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We spent the morning on the tip of the peninsula opposite Roscoff - quite lovely. Then drove down and round the estuary to Roscoff where we managed to get a table at Surcouf. We even managed starters and two glasses of Entre deux Mers. But then it all ground to a halt! we were running out of time and no main course was in sight. The place was absolutely heaving inside and out and in the end we just had to go. Much apologies from the lady owner- trouble with oven or something. We said it was OK - we’d been coming for 25 years and we know it wasn’t normal. And Adrian had had his dozen oysters!

Onto the ferry sans problème. Tough looking men in camouflage toting semi automatics strolled about. Brittany Ferries besuited staff had a meeting in the bar complete with laptops, We had tuna salads cakes and Cider/Sancerre then a sunbathe up on top deck. The sea was calm, dolphins and gannets were spotted - also a vast Evergreen behemoth heading back home.

Back home via Tesco shop in Tavistock just before they closed and tomorrow we face the horrors of the garden…

Balloons and Marshes

Last night we went to Bléré to try our luck for supper - couldn’t face the tourists in Amboise. Bléré is on the Cher about 8 miles away. A small and pretty place. But only one place serving food (apart from the Logis Auberge that we thought a touch pricey)- la Sarrazine that we assumed was a crêperie. It turned out to be a cross between Wagamama and Astérix. So another culinary first for me after Monday’s Browniegate. Poke Bowl. They also had Thai salad, accra de morue or galettes and crèpes various. Quite imaginative but not great. Anyway we had a decent meal and friendly service.

After which we strolled down to the river and watched mongolfières rising up from behind the woods and floating into the sunset. 

There’s also an old wooden vaned weir.

This morning we had a lie in and didn’t leave until 7.30! Another nice drive through the Touraine and Anjou countryside - wheat fields cut, sunflowers golden yellow. And eventually we found a bar! This area certainly doesn’t go in for convivial gatherings in cafés. But it was a good one and next to an excellent boulangerie. Stopped for lunch just short of Corps Nuds by a delightful man made lake fringed with reeds and marsh plants. 

Alive with dragonflies and butterflies - all done by the commune. Full marks. And so nice to be able to sit out in the sun comfortably.

Then by and by we progressed through seemingly endless deviations to the final resting place this trip. Ibis Yffiniac outside St Brieuc. Views of the bay, oysters served in the bar. We will venture out in a bit for food. Who knows - might even find somewhere.

Judicious use of the interweb revealed a crêperie on the salt marsh just below the hotel so we drove down to the shore, passing a mural of Bernard Hinault on our way (he was born here). Identified the eaterie and its opening times then went for a walk across the marshes. Really nice. Not hot, hooray - we decided this is the perfect temperature. This area is a major overwintering site for migratory birds - over 40,000 in season, Today mostly gulls, pigeons, egrets, terns, little brown jobs and starlings.

We ambled up to the crêperie at 7 and were lucky to get a table! it was fully booked and justifiably so. Fabulous galettes and crèpes. 

Temperature inversion

 

Never fails! we leave the south sweltering and dripping in flimsy garb and get out of the car for breakfast somewhere in the upper reaches of La France Profonde wishing we’d put a fleece on. I have even been known to change in the back of the car. And so it was today. Last night we ate outside in muggy air - I had an oddly bland so called Peruvian style fish dish but Adrian’s caramelised pork was “delicious”.We left before seven in a warm morning, the viaduct twinkling and shimmering in the sun. Then a hefty two hours up the empty free motorway to gain time as it was a longish trip today. 

By the time we stopped for breakfast it was nine o’clock and we were beyond Clermont Ferrand in old mining country where no tourist sets foot! Stepped out of the car opposite a roadside café in St Eloy les Mines. It had tables outside and looked inviting. Then I registered the air…freezing! 18 degrees and windy.We went inside and I rubbed my arms for warmth. Oh dear says lady are you cold? Shall I close the doors? I explained we had come from a land down under as it were. Where temps were in high 30s. She understood, having recently returned from Brittany where she said it had been 42! (it had, in Nantes).

The day and countryside passed. We stopped by the Indre in a tiny place called Le Trenger.

It was idyllic with pretty fish lurking under the reeds, martins and swallows dive bombing the water and a neatly aménagé grassy sward with picnic tables.

