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Published: October 3rd 2008
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We are now at a site near Montignac in the Vezere valley. Still in the Perigord/Dordogne region.
We arrived Thursdsay 25th of September. I have to think hard what day it is now.
Each day follows a gentle routine and flows by so quickly . I can’t believe how easy it is to fill the day. I thought I would be bored but there does not seem to be that much time when I can’t find something to do.
Visiting places obviously takes up our time and we have pleasant days out doing the touristy things, but the day to day living soon expands to fill the day.
I’m very pleased too, how easily we have adapted to living in the ‘van and awning. We each skilfully (if not gracefully) perform what I think of as the caravan ballet, as we go about our routine. We have learned to take turns and time our movements to use the available space and it comes naturally now. It really isn't stressful. (Except when we have a bit of a fall out and I can't slam doors and sulk in another room.D)
There is so much to see in
this area . The site is very smart so we have decided to stay for at least a fortnight. The weather has been balmy and the light in the valley beautiful.
We visited Sarlat La Caneda last week. It is a very quaint restored medieval town. It is very heavily visited by tourists though. We went to see the vast and colourful Saturday market.
We bought a strange lump of Salami type sausage with walnuts that looks like a mouldy stone, A local dried ham and three large bags of dried French mushrooms .
Sarlat is bang in the centre of the controversial production of foie gras (Duck or goose liver, made fatty by force feeding the animals prior to slaughter). Every restaurant and shop serves or sells it or its bi-products. Ducks and Geese are big business.
I read up about it on the internet the other day and the force feeding, especially on the factory farms is awful. I’m not a sentimental person about animals, I enjoy eating them but I decided that I would not eat foie gras.
My high thinking was unwittingly blown out of the water I suppose, when we had
lunch in Sarlat . I avoided the foie gras and ordered goose gizzard salad for starter and duck’s breast in peach sauce. I thought I was being “ethical” until I thought a little deeper and realised that I was eating the bits left over from the foie gras birds after their precious livers have been harvested. I still feel guilty as they were delicious.
The last few days have brought more exercise. I'm proud to say I cycled about 8 miles the other day, even though a third of my gears now don't work! We did a round trip to visit local villages and the amazing Roque St Christophe just up the valley. It's awsome. A huge limestone cliff that was the site of a medieval troglodyte town. There are five terraces on the cliff that have been hewn out of the rock to make the floors and back walls of dwelllings . Fascinating stuff.
Martin has recently found a cycling buddy and narrowly missed knocking himself out (or worse), by hitting his head in a crash cycling down a steep path in the woods. He wasn't wearing a helmet. Tut.
His cycling buddy is Mad Tony
from Jersey. Mad Tony and his partner Caroline have a motor home and zip about on a motor scooter. It turns out he bought the scooter from Martin's Uncle Clive who has a motor cycle business in St Helier Jersey! It always happens doesn't it. Those ruddy Gormans, we can't escape their influence! They are even commenting on the blog now. Tony does a passable impression of Clive. Made us titter!
We learned from Tony and Caroline, (who come here every year for it) that the site hosts a mountain bike and rambling event this Sunday. You can race or do it for fun over a choice of 4 courses between 15 and 60 km in length for the bikes. Over a 1000 mountain bikers come for it.
Martin has been persuaded to enter the 25 km race! Martin and Tony did some of the route as practice today , this time with his helmet on. Watch for next Blog entry for action photos.
The travelling/ camping community are very friendly. We continue to meet interesting people.
Notable over the last week have been the fittest octogenarians we have ever come across. A delightful Dutch couple,
who look 20 years younger, who continue to motorhome round Europe every year and spend the winters renting a house in Spain.
We spent a couple of entertaining evenings sharing a bottle or two of wine with them and marvelling at their achievements, wisdom and experience. From surviving Nazi occupation to their interesting careers and their present life of touring.
Jan treated us one afternoon to some cool relaxing jazz tunes played on his electric clarinet/saxophone/trumpety gizmo that he links to his laptop.
We are going to share a meal on Monday with Mad Tony and Caroline to celebrate their bike ride and for Martin's birthday at the site restaurant. (Told you this site was smart!)
We had a bit of a downer the other day as the caravan's gas heater was playing up big style . We could use it on electric but it would only light about once in every 20 goes on the gas if we were lucky. We had tried everything and finally arranged to take the 'van to a caravan repairer in Brive la Gaillard the nearest big town a 60 mile round trip!. No easy task as it meant packing up , taking down the awning etc.
Complete and utter bloody waste of time!
We got there (due to my superior directions...stuff you Brenda) and the damn thing lit first time for the French repair man! He said it was not "panne" (broken down) ... Martin wondered what bread had to do with it..........and didn't need fixing, it was us not operating it properly!
My French did not really stretch to "thats a load of bo~~~ocks , we know how to light it it just doesnt work every time" but we tried to tell him in French, gesture and interpreting through his nice secretary but to no avail. He continued to insist it was not "panne" so we gave up and beat a hasty retreat back to the site feeling pee'd off and frustrated.
As a last resort I e-mailed the heater manufacturer's agent in the UK explaining our problem . The next day a fantastic chap called Richard at Truma UK phoned me and took me step by step through dismantling the heater to find out that an earth wire had not been connected properly . He stuck with me for about 40 minutes describing every screw spring and wire and what to do with it! Fantastic guy.... and of course it was fixed !
Hurray for Richard !!!
Good service does exist in this apathetic bureaucratic world. I have ordered him some goodies from Thorntons over the web to be delivered to his office. Top guy!
Enough for this entry. Martin will publish his take on things soon so watch this space.
Love as always to family and friends ~Donna X
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Kev Walton
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More Greetings From Chez
I'm now fully up to speed with Bannos Blog having more than a little time on my hands resulting from an unforseen incident which had me in stitches (well quite a few actually!!). Your adventure looks every bit as exciting as you hoped and I can't wait to join you for a light lunch somewhere en route very soon. Thanks for your comments and best wishes for a speedy recovery, it's a good opportunity for me to repeat mine to you both. You've been great friends for many years and I wish you all the luck and love in the world. I've realised life is too short and that it's there to be enjoyed to the full which is exactly what you two are doing. Good on ya both, long may it last you deserve every second of it. See you both soon take care. Kev x