time of the morning it is delivery trucks and I was almost despatched by Brake France turning unexpectedly left round the square. And, of course, the first signs of La Fête…this weekend. Bollards being removed, sinister blank sided trucks lurking ready to spring open to reveal gaudy horrors.

So we went to Vaison for cash then eschewed the market, instead zooming up through mist and downpour to Bédoin via Road Runner. We have not seen him yet, having been unable to go up there for the Tour. But oh! what is this - Road Runner is now a Poodle, complete with top knot, patriotic sashes and glaring red eyes. Parcs et Jardins have had a lot of fun this time. Chapeau!

On to Bédoin, rain now pretty heavy. We sloshed down the main street in search of a traiteur but none to be had anymore. There used to be a really good one. Ah well, never mind, instead we had a couple of  g cs in Le Petit Comptoir where once again the milk came separately.  Is this a new trend? As we supped, our ears were shattered by the Circus Van hooting and skirling up and down, and on the way out of town, taking up the whole of the parking fields, was the Cirque itself all garish red and yellow. No traiteur in Caromb either - it was looking horribly like it might have to be beans on toast - but we completed our circuit round the hills, returning to where I should have gone first - Mr Bonfils of Sablet! Supplies obtained.

Adrian’s favourite places

Final week already. Quite windy on Monday when we went up to the ridge above St Maurice sur Eygues for a walk. It was part of the walk we often do up there but just from a different starting point…way up at the end of a long rural road. There were so many butterflies that we couldn’t identify - not even from our books and charts. Photo not brilliant because I could hardly see anything! The wind blew my hair into my eyes the whole way so I had to hold it back with one hand and focus with the other. 

And lovely verge plants.

Tuesday was much cooler and rain is promised tomorrow. We had a rendezvous with John and Louise in Suzette at midday and decided to get there early and have a walk up the hill beforehand. Going through Vaison was horrendous! So many people trying to park and crowd into the market.Gridlock. Fabulous views above Suzette and pretty pink Persian silk tree! 

Lunch was in a wine domaine cum restaurant on the hillside overlooking the valley. MathiFlo. Only a summer thing.  

Simple plates of various salads and melon or ice cream/sorbet. Wines from the producer, friendly service, full marks!

Louise reckons she’s seen it all now…family on the table behind produced a pack of frozen chips to be heated in the microwave for their offspring. They just had to be Belgian!

Nul points for this famille nombreuse though! How dare they use Skoda to pose against for the family snap!

Flat out on the Western plain

Sunday. Last night we actually had clouds and wind and rain, fortunately not until 9.30 as we also had next door for apéro on the terrace! That’s two evenings on the trot as Denmark and Berkhamstead came on Friday. They, however,  had to swelter with fans.

This morning it was cool, hooray. Sunny and breezy too so we drove out onto the plain for an explore of the vines. First those on the Cairanne cut through road. There’s a patch of unknown cereal crop there. Is it spelt??

It looks like the swifts have gone - not so much as a farewell fly past. Bee eaters were invisible but vocal - too windy to precision bomb their prey. Lots of kestrels and, we think, a roller that perched on a sign then loped off. First blackberries eaten by the little étang.

Then along to the flat flat area outside Ste Cécile with its Italianate lines of poplar and the grandly named Domaine de la Présidente. 

We parked down a rutted track and walked there and back. Quite a few other folk  - a cyclist, a jogger and a chap with cigar in a 4x4 who drew alongside to ask if I’d seen a grey Renault with an elderly person who’d been missing for 48 hours! 

We followed little tracks in the general direction of  Travaillon hoping maybe for a drink. This one was a goodie! 

Travaillon bar was closed so we pressed on across the plain to Violès to the café at the crossroads, mercifully free from 40 tonne lorries, where this elegantly presented grand- crème was consumed in lieu of Sunday Lunch.  But I say! hot milk served separately. Usually only get this up north.

And Art in the Streets produced this - le phare du Four, with a backdrop of the excellent butcher who goes to Malaucène market.

Walking around was great, cool air but underfloor heating from the warm pavements. Pizza for supper.