Join me on my trips

And it's cold. Everything is grey and it is August. If the Gulf Stream somehow stops as I saw predicted we will freeze. Forget global warming for us. Pretty unimpressive food. This is what I had to have on my car,

It was really good stop for a day. Went to the market early andbouht cheese and fruit and artichokes and plump garlic. Couldn't find any Fleur de sel  Now in Ouisterham waiting for early ferry. Just managed Evil sudoku with two mistakes. Visited the Riva Belle beach which was at very low tide. Not sure if this has anything to do with the super blue moon expected tonight. The instructions for the beach. Take a while to sort that out. Glad I got here early though boring the place is filling up with UK cars. But seem to have chosen the worst hotel with blaring live music  and British drinkers already embarrassingly singing! Along.

Staying in a really nice hotel. Have seen the grey sea on a grey day. Then took a trip to St Colomb. Walked among the standing stones at Erdeven. Took the road to St Cado where I did some sketches. As I left my hairbrush at the last hostelerie I'm having a wild hair day. I had chosen the hotel because of the swimming pool but too chilly for that at 17 degrees. I noticed that here in Brittany there are lots of places starting with Ker like you see in Cornwall must be an historic link. Having garlic prawns for lunch though not quite sure how to eat them so have eaten a few shells too.

Woke up to 15 degrees and thin rain. Drove through the Charente through mixed forests with bracken and toweing above the ghostly shapes of wind turbines. Small single track roads from Montrollet to Conforens. These paintings were in the little bar by Nicole Receurat. Not often you find originals in so humble a place. Now just stopped on the side of the road to Niort. Switched off Waze and reading a map. Now on the plain with the dark brown soils . Golden corn. Nearly black sunflower heads and brightly coloured rolls of straw. White stubble and wonderful avenues of trees. After Nantes found a restaurant full of french truckers so great food for very little. For 12E buffet salad, carbonara and dessert. The buffet included snails. Various meats as well as lots of salads. Very different from a British burger van. All tough looking men in jeans or shorts of various shades of wear You could have a dessert of the moment. I had fresh fruit salad.

Came to this small village where Violette Szabo was gunned down. It is be noted that she does not have a George Cross on the headstone.  From where I have been at Farrou it has been almost endless forest. Lots of oak with smallish fields on some of which airstrips were made for the Lysander's to land. It would have been relatively easy to hide.  Along this part of France you see many rather scruffy old caravans and old motor homes often pumping out black fumes. All manner of things are strapped to the backs along with bikes. Then on to Orodour where using a Shindler lift you are reminded of what he did. There was a singular lack of Germans walking round this horrific site. The whole village of 643 people were tortured and burnt. Now 80 years later there is evidence that the Resistance massacred some German soldiers they had captured. The tram once went through here but the tracks are also reminiscent of the camps. Drove on

We went to Lurs but the massive walk up the little village defeated me so I wandered round the old cobbled lanes. So narrow you wonder how vans get through. Here are some pics. No cafe open. It was 38 degrees and my eyes are very sore still like they were in the heatwave on June. But as Patrick commented we have survived the one here for a week. Here is another friend whom I first met last year. Annemarie, taken on our last evening. My other friend is Cecile and we had a lot of laughs. I don't mind when they are all talking French in fact it's quite peaceful. Took me 7 hours to get across to Farrou to a nice hotel famed for its food. Came through mountains and here the crop is mainly corn rather than grapes and fruit and olives and sunflowers. The soil has more iron so the houses are not pale and they have grey rooves. Around Rodez I saw much more industry and new housing estates, not just high rises. In Nimes there is a different

We went to a cafe in Forcalquier. 

It is 38 today and 18 in Coln. Would prefer that  Had managed so far then suddenly got too hot this pm. Someone did all his washing. We went to Mane today where I had been before.

We are hoping for a thunderstorm tomorrow. I am red in the face despite suncream. We did a picture in Sigonce today. No storm and predicted 38 tomorrow.

Had a good days painting today from the top of a cliff over looking a waterfall and turquoise pool. Manet painted the bathers. This is my pic of the painters. Then with another painter, Cecile, a psychoanalyst, we went back to valensole to find Jean Nicholas Gerard.  Got some nice pieces. Two pics. o Of the 16 People here , of which I  am the oldest, there are 6 smokers all young, or seemed so. They smoke at the table which is less than pleasant. Luckily I have a separate room with an ensuite.  I have met three people before, last year which was nice to be greeted and a few do speak English  My French is better but no good for a conversation.