Another cool morning, we'll have to start getting used to them again. It's another service day today so we head to the big supermarket on the edge of St Maure. Atfer a short wait for the machines Ali gets some washing on the go and we drive over for diesel. After the washing and tumbling is done Ali goes shopping while Nick sits in the carpark waiting. And waiting. Reads, plays music and waits some more. Ali is in the checkout queue that is being delayed by...

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...

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 ...