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France 2022

July 2022 - April 2024
Gadding about the Dordogne - mostly coffee and croissants. Read more
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  • France 2022
    Day 1

    Portsmouth

    July 27, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    And we’re off…

    After a busy start to the holidays, including holiday prep and dog sitting, we left Leicestershire with a hastily packed ‘big boy car’ and trucked down to Portsmouth to catch our ferry.

    Car sandwiches and some queuing later, we were in our cabin (premium, of course) with cups of tea. Some late night fish and chips as we disembarked set us up for a good night’s sleep on our journey to Cherbourg.    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 2

    Cherbourg

    July 28, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We arrived early in the morning after a well-earned night’s sleep on the ferry.

    We made some furry friends on the car deck and had bananas and cups of tea before officially landing on French soil to start our journey to La Rochelle.

    The drive was clear and easy - we stopped for coffee and croissants and a few (necessary) cooling breaks before arriving at the Old Port to park up and begin our coastal adventures.    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 2

    La Rochelle

    July 28, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After a very sweaty drive we arrived in the Old Port area of La Rochelle and parked the car before venturing to our Airbnb. The walk was along the harbour front and gave a great view of the three towers and the water.

    After a quick refresh and cool down we headed out to seek sustenance. We settled on a bar in a small square behind our accommodation and had croque monsieur and Fanta lemon. Naps followed.    Read more

  • France 2022
    1
    Day 3

    La Rochelle

    July 29, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Day 1 Proper:

    A much needed rest was followed by a relaxed morning of coffee and croissants from the boulangerie at the end of the street before we set off for a morning of exploring.

    A pleasant walk along the harbour front took us past the Three Towers (#OldStuff) and down to the beach where we did some boat spotting and people watching. We wandered back along the tree-lined avenue set back from the sea wall and enjoyed the ‘best crepe in the world’ (SMF 2022) for lunch.

    Lunch was followed by a visit to the Musee Maritime where we explored a retired trawler, a tug boat and superbly converted former meteorological research vessel. The deck of the latter is now a bar and restaurant so we stopped for a drink before smashing through some harbour side oysters and retiring for yet another nap.

    Negronis were followed by wine and charcuterie in a busy square behind the studio where there was much people watching before we had ice cream by the St Nicolas tower to watch the sunset. Naturally, there was a piper.    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 4

    Port-d'Envaux

    July 30, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We left a sunny La Rochelle after breakfast by the marina and started our journey inland in a much cooler car (some good brain work with frozen water bottles here) to get to our waypoint for the day, Port-D’Envaux.

    After some vehicle admin and instillation of cooling measures we wandered through the village to the river where we set up camp to eat our lunch of sandwiches from the bakery and enjoy the scenery and excellent people (and puppy) watching.

    After snacks and micro naps we spend some time bobbing about in the water to cool off and do some work on my left-handed catching (progress is slow) before ice creams and departure.

    Skipping toll roads, we had a good two hour drive through the countryside to our next stop at Montagne where we were greeted by Melissa who helped us settle in before we went for a short stroll through the vines which are extremely close to our little house.

    Potter Update: Chapter 16    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 5

    Mirande

    July 31, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    After our first evening wandering the vines, we had a late dinner and went off to bed in the very quiet French countryside, enjoying only the sound of the greatly appreciated bedroom fan.

    The shuttered bedroom helped us sleep in late in the comforts of Joachim and Melissa’s little house where we spent the morning drinking tea and planning our next steps around St Emilion before enjoying a low key brunch of coffee and eggs. Some minor disagreements with the induction hob were eventually resolved (we have many degrees between us so this took an embarrassingly long time) without incident.

    We spent the rest of the day in the garden relaxing, reading and drinking panache next to the grapes before enjoying some of Melissa’s kindly gifted homegrown tomatoes with supper and planning a wine tasting tour of the vineyard next door.

    SMF dangerously inspired into small holding by the idyll of rural French life.

    Potter update: no change.    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 6

    Saint-Émilion

    August 1, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We left the little farm house in the morning to tour Chateau de Franc Baudron, the vineyard next door through whose vines we had unwittingly wandered the day before, and were met by Chloé (the guide) and Rose (the dog) who showed us to the vines for the first part of our tour. After answering our many questions about the plants, the soil, and the topography, Chloé showed us through the sheds (old and new) used for packing, bottling and fermenting, explained the different processes for the natural wines compared to the more traditional barrel aged varieties. We then retired to the tasting room and tried five of the wines and (naturally) bought some to bring home. Alas, the famous family sheep, Fantine, did not make an appearance.

