Holiday makers!!

We've had quite a succession of visitors in the last few weeks which has been lovely. Almost constant sunshine has made the Dordogne look even more beautiful than before. The garden is changing daily for the better, and we haven't killed or ruined anything... yet!
Those of you who know me well will know that I hate frogs, (unless their back legs are sauteed in garlic butter, and served with a cold, crisp white wine!), but even I have come to love our little tree frogs in the garden. Cute, Kermit green and with a very loud 'croak' !

Today we went off to discover three villages, new to us, all classified among 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'.
First we stopped off in Limeuil where the rivers Vezere and Dordogne meet. Quaint, steep & cobbled.

                                                                           Limeuil

Then we went on to Belves for lunch and a wander around. Called the ' town of seven spires' for reasons which became quite obvious, the church here was built in 830 AD and had very well restored frescoes on the walls and today had brilliant sunlight shining through the stained glass windows. There was a vast range of architectural styles throughout the village.

                                                                               Belves

And finally we visited Monpazier which has a stunning arched, stone market square. Each side was lined with quaint, quirky shops. The angles of the buildings had to be seen to be believed. Unique!

I'm going back to England for the week from tomorrow visiting family, and after that, still lots more visitors coming to see us! Still plenty to discover and to show! I'm going to miss this place when we leave at the end of April. It's been wonderful spending spring in the sunny Dordogne.

Atlantic coast.

Thanks to the fabulous weather we've been enjoying for the last week or so, we took a few days off  (from what I'm not sure!!) and went on a trip to the Atlantic coast, south-west of Bordeaux with the campervan.
Our first stop was at St. Emilion, famous of course for wine, but also a really beautiful old town. The sun was hot and the restaurants and their terraces were full of people enjoying lunch outside. I've been here several times before and it remains one of my favourite French towns.

 

All around for as far as the eye can see are immaculately laid out vineyards, dotted with elegant chateaux. 

After lunch we continued towards the coast. I was keen to go back to Arcachon, so this is where we were heading for. I was convinced the famous sand dune (la Grande dune du Pilat) was at the north of the harbour entrance, just outside the town. Despite a few confusing road signs sending us to the south (and the satnav having a funny 5 mins) we stayed heading north, following my gut feeling, until we arrived at Andernos-les-Bains. It was only then that I realised that just maybe the signs, the satnav and the map were all right, and I was wrong!!!

Ooops! Never mind, we found a lovely area on the seafront where we parked up and went on our bikes all around the town and along the prom. When we returned to the van we set ourselves up for the night. This turned out to be free as it was out of season... perfect. We like 'free' .

The next morning we cooked bacon and made butties with a fresh baguette. Yum! Then we set off (again!) for Arcachon.

The town and the beaches were busy with it being Sunday, so we continued along the coast a bit further and decided to go back to the dune the next morning when it would be quieter. We found a pretty area in the pine woods with beach access, so we spent the afternoon on the beach, and stayed there with some other campervans overnight. (Another freebie!)

 

 

In the morning we went back to the famous sand dune and climbed to the top where the views were amazing. The trees beneath us looked tiny, and the dune stretched south as far as the eye could see.

 

 

 

The sheer size doesn't come across in the photos, but it's quite impressive. Almost 3km long, 500m wide from the forest to the beach and about 115m high. Although it does move about 1m per year further inland due to the wind, it would appear to have always been to the south of the harbour entrance, and never to the north!! 

From here we drove south along the coast to Biscarosse Plage. Vast, empty surfing beaches all the way down to Biarritz and Bayonne, before turning inland and back 'home' . 

 

 

 

Lord and Lady of the Manor!

Frances and Piers, the owners of this property have left here now to go to New Zealand until the beginning of May. We were sorry to say goodbye to them as they have become very good friends, and we shall have moved on by the time they return.
So we have moved into the main house. It's a huge solid stone house with walls over a metre thick. It has a lot a character and my camera doesn't really do it justice, but here are a few photos.

This is the main staircase made of stone, it's actually twice as wide as it looks.

 

The huge lounge is cosy with the wood burning going in the evening.

A view of the kitchen from the dining room end.

One of the bedrooms with ensuite bathroom.

View of our cottage across the courtyard from the landing.

 

Nice pad, eh!