A lovely day…a bit warm in fact! Stretchy jeans will be discarded tomorrow.
The route was down to Royan for breakfast. The town was looking very nice and breathing a sigh of relief after the Season. Then along the water to snail roundabout and on to Libourne via Blaye and St André.
Sandwiches purchased rapidly at some traffic lights where I had to leap from the motor into the oncoming traffic, drivers all anxious for their lunch, it being midday. Then we motored through Entre Deux Mers to the Garonne and up to Ste Croix du Mont where there’s a great view over the Sauternes vineyards and Les Landes. And a cliff edge composed of fossilised oyster shells. But sadly, just before we went up the hill we stopped at a place dear to our hearts only to find it abandoned and in a poor state of repair. Château Bertranon where we spent a holiday in a converted wine store when Adam was 18 months old. He had his first taste of Sauternes sweet wine there (accidentally) in what he called Monsieur’s dark room - the Caveau. A lovely man, a lovely place. Here it was in 2017 so what has happened?
https://www.bordeauxblanc.com/ch%C3%A2teaux/chateau-bertranon
The final leg was an easy potter south eastish to Nérac, A Royal town of Henri IV and his wife Jeanne d’Albret. We are in fact in the Hôtel Henri IV but it has no restaurant and it is Monday. Nowhere open. Well three places, one Gourmet (no), one Franco/Italian (need to book) one newish North African plus.., buffet style. Looks interesting.
Still can’t upload photos so it’s just the Google album - some are quite interesting (she said feebly)