Then one last heave and we were by the Cher buying a case of Cot from the Franceuil coop. Adrian cried “I just have to snap this appalling typography!” Opposite Chenonceaux and we first went there for a week when Adam was about 2.

Now in Ibis Budget Amboise contemplating the evening. Windy but reasonably warm so I don’t think fleeces are required.

A jolly little anecdote that will confirm my utter denseness re anything culinary. Last night the young lady was explaining what the dessert du jour was. I heard this - ‘un bookiebruni’. Blank look. Come again le Crapaud went through my mind. Is this something Mme Sarkozy has invented? She expanded… you know, a sort of chocolate cake with nuts. Ah! lightbulb…A Brownie. Now I have seen these on menus and in boulangeries but have never asked for one - why would you they aren’t exactly French - so haven’t heard them pronounced. But a bookiebruni? Turns out she too was confused by foreign words and had meant to say Cookie Brownie. Sounded horribly like a flat squishy biscuit so I opted for the clafoutis instead🤗

out of the frying pan

 Yesterday we had a final pre lunch apéro at the bar watching the Sunday world go by and sad to be missing this performance. This morning we left at 7.15. The house has become a storage heater and as soon as the windows are closed the walls start radiating heat! So this time parting was not such sweet sorrow. Croissants obtained in Violès and were at our café in St Victor across in the beautiful Gard by 8. 

There was a small market setting up with this rather witty beverage stall. You need to read it out loud. Some time and way the other side of Uzès we realised we were making rather too good progress and were in danger of getting to Millau by lunchtime! 

So we agreed to stop in Nant to eat and kill time. But as we were driving along we also realised we were not far from Vissec, site of a much fondly remembered week some years back. 

It was a rainy week, torrential even, and there were cherries unplucked by blackbirds, nightingales, sheep transhumance, all on our doorstep, which lead straight down onto the dry riverbed. The house was dusty and ramshackle but we all loved it. A detour was made down through the dry rocky valley to the village. Not changed, just much, much drier. 

The house was still there, seemingly as ramshackle as before. No cherries left of course.

A village on the main road has as its claim to fame that it is exactly the opposite side of the world from the Chatham Islands if you drilled through the centre of the Earth. Well now!

Nant did not offer much in the way of culinary delight so we settled for an indifferent omelette frites salade under the arches. A pleasant 25C.

And then up (or down) the Gorges de la Dourbie and its lovely scenery to where said river joins the Tarn in Millau. Only 2.30! we went to the hotel anyway where the room wasn’t quite ready unsurprisingly. So we sat in breezy warm shade by the pool until we could take possession and flop in air conditioned comfort until suppertime. Silly me had not thought to pack a swimming costume!

Nearly over

 

Groan. Not getting any better but at least the end is in sight! Only one more day before we can escape to hopefully more bearable temperatures.  Yesterday we went for the 7 am walk round the bottom of the village and it was lovely - grey early light before the sun comes up and misty views of the Dentelles behind the olives. Then kerpow! Full beam laser heat and you just can’t move.  

The most we managed was a visit to the Kaisers before their terrace got the sun. 

This morning was overcast but that just made it humid…We went to Ste Cécile really just for breakfast and returned a rather roundabout way over the Rasteau/Roaix bluff. The swifts have gone - just a few youngsters hanging around. But there were flocks of bee eaters and swallows on the wires, kestrels, buzzards, a hare - all out and about early. 

We have a baby gecko (maybe two)!

Caromb!

Oh it was a horrid night but I dragged myself out of bed at 6.45 and went out for a bracing walk in the fresh morning air, returning via Mme Moulin. By which time Adrian had left his airbed on the terrace and was ready to go out for breakfast. We chose Caromb for this morning’s sit under the trees. 

Not been there for a while and it has certainly been dragged up by its bootstraps with much municipal fettling and restoring of the ancient centre. Very impressive - lots of shady squares and seats and plenty of parking. And so many restaurants! Quite the destination. 

And of course, today is 21 July - Belgian National Day - and every village has a Fête des Belges evening. Caromb was festooned with red black and yellow bunting, parking banned from midday! Did wonder just what a Pizza Belge might be…waffle base with moules frites mayonnaise topping?

As yet it wasn’t steamingly hot and we really didn’t want to retreat to purdah so we moved on to Vaison for the carwash.Yes we did have to queue but it was reasonably pleasant and the water created a cooling spray and breeze. 

