Saturday 19 June

It's a nice morning here, and today we are all off work.

This evening at 6.30pm, there is a long walk around Brossac 'Randonnee Semi-Nocturne', it's all organized by Brossac village and it ends with a menu of : crudites, grillade, frites, fromage and desert so sounds good. I think we are all going to that. Afterwards we plan to go to Barbezieux to the Music Festival.

About mid-day Kate, myself and Rhian went to Chalais to have a look at the Chateau des Talleyprant Perigord, the only Chateau in France to have a drawbridge. It was really impressive and we had a good look around the grounds. Unfortunately it was not possible to see inside the Chateau as it has not been open to the public for a while. There was a nice restaurant there, which was open. Then we had a look at a lovely old church 'St Martial de Chalais', it was really interesting.




After that we went for lunch to the 'Petite en K' in Chalais and sat outside to eat.

Kate dropped me off at the hairdresser in Brossac and Rhian and Kate went back to La Giraudiere. Rhian then went off to look at another Chateau and old church she had seen just outside Barbezeiux.

Bob, Kathryne and Rachel went to Royan for the day and said they had a lovely time. They had escargot for lunch, which they said was delicious. They had a long walk on the beach and visited the local sights. They came back about 5pm, ready to go on the walk.




Unfortunately just as we set off on the Brossac 'Randonnee Semi Nocturne' 5 mile walk it started to pour down with rain. The event was not cancelled and we carried on. However, it was raining so heavily, the organisers picked most of us up as we walked in the rain and took us back to the Church Hall. Bob, carried on along with four others and completed the walk in all that rain. It was so amazing as Bob is 77 years old!! Raymond the local reporter in Brossac took a photograph of the group with Bob in the middle and will try to have the picture printed in the local press.


Anyway, we had a great evening, with lots of laughs as usual. The food was similar to the Hunt Festival last week and of course, we had brought our own plates, cutlery and then take them home to wash.



The atmosphere was very good and the food nice so it was a good evening, in spite of the rain. We didnt stay for the burning of St Joan, which was a bonfire being held just outside the Village Hall.




I got back to La Giraudiere at around 12 and Paul took Kathyrne, Rachel, Kate and Rhian on to Barbezeux Music Festival, Kathyrne and Rachel left with Paul around 1am, but Kate and Rhian stayed until 5.30am Sunday morning!