We all had a lovely flight to France. The airport staff were very helpful and we all had a ride on a buggy at the airport! We sorted out our car hire then took a short drive to arrive at the Gite (French Farmhouse).Once we had all unpacked and had time to relax, in the afternoon we went shopping. The owners of the Gite cooked us Coq au vin followed by cheese and blueberry tart for our evening meal, delicious!
Today we ate breakfast outside in the open air. In the morning we went shopping for food, then lunch outside again, followed by crafting which everyone enjoyed. In the evening we travelled by car to see a "Canteen Dance" (It is a 1940's swing dance) We all danced the night away and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Everyone went to bed tired but happy !
Alfresco dining again for breakfast, in the open air. Today we drove to a lake where we had lunch in a cafe. After lunch we sat in the shade under a tree. Tracey and Robert decided to cool down with a dip in the lake, which they said was a lovely temperature. After a great day by the lake Wendy made us a delicious Quiche back at the farmhouse for our evening meal
Today we drove to Auvent a sanctuary and a shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette. It is a very peaceful and relaxing place, we had a picnic, lit candles and prayed whilst here. After our visit we went shopping for food and in the evening we sat near the river in Bellac and enjoyed a meal.
Today Shirley arrived and we all took part in Tai Chi in the barn. It took a lot of concentration but it was very relaxing. We then had lunch in a cafe in Bellac. Time for a little shopping then back to the farmhouse where we made a pina colada ice cream, ready for the BBQ due to take place tomorrow. We all feel like a family helping and caring for each other ! After our evening meal we continued with our crafting.
This morning we did our craft work. We made crepe paper flowers to give as a 'thank you' to Catherine and Jim. Later we began preparing for the BBQ, celebrating Lynda's birthday a day early. Unfortunately, it was raining but it didn't stop us enjoying the food inside. During the BBQ we played pass the parcel and Lynda won ! It was lovely food including a birthday cake and everyone had a great time. Lynda felt like the queen as she was going to celebrate her birthday twice.
Lynda's Birthday today! Lynda was pleased to receive some presents and a rendition of "happy birthday to you". Tracey and Jane had to do their packing as they were due to go home today. We all worked on some of our craft projects and then went out for a birthday lunch at a lovely Cambodian restaurant. Then it was time to head to the airport. There were a few tears as we said good-bye to those going home.
Today we took a round about route to Limage, stopping for lunch in a nice restaurant. We realised that there were shops near by so we decided to have a look around. We managed to buy some lovely souvenirs and Robert bought a clock. Unfortunately, it was raining so we decided to take our sightseeing journey by car through the forest and National Park going through the hills towards Auvent.
We thought we would take some time to relax today and catch up from all the activity so far. We focused on some arts and crafts, painting pictures of the Gite. We thought it would be a nice idea to give our pictures as a 'thank you' gift to the owners of the Gite. In the evening we all played a quiz which was lots of fun.
In the morning we continued with our craft projects. Lynda finished her picture of a house and we painted coasters. Later we went to the local shops to get some food for diner and also explored the route to Poitier. Robert helped gather some fresh herbs from the garden which we used to make some tasty stuffing for our meal. Katy and Kirk, our new holiday supporters arrived today.
Today we had a lazy start to the morning as we all had a lovely lie-in. After a leisurely breakfast we headed to Limoges, to the Aquarium. Here we saw turtles, rays, sharks and electric eel. There were also some caiman (crocodiles!). We took in the countryside as we found our way home, stopping on route at a shop to buy some food for tomorrow. Robert was very keen to buy some eggs so he could have scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorow.
Another beautiful sunny day and also warm. We spent some time working on our craft before enjoying lunch in the open air. After lunch we all had our