Sunday 23 May: A Day in a very different part of the countryside!..

Realising that Kelly could log into Moulin’s WiFi...I was able to book accommodation for 2 nights in Cinque Terre. Bernard had assisted me yesterday in booking my train trip to Genove. The girl at the station was very helpful as she was heading off to Antibes for a few days of beach and sunshine so was keen for me to eagerly anticipate the Cote d’Azur as much as she was! We shared lunch before heading off to a very different countryside, north-east of Lyon: flat, cropping country, lush watery marshes, abundant bird life, sleepy little towns, families cycling.....an area through which Edith and Bernard have also spent many days cycling......Villars...Voyeux...Versailleux...Chalamant....St-Nizier-le-Désert....flat, tree lined little roads, quiet, peaceful, full of growth, green young crops of various cereals and sunflower seedlings just coming to life....to our destination: Pérouges, Le Medieval = An amazing restoration of an original Medieval town mostly completed by private eclectic/arty owners.

This functional, working town, whose speciality is a range of sweet Galettes, shows off its productivity generously. We watched through open windows the whole process from mixing, kneading, proving, shaping, baking resting....and selling....So... yes, of course.... we tasted!

Caveau de Saint Vincent, a stoned cellar, drew us in to experience the physical chill, but warm atmosphere and purchase a bottle of Rosé to share later that night at dinner! Sunshine, cobbled narrow streets, traditional medieval structure where each floor extended approx ½ mtr out over the previous one so that the 4th and 5th floors almost touched above the alleyway!

We headed back to Croix-Rousse, swapped photos and freshened up ready for a night out on the town! We walked two blocks to the Moulins’ favourite French restaurant where we were joined by Alex and Alyce for a superb, very filling, tasty meal. Entrée =a generous dish of oie foie (goose liver) and greens; Mains = cuinelle (someone help me with the spelling...s’il vous plait..??) a fish soufflé..rich and tasty followed by crème glace...........laughter..........bantering........easy friendships! A walk the looong, looong way home to help our ample dinner digest!!!