Getting around a bit, despite the weather…..

Unfortunately, as we are only about 30 miles east of Bordeaux we are getting the same weather as the UK, although not as extreme.  We have only had one day so far that it hasn’t rained at some point, and the temperatures are not very different to the UK either.  Not what we were hoping for, we knew it wouldn’t be great at this time of year, but we were hoping for a little more sunshine and slightly higher temperatures.  Still, never mind, we are warm and cosy in our gite, and we are managing to get out for a couple of hours most days.

On Sunday it was fairly dry first thing so we decided to find the path we had spotted from Ste Foy La Grande, on the opposite side of the Dordogne river.  We couldn’t find anywhere to park the car at the start of the path near the river museum, but were lucky to find a picnic area a little further along, so we parked there.  The path was fairly well kept apart from a few muddy patches, so we managed to let Ozzy off the lead and had a decent walk along the banks for a while, before we started to come across ‘Prive’ signs and the path deteriorated into a muddy quagmire.  Knowing that property in France is often unfenced, but suspecting it was a public right of way across private land, (we were traversing a small vineyard at the time), but, fearing the wrath of an angry Frenchman waving a shotgun, we turned around and went back the way we had come, passing the picnic area and continuing along to opposite the museum until the path petered out onto a road.  Returning to the car, we just made it before the heavens opened once again.

You can see how much the river is up by the drowned trees and bushes

Just testing the zoom on my camera – this is across on the St Foy La Grande side of the river

Set into the concrete along the path was this brass shell shape – no inscription, so we wondered as to it’s significance

Yesterday, having heard about the large market in Castillon-la-Bataille – we decided to head over there.  Unfortunately the weather was against us again and it rained all the way there.  The wind was blowing a hooley and the stall holders were packing up – there weren’t very many of them to begin with!  We had a little walk around, but it really wasn’t the weather for a wander, it was too cold so I only took one photo, of the town hall.

Notice the sign in the foreground – that’s for you, Russ!!! You’ll know to what I am referring!!! 

So we went and did some grocery shopping for the next few days instead!  Today we have had another visit to the Lac De Gurson to allow Ozzy to have a good run – our third.  Today there was a chap with a leaf blower clearing the leaves of the paths.  Getting ready for the summer season?  I somehow doubt that it’s going to be anytime soon!!!  From a cold, dry morning with a freezing wind, guess what?  It’s raining again!!!