We leave the Pyrenees behind us and head north...
Fields of gold, not barley but sunflowers, gradually turning their heads down to the earth and dropping their seeds...
Blue sky and sunshine too scorching hot to sit in...
And now howling winds, pouring rain, thunder and lightning - yes, this is still the south of France in August...
Walks along country roads (take me home) and a huge thorn, not in the side but through the sole of my Croc and into the ball of my right foot, which The William gallantly pulled out (ow!) - blood and pain and rest for a couple of days...
A lazy afternoon with friends: one dear ditsy lady arrives with a baby bird in a basket and is more concerned to swat flies to feed it with than eat her own lunch...
Chateaux, including one with a month-long Moliere event...
Yet another public holiday in this secular state - the Assumption of the BVM...
Discovering more dishonesty from the agent &/or notaire through whom we sold The Hearth and we're just glad to have the money in the bank; and more hiccups in trying to arrange the delivery of our stuff to Karningul, but hey, what's new?...
Another long lunch in the sun with former neighbours, catching up on news and their plans for creating gites in their barn...
Refining our plans for our Brittany garden, which now includes an avenue of fruit and nut trees, and the transformation of an old, small garden shed into the chicken house for Big Venus, Grey Malkin, and Chickpea...
Yet more delays in completing our purchase because the Notaire wasn't back from his holiday when he said he would be, and was then out of the office for the rest of the week: how more unprofessional can these people get?!...
Staying in a gite in a hamlet on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere opposite an elaborate romanesque Calvaire in what was the original cemetary (now located to the more usual site at the village boundary, rather than in its heart) including not only Jesus on the cross but Mary, Queen of Heaven, foot on snake, and John the Baptist standing in a Mercurial, declamatory pose above a lamb...
Thoughts of what Plan B will be if our purchase in Brittany does not, in fact, happen; and at the last minute, news that completion on Karningul will be tomorrow morning, although the immobilier still needs to arrange for the water to be reconnected before we can move in and camp for a week until our remover can deliver our stuff - fingers are still crossed...
Online shopping thwarted because we have no mobile signal and so can't receive the security code...
Temperatures in the mid-30s for the third week running...
A minor hair cut for Shadow after he comes in from a walk with hair full of seeds...
Scrumping a bag full of figs from a tree by the lane - delicious raw, but even more delicious baked for half an hour with dabs of butter, a drizzle of honey, and a squeeze of lemon juice...
More scrumping: bunches of black grapes from the vines in the garden where we're staying, brilliant thirst-quenchers while driving...
And at last we are over the Vilaine and in Brittany! Clouds and rain to greet us, as we head for our final Ibis in Pontivy for a night's rest before an early start to collect the key for Karningul and take possession. Fingers crossed that the electricity wasn't cut off after the vendors unhelpfully cancelled the account instead of waiting for it to be transferred into our name - same story as the water, and thanks for nothing - otherwise it'll be back to the Ibis: I can do indoor camping at a pinch, but not without water, preferably hot!...
Still no joy attempting to make online purchases, due to some fault with MC this time, although we at last have strong mobile signals, but the good news is (and we are surely due some?) that our remover will be delivering our stuff on Friday - hurrah!...
So, one short journey more and the road trip is done - never to be repeated :-)
