The End is Nigh!

 

Or so we were told… Anyway before that we had a morning to play with. Hotel was fine except there was no hot water! Only discovered as I was standing under the shower at 10pm so too late to do anything about it. We’d had lovely galettes and crêpes and had returned to watch the Rugby with the dregs of a bottle of Ventoux Rouge.

Sunday morning was sunny and clear as we profited from an extra hour before going in search of breakfast. Big clouds seemed to indicate there was turbulence somewhere but not over us! So off to Châtelaudren, the village of choice, where there’s a good bar and The Boulangerie of a Thousand Breads. Alas…today no bread. It was Toussaint weekend and everyone was on holiday. We did get coffee and the serveuse said we’d be lucky to find bread anywhere but that the next village MIGHT have some.

On our way out of Châtelaudren I demanded a stop - last year I’d spotted this lovely mosaic sign through a chink in the buildings. Le Petit Echo de la Mode. Research revealed this to have been where this most famous of French magazines had been printed and dates from 1922. More than that the building was in the old mediaeval fortress and alongside the largest semi natural waterfall in Brittany that also provides hydraulic power. The place is now a huge Médiathèque/ Arts centre etc and backs onto a lake and park on the other side. Oh yes, it was raining at this point!

Onwards to Morlaix passing the Only Bakery in the Village next door with a queue a mile long. We didn’t stop. Instead, we drove down to the port and up along the ría - now once again bright sunshine. A vague and unhopeful stop in a village we have previously frequented that has a café, but no joy, and after a half hour’s stroll by the water we drew stumps and headed for Roscoff where we knew something would give us food

Good decision. Not only breakfast with excellent hot chocolate (and latte for the Young Master) but also a sack of pink onions and 2kg of huge local garlics from the excellent greengrocer.

And then it was the ship. All loaded and ready to go on the dot of 2pm,  Still sunny with big clouds off to the south. Pont Aven passed us on its way back from Plymouth and there was much tooting of horns between the two ships.

The crossing wasn’t bad. A bit of rolling but it was sunny. We sat midships by the bar where it has the least movement and gazed out with a cup of tea, enduring the ghastly Music Bingo Quiz for part of the time. Adam went to the cabin for a lie down.

It was dark as we came into Plymouth and apparently rough because I peered out of a porthole and realised that we were being escorted into harbour by a naval tug SD Careful (privatised of course to SERCO). It nudged us to the berth and we were off quite rapidly. It must have been the high tide and swell because it didn’t seem particularly windy. (Adam says it was and he should know as he went on deck).

The usual appalling drive out of Plymouth. Really horrible dazzling traffic lights and glistening tarmac and lanes switching all over the place. I suddenly felt hungry and opined I could murder of all things ‘a pasty’! 

In the event we stopped at Little Waitrose Shell service station outside Okehampton and managed to get a six pack of sausage rolls that we ate in the car! Home by about 9.30. Everything including basil in the garden is still flowering/in leaf.

Rochdale to Ocho Rìas*

OK well not exactly but we feel we’ve travelled this road a few times. Amboise to Yffiniac.

* Adam thinks no one will understand the title. Ah…the young… no knowledge of 10cc.

A clear morning so we decided to leave the car at the hotel and walk into town for breakfast rather than search en route. We’d walked in last night - only five minutes or so - and had crêpes by the château before returning for Adrian to watch the rugby in our lovely beamed attic room.

A bakery with café provided us with croissants coffee and sandwiches from a wench dressed as a devil with two little red horns and startling orange eyeshadow! They take Halloween seriously here! Then we went to visit our favourite fountain by Max Ernst before motoring off along the river towards Tours via Vouvray. 

The fountain is frogs and turtles and a Magic Genie - delightful.

Everything looked just perfect as we drove downstream. Watery sun, autumn colours, pale stone buildings.  The river actually had water in it and there were groups of swans, egrets, cormorants and the odd heron. But the rain started around Angers so we decided to cut out the last meander and head for the boring but fast road up to Rennes. We were sure we’d find a nice spot for sandwich munching somewhere …Ha! I did see something marked La Roche de Fées that sounded promising but once we got there we discovered it was a closed visitor centre with no access to the rock - a large series of dolmens just visible behind a hedge. And then absolutely nowhere to pull off the muddy country lanes. So we ended up in the market square in Janzé in front of a callicarpa bush!

