I met a Preying Mantis in the toilet!

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Monday 14th September

Just back from the beach which is 100 metres from our campsite near to Beziers, managed to get Liz to swim in the Mediterranean today and she said it was cold! Take it from someone who has been into the North Sea at Aberdeen, North Berwick, St.Andrews etc. (no childline in my young days), it was warm and wonderful.
It is forecast to rain tomorrow which as I write at 7pm under clear skies and temp. around 24 degrees is hard to believe, but we shall see.
Since our last blog we have moved on from Montignac and visited the Gouffre De Padriac which is a subterranean chamber about 24 kilometres long filled with lakes and all manner of limestone growths (they don’t allow photography sadly, so we cant show you how excellent it was, but if you are ever in the area etc.) next we went to visit the old city of Cahors which was impressive, (see bridge photos), a first class lunch and then onto a quick overnight stop in Rodez. Next day we went to Millau where we visited the bridge exhibition and then went over the bridge. For those that wish to know the central concrete pillar is 274 Metres from the ground up and its hollow which Liz wished she had known after we had gone across. It was pretty good going over, especially sat high up in the van.
I also came face to face with a Preying Mantis in the loo at a service station by Millau. It was a fantastic looking creature, about 10cm long, luminous green and licking its head in a manner that said it had either just finished off its male partner for lunch as they are wont to do, or it was eyeing me up as its next meal I did think about a photo but going back and getting the camera and re-entering the gents toilet could have been tricky to explain the local Gendarmes and I don’t know the French for Preying Mantis, so again, sorry no photo. We are off to Beziers tomorrow and then slowly down the Med. To Barcelona. Alan

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Photos

Gouffre De Padriac
from the bottom of the 300 feet hole looking up

Gouffre De padriac
we walked down the steps, but took the lift up.

Comments

[phill]

it wouldnt look good on your CV!!
I think you made the right decision not to get your camera out in the end!!

[Grant]

The Bridge
I saw a show on Channel 4 about how they made that bridge. It was almost...interesting. I'll try to show more interest when you get to Spain. Bran is snoring again. His ball (tennis) was pinched a Golden Retriever up at the Polo Field who then ran off into knee-high grass and dropped it, never to be found again. Silly dug. Another visit to Pet-At-Home for balls hehe.