Sunday (in June)

   Drove to a view point over-looking the Dordoyne valley and attempted a DIY church (we couldn't face taking the boys to a French speaking church. They are noisy at the best of times!) Not sure it was very effective, but at least we tried (sort of looked at the view and read the Bible while T tried to stop P eating things.)

   Had lunch in a nice village restaurant - very French. Drank too much wine and was rather fuzzy all afternoon.

   Drove to a Chateau and looked around.

   Today has been cool and rainy - the first day it hasn't been really hot. Yesterday we tried to find a strawberry market but it was shut. Drove to Lot and looked around a brilliant ruined castle with secret passages into caves. Came home via a quaint Bastide town and ate ice-creams in the village square.

   The day before, we had a tour of nearby villages and found a ruin and a huge church. The atmosphere in these places is marvelous, you can 'feel' the history. I love ruins. I wish I could paint it all because I know the photos wont do it credit.

   This is a funny family holiday in some ways. Ideally it would be an adult's holiday - there is so much historical stuff to see and lots of driving around. Most of the things we can't enjoy with the children in tow. But I think you just have to enjoy what you can and breath in the scenes. The children love playing in the cottage garden, which is big and safe. S and L love the swimming pool and are getting quite confident.
    They are ALL a pain in the evenings and don't go to sleep much before us. Then they wake up a lot during the night so I have to keep getting up.
    P cries every time we drive somewhere, as soon as he sees he's is being carried towards the car he starts whimpering. Does not bode well for the journey home….