Briare

Oh, what another night! Need to stop saying this. At six o'clock this morning, Marge's had leaked onto our bed. The rain during the night had been heavy and the sliding window in her roof, was dripping onto Angela's side. Thanks Marge, not the early morning wake up call we wanted. Life has changed for us dramatically over the last few days.

Four nights ago, we were in the Pyrenees, and the afternoon temperature was 25c, and we were wearing shorts and T-shirts. Now we were starting to wonder if the glorious weather of the last eight weeks had been a dream.

Once again, we set off fairly early this morning, having been re-awoken by the neighbouring church bells ringing for mass at seven o' clock.

The rain had abated, and for the first part of our journey, we were able to enjoy the passing trees of gold and flaming reds, the deer in the ploughed fields, and the doe eyed cows, feeding on lush pasture, unlike the ones in Portugal, who scavenged on barren, arid ground. At lunchtime we stopped at a service area, busy with French families returning home after their half term break. Shortly after, the rain returned with a vengeance, accompanied by gusting winds. We know from contact we had this morning with one of our tenants in Poole, Dorset, that the weather at home is just as bad, if not worse. Despite it being another long days drive, we eventually arrived in the Pays de Loire. Marge, after thousands of miles of travelling deciding to become a 'speed queen', triggering a speed camera in a fifty kilometre per hour zone, doing fifty two kilometres per hour. Angela driving, felt a little aggrieved, the speed sign was barely three feet from the camera, hardly enough time to slow down! After all these weeks of driving below the speed limit, to conserve fuel, annoying other drivers, Marge is probably going to hear from the French Gendarme. Well we'll see what happens.

Once again this evening the rain is back with us, as forecast. Luckily, once John had taken a look at Marge's leak, we were able walk out in to town for just over an hour.

Upon reaching the town square, we realised we had stopped here earlier in the year to fill up Marge's water tank.

It was now dark, but the town was well lit. We went inside the church, hoping for some divine intervention regarding the weather.

Background music was playing that would have been akin to a Chinese restaurant. A little strange.

Next to the aire is an aqueduct, which we cycled over when cycling the Loire valley a few years ago. We feel a little soft now, having Marge to propel us along, and we were going to say keep us dry. Sorry Marge, our cycle camping tent was more reliable, and we have sat in that through some heavy thunderstorms.

We are looking forward to a few relaxing days now after two long days of driving. The weather, although not dry seems a little more promising tomorrow. But for now, please Marge, no more wet bedding!

Sadroc

We were lucky yesterday to be able to walk out and dodge the showers. During the evening and through the night the rain returned, heavy and persistent at times. We knew our luck would run out with the weather at some point, and it seems that it has.

Thankfully it was dry when we set off this morning, but the roads took us up hill and down dale. Some of the uphill took us up into the low cloud, making the day more miserable.

We know from the forecast, for the next week, our luck has run out, and it's rain all the way until we return home. We once again, envied the conveys of vans heading south. How we wish we could turn the clock back a few weeks. Oh well, at least we'll be climatised for the English weather. Once we are home, it'll be time to plan our trips to new and exciting places next year.

Angela's brother is on holiday in Australia at the moment, and today he was taking a boat trip through the Cataract Gorge, (unusual name), in Tasmania. It seems an age ago since we 'drove' through the Verdon Gorge, in the Burgundy region of France, on our return from Italy earlier this year.

A boat trips one thing, but the nervous thrill of driving through, and avoiding the rocks of a gorge another. Italy is definitely somewhere we'd like to return to, so perhaps that will be on the list for next year. We'll have to check with Marge, if she's ready to take on the Italian drivers again!

After five hours of driving, we are now on the aire at Sadroc.

We're sure it is a very pretty village when the weather's good, but not today. Sad, is how you would describe it. Today is All Saints Day here, so a public holiday. Despite the rain, we donned waterproofs and ventured out, but only for a short while, it was just too miserable.

We walked up to the nearby church and then out to the edge of the village past the cemetery, which was busy with visitors, despite the weather. We realise why now, this being an important day for those of the Catholic faith.

(Flowers at the War Memorial, it was too wet to revisit the cemetery to take more photographs)

The graves were adorned with a fantastic display of chrysanthemums, of vibrant reds, yellow, pink and orange. We'd never seen a floral display like it before.

We are now in the Limousin region of France, home of the Massif Central Mountains. I think we may have introduced Marge II to a taste of them today. Thank god she's a strong old girl, we don't think Marge 1 would have survived this trip without self destructing.

Tomorrow's destination is the Loire valley, where will be back on familiar ground. As for the weather bring it on! Today may have been All Saints Day, it was also, 'end of shorts day'!

Soreze

The rain has arrived, although it is still fairly warm. 19c. We are still wearing our shorts, which gives us away as being tourists, and probably English! We were under no illusion that the weather would change once we returned to France and headed north, so we were grateful for yesterday, when the weather was glorious. Angela's niece, is at her holiday home in Albufeira, Portugal, where we met Sandra and Gloria a month ago. Seeing the photographs of the Portuguese resort on Facebook, makes us want to turn Marge around and head back down south.