    We then jumped back into the car and headed to Saint-Emilion proper to take in some sites. By far our most tourist heavy destination so far, we found ourselves surrounded by English speakers as we stopped for lunch in the very hot town square. After some minor exploration, we booked onto a tour of the Monolithic Church for later in the afternoon and took ourselves off to the wine caves at the edge of town to seek refuge amongst the bottles. There was lots of wine. Lots and lots of wine. After a look at the bell tower and the medieval gate we joined our tour to explore the main monuments. We were guided through the hermitage of St Emilion, the 13th century chapel, the catacombs and finally the Monolithic church itself, which was vast!

    After finishing our tour we ventured to our accommodation in Libourne, only a 15 minute drive away, and were greeted by Patricia and her granddaughters who showed us in and made us feel right at home. Eden (the very friendly dog) also made an appearance. After a quick rest, we made our way to the quay to finally set eyes on the Dordogne River at its confluence with the Isle. We enjoyed some wine and pate as the sun set over the river.

    Potter update: chapter 17
    Mosquito bites: 11    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 7

    Libourne

    August 2, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    After our first evening on the banks of the Dordogne, we enjoyed Patricia’s hospitality and took a leisurely breakfast in the garden, both becoming particularly fond of her homemade apricot jam. We eventually made it out into the heat and did some quick exploration of Fronsac, a village just across the river, before stopping for a late lunch at a restaurant across the water from our previous evening’s setting. We then enjoyed the pleasures of Patricia’s garden swimming pool, cooling off from the steep temperatures and taking advantage of the water. Although a minor head injury was sustained (no first aid required) the time in the pool was certainly a highlight!

    After a nap, we went back out into Libourne for dinner (extreme application of insect repellent required), taking up our reservation at Bistro Maratime, another spot by the river, and had a wonderful evening full of wine, beef and superb people watching. A highlight of the evening was the salsa dancing class taking place on the pavement just next to the restaurant terrace which we watched for hours over meal. Naturally, we joined in after dinner and did some pavement dancing of our own.

    Mosquito Bite Count: 14
    Potter Update: The Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 3    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 8

    Issigeac and Le Maison Dodo

    August 3, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    After another lovely morning enjoying breakfast in Patricia’s garden we packed up and loaded the car to leave Libourne. It was a medium drive towards Bergerac (more wine country) with some good agricultural views. We stopped along the way in the village of Issigeac which was like something from a Beauty and the Beast set design; beautiful half timbered buildings, an old town square, and rambling roses and wisteria up shop fronts and around entryways. We wandered the little streets for a spell before stopping back at the square next to the Bishop’s palace for lunch at an organic farm shop with a small outdoor kitchen. Hiding from the frankly unreasonably heat, we ducked into the church before continuing on towards the more famous Monbazilliac, home to a chateau of the same name famous for its sweet white wine and view of the vineyards below its fortifications. We took in the views and enjoyed the shade before buying some wine and making our way to the Domaine Maison Dodo in Lamonzie-Saint-Martin.

    We pulled up to the gardens of an old farm house and were greeted by the delightful Gaspar who showed us around the property, including the gardens and swimming pool, and to our room which boasted spectacular exposed beams from the original barn. After cooling off and enjoying the pool we changed for dinner on the terrace and were fed to within an inch of our lives! Everything was homemade by Gaspar and followed up with coffee and a double helping of his homemade limoncello. Quite the feast.

    We retired to bed full of wine and hospitality.

    Potter update: The Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 5
    Mosquito Bites: thousands.    Read more

  • France 2022
    Day 9

    Bergerac

    August 4, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Waking up to another feast from Gaspar, we had a lovely morning breakfasting on the terrace and were stuffed with croissants, scrambled eggs and apple juice from down the road by the time we left for our day trip to Bergerac. We parked the car on the banks of the Dordogne before heading off to explore the old town. The historic centre was another Beauty and the Beast moment with timbered buildings and winding street tangled up with ivy and wisteria. The heat was ferocious so we did our best to keep to the shade as we explored the centre of the town and took in the #OldStuff. We also stopped for a necessary pharmacy visit to top up on bite cream and source some more potent insect repellent (bites getting out of hand at this point). Mission Straw Hat was completed before lunch and before we embarked on our boat tour along the river.

    The temperature on the water was much more agreeable as we cruised downstream and learned about the history of Bergerac and its place on the river, including its massive influence on the region as a Protestant city. We had some excellent wildlife moments and were treated to an impressive aerial display from a black kite who was clearly showing off. After a quick drink by the water we headed back to the Maison Dodo for a cooling afternoon swim and spent some time chatting to the other guests (notably Malou the boarder collie) before joining everyone for dinner in garden. Gaspar treated us to risotto, guinea fowl and a hearty portion tiramisu accompanied by a bottle of rosé from the vineyard next door. Naturally, coffee and limoncello followed.

    Porter Update: Chapter 6
    Mosquito Bites: too many to count.    Read more

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