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Published: November 8th 2016
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Woolly says – The weeks were flying past and with the temperatures dropping sharply we had moved into a warm and snug caravan which other than having to share with Jo and Zoe was wonderful. The glamping tents stand empty so my supervision duties now include apple picking and walnut collecting as well as setting up a new run for chickens. As the house for the chicken folk became ready Jo came up with the ridiculous idea of walking the chickens to their new home, how stupid can you be! I thought it was an eggcellent idea as every time we go to feed them they follow us, how could it fail? Woolly says – I sat watching the humans gather buckets and feeders together and discussing the merits of walnuts versus pistachios with Jerry the donkey. The procession started with a couple of hundred chucks eagerly following the grain filled buckets, after ten paces the chickens stopped, Jo started to scatter grain and a few chickens eagerly movedforwards, five steps more and six of them were across the road with the other 600 plus retreating to their usual feeding point. Back the humans went and started again, Jerry and I hew hawed together as the six who had made it so far set off back to the rest, the humans stood surrounded by chicken feeding equipment shaking their heads, well I did say it wasn’t going to work but do they listen, NO!
It bought a whole new meaning to why did the chicken not cross the road! The next night saw us sliding through the mud in the dark to catch the unsuspecting flock whilst sleeping, which after two and a half hours meant that every chicken had been rehoused and we were all frozen, strangely the mammoth had chosen to direct operations from the house! Woolly says – If they thought I was going out in the cold and dark they really are mad. With the excitement over and the feathered ones settling in I turned my attention to the most important day of the year. Having woken to torrential rain battering the caravan, I kicked Jo several times, sat on her face before singing quietly to myself at which point she appeared to be awake. The sound of a cat being strangled was enough to wake the whole of France and before complaints started to flood in I was left with no choice but to hand over the small annoying mammoths birthday gifts.
Woolly says – With the wrapping paper covering the floor I wondered if my Ferrari was parked at the farm house and looked forward to seeing it after breakfast. As I wiped my trunk on the mat to remove the left over melted cheese I was eager to head off to my burpday visit, with Zoe lagging behind I sat eating a snack in the car until she finally appeared to be ready, lord alone knows why it takes her so long, I mean I can be ready in two seconds! Probably because he sleeps in his clothes and refuses to wash! Woolly says - The short drive to Perigreux thorugh the golden landscape was lovely and as I shouted directions I thought it time to fill the women in about our destination. In 1959 the remains of a domus (a wealthy Roman urban town house) were discovered during a project for the construction of rental housing on the outskirts of the town. Surveys were carried out which brought to light some Gallo-Roman walls adorned with painted plaster, preserved to a height of one meter high dating from the first century AD. The house building project stopped and excavation began. As work continued more and more came to light and by 1992 the work turned to constructing a museum around the finds. I couldn’t wait to investigate.
The carpark was empty as we walked to the entrance and I had a sudden sinking feeling, well this is us!. Woolly says – NOOOOOOOOO, they’ve done it again! Closed for lunch! I stood with my tusks pressed against the glass with all this history just a few paw strides away and I can’t get in! Our timing is terrible and knowing that nothing I could do would appease my small companion I suggested lunch to pass the time until it reopened. Woolly says – having huffed and puffed I had to accept the inevitable and as I sat with my burger I dreamt of how incredible the town must of been in it’s time and if the Romans had felt the cold with their toga’s providing the main form of dress and if my Ferrari had arrived yet! I sat ready and waiting as the last few minutes crawled by. As the doors opened I raced through the entrance hall kicking a small child out of the way and into the exhibit. Having checked out the mock Roman kitchen and inspected the columns that had been found during the dig I peered over the balcony to the incredible sight of a whole villa’s foundations laid out below me that had once been part of the ancient city of Vesunna .
Incredibly well set out it was a delight to wander along the walkways which gave a real feel of the size that the original villa had been. Woolly says – The thermal baths showed the underfloor heating and where the water would have poured into the steam rooms that would have once been here. A kitchen area with it’s bread oven seemed small in comparison to the villa itself, maybe they had lots of takeaways! The crowning glory was the domus' central garden, with it’s magnificent fresco representing rich marine fauna on a background of red Bordeaux, dating from the middle of the second century AD. It was glorious and I could so easily imagine how life would have been, I could almost hear the conversations that would have taken place as the family that inhabited this wonderful site strolled past what would have been a large pond, well done Perigreux for such a wonderful restoration project.
Having let him soak up the atmosphere his beaming smile became even bigger as we followed the footpath that led outside to the huge Roman Gallo Tower that hid behind the tree’s. Woolly says – The tower was once part of the a scared shrine built in the second century AD and dedicated to Tutela Vesunna a goddess of Gaulish origin. At 24.5 metres high it towered above me with small windows perched high over our heads. The information board didn’t tell me why a huge chuck was now missing, allowing us to see inside, but it did give an opportunity to admire the beautiful brickwork. I sighed in contentment. What a fabulous Burpday treat, now I wonder what Father Christmas will be bringing me hmmmmm better letter writing!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Restoration
So glad we still have these things to enjoy