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Bright morning. Serviced Mary*Lou and left site at 11:05. Heading towards Angouleme we are in the centre of Cognac country and vines grow everywhere across the rolling hills from fields as far as the eye can see right down to small areas the size of a sports pitch.
In St Genis d'hierac a small vineyard is right next to a similar size graveyard. We guess it enriches the soil and it's dry-white for everyone!
We Entered the Dordogne at 13:15 and almost immediately the landscape changed to more compact hills and ridges with wide valleys, more trees and woodland, limestone outcrops and cattle in the fields. Tourist signs for chateau in Charente are now replaced by numerous Abbaye signs, although we have a brief stop from driving by stopping by a chateau at Mareuil.
A few miles down the road we stop at Brantome where the abbey is located on an island in the river Dronne. The abbey is a huge flat faced building with a few towers and numerous leaded windows. Behind the abbey are limestone overhangs and large caverns and caves, even the hotel car-park is in a cave. A crystal clear river runs in front separating the abbey from the town. Bars and brasseries are doing good trade in the sunshine, and for the first time in many months we actually feel warm sunshine.
By the time we've looked around the bars have finished serving food so we buy a slice of quiche in an epicerie and eat it sitting on the wall by the bridge.
We go through Perigueux at tea time, very busy with traffic lights and roundabouts but Snoopy does his stuff, seemingly unfazed by all the towns ending in '_ac' and we are soon back out on good roads to Montignac and the quiet country roads to our Passion site at Sergeac, arriving on a geese farm called La Voulperie at 18:00. Despite concerns about arriving to find it full and having to drive somewhere else we are the only visitors. Ali meets the farmer and we park where directed, having a brief disagreement about view versus level parking, but we soon have the chairs and a drink set up outside and all is well again. A text from Nick + Grete tells us they are near St Jean d'Angely and we'll meet at Archignac tomorrow. We eat salad, watch the sun set and the martins flying in to roost in the barn and listen to the birdsong subside before going in. We are in bed soon after 22:00
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