Good days & bad days

"Tanya this is a toolbox job!" 

Out came the plumbers wrench which when combined with a wee bit of elbow grease made short work of removing the reluctant to open barrier obstructing my exit from the 'Milleau' motorhome Aire. I had met 80 yr old Keith from 'Wetherby' with his van as we tried to enter the previous night. That was bad enough with the automatic payment booth very quickly extracting €9.60 from our credit cards but then giving no instructions as to how the little plastic card it issued gave entry. I finally swiped mine across the green exit button and hey presto the barrier opened. I stood in front of it to prevent it closing while Keith drove in, stopped and then stood in front of the barrier allowing me to enter. Now of course I was reaping the benefit of having already used my little plastic card on the exit button. The silly machine just kept saying ''carte abus'' as I re-presented it in order to leave. I was also last to leave so there was no one else around to assist. Hence the plumbers wrench engineering solution. I hasten to add I did re-assemble the barrier after my exit. The bolts are now just finger tight though. Maybe it will help some other poor motorhomer facing the same dilemma.

I decided after such trauma to go 'off Piste' and head into the hills stopping off just outside Milleau to admire from below the world famous viaduct. I will leave actually driving over it for another day. I instead headed out into the delightful 'Monts de Lacune' area and struck lucky. 'Chateau de Montaigut' beckoned for me to hang a left and head up the steep twisty road to where she perched very prominently and impressively overlooking the valley below. She presented us with a lovely but windy car park for the night. Not a soul did we see as we explored this closed but still fascinating historical monument. Most interesting of all though was that the buildings/barns were full of antique farm machinery. Well! I was in heaven. Old binders, ploughs, fodder presses, threshing machines and crown of all ..... wait for it as this is really exciting .... Oh come on wake up, it's not that boring ...... an old red Massey Harris bagger combine harvester ..... Wow! n just how cool is that? And how tiny compared to the red, yellow and Green monsters that munch through modern day cornfields. Yes I agree. These things depend very much on personal history, memories and associations which were all there for me as I clambered around and over these 'from another era'  rusting iron memories.

We continued our meander through the hills next day, Saturday. Weather was deteriorating and every time I spotted a place to stop for lunch there was another group of hunters out in their orange jackets, guns slung over their shoulders and with their howling and ferocious looking dogs. Not a place for letting Tanya out for a run. We found out what they were hunting too. Coming round a sharp downhill bend a wild boar suddenly burst out from the forest and nearly ran straight into us in, I presume, it's headlong and probably doomed rush to escape the hunting dogs and ultimately the guns of their owners. It was only a fleeting glimpse but that is all you need to reccognise terror be it it in a wild boar or a human.

Finally blue sky and sun although it is accompanied by a strong and very cold wind coming straight off the snow covered Pyrennes. No matter. In the lee the sun is warm and today for the first time it was down to shirt sleeves on a beach walk with Tanya. We are actually on familiar territory. Familiar in that I am now on the Med coast at 'Port Vendre'. We spent happy days here on our first trip 2 years ago. Last time I was here March/April time and things were starting to open. At present everywhere is still in full Winter mode. Ie; closed! Apart that is from Supermarche's, Boulangerie's, Banques and around every corner the illuminated green neon cross symbol of the pharmacie. I tell you there's money in them there drugs, big money, for somebody. France, I can assure you, is according to my observation even more addicted to pill and potion for any and every ailment as we are in the UK.

I've just finished a very nice platter consisting the last of my frozen chips, the last of my spicy Chorizo, accompanied by mushrooms, egg and tinned tomatoes. Delicious. Especially so as when we drove in to Port Vendre, a working port by the way, it looked as though it was actually open for business. There were even some cafes open with folk drinking coffee. So park up we did in the Aire round the back of the port. Changed into respectable clothes I did. Tanya duly fed and off we walks to see if we could treat ourselves to a meal out. Ha! They must have seen me coming. Everything was closing up as we walked down the attractive front by the harbour. The only premises alive and functioning with about 5 or 6 people in it, yes you've guessed, le, or maybe its la, Pharmacie! We enjoyed our walk though and did I not do well, resisting the temptation to nip into the local Super U supermarche and grab a pizza!