Then Villedieu for a cooling drink! I noticed that our former ‘toujours souriante serveuse’ from the café is now working at the fancy Bistro.

12 o’clock…guess what! we know it’s going to be stinkingly hot over the weekend so decided that today might be the best day for a final lunch at Roaix. Adrian wanted a steak! This time we sat under the mulberries and it was lovely. So was the steak.

More of the same

 

No respite. Last night seemed hotter than ever and now even the house isn’t cooling down! One degree hotter upstairs than on the terrace this morning… So off we set at 7 for Malaucène and bought final supplies from the lovely butcher and then sat in the café in shade before gathering fruit and returning to the comfort of AirCon in the car. Actually…rewind to yesterday. We did pretty much the same but unplanned. We’d gone out early to Gigondas to put something through Louise’s letterbox - a mystery offering from Deb. But when we finally located the bank of boîtes aux lettres for the complex we saw none with their number (101). So a hasty email to query if in fact it was 102,  which seemed the most likely explanation. No immediate response (we are an hour ahead) so we had the brill idea of breakfast in … no, not Tiffanys or America, but in Beaumes de Venise! There they have a delightfully cool tree-lined street for the little market that is always a pleasure with the café du siècle at the top. We purchased some prawns to go with mayonnaise for our tea then sat with coffees and water🤗.  I was fearing that Louise had gone awol as no reply was forthcoming, when just as we were approaching the Gigondas turn on our way home, ping! Email confirmation that it was in fact 102. So we swerved right and I did my impression of a DPD courrier and snapped evidence of the delivery.

Back to today. Following the market shop we tootled over to Puyméras for a couple of bags in box and a bidon. And then cruised by Citroën to see if their carwash was empty- we have tokens. No chance - a queue! So instead we went to the cathedral for some coolth. Hmm not exactly the burst of icy air you usually get in these hallowed edifices but fresh enough. 

The cloisters are most interesting with judicious use of recycled Roman stonework. Not just the cloister either- the whole building is a triumph of ‘récup’!

Oh and just after we left Puyméras I saw a bright yellow bird fly across in front of us. Quite definitely a golden oriole. Size of a green woodpecker and similar flight but really vivid yellow.

The Hot Day

Maybe less for us than UK and more to come for you. I went out at 7.30 for half an hour round the vines just to see what was afoot. Not ventured there all visit. Anyway the new mini estate opposite the boules pitch now has a fancy sign board and all the houses are built and occupied. 

Tractors were working in the vines, all was fresh and pleasant.

The old house we always coveted is now an island of dereliction in its excavated land with a hefty stone walk shoring up the banks. I can’t see it surviving - too many structural cracks. Sad.

Loads of blackberries along the verges and I don't think anyone gathers them. Food for birds and mice I guess.

We’d invited Deb and Gary for a farewell lunch at Roaix so around 11.45 we set off in sapping heat and sat under the sails rather than the mulberries. Deb’s choice and a mistake. It wasn’t very comfortable but we stuck it out, sweat plastering our hair and faces.Food rather nice today but no wine - we heeded Official Advice to avoid alcohol and caffeine! Then home and rapid farewells as we dashed through the furnace across into our darkened abode. Today we got to 37.3 on the terrace.

Orange isn’t the only category

But that’s us. The west coast of France is on combustion level. And as for the poor boys in lycra, well it must be torture. We sit and watch them like the baying crowd in a Roman arena, dropping like flies, breaking bones,scraping skin, pouring sweat. What heroes.

We went to Ste Cécile at some ungodly  hour yesterday while stalls were still being set up. Bought the world’s most delicious crumbly buttery flaky croissants from a young baker chappie as well  as a chunk of his spectacular seedy sour dough loaf. This loaf was the size of  a small table, honest. He brought it forth for a lady in the queue in front of  me. She took half (2 kilos) so I risked a small corner .

Book Fair is on but we didn’t go apart from glancing as we went up to Americans for an early quick eat up the food before they leave supper.

Much the same today but no supper - just us two at the bar under tree for an evening snifter.

So sorry this is dull but well…🥵

Red Alert for UK

 Welcome to our world!

Update on the conflagration. It was south of Avignon in the Massif de la Montagnette, where we walked in the spring and saw great stands of asphodel. And close to the Abbaye de Frigolet. A lovely spot full of Aleppo pines and aromatic plants. It seems that sparks from a local goods train started it. Still faint traces of smoke in the air this morning.

