A walk with friends

A few days of magnificent weather before predicted rain, sent us out with our new visitors Steve and Cathy, to make the most of the weather.  All wrapped up, we made a short stroll in the sun up to Pardaillon, our nearest village. 

The next day we woke up to a heavy frost and minus 5° but we were determined to get out again.  There are a number of marked walks in the area so we chose one of these around Loubès-Bernac  where we knew these was a Bar/Restaurant  incase the chill set in.  On the way, we passed a fairly remote building all shuttered up but advertising bread “cooked on a wood fire”.  Upon investigation and per the note pinned to the door, we decided they were open so we peered in and gingerly stepped inside.  In the gloom we found four loaves and some rolls propped up on a table together with a weighing machine which calculated the cost of each loaf.  How quaint and totally unlike anything one would see in the UK.   We left our money for the loaf we had chosen and shut the door again seeing no-one else all the time we were there.  The loaf was very good by the way!

Church in Loubès-Bernac

The walk we had chosen wasn’t very long but had superb views and many old windmills along the route.  We even found a grand log of wood along the path perfect for our woodburning stove - Cathy and I took turns in carrying it.  Once we arrived back in the village Les offered to put the log back in the car while we strolled around to check out the Lavoir and other village relics.  The one pictured below, which we had guessed to be either a well or a horse-shoeing contraption turned out to be a bullock castrating machine !!! ….ouch.   

As it was now lunchtime we decided to go into the restaurant “Chez Nelly”  for the set menu joining around 16 workmen who were already ensconced around a large table and on their second course.  After a lovely four course meal with wine we staggered to the car only to find that our pilfered log had again been pilfered by someone else – what a cheek!     

In the evening we had a great time singing Christmas Carols in both French and English in the square in Eymet, and yes...... the free mulled wine was much appreciated. What a lovely day, I don’t think we could have fitted any more in, collapsing at home at around 8.30pm.