Flogging a dead horse!

Tuesday 23rd October 2018 - Jarnac, near Cognac.

By the way, Disraeli lived at Hughenden which is close to Cliveden.  I must have read about it and got confused.....not unusual.

Sorry I have left such a big gap in the blog.  We have been travelling around with brother David and his wife Wendy (known as 'Windy' to her French friends, as they can't pronounce Wendy properly).  Their motorhome is a Benimar and David has joined a Facebook group of Benimar owners, they are his 'Benimates'.....the only mates he has!  Aren't I cruel to my family, they are lovely really and we have had loads of fun.  We have been having early evening boule matches and alternating our dining location...one night at D&W's van, the next at ours.

On Saturday we stopped at a site just outside La Rochelle, near the port area.  We cycled into the city and had a lovely day walking around the old harbour and shops.  It is really beautiful with white stone buildings and old towers at the harbour entrance.

On Sunday we moved to Soubice, across the Charente river from Rochefort.  We were about 10km out and had to ride over a massive road bridge to get to the town.  I have been here about 6 years ago but it is really well worth a second visit.  The sailing ship L'Hermione is a true recreation of a sailing ship  that Lafayette sailed to America in.  It is in harbour at Rochefort alongside a mock up sailing ship with full masts that is a high rope course for the public (at a price), kids were having great fun.  There is also the Corderie Royale which was built in 1666 for making rope.  The buildings are really long and thin.  We went into a cafe in the town square to have a 'panochet' (French for shandy), and we were serenaded by a busking accordion player.

The Corderie Royale.

On Monday morning we persuaded David into doing our morning exercise regime.  We couldn't keep a straight face when he was trying the thigh stretch whilst standing on one leg....he was all over the place.  It only goes to prove that you can 'flog a dead horse' but that isn't why I named the blog!

It wasn't very elegant.

The reason the blog was so titled is.....

because we found this horse and chariot in a supermarket entrance!  It definately needed some flogging!

We moved on again to Royan and its fantastic golden beach and concrete space rocket style Cathedral. It looks a bit like a space rocket launching pad.  We cycled down the promenade to an old lighthouse for more stunning views of the coastline.

All so lovely.

The weather throughout this time has been glorious as you can tell from the photos.  There has been a cooler breeze but the afternoons have been lovely and warm.

Today we moved to visit Talmont-sur-Gironde, a small, beautiful village on the coast.  It had an old Romanesque style chapel overlooking the coast.  We had lunch and then travelled to the brandy making area near Cognac.  We stopped to wild camp on a car park at Jarnac, looking over to the Courvoisier headquarters (sadly the tours are closed out of season, so no samples).

Talmont.

We won the boules competition for the first time and Janice and David won at whist.....don't we live an exciting life!  We had plenty of drinks on our final night with David and Wendy.

The victorious boules competition.