Orleans

It was May Day when we were in Orleans so it was pretty quiet. May Day is a pretty big deal in France. Only waiters and the people who sell Lily of the Valley/Dog Roses work. We saw a march and didn't buy any Lily of the Valley.


A statue of Joan of Arc. She's a bit of a hero of mine and we share a birthday.


The Mountain man and his baguette.

No Smoking

You can't smoke but we're giving you an ashtray anyway. Be sure not to use it!!!

The Caves

When we were driving down a country road we saw a sign saying "Grottes Prehistoriques". The boys needed a break and we figured that it would be a good chance to stretch our legs. I'm not sure which caves they were but after a bit of googling I think they were les Grottes d'Arcy-sur-Cure. The possibility exists that I'm totally wrong but they're in the right place and look similar so I'm sticking to my story.
The big cave was closed for lunch (because the French take lunch seriously) so we went for a walk by the river and had a look at the small caves. It was wonderful. There was no-one else there except a couple with a black lab and they walked really fast and were out of sight in no time. We were too far from the road to hear traffic and it was so easy to imagine how it was way back then. The caves were all sizes in a row along the cliff face and there was a small river/creek running in front of them. It was no problem at all to see why it would be a desirable residence for cave people.


The boys by the river.


Another picture of the river.


The path between the river and the caves.


A home with a riverside location and wonderful views.


A mansion.


A cottage.

Canal de Bourgogne

The Canal de Bourgogne was one of the destinations from The Cat Who Walked Across France. We stopped at Dijon for a night and then went to visit it near Pouilly-en-Auxois.
The boys had a look at a lock and I think they kinda, sorta got how it works.


Walking along the tow path.


The lock and the lock-keeper's cottage.

Catching up

I'm a bit excited.
A few more posts and I'll almost be up to date!!

The wierd castle

One day as we were driving about we saw a tourist sign for a castle. We had some time to spare so we dropped in. It appeared to be deserted and there was nothing to see but a few old carts in the courtyard so we turned to leave. The next thing we knew an old crone appeared from a cellar and gave us a dirty look. Then she released her dog!!
A giant sooky lab. It's hard to know who was happier. The dog or the boys. I think that it was the dog once it discovered that the mountain man was willing to throw its toy.
The dog was the least successful guard dog ever - not only did it not scare us away it encouraged us to stay for a few more minutes. We took a bit of a walk around the castle afterwards and enjoyed the sight of a few more tourists arriving and then leaving within minutes looking bemused and underwhelmed.

Walking about

Just some random photos taken whilst walking around the countryside.

de renard

This sign is on the nature walk beside the river. Whilst I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the fox and other animals as I walk I have no idea why they chose to depict de renard dealing with constipation.

Annecey

I posted some winter photos of Annecey. We liked it so much we went back for more in Spring.


Nothing like an ice-cream on a hot day.


The tulips in flower.


I4 getting a lift.


A little back-street.


A canal looking towards the lake.

Marseille

Marseille would have been much nicer if it was sunny but it was still worth a visit. We ate some fantastic Moroccan food there and some really nice seafood. I think I would go back for the food alone....


This shop made me think of Mrs Neurotic because she hates Crocs so I took a photo.


Luckily the merry-go-round doesn't stop for rain or the boys would have eaten us alive.


This is why the seafood tastes so good. You can buy it still flapping its flippers from the fisher folk at the harbour.