La Belle France 3

17th More grey clouds. Gave in and lit fire in the big open hearth and very nearly kippered ourselves! By the end of the night we got the hang of it. Walnut burns very well. Other available woods - dodgy.

18th First really hot day! Postponed planned visit to Laverie and made the most of it by sitting out all day long. Duvet out in the sunshine along with us.

19th Another hot day, but this time we took the bedding to the Laverie, left it for a service wash and then drove on to Beynac. It took us an hour to walk up to the Chateau – we’d call it a castle – through narrow, cobbled twisting lanes and I was ready to sit the moment we got within range of the chateau itself. Persuaded dh it would be good to have lunch before looking around.

The views out across the Dordogne were trememdous. The man who controlled Beynac certainly controlled the river and all river traffic. For all its huge size the chateau itself is not that large, and initially was only the square keep. First mentioned in records in 1115, the Beynac family lost it to Richard the Lionheart when Ademar de Beynac died without an heir in 1194. Simon de Montfort was here, too, leading a crusade against the Albigensians. Now it is in private hands.

I'm having a little trouble loading pics this morning. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead and try again later.

Picked up nice clean washing and had some banter with the lady about the dubious benefits of learning a foreign language. Most pleasing of all, the weather looks set fair for tomorrow.