Midnight Bangs

Adrian has continued to be in the wars with a very painful wrist which became so sore that he wanted to go to the doctor (must have been bad!) Instead, on the recommendation of our British neighbour, Ann, we ventured to the pharmacie where Fran had another opportunity to practise her French. After examining Adrian’s wrist and confirming where it hurt most (yes … a very painful exercise), the pharmacist diagnosed rheumatisme and sold us some anti-inflammatory cream. It healed after a few days, which was fortunate as there was some talk that Fran would “have to drive”!!! On Friday night, we were startled from a deep sleep just after midnight by the sound of (clandestine) fireworks going off not twenty paces from our bedroom. Someone had got hold of a commercial “pot” which sent coloured balls high into the sky while also sending up showers of sparks. It was very scary - Fran’s first thought was that the electricity in the bedroom had shorted. It only lasted for a minute or so after which could be heard the sound of cheering from the opposite bank. We wonder whether they were so focussed on the fireworks display that they failed to see the sleepy, but startled, faces of two middle aged etrangers at the window. After the various events of the Fete de L’Insolite under our window and the concert outside our hotel window in Agde several nights earlier, Adrian’s only comment was “Why can’t they leave us alone?”

We have visited several (more) interesting French towns on excursions west and south. There are just so many and we have found that some of the best are not mentioned in any guide books. Villefranche du Perigord has a restored medieval open market place in front of the church and a very interesting brocante (antiques shop). Monflanquin (challenging to pronounce) is a village perched on the top of a hill (as are so many - they were into defence in earlier centuries) which seems to rise up from the surrounding countryside. We had bought some paella at a market in a village nearby and stopped en route home. We were rueing the fact that we hadn’t any forks to eat our paella in the shade of the trees with a magnificent view, so we went looking, only to discover the tail end of another market and a wonderful village square. One little café looked appealing so we decided to stop there for lunch. That night we wondered whether we would regret that decision as the paella was out of the fridge for almost three hours. But we were lucky and didn‘t get food poisoning - next time we’ll pack forks, come straight home, or not buy paella. But it was delicious. We look forward to trying it again in Spain.

Another big trip south yesterday to Montauban to stock up on gluten free tucker and then on several villages on the banks of the Aveyron river. One of these is Bruniquel - an amazing and authentic medieval village! We think it’s more interesting than Rocamadour and St Cirq La Popie - and far, far less touristy. The streets and houses still seem to be the same as when they were used by the workers from the chateaux. It has two chateaux at the highest point - an old chateau and a new (the latter being 17th century). The first photo above is a garden in Villefranche du Perigord while the next two are streets in Bruniquel. Showing a continued interest in wines, Fran had to have a photo with the giant wine press in the chateau at Bruniquel.

If we hadn’t packed a picnic lunch, we would have again been tempted to stop for a meal as the little restaurants looked so inviting. Throughout the early part of August there are opera performances outside the chateaux - unfortunately a little too far away from Puy for us to attend. We found a very restful spot in the shade near the river for a simple picnic lunch of sausage, cheese, tomato and avocado (and a baguette for Adrian), washed down with Perrier. Afterwards on to the village of Penne with the ruins of its 13th century chateau clinging to the cliff above the village houses and then to Saint Antonin Noble Val. This is a farm scene from near the village of Penne. We loved the little dove-cote on stilts. Also here is the bridge at Saint Antonin Noble Val.

By this stage it was incredibly hot and so we didn’t do this little place justice and decided to start the trek home. After several kilometres, Fran offered to drive … and surprisingly, with no hesitation, Adrian pulled over. Well she was going along, going along, keeping on the right side of the road until … Karen announced in her Ozzie nasal twang that Fran had to make a left hand turn at the next intersection and, as anyone who has driven “on the wrong side of the road” will attest, left hand turns are the trickiest. But Fran managed it successfully with the ever-calm Adrian providing very welcome back seat guidance (he puts on a good act). Fran continued for 60 km, negotiating numerous roundabouts and turns until she handed the wheel back to Adrian at the petrol station only 5 km from home and breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Today it is the annual Fete du Vin at Puy l’Eveque. When we ventured up to the square at the top of the town to have a look-see, we discovered that preparations had begun for the town’s annual festival which starts tomorrow and runs for 5 days. Near the post office they have set up the equivalent of “sideshow alley” with dodge-em cars, rides such as the Hawaii Wipeout and knick-knack stalls, etc. They have also unloaded barricades at strategic places around the streets that lead down to the cale so it seems that we are, again, to be at the centre of the action for some of the festival events.

The paparazzi (usually disguised as tourists) continue to take our photo. Almost every time we look out the window someone is on the cale, or the bridge, pointing a camera in our direction and, each night, we see camera flashes from across the river. In fact, the cite workers have set up a grandstand over there that could accommodate a few hundred people. Is it to watch the etrangers, or does it have some other purpose? Perhaps it is for Sunday when there is to be a fireworks spectacular (on the cale outside our house) with the medieval town providing a suitable, and undoubtedly stunning, backdrop. It is best viewed on the other side of the river, so that’s where we’ll be - with the hundreds of other people in the grandstand, staring at our bedroom window!

Just another perfect sunset looking across the Lot River