League of Nations/rust red sandstone beauties

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This morning breakfast felt like the League of Nations as we were joined by Owen a retired policeman from New Zealand and his wife Pat. They had moved to NZ many years before and were spending time travelling to Britain to visit family hiring a car and travelling to France for a bit of culture. They ended up in an arguement with the Ozzies who had decided to tell us all that there was no history in Britain compared with France. We left them to their heated arguement.

Collonges la Rouge -(south east of Brive) what an expressive name for such a tiny little village. The name says it all - you expect rust red houses and you get them in abundance. Collonges sits in the midst of meadows and walnut orchards. Every house is built of the local red sandstone. Shops, pepperpot towers, the local church all red coloured quite unusual for this part of France where most of the buildings are a mellow honey colour of the local stone. Very touristy but best visited early or later in the day.

The 12th century church is unusual with a hole in the centre of its tower. During our visit it poured with rain and we stood under the hole taking a free shower.

The covered market hall still retained its bakers oven. It reminded me of our town which is built on the same red sandstone. Shops were open selling their wares . I bought a wall decoration made of corn, wheat ears and raffia interspersed with little pockets of gold and green rich brocade. It was used to house pot pourri and aromatic herbs. Expensive for what it was but I had seen nothing like it and wanted it so when only child wants only child gets. It would serve to remind me of our visit to Collonges la Rouge.

Unfortunately something else reminds me of our visit - we walked back through the rain to the car and 18 month old BMW. Not a vehicle you would immediately associate with not starting however when we put the key in it would not start. Key being the operative word - what you actually put in is a fob and then push the push the start/stop button. Dead!!!! We then tried the spare key thinking that perhaps the battery in the fob was running down and it started .

Panic over ......................well not quite . .

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