Out and about in Tarn-et-Garonne

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In the morning, we visit Tim's studio among the oaks on the hillside, and see his striking abstract oils inspired by India.

Tim and Eva take us to St Antonin. Betty the glossy brown teckel sits with us on the back seat, clearly at ease as a passenger. At the Festin de Babette restaurant, we have lunch on a terrace overlooking the stone arches of the bridge and the steep-walled houses that rise up from the river. Children are playing on the bank; stout blue canoes pass below us. The waiter serves Betty a bowl of water under the table.

Crossing the bridge, we wander through the narrow streets. The high walls of the buildings on each side provide shade from the hard, dry sunlight. Down towards the river, the lanes offer a vista to the towering white gorge.

We make a short detour to explore the two chateaux at Bruniquel. Approached by steep flights of stone steps and commanding a wide view across the river and fields, these were the location for a French film, Le Vieux Fusil, with Philippe Noiret and Romy Schneider. Photos from the shoot hang on the walls in unfurnished, dimly-lit rooms. In places, the wooden floors creak and bend underfoot; the grounds are overgrown with brambles and hibiscus. Betty's claws clatter on the spiral staircase as she hurtles from room to room.

Supper is a paella, deftly prepared by Tim from fresh crevettes, mussels and chicken, purchased on the way back to the house. We drink a Bandol rosé. On a sofa on the terrace, Betty sleeps off the effects of her strenuous day.

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