A few images to remind us what summer looks like

This time last week, TLD and I were on the way back from our holiday in France, somewhere between Chartres and Evreaux. The sun was setting and we were hungry. Having passed through Chartres, and having missed what TLD told me a few minutes later was not just a McDonalds (I do like the odd one, but I needed a "proper"meal) but a couple of other "decent" eateries, I had almost given up on the idea of eating something wholesome until we got home. But as we passed through Evreaux (taking the Orleans-Rouen route is a touch slower - with no autoroute - but more direct and more scenic) we spotted a Buffalo Grill. As it was by now 10.40 pm, we didn't hold out much hope, but the sign said "serving 11.00 to 11.00", so we went inside. It was heaving with diners, and 15 minutes later, we were tucking into entrecote steak and frites, with a lovely mixed salad and a demi-pichet of Cotes du Rhone Rouge. Heaven!

By then, we had enjoyed two full weeks (give or take a day or two) of almost unbroken warmth and sunshine. By the same token, we knew that the weather in the UK had been pretty much the same as when we left - i.e. cool and wet - for those same two weeks, but we were hoping that things might change when we got back. Unfortunately it hasn't, and this is turning out to be possibly the worst summer I can remember in my 51 years. It really is quite depressing - May, June and now July have been almost unremittingly wet. Even when the sun comes out for a short while, there are menacing clouds filling the sky. Perhaps the weather gods are saving all of the sunshine for the Olympics in August, but I somehow doubt that things are going to turn around by then. Who to blame? Nobody, I guess - even I can't blame the Government for the weather! But at least I can remind you what sunny weather looks like, by way of a few shots from our couple of weeks away........... 

On the A20, somewhere between Chateauroux and Limoges

The Saturday market in Cahors

The pool and garden at our gite in the Ariege

The view from our villa in Autignac, Faugeres - dusk over the hills of Haut Languedoc

Blue sky over our villa - artistic, or what?!

Another view from the road next to our villa





Caussiniojouls in Faugeres - Brigitte Chevalier's cellar is at the top of the village



Sunset over the Haut Languedoc

Sunset at Domaine de La Garance, near Caux (more on this in my next post)

The same sky, with a wider angle

On the A75 autoroute, just south of Clermont Ferrand

Sunset, somewhere between Chartres and Evreaux, northern France

The same view, zoomed-in

Oh well - back to reality! More soon........................