10/06/2018 Still trying to catch up.

Maximum temperature today 24C, minimum 16C.    Rainfall, 20 mm last night; 9 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 27 km/h gusts.

Total rainfall since 1st January; 626 mm.  Storms forecast for today and the next couple of days

Happy Birthday Mum.  She would have been 103 today.

Our arrival in Rhodesia 1953. My brother David 1936-1957, my father, myself and my Mum.

Ladybird in the garden...

Bee...

Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria).

Bee on the cotoneaster.

Last week we tried out a new restaurant in Marcillac-Lanville called Les Nymphéas...

We arrived early so I took this photo inside before the place filled up.  

Five courses with wine for €13.50.  I will not show you all the courses, I don't want you all to be feeling very hungry 😉

Walking around the town afterwards, this is the Mairie...

the local pub...

the boulangerie...

Watering point...

The hairdresser...

and this mural outside a small shop.  There were two cars parked in front so I had to make a sort of collage so you could see it all in one.  Catching the big fish.

N.B. My bird blog is updated  HERE 

Part 12 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

Part 2 of yesterday's drive to Villebois Lavelette

Maximum temperature today 18C, minimum 9C.   Some rain not measured yet; 12 km/h North Westerly winds with up to 33 km/h gusts.

Having parked the car we walked up through the town past this gorgeous lilac bush...

as above.

An old drinking point.

Remember at Easter I told you about these biscuits (Les cornuelles), here you see them draped across the road as part of the street decoration.

The restored covered marketplace (les Halles) in the centre of the small town. It was built in 1665, paid for by the French nobleman who owned the château on the hill above. The town mayor decided to erect the stone columns in 1855 to replace the original oak ones, when the principal road through the town was widened (it's still not very wide!).

Inside the market.

The restored drinking fountain in the market square. next to the well, and can you see part of the sundial on the wall in the background.

The drinking fountain.

A close up of the sundial.

Looking up the street to the church of Saint Romain dating from the dating from the XIIIth century...

A little closer.  For those who have asked me to take photos inside the churches, take a look at an old blog of mine HERE when I took some of the inside of this church.

I still have a few more photos of the town and the drive home.  We will be out all day tomorrow, but I will post the remaining photos, and tell you the reason for the visit when I get back to the computer.  The town is very quiet as it is not market day, and the tourist season has not yet begun.  No room to move during the season!!

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 6 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.