The bells in four of Martel's seven towers are just as out of synchronisation as they were in summertime when they chime at seven seventy-seven and eight eighty-eight this morning. The sun is out but it's only 3 degrees, rising to 10 by the time we head into town. It's every bit as attractive as our last visit, but completely deserted; no terrace tables and parasols, no postcard stands, no hubble-bubble of tourists. The ancient stonework glows in the sun witho...

The early light casts lovely colours under the yellow leaved walnut orchard which numbers around 100 trees. Ali and Grete say goodbye to the owners and we set off alongside the Dordogne towards Beynac. Roadwork signs say maximum width 2.2m so we pull into a carpark to think but there is a Municipal Policeman there who tells us it is OK to carry on. The roadworks are narrow but no problem and we find another carpark below the towering chateau at Castelnaud, whi...

Every now and then as you shuffle through your alloted days in life, along comes what we call a golden day. Today as been one. We set off for the 5 minute walk to town just after the bells had chimed eleven eleventy. The old town is very compact and a bit cobbly, and although it looks every bit as old as Beaulieu, it is much tidier and carefully restored. Tiny terraces spill out into the pedestrianised streets and shafts of sunlight cast shadows all around. ...

At 09:00 there is a knock on the door. It's the parking officer and she says she doesn't know the rule about it being free in aires for blue badge holders and would we please buy a ticket for last night. At €5.50 it is not worth getting into a discussion, after all, free parking is a concessin, not a right. A few hundred yards along the river we enter the town through St Catherine's Gate. It all really is ancient here; timber doors studded and patched and ...