The day starts grey and overcast with drizzly showers. The owner comes to say hello and Ali goes with him to the shop to buy some cheese and have a look at the processing plant. With the unpleasant weather we don't want to go too far, so after looking at a range of aires and passions we decide to visit Alain Quaak at his saffron farm. Luckily the rain stays away for most of the 80 minute drive to Clion. When we arrive there is no-one around except a languid y...

Yesterday rained a lot so we stayed put for Friday. The day starts cool but warms up by lunchtime. We drive a few miles out into the country to see the imposing chateau at Bourg-Archambault, which is similar in style but a bit smaller than Suscino in Brittany which we visited in May. The moat is stocked with fish, some very big, approaching a metre long. The village is ancient too, but most places are well renovated and decorated with flower boxes. A little ...

Another warm night. Late morning we wander up to the town of Lathus. It's typical of the best of French settlements, somewhere between big village and small town. There is a boulangerie, small Spar, florist, ice cream parlour and bank plus two hairdressers, a bar restaurant, a 'Marie Multiserve' which is the municipal office and post office under one roof, and of course the church. Everywhere is clean, litter free and a sense of community pride, yet there is ...

It's lovely here and very shady in the hot weather so we ask if we can stay another day and have a meal this evening. After the bangs of the acorns falling on the roof and the droning of the rose beetle doodlebugs comes the first few rattles of gunfire. Not the odd pigeon or rabbit for the pot, this is proper sustained and aggressive shooting. Far too many guns and directions for a lone nutter on the loose and after five minutes with no sirens or signs of pani...

Ouch that was a hot night, never below 26C and stagnant air. We need shopping, diesel and laundry today so won't be going far initially, just 11 miles or so to Intermarche in Montech. But before we leave Grisoles an English van pulls in and the driver comes to ask what we know about the Crit'Air emissions disc. But then the chat carries on for over an hour but it's no problem, he's a friendly chap with some interesting things to tell us and takes in the thing...