We wake early and it is much warmer this morning than recent nights. Ali visits the shop and buys bison cassoulet and saucisson then we say goodbye to the French couple we have been with for two nights and set off for Saint Savin. When we arrive in the town centre it is almost deserted, the huge central square lined with pollarded trees has only a dozen or so cars in it and we can park right beside the abbey. The abbey’s church is famous for its paintings, a...

Things are warming up, it stayed a steady 7C all night. The French couple leave about 30 minutes before we do. The early drizzle stops as we set off for Chauvigny. We find the aire next to the cemetery, park and head to town down a few steep slopes to the medieval donjon. It’s a huge cube of solid stonework, very imposing and threatening. Sitting nearby are bronze statues staring pensively at its unforgiving walls. Around the corner are the remains of the...

Although it’s cold we let the sunshine in through the side windows to help the heater warm up the cabin. After servicing the van we set off bumbling along back roads and country byways enjoying the spring countryside. Fields are wet and claggy but some are recently turned over. Others are sprouting crops or being grazed by sheep with lambs and cattle with calves. Through little villages forsythia bushes are bright yellow and cherry blossom hangs in pink pom...

Minus 3 degrees outside when we wake! And still only 4C at 09:00 when we’ve arranged to meet our host and see the birds. Nick decides not to bother while the puddles are still frozen so Ali goes alone. At the moment ostrich farming here is a sustainable hobby rather than a business but Elodie hopes one day to run it commercially. Some ostrich facts: Males get red lining on their beaks during the mating season. Eggs take 42 days to hatch and here they are...

The lake at Nozay is a big watersports centre with a gantry and wire for teleskiing, where skiers are towed along on the overhead wires. In the lake there are ramps and jumps and pontoons. The whole area is noisy this morning as bits of equipment are moved around by boat, and park maintenence men operate all sorts of machinery in preparation for the Easter weekend. Yesterday at the service point we had trouble with our hose connection so when we leave we take ...