Leaving Portiranges was not a hardship. We had enough of the condo life and were ready to get back on the road heading north. So bring out the long underware and here we go. The flat marshy coast gave way to rolling hills covered in vineyards. This time of year it seems most of the wine tasting (called degustation??!!) rooms seem to be closed. That is a shame because we really would like to try the local wines rather than do a pot luck at the local grocery s...

This is our last day at our gite in Portiranges Plage. It has been a week of kick back and craziness but mostly kick back. We have been overheated in the blazing sun and looking for long underware when the wind kicked in. There is a lot of wind here for sure. Set on a vast sandy plane with no hills to cut he wind you can understand why there are no big trees here. What is here in abundance are any number of tourist accomodation to suit both the old doddering...

Leaving Andorra was both frustrating and awesome! We were trying to dust off the old brain cells to figure out just where we had stayed 37 years ago. Shane and Jerry went skiing and we could remember where the hill was in proximity to the village but as we went through from village to village nothing clicked. That is until the town that was almost on the border. There it was in all it's sun kissed glory... though much bigger than we remember and with snowboar...

It seems prayer has become a part of my life again. It really never left but when you are faced with hotels still closed for the season, chambres d'hotes not easy to find and nasty cold wet weather then, well, it is good to have prayer in your life. Our journey from St. Palais towards Lourdes found us happily ensconced in a hotel (with wifi) mid way along the route in Oloron Ste. Marie. It was so wet and Shane was so tired from driving that we fell exhaust...

Paddled down the river on our last full day in the Dordogne. What a perfect way to end our week here. Went about 16km from Cenac to just past Beynac. Big wide lazy river with a few ancient bridge bits poking up, a couple of rocks, brances, swans and 3 rock (roman arch) bridges to avoid. We've decided our annual float down the Kettle with friends should be held here next year! It's pretty amazing to laze down the river with chateaus, castles, churches...