VG!
Have you been to the Forteresse de Chinon? Itâs a heck of a place with a great view over the Vienne.
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You must have read my thoughts - itâs tomorrowâs treatâŠ.
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Ossum! Hope the weather is kind. My photo above was taken in September 2023 so there is a chance of sun!
(actually IIRC it was quite hot that dayâŠ)
No that was Jolly.
Took me ages but finally got there in the end. Captain Pugwash? 
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Yes. We wonât mention Able Seaman Staines who was an urban myth and not actually featured in the seriesâŠ
For the first time this season the water was warmer than the air above it 15c/13c, now back in the warm with a hot mug of cocoa and the French equivalent of a hobnob. 
As a precaution despite the brainfreeze defying hat, just 14 metres today but now, suitably innoculated, will be back to 28 tomorrow. 
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We use street view, satellite and anything else we can find to check how âclosâ a garden is. Nightmare if it isnât! What a nice gĂźte owner.
Also close scrutiny of photos for a proper oven, not combi microwave, lack of free range hens and other essentials.
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Yes I do that too when selecting a gite. 
Got to have somewhere to cook pizza.
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Lunch at Les Années Trente?
If only! Unfortunately having two dogs realistically rules out any visits to restaurants while on holiday - however tempting like this celebrated one. We couldnât (responsibly) leave them alone in someone elseâs gite, and certainly wouldnât leave them in our car (theyâd find it super stressful, quite apart from the obvious risks of dogs in hot cars). Our choice to have (ex-rescue) dogs has multiple consequencesâŠ!.
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Are they large dogs, George? If theyâre well-behaved it shouldnât be a problem, weâve seen people with two dogs in lots of restaurants.
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Ah, thatâs the problem! Theyâre appallingly behaved. Paco, on the left, is extremely athletic and will probably try and jump on the table, the other will yap away, maddeningly (his inner chihuahua coming out). I wouldnât wish them on any restaurant, or on their clients trying to enjoy a good mealâŠ.!
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Would I be right in thinking that I am staying in the Land of Milord Porridge, near Chinon? Leaving the motorway, I looked for signs announcingâTerre de Seigneur PorridgeââŠ
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Yes indeed you are. Head a little south and you find Loudun, chiefly known for its acquitted murderess (the good woman of Loudun) and the supposed demonic possession of a group of nuns.
Hilarious 
Is it true owners often subconsciously choose pets who are like them ?
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Our last dog (who can do no wrong now he is no longer with us) was restaurant trained from puppyhood. And was positively welcomed into restaurants and fussed over.
But I sympathise as current rescue dog is impossible. We too are on holiday and have managed a coffee at an outside table at a near deserted cafĂ©. Apart from that itâs picnics.
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My Mums neighbours bought a place in Loudun, on a dark stormy night they got lost on the way to their place so checked into a hotel in Richelieu. The owner asked where they were going and they explained. She laughed and said itâs 2km,s down the road.
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Sorry, Iâd missed the bit about the dogs. No restaurant for you! Very sincere sympathy!
Fond memories of Loudun.. our TR4 needed a little âhelpâ and the garagiste and his staff treated the car like a film star.
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Yesterday I got the confirmation that France has agreed to swap my Texas USA driver license for a French permis de conduire. I have a rental slated 6 octobre to drive to Castres and back for my dogâs second post-op XR so I will not surrender my USA license until the 7ieme.
It is immensely gratifying/a relief to have ONE major paperwork hurdle âcomplĂ©tĂ©â.
Now, to dig back into learning how to speak French like a native person over the age of two.
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