That’s it really.We hit the big road again and were in Ibis Yffiniac by 4. We have a connecting double room so the Young Master has his own quarters! 

Another crêperie tonight. Been there twice - it’s on the marshes. 

This time the tide was in and curlews were calling. Sunset on the water. We got back to the hotel in time for the Rugby final.

Don’t forget to put your clocks back everyone🤗

going up country

Mostly in rain but we were fortunate to have a few hours in the dry to start with. Breakfast in Montignac, nearest town to Lascaux. Very pleasant, delicious flaky croissants. River very full.

And the first of two good graphic pix.

Sandwiches obtained - smoked magret, walnuts, cheese. No rubbish here!

We motored through a landscape of walnut groves to right and left, heading for the ominous black clouds to the north. Many routes barrées impeded our progress. It tipped down around lunchtime and we were fearing there would be no picturesque spot to stop. There wasn’t, but out of the blue a picnic spot sign indicated a lane to our right and there in the middle of nowhere was this perfect patch with two covered tables and a composting toilet! Amazing. A Parisian couple and young child were braving the deluge under one of the shelters. We stayed in the car.

Continuing our way, me not feeling great because of cold, the journey wasn’t hugely interesting. But we stopped in Loches for a walk and hot chocolate. 

Graphic pic number two! As you can see there is no opposite pavement.

We were now within touching distance of our hotel in Amboise when kerpow! Route Barrée again. So we joined the throng weaving along the déviation via Chenonceau and eventually found ourselves not only at the hotel but with a free parking spot right in front! Old building and very charming…Le Blason. Room on top floor with lethal beams for tall men (I am OK) and views to the château. 

We can even see car from the landing outside.

mists and rain

We left at 7.12 precisely. It was dark and busy with lorries and commuters and Roquemaure was a nightmare of roadworks. 

But dawn broke pink and orange and we eventually got to Uzès for breakfast by 9.

Then the rain started and continued as we changed from Garrigue to Cévennes and the ubiquitous chestnut forests. Across the Corniche we travelled, passing parked vehicles at intervals and folk with bags and baskets collecting nuts and fungi. We stopped for a view next to a CZ car and tent. Three young people approached asking for Duct Tape - as you do! Perfect English. They had locked themselves out of the car and were waiting for assistance. But one thought he might be able to stick tape to the window and ease it down. Adrian obliged, but the plan failed.

Sandwich purchase in Florac, with its interesting wall decoration. It is sort of the Totnes/Stroud of the Cévennes.

Then, ta dah, Les Gorges du Tarn. Very atmospheric in the rain and more impressive going down stream for some reason. We ate the aforementioned butties in the car overlooking the river, watching mist rising to engulf us.

It was then the long slog to Sarlat via dull Rodez and Decazeville. On the way my phone pinged with a text from Brittany Ferries. Our sailing is going an hour earlier on Sunday ‘due to poor weather’. Oh Lord - they only do that if it’s serious!

Night was falling as we drew in to Ibis and we had but half an hour to rest before striding into town for our pizza and pasta. Jolly good too. And vin de noix as a treat!

Goodbyes

 

As the law of sod would have it both Adam and I are getting a cold! Just what we need for a long journey… Not to be defeated though we rallied for a final good lunch in Roaix - magret and chips! And said our goodbyes for the year. Also to our dear builder Mr Fernandes and son Kevin who happened to be there too.

We got a souvenir ballpoint each!

Then briefly up the hill to Rabais Sud for last gaze over the view this year.

All is pretty much packed and cleaned here. Same next door where they are moving tomorrow as well. We said our goodbyes again and maybe we might see them if we ever venture via St Etienne. Who knows. 