Today we travelled up country, the rain as we drove down from the Pyrenees was heavy. Fortunately, the mountain roads were quiet, which Angela mentioned, just as two cars and, a campervan appeared on a narrow stretch of road, just around a bend. Breath in Marge, this is going to be a very tight squeeze. Why do we make these stupid comments? The mountain road required two pairs of eyes. One to watch the winding roads, the other to seek out any upward oncoming traffic, which can sometimes be spotted through the trees.

All that aside, we saw yet more stunning views and a fantastic rock formation, which we stopped to photograph.

In the hedgerow next to Marge were blackthorn bushes, so of course John had to forage some of their fruit.

As we reached the valley, we could see the fast flowing river waters. When we were in Portugal and Spain, we commented daily on how dry the river beds were. They always look nicer with water flowing through them, rain the price to pay for that. Looking back towards the slopes, the vineyards were a tapestry of golds and reds. So that was mountains done. Did you enjoy them Marge?

Our journey then on was fraught. The rain was horrendous, torrential to the point visibility was much reduced, and then calm, until the next band came across. Leaves were torn from the trees by the savage wind that accompanied the rain. Turning back south had never been more appalling!

Around two o' clock, we arrived at tonight's stop in the town of Soreze, just north of

Castelnaudary, which is between Carcassonne and Toulouse. We were back in familiar territory, having cycled nearby, alongside the Canal du Midi on a trip to Narbonne a few years ago. For us France is like a pair of old slippers, familiar and comfortable.

We took our usual walk out to discover the medieval town, with its Colambage houses, (half timbered), and historical monuments.

Some of the exposed timbers on the buildings were rife with woodworm, and we wondered just how reliable they now were for the job they were originally intended for. The Abbey, founded in 734, dominated the town. As we passed by one house, we stopped to look at the display of chicks in the double fronted windows.

Obviously, the owner didn't realise today was Halloween, and not Easter, which even we'd realised, having been in a time warp for so long.

Amongst the narrow streets when we walked out again later, (to make up the shortfall in John's target of ten thousand steps), we could see the children dressed in their costumes, buckets and bags in hand. Tonight from Marge, we can see the silhouetted cardboard cut outs of the nearby trees against a dark sky. Just a little spooky!

Tomorrow we need to eat up some miles, if we want to spend a little time in the Loire. So an early night, and and a early start for us.

Duilhac-Sous-Peyrepertuse

Yesterday evening, John picked some fresh rosemary from the herbs growing opposite the aire. The fragrance from them filled Marge with a comforting aroma. Like eucalyptus it would comfort us in our sleep.

This morning, we could see that many more vans had arrived during the night. The official aire had space for five vans, but being near the border it was oversubscribed. One French family had set up their breakfast table, complete with red checked tablecloth, under a tree near to their van. If it wasn't for the fact they were in the town car park, it would have made a great photograph for a French holiday brochure.

Just after we left this morning, we passed a 'new' castle, built for a wine producer. It looked a little out of place set amongst the grapevines.

As we prepared to leave Spain, we stopped at the border town of La Jonquera, so John (who's taken on sobriety) could stock up on 0.0% alcohol San Miguel lager, and also purchase a bottle of Sangria, for our daughter in law Kirsty, as promised. Shopping is a lot cheaper in Spain than France, and this would be our last opportunity.

At eleven forty five this morning Marge said " Salut France, we're back". We could hardly believe it was eight weeks ago tomorrow that we arrived in France, and spent our first night by the circus school.

Our destination for tonight took us high, in fact very high over the Pyrenees mountains, and these were the smaller ones! A misjudged gear change by Angela put Marge's engine into safe mode. After a minute, we restarted her, and being on a severe incline, climbed slowly upwards, for what seemed like forever in first gear. Then guess what? It was all downhill. For goodness sake! Oh. Then there's that old adage, 'do something everyday that scares you', well we managed to fit that in at the same time, who doesn't like a sheer drop next to them with no barrier or retaining wall?

Tonight we are in the Pyrenees.

Above us is the Chateau, which we read was, a forty five minute walk. Let's go for it we decided. In our heads we had the image of a nice footpath, oh no, try rocks and loose stones and a steep gradient. The perfect combination. We were in first gear most of the way, and can now sympathise with Marge, and the pain she sometimes suffers.

This was serious mountain walking, but forty five minutes to the chateau, we don't think so. Eventually we came across the road up, and joined that.

An hour later we arrived. The views were stunning, looking across the mountains and down over the vineyards of Corbieres. We were hot, (the temperature this afternoon 25c), a little bothered, but also quite elated. We could now claim we'd walked in the Pyrennes. Next stop, Mount Kilimanjaro.

For our return back to Marge we decided to walk down the road, stopping to look at the ladders in the olive trees, ready for the harvest, and at the trees amongst the fir trees, which had their autumn attire on, in shades of yellow, ochre and browns.

After two and a half hours we were back at the van, feeling tired, but a little smug, when we looked up to the chateau, which now looked unreachable in the fading light. But we knew different, we'd actually walked, or rather scrambled up there.

There's life in the old dogs yet!