Day out in the Dordogne just tootling about

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Phew. Still incredibly hot but a couple of degrees cooler than yesterday. Fortunately we don't need to cycle or walk in the full sunshine or even ride the scooter as we would have done on previous trips. Just trying to be sensible and limit the time we are fully exposed to the sun as it really is lethally hot.

We first of all visited Limeuil which is just over the bridge across the Dordogne. On a cooler day we might well have walked there but far cooler in Smart Arse. Was amused to instruct a Frenchman, in French, on how to get the car park machine to accept his payment. My French is definitely coming back to be a bit at a time ?

We have been to Limeuil before and would have climbed to the Haut of this, one of the most beautiful villages in France, but that was in 2003 and we are older and hotter and we've been to the top once already so we stopped halfway and came back down again. Photo session over we moved along the river to Le Bugue.. which is on the Vezere not the Dordogne.

Nicely in time for lunch so we found a gourmand bistro with an empty table and made it our own. Tables were filling fast as they always do at a Sunday lunch time. Menu was displayed on a board and really looked rather expensive for the light meal we were thinking of. Fortunately the owner mentioned she had gazpacho from fresh tomatoes so we chose that. A perfect choice for a hot day and beautifully presented. We were a bit concerned at the appearance of the bottle of water I had ordered which looked very much designer style but delighted not to find it on the bill. Maybe she thought we were poor as we only had the gazpacho starter and took pity on us. ?

Along then to St Cyprien where we found our way to the centre barred by a truck. Market Day just clearing up and presumably the road closed sign had been removed early. Glad we were in a Smart Car and not in a motorhome with a trailer behind ?.The entire main street was decorated with pastel coloured bunting, an abundance of it and it looked so very pretty especaiily as the street was soon empty of market vehicles.

We have definitely visited this little town when we stayed in a gite in Mouzens in 2003 as that is the next town along but neither of us remembers it. Over the river next, Found Sioriac another place I know we have visited before but really wanted to find somewhere to get to the water's edge and at the Vic bridge we found a pretty spot with lots of people swimming and paddling in the water, with a canoe station on the bank and stopped for a paddle and an icecream. Would be wrong to visit the Dordogne and not paddle or even swim in the water. In the past we have canoed, several times but dodgy knnes make that a rather tricky activity nowadays so will stick to paddling on my feet. ?

Happy now I had found the river we went back to the campsite for a long chill in the cool waters of the pool, Love this campsite, everything about it.

We were expecting a storm. Has been forecast for several days and sure enough it arrived at 9pm. There were a couple of directly overhead cracks of thunder which deafened and then rain, heavy for a while. The electric went off but soon came back on again. The air is a little cooler but not much.

Have to tell you a silly story which proves how the heat can get to you. When I go in the pool I take my diamond rings off ..just in case really.. and also my glass pendant and chain. I've been carefully taking them off and putting them together on the soap dish then back on when we get back from swimming.
I also usually wear my mother's engagement ring on my other hand but have put that away safely as it's a bit too tight to keep taking on and off (note to self... lose weight ?). Today as usual before we went to the pool I removed my chain and then, Horror, failed to find the ring on my left hand finger. Goodness where on earth could it be ? Checked everywhere around including in the bin which was close by but only found a lump of baguette and some dead flies in there. Trying not to panic I described to Bob exactly what I do re ring routine. This included my twisting my wedding ring round to see if I remembered the other ring having been there during the day. I automatically twisted the ring on my right hand too.

Light bulb moment in which I was forced to admit to Bob I was being really really stupid. The missing ring was on my other hand and must have been there all day. Bob has been checking my fingers on an hourly basis since and keeps sniggering ????

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