Mike just smiles and wonders where that sort of comment comes from.

In our commitment to each other to get off site and see more of this wonderful country we set off on Monday afternoon in the camper to head south and go where the wind blows.....we say that sort of thing when we go sailing and camping is so similar, in so many ways, uncomfortable beds, simple food, lashings of beer, not enough room to swing a cat or dog for that matter but new and interesting surroundings and experiences. We fed the chickens on double rations, watered the poly, emptied the bins and put all the other home alone procedures into place before we set off. I felt a little vulnerable as our neighbour has finally moved out and the house is empty and there is nobody to busy body over me and keep an eye on the place. To soften that blow I dropped a box of tomatoes and courgettes and a bouquet of lavender to my other mate Genevievre just to let her know we were away, there was no need for her to come and deal with the animals but as she is a sister to our Maire I felt that if there should be an incident he would certainly call her to see if she knew where we were, but that is me running a 'what if' procedure day book. I also e-mail my Mum, Mike's mum, my kids and my French speaking Brit mate Sarah so all our bases are covered, why, is a mystery to Mike, but he gives me the time to set it all up and then he knows I am happy to go. We headed out towards St Hillaire le harcourt for our first night and enjoyed watching the land change from flat lands to hilly then yesterday we found ourselves in the Alp Mancelle in an outcrop of rock that, blow me down, looks and feels like an alpine resort consisting of one camp site, a hotel, a church, three bars, a high street of traditional homes and businesses and lots of holiday makers looking up at a sheer rock face covered in pine trees. I am not knocking this place called St Leonard because it was gorgeous, just little, and the camping only cost 15 euro for a view of said sheer rock face and the sound of a real babbling mountain stream and hourly chimes from the church. I am constantly amazed how the French take a tiny place and make it into something quite special. We drove home today on tiny back roads through the Gorges of the Vire and then home by afternoon tea. We covered about 250 miles since Monday afternoon, I used to do that in a day just to be at a meeting but now such distances have more meaning and purpose and take three days. The corn is ready now and our few days out were dominated with the spectacle of acres of golden fields dotted with bales of hay drying in the sunshine. We passed a field full of sunflowers all looking for the sun and I just made the comment that "you really have been on holiday in France when you pass a field of sunflowers", and Mike just smiles and wonders where that sort of comment comes from..