We’ll miss them and the cat, who we’ve known all the time we’ve lived here. Sad.

two days to go

 And has the weather changed at last? Rain overnight but blue Dutchman’s legwear this morning and the dear gallants bravely playing among the billowing clouds. Still warm. We are promised thunder but it wasn’t looking promising. In fact it was brilliant sunshine.

Santander sent me this jolly notice today. Is hot chocolate the latest currency?

Not doing much today as it’s clearing up time. Only cheese and marinated anchovies and possibly some hard boiled eggs to last us. At midday the promised thunder sounded and it rained hard for about half an hour.

And then…after lunch the sun burst out again. We went to the déchetterie (a first for Adam). Then a coffee in Puyméras with a walk up through the village. Many cats greeted us as we passed and the witches’ hats are out for Halloween.

Still too nice to go home and as today’s guests had cried off, leaving us with cake to eat later, we prolonged the tour via apéros in Villedieu under the trees.

Running out of time

 Don’t know what day it is anymore! Arrangements keep having to be altered to fit everyone in.

The weather is odd - really warm southerly gale and grey skies interspersed with bright sunshine. We’d decided to go north to Taulignan for no particular reason. It’s a walled village and has a silk museum situated in a former convent alongside the Mairie. Big building!

So after a stroll around and it being midday, we shunted off a few km to Grignan. By now the gusts were powerful but we managed to find a café with a fairly sheltered terrace and had an indifferent plat. Well it was OK. However, the upper shutters of next door were unlatched and banged and crashed deafeningly all through our stay. The two girls at the next table never flickered - they sat chatting and eating as if nothing was amiss. Others glanced up with worried countenances and we eschewed puds and coffees…just in case!

Then a turn around the castle walls for the views, quickly dashing out of range of the precariously positioned scaffolding over its roof. Good drying day!

Sheep may safely graze though.

In the pink

 

Rasteau was en fête today. The umbrellas had been unfurled, roads barricaded off, stalls and bio food truck! Breast Cancer Fund Raiser. 

It was a fun busy square with quite a crowd, quite a change from the usual peaceful Sunday.

After our walk along the roads round the vines and a sit on the bench listening to the woodlarks, we made our way to the bar as usual and joined the throng.

Even Adam was colour coordinated!

Sunny Saturday

 

Amazing! Back to sun…but a little more bearable temperatures and we did not feel overdressed for once. A quick trip to Ste Cécile for breakfast and oddments. Liz and Keith crossed our path briefly too. Our café was displaying the perfect lunch menu but we would be long gone by midday unfortunately.

Then on to Nyons where we window shopped and Adam bought presents from the lavender distillery. A group of middle aged people outside a restaurant suddenly broke into Happy Birthday as a friend appeared! The place was all very busy and jolly.

We returned to our own country Another Way, ie via Ste Jalle and Buis. It’s lovely countryside but we didn’t venture off piste as there were big yellow signs on the main road saying Chasse en Cours. And we glimpsed several chasseurs in their orange high viz lurking about on look-out towers and down lanes. Best not to risk it, this scourge of the French countryside.

In Buis we weakened outside the Café de l’étoile. They were still serving and their pizzas are good. And there was a table in the sun!

Weather Report

The Gigondas evening went well but as we were leaving we noticed a certain swaying of branches and by the time we were going to bed this had become a gale. Upstairs sitting room shutters were closed against the assault. And it began to rain - a positive jet wash! All night the wind hurtled down the road from the south with frequent booming gusts. I feared for our roof, could not sleep. However in the morning light all seemed OK. No one else had been in the slightest discomforted. It rained a bit more then brightened to a vivid blue sky with white clouds and hot sunshine.

After lunch we went to inspect the river by the Roman bridge at Entrechaux. The weir was thundering beneath the rush of grey brown water with the consistency of emulsion paint. But it was HOT. 

We fancied a drink so went to Mollans. Bar closed until 4.30. Adam expressed a desire to sit at our own bar but that was closed until 5! 

And then the weather decided it for us and began to rain again in an offhand way. Not much but not predictable. So we’ve retreated home for a cupoftea.

Ooo I think I hear thunder!