16/09/2019 A day of photos that I forgot last time........ and a visit to Cognac on 1 September.

Maximum temperature today 32C, minimum 17C.  Very dry.  17km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h. 

Thank you to everyone for the comments on the previous blog.

Celebrating my birthday; 19 August.

As above, our friends Michael and Mary from the USA.

Driving home - the weighbridge at Marillac-le-Franc...

The scales as above.

Same town as above, Eglise Saint Didier...

As above.

The lavoir at St Adjutory with M and M.

Resistance Memorial at Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure...

A little closer.

Old houses in Cognac 1 September...

A sundial on a wall...

Waiting for the gates to open for a tour of Chateau Royal de Cognac, the home of Baron Otard Cognac...

Waiting in the reception...

The smell in the cellars is amazing 😉 

Note: the spiders that live down here have got so used to the alcoholic fumes that they cannot live out of the building!!!!

Tasting the amazing cognac after a fabulous tour.

Highly recommended, both tour and cognac.

Finally standing on the bridge in Cognac looking down the Charente river.

As I said previously blogs are going to be very hit and miss for the remainder of this year.

31/01/2018 Grey skies but sort of dry so we decided to just get out and go for a drive. It was good to take a relaxing break.

Maximum temperature 11C, minimum 5C. Misty but sort of dry!  North Westerly winds; 16 km/h with up to 40 km/h gusts.

  

Just leaving home.

The small village of Yvrac.

The church Saint-Saturnin at Sornin (plus a digger!).

The bridge going into Marillac-le-France.  The two animals on the left are Llamas.  There was a whole field of them.  Wrong side of the car to get a good photo as we drove by!

The Mairie (mayor's office) at Montbron...

also in Montbron.

Leaving the Charente and entering into the next department of the Dordogne.

The 12th century church Notre-Dame de la Nativité at Bussier Badil. This looked like an interesting town, maybe we can plan a proper visit here and look around. No this is not blue sky it was the tint at the top of the windscreen!!

The church at La Tricherie.

As Above

Not sure where this was in the Dordogne but we were fascinated by the leaning chimney!!

Javerlhac.  More windscreen tint!

This was seen in a field all alone.  It looked like it was possibly a private chapel and a very pretty building.

A ghost sign for Peugeot.

Back in the Charente and nearly home looking across the fields.

For those interested I have started a series of photos taken on Nevis in the Caribbean here.  Both Part 1 and Part 2.  More to follow

21/10/2017 Not a good day for photos. Out to lunch with friends but raining.

Maximum temperature 17C, minimum 11C.  24 km/h Westerly winds, 52 km/h gusts. Rain but not measured as yet.

Just after leaving home we drove though this small village with masses of cosmos by the right hand side of the road - sorry about the blurred rain drops!

 Crosses at crossroads were traditionally used in France as way-markers and/or as sacred places for use by travellers and locals alike.

Marillac-le-franc.  I could just see the church between two barns as we drove past.

Arrival at the restaurant at St Sornin where we met friends.  

The house next door to the restaurant - I know many of you like the stone houses we have here.

Buffet starter - great deal - 4 courses including wine for €12.50 each.

I forgot photos of the lamb main course, and the cheese plate, and as you can see I almost forgot a photo of the dessert as well - one mouthful gone 😉

This Virginia creeper is on a house opposite the restaurant...

and autumn colours beyond the hedge in the car park.

Back on the road you can see the autumn colours starting to show... 

as above.

and then the rain came down heavier as we were nearly home.

For those following our South African holiday, Part 6 is now online HERE

19/06/2017 Yesterday's car rally at St Adjutory today as I am sitting inside next to the fan!

I have put far more photos on than usual as I did not want to spread out to another day, also I wanted to add the photos that interested the car lovers, as well the those who love the French countryside.

Enough said!!

Some of the Citroen 2CVs

A Citroen Light 15

London taxi.

Nash Metropolitan 1953 -1961

Peugeot 202 1938 - 1949

Driving through Feuillade..

and through farming country...

as above... following a Triumph Spitfire (modified) ...

We passed by the old chateau at Marthon...

and the  Mairie ...

At Rangogne - the church bell tower...

The church at Rouzede.  See the marshal on the left stopping the traffic so the rally could run smoothly.  These guys were amazing they were on motorbikes and rushed from cross road to cross road to see us all through...

The Mairie at Rouzede...

and through the narrow streets of St-Germain-de-Montbron...

At the mid-way refreshment stop...

I loved this little Simca 6, 2 door coupe  1947 - 1950

Note the differences between this 2CV...

and this one

Heading on to the end of the rally we passed Marillac-le-Franc...

Sunflowers looking very healthy...

and what I believe to be lentils with poppies in the foreground.

We all enjoyed a great lunch on our return to Saint Adjutory.