09/05/2019 A drive into Angoulême on Tuesday.

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 10C.  Odd showers on and off; rain measured this morning 14mm.  38km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 87 km/h. 

N141 - Just love the number of trees around and all now so green.

At the bottom off the off-ramp still lots of trees.

A ghost sign in the older part of Angouleme that I cannot decipher....

and another ghost sign where there was originally a Pépinière (Plant nursery).

Lions International sign.

In St Cybard, Angoulême central is at the top of the hill behind this building.

Église Saint-Cybard, a Catholic church.

We went to our favourite restaurant of Chez Doud for lunch, only to discover it had been sold, and is now  O'Resto' d'Sam. Bit of a shock.  The food was OK but it had lost the ambience created by the previous owner!  😒 Not sure I want to return!!

Painted on a Tabac window, a little elf stealing some food while the guest is happily reading a book.

Angoulême covered market

At the back of the market.

Looking down the hill at the Railway station...

Over the roof tops...

as above...

and a closer look at the mural.

Leaving Angoulême this is next to the city wall, I have yet to discover what it actually is! Too elaborate for a lookout tower!

A drive-by shot across the fields of La Rochefoucauld Chateau.  More green trees.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

Driving back from yesterday's restaurant through Charroux.

Maximum temperature today 27C, minimum 14C.    Dry; 5km/h North Easterly winds with up to 26 km/h gusts.  Heavy rain and storms forecast for tomorrow !!!

We are both knackered, spent many hours digging in the garden today and preparing the beds for planting.  Hopefully, the storm if it happens, will do no damage.

The beautiful covered market, the largest market hall in western France, was built in the 16th century on the site of a former cemetery. The paving and the 50 pillars supporting the chestnut roof frame date from that period.

One of the most powerful Benedictine Abbeys of Carolingian Europe. This abbey owes its origins to the relic of Sainte-Croix and was built and renovated during the 8th and 11th century. Immensely rich, the abbey had its glory years until the Hundred Year War (1337-1453), it was ruined during the Religious Wars (1552-abt1700), and finally completely destroyed during the Revolution (1789-1799). So glad I only arrived here in the 21st century!!

The octagonal tower known as Charlemagne's with its remarkable Gothic sculptures is classified among the major historical local sites of the Middle Ages.

As above.

The remains of the Abbey....

As above.

The Parish church Saint-Sulpice was built in the 15th century on the remains of another twelfth-century church.

The local pub sounded like it was having fun with many people and music.  As the name suggests it is an English pub.

Driving home of course with the good weather the tractors were out on the road.

N.B. My new bird blog is updated  HERE 

Part 7 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.