Hostellerie De Fontanges Onet-le-Chateau

... was buzzing with activity and people gossiping... there were also the biggest mushrooms we've ever seen they were a funny yellow colour and I would be worried they would make you sick... if you've seen the movie INTO THE WILD you will know what I mean.

... we had a major hail storm (the worst I have ever seen in my life) and their "beautiful" dam had been severely damaged. So back at the Viaur, the girls on the shore chatting and relaxing, and the boys in the cold water their focus and energy entirely devoted to building a dam that won't be there next year when we come back. Boys will always be boys.
We spent a nice Monday hanging out with the cousins who were still around and headed back to Lyon.

We have made it to the village of Brousse le Chateau. WOW!!!! That is the only word to describe how cool this place is. The "chateau" is actually an old castle on a cliff and the village is built beneath and leading up to it. The castle was built in 1040 and the village bridge (which is still used!) was built in 1366. There is a small mountain river that runs through the center of the village. We are staying beneath the castle in a little inn called Le Relays du Chateau. The ...

We landed in Toulouse on Saturday night to spend the week with Emma's parents. This would give us the chance to acclimatise to being unemployed and also give us a chance to practise with the new Canon..... and after reading the manual for a good hour, we definitely need it. On Sunday, the plan was to have an English lunch in the traditional French ...

... at 7am only gave them a few moments of rest! Despite the lack of sleep, they were all in a jolly mood and were ready to continue the celebrations! The morning consisted of greetings, introductions, much coffee and asprin for the hangovers. The afternoon consisted of a group excursion to the market to pick up various articles to assist in our feast for the evening, followed by a trip to the local pub for hours of chess and conversation! At about 4pm, the majority of the guests ...

... designs contrasting in an odd way with some new very modern-looking ones. I wonder if the old bishops would be mortified? Next stop was Belcastel, one of the official most beautiful villages in France. Since I haven't been to the vast majority of other French villages, I cannot confirm or deny the claim. It certainly was very charming, what with its river valley location, winding cobblestone streets, windowbox flowers aplenty, centuries old bridge, imposing ...

... we met JP's parents, his brother and family, and finally his youngest son. There was a round of kissing, some aperitifs outside in the sun, and then some delicious crepes made by Laurence for dinner. They were equally tasty with Nutella, sugar & lemon, or raspberry jam. We came back to the house to sleep last night, but we'll go back to the lake today for boating, swimming and relaxing. C'est difficile, mais c'est la vie!

Bonjour mes amis! Our international flights were very smooth, with the most remarkable incident occurring in the Gatwick Boots Drugstore location. To kill some time, we were browsing around to see what interesting products they might have that we don't see at home. Our favorite find was a package of tablets for the relief of "trapped wind". Leanne's cousin JP met us at the airport in Toulouse and took us for an ...

... at it. It is even stranger when driving towards the bridge and noticing at either end of the bridge the bit where it rests on the land. I wondered how strong the hill must be to hold up this massive concrete lump. And I wondered how deep they must have dug to drop the bridge's pillars into the ground. Millau is humming with the energy of the hundred kilometre marathon runners. Roads are jammed full of spectators and cars. I find a parking space and squeeze in.

... then we wait for the airplane. The airplane takes off and we have a last look to France, the next time we will see it again will be next year. First stop in Singapore. Then flight Qantas to Darwin where we arrived at about 4:00 AM. Here we are on the other side of the planet.