France holiday July-August 2006

After a two year gap, we returned to the same gîte in Réquy, again for two weeks. Once more we took the Superfast ferry from Rosyth to Zeebrugge; I don't know if we will ever drive down south through the UK again when travelling to the Continent. We took three days driving down through France and four days back, again staying at the wonderful Logis de France. Mog came to visit us again, and Anne joined us after a singing holiday at Richelieu in the Loire valley - good to have another driver on the way back.

In Nogent le Rotrou - our hotel was, we think, the same one we stayed in on our honeymoon!		The Puy de Dôme volcanos (extinct!) near Clermont Ferrand
Monsieur Eiffel's railway bridge - the Viaduc de Garrabit		In the Tarn Gorge
Lock keeper's house at le Somail on the Canal du Midi		Écluse de l'Aiguille, Canal du Midi, near Puichéric
The valley between Réquy and Montlaur		The Aude river at Quillan
The Chateau de Quéribus; this time we took the car up the step road. Well worth it though the engine fan didn't stop for half an hour.		The Orbieu at Ribaute, near Lagrasse
Looking up into the trees on the terrasse at the gîte.		Carcassonne from the A61 viewpoint.
The cathedral in Toulouse.		Christ in Majesty, in the ambulatory, Toulouse cathedral.
A very baroque altarpiece in the chancel, Toulouse cathedral.		Fermat's Last Pizza (mathematician's joke ...)
In Les Jacobins, Toulouse; very odd to see pillars right up the middle of the nave.		The Garonne at Toulouse.
The village of Comigne, north of the Montagne d'Alaric		Another lock on the Canal du Midi - Écluse St Martin
Church in Sigean, south of Narbonne		We were diverted onto a dirt road bypassing Fitou. Didn't stop us drinking their wine though.
The Fort de Salses, north of Perpignan		John took a fancy to this statue of a naked lady walking out of the sea at the marina in Canet-Plage.
In Perpignan - the statue is Arago, a physician, astronomer and politician!		Le Castillet, Perpignan
In our favourite hotel in Saujon again - for some reason I seem to be the only person who hasn't seen Pirates of the Caribbean		The old bridge (and older bridge support) at La Roche Bernard
Auberge Armor Vilaine, Peaule		Hotel Saint Michel, Aunay sur Audon
Vieux Bassin, Honfleur		Typical houses, Brugge

Lovely to return to the area again to get some more painting done in that lovely light. We will probably try a different area of southern France next time, to find new places to explore.