We make use of the water to wash windscreens and top up again, then leave the campsite at Montolieu at 11:20 to head up the steep hill through Montolieu and onto Saissac. From a panoramic viewpoint we look down over the medieval fortress and town climbing out of the rocks. As we approach Carcassonne Grete comes on the radio an says to look left, snow on the Pyrenees in the distance. Carcassonne is a busy sprawling city but as we cross the river we see the old...

Woken at stupid o'clock by a very noisy rooster who soon had competition from a lovely dawan chorus. We left the vents open last night and there was a strong smell of wild garlic from the woods behind us. All packed up and ready to leave this beautiful spot at 10:10 as we intend to head further south and have a drive of around 180 miles ahead. Our route towards Tolouse includes many typically French roads; arrow straight with long avenues of trees. As we...

Having left the blinds open last night we wake up at 05:30 to a magnificent sunrise. The wind in the vines sounds like rain but the sky is blue as far as the eye can see. The view at breakfast is fabulous; light green coloured vines with brown stalks stretching away to the horizon in perfectly straight rows. After a friendly goodbye we left at 10:40 heading for St. Emillon, but when we got there we couldn't find any parking closer than a mile and a half f...

We wake to a beautiful sunny morning, the air full of the sounds of cuckoos, cicadas and kites. We leave Auberge d'Imbes at 11:05 linked by 2-way radios Nick + Grete brought with them, and drive back through St Genis then Grete plotted a scenic [narrow winding] route towards La Roque Gageac. We find ourselves driving up and up on steep roads with rocky faces and huge trees towering above. We call up the radio and suggest a stop. Immediately Grete comes back wi...

Neither of us wins the bet about what time the cockerel will wake us. Nick hears it but doesn't know what time. We sleep in until 08:00 and get us 20 minutes later when the sun has warmed the cabin through the windows. We write some notes, reply to anniversary texts and plan a relatively quite day. At 11:00 Ali looks for the owners but as no-one is around we leave without saying goodbye. The valley is brightly lit in the morning sunshine as we drive ba...