Last night there was a huge sand dune in the carpark - remains of the wine and food extravaganza. 

This morning it had been shovelled and hoovered up and the first marquees for the Journée du Livre were appearing. All go here!

We did nothing today but are dragging ourselves up to Deb and Gary after the Tour for refreshments and aircon

Moon shots

 Et ça continue…. 

Tuesday evening we went next door to the relative cool of Barbara and Pascal)s garden and had a lovely couple of hours, finally meeting the Canadian residents of the pink house at the top of the Montée! We knew Robert’s late parents but somehow have never met him and wife Pearl. Both lawyers and bilingual so the evening was relaxed for all monoglots. 

Wednesday was Malaucène with Kaisers. Once again we got them up early poor things but really you have to get there before heat. Returned via Suzette for views then retreated behind the shutters. Sablet had a wine event in the evening so the streets were crowded with people coming in mob handed from the surroundings to enjoy. A rock band belted out old favourites including Summertime Blues and Satisfaction (can’t get no). Cars came and went. We watched from our windows but didn’t venture out! Eventually, The Moon appeared above the Dentelles, and was duly snapped.

What’s today? Oh yes, Thursday. And 14 July so a holiday. up again early and out by 7.30 for what we hoped would be a walk to St Hilaire. But doubts began as we got up the hill behind. There were no entry notices on roads and paths and upon closer inspection these proved to be Access Interdit signs. The whole of the Dentelles Massif is off limits for duration because of severe fire risk. So we resigned ourself to walking along the road and back through a vineyard. Most pleasant, long views, birds, cicadas. 

I watched a hoopoe bob from tree to tree and get lost in the vines. Adrian rescued a cicada from my back - it gave a cheery rattle as it flew away. We really didn’t want to go back but it was starting to heat up. Compromise - a coffee at the Bar du Siècle under the trees and out of the sun. Place was pretty full already with people having the same thought but there was a table for two with our name on it!

And now we are in our blue canvas chairs on the terrace in the shade so all is not too bad…yet!

Stop Press 7 pm. A murky sky and strong smell of smoke. Neighbour Nicole sent these images from the motorway near Avignon.

Beating the Heat

 We will not succumb! Yesterday I was round at the Americans betimes before Mr Fernandes arrived to demolish their porch roof. Had to return a long ladder they’d lent us. But as I was there tiles were being wrenched off and the door was blocked! We had to beg for an exit so I could escape. Then we decided the telly could go to the tip…I grabbed what I thought were our déchetterie admission cards and off we zoomed.A charming young chap on guard told us a) the cards were out of date and b) private folk could only deposit in the afternoons. We had nothing better to do so we continued on to the Maison de la Communauté de Communes, where tip passes are issued, to get an up to date one. I am nothing if not organised and have in the car all necessary proofs of existence - justicatif de domicile, photocopy of log book etc. Not so fast… another charming young person, female this time, tells me I already have the up to date card. She has a dossier showing that I picked it up on 18 April 2018 - she invites me into her office to witness the evidence on her computer screen! Help - I have no recollection of this new card and thought it was the old one I’d picked up then. Somehow in haste to leave the house I’d grabbed the wrong ones which should of course have been destroyed.

Crushed and shamed we decided the only thing for it was to go to Roaix for a drink and lunch. David was delighted to see us and explained that last week’s exceptional closing had not been because of death or destruction but simply that they were all knackered after a weekend of Fête Votive. Anyway we sat in the shade of the mulberry trees and recovered our composure with a good light repas.

Weather forecasts are alarming with temperatures of 40 threatened. It’s already giving 39 for Bordeaux and surrounds this week. Last night it was still 30 at 10 pm. The answer! Get up at 6 and go for a walk before it gets unbearable. 

This we did, and were on the canal at Notre Dame d’Aubune by 7.30. It was lovely - quite shady, twittering birds, cheeping ducks, smell of hot dry grasses. It was striking 8 as we entered the market - still setting up. Croissants purchased we sat at the Bar du Siècle for noisettes and verres d’eau.

 But the return walk could not be put off too long so reluctantly we got up and made our way back. Mrs Duck and her three surviving offspring were still making their way upstream.

Amazingly the terrace is actually quite bearable in the morning up to midday. Still in the shade. And what better to entertain us than watching Penny Mordaunt’s campaign video! If you haven’t seen it - you really must! Straight out of The Day Today🤗