We wake to a lovely sunrise but the temperature has really dropped, it's only 9C outside.

There is no rush to go far today, we have some emails and other internetty things to deal with. No rose beetles about firtst thing so we devise a prize for the first of us to see one. Ali wins by getting one out of the breakfast cerial cupboard and after more than an hour the score is a measly 2-2 so there are definitely fewer. It's nearly midday when we set off, although Alain's invitation to stay another night is tempting.

It's a pretty drive across big expanses of freshly tilled fields of pale, dry soil. The dryness has really brought autumn colours early. Some of this route we did in March but a lot of it is new to us, as is the town of St Maure de Touraine. The air next to a small park is quiet but fills with vans through the afternoon.

Ali wanders the 50 or so yards into town for milk and bread, then it's a quiet evening and beef stroganov for dinner.

We have a phone call with Nick and Grete and make an outline arrangement to meet them somewhere on the way home from our ferry when we return to UK.