June 2023 - retourner à France profonde

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It's been a long wait! After leaving France for a Christmas catch up with family in 2019 with the intention of returning after a few months, Paulie and Stephen were "grounded" by COVID. As a look at that era on AthoAlbum will show, they had an interesting adventure couch surfing before their own home became available. La Cachette had suffered through a flood and the lack of owner attention for three and a half years. So with a song in their hearts, and sweat on their brows, the dynamic duo spent time in their second home. And visited the lads in Oxford. What fun! Two of the three kids joined them In Saint A. As did niece Shari and pal , and Adelaide buddies Greg and Rosie. Plenty of work to do at the house, but also heaps of fun. See AthoCinema for some intersting (?) recordings.

28 May - OK... not exactly June, but may as well start here James meets to travellers as they arrive in Oxford on the airport bus and head to Oxford HQ ... a trip to their allotment and a walk around older parts of East Oxford
29th - a new day starts Lunch at the Trout Inn. Dr Phil and Jude come up from Guildford to join us The local Oxford lads as guides .
A walk along the Thames and through Oxford Meadows begins . . .
meeting some locals . 30th - into the city and past Christchurch College with a quick stop at the Head of the River
To Florence Park Stephen was surprised- having lived in Oxford in the 90's he hadn't come across the park as it's not the "fashionable" past of Oxford. Lovely. It hosts a co-op and community based enterprises .
June 1st- The dynamic duo return to their French home for the first time in close to 4 years! Lovely and lush garden First task- stock the wine rack! Then hang the new curtains that Paulie made in Australia
2nd - and get things clean and tidy And this is just the rosé shelf at the E.Leclerc supermarche! 3rd - connecting with old pals Storm and Daniel 4th - Sunday market
. . . Then to Yolande's farm in the hills near Saint-Michel-de-Vax
A most welcome lunch invitation re-uniting with equine pals. Arthur and Rubens are both well Alas, Gandolf had died the year before after a long and happy life at Mirgat. .
BBQ time - Margret de Canard 5th- an early morning walk in the village that was yet to wake Hans discusses the ins-and-outs of Internet Service Provider (ISP) options. Decision made- a move to "Free" ISP. Hans makes the call.
And like most of their first week- it's chore time. Resealing some of the bath Setting up downstairs for niece Shari and pal Jacqui. They had been cycling the huge mountains near Gerona. Michael Docherty drops in .
8th - leaving Heathrow, Olivia heads to France . . Home
where the roses bloom . . The gals head for the hills whilst Stephen does some work for 'Da Man.
. . . Lunch - moules frites
9th - another mountain walk for the gals . . Followed by lunch at the Bistro
10th - A quick 15 minute drive to Varen . . .
Followed by a cycle . and picnic lunch .
11th - Shari and Jacqui are collected from the Montauban station to the village just in time for the Sunday market . .
. . . A quick look at friend Storm's work
And back to La Cachette's garden . . off for a drive. A stop for a Bruniquel shot
. Then to Puycelci And it's ornate church. Paulie and Stephen had helped out at concerts there (see Sept 2015) .
Back home via the cliffs above St Antonin . and local environs 12th - a walk up the local hill
and home. An evening arrival at Blagnac airport. James had come from Germany where he attended the wedding of a pal of Keno's in home town Emden . 13th - back to Gare de Montauban as the gals head to Paris
Cave expedition time (see AthoCinema for a movie of the adventure) and physiothérapeute Olivia tapes a plantar fascia injury first. . . .
. . Let the climbing begin. A overgrown path rediscovered .
. . . .
. Getting steeper . .
The plateau reached . . wild looking fungus
. . Cave entrance found. Headlamps on. .
Team in silent mode so as to not discturb the bat residents . . .
. . . And then down to other caves
. . . .
. . . In winter this is full of flowing water (see example in AthoAlbum- 2nd half of April, 2019)
Lunch break . . It is actually pitch black, but the powerful headlamps light the way
All of this carved by flowing water . . .
. . . and down again
. The Randonneurs are nearly home Not long- but a heck of a climb 14th - next adventure is l'Aveyron
. IMG 1696 . .
. . . .
. . . Various techniques used. Video in Athocinema
The final challenge . . .
Pal Mo drops in for dinner. She's moved out of the village. Her novel was recently published 15th - roadtrip through ‎⁨Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy⁩, ⁨Lugagnac⁩. To the pre-historic cave home of ancestors at Pech Merle (this photo taken years ago. Now not allowed) Leaving the Cabrerets area
Picnic time at Rocamadour . . .
. Black Madonna of Rocamadour . Then to Vézac⁩, vallée de la Dordogne⁩an - Les Jardin Marqueyssac
. . . Close by is the Chateau of WWII Afro-American entertainer and resistance member, Josephine Baker
. . . 16th -return to our close-by village of Penne. An architect has funded work on the ruins
Lunch first. Joined by a French Elf . . .
. Kitty fell one story out of a window but was fine . Up to the ruins. James has been a naughty boy
. . . .
James sees the light And so does Stephen A ride to wind up the day .
. . 17th - the Moulin de Varen is a well regarded restaurant worth trying .
It wasn't in action when Paulie and Stephen lived nearby . . It lived up to it's reputation- and great vegan/gluten free creations for James
. The youngins cool down in our river after lunch UNADJUSTEDNONRAW thumb 23e3e It's only brown from run off- a lot of rain this year
Now that all are cooled down, the lads go for a pedal . . up the route de la corniche
. And down again That night the team attend a farmer's sing along gig in Servanac up the road 18th - time for James to head home. He has to leave the next day for a work trip to Bulgaria
Pal Alan Keeble drops in for dinner . 19th - the remaining trio ride up route de la corniche .
Yolande visit to bid farewell. She helps with some French paperwork and returns items she saved when the car was destroyed in the flood of Feb 2021 20th - the second child returns home . And a rush to finish some final chores
Collecting Adelaide pals Rosie and Greg Egan from Gare de Caussade . Greg is a master- two out of three champagne corks head through the lounge window! Dinner. The generous lenders of their car - Alice and Tom - returned from Cornwall & the Porte Bleue team join us
21st - manwhile James is in Bulgaria to visit a Lavender farm his company (Lush) use. James was hosting a bunch of journalists to see the sustainable and groovy facility In Gabarevo, Stara Zagora, rose oil is made for Lush And in ‎Skobelevo, Stara Zagora, James notes an anti-American vibe .
. Cutting it fine, Mahoud the technician comes to upgrade to a fibre optic network. Yep- a medieval village gets fibre that is 10 times faster than the guys have in Brisbane Fibre all the way .
Chilling at the Bistro . Greg spots a working horse ready to pull the wheel at the old nut oil facility Then for a wee drive
. Decisions decisions. Lunch at Penne . This cork didn't make it
22nd - the last day requires a farewell cycle! The team go for an early moring pedal to Feneyrols and back And head into London in the evening 23rd-In Oxford, a yummy lunch around the corner from James And some garden time in Keno & Jame's garden
. And inside 24th - a walk to the garden centre across town. They discover they have time. They were booked to depart but care of the incoming QF 9 being re-routed to Singapore for a medical emergency, they have an extra day in Oxford .
. via South Hinksey And back with purchases including a grape vine. And that evening- the team depart
Off to the bus and on to Heathrow They booked into a Heathrow hotel to make transit to the early moring flight pain free 25th - and the wee hours it's off to Perth 26th - and then home to re-connect with Rosie. When will the team get back to France?