Au revoir Caribe

Au revoir to Caribe

So our last day in Caribe. Huge storm last night with crashes of thunder and lightning flashes accompanied by steady rain. Only 6 mm according to Nick the owner who was really after 20mm. John left a cushion outside last night and that definitely had 6mm of rain in it. Oops!

A relatively easy tidy. The cheese still pongs something horrid, but it still comes with us. One more day then out it goes before it runs under the car door. Say our Good Byes and off we go.

Caribe has been a great base to explore the Dordogne part of Bordeaux. Lots of wee villages, markets, cheeses, wines, dinners; just what you would expect from France. Would have been nicer to have reliable internet and a washing machine and dryer though!! The rooms were spacious, the beds comfy and the hosts obliging and kind.

After the mandatory stop for baguette and pain au chocolat, we hit the road. We have a few hours to kill as we can’t access our room for tonight until after 1700hrs. We had tried to book our place from last year at Loches with Clarisse, but she could only have us on Sunday night. Still we made contact again and assured her we will be back in the future. We booked a place blind and we hope it is going to be OK.

Also, as we have time up our sleeve, we tell TomTom to forget the Peage. We are going to do this trip slow and steady. On the D E and F roads!

The trip goes surprisingly well. Only takes and extra 40 minutes and we certainly see a lot more of the countryside. Especially when they close the road for a bike race and we have to immediately choose to turn either right or left. But, as we have always said, there are no wrong turns on holidays, only unexpected experiences!! We do the goat tracks, the windy roads, the towns so narrow that we have to put the car on two wheels to get through. Just pure fun.

Lunch was in a grotty rainy wee car park off a motorway. Why is it that you only everr find a nice place for lunch after you have stopped at the grottiest place on earth to eat??

We arrive safe and sound at our lodgings but we still have an hour to kill. The place looks a little dark and foreboding but there are cars in the car park so there will be others. We decide to do a drive around the area and end up at Chenenceau. We had a plan just to walk the gardens for free and take some pics but we soon find out that we cannot get near the Chateau unless we pay 9 euros each. Nah, so back into the car. We are scoping possible places for dinner tonight but there doesn’t seem to be a huge range. So back in the car.

Sudden remembered idea!! John remembers seeing people on the true right bank of the Cher last time he was here and he also remembers that he couldn’t get that magic shot of the Chateau from the true left, the area you have to pay to enter.

The real view of Chenonceau

And again

So one hairy U turn on the highway later, John and Kris are walking the banks of the Cher towards the chateau with perfect light. What a beautiful sight. And it is the best way to see the Chateau in all its glory. So photos done, back into the car and off to the Mill house (Le Moulin du Port to be exact)

Bloody lovely. The owner was very nice and advised us that she would speak in English so she could practice and I needed to speak in French for my own practice. Our room is on the first floor, with windows looking directly out across the river. The room is huge, the bed is comfy and we have been booked into the best local restaurant for dinner. Beer in hand, blog nearly done. Day well spent!



Not bad for a view from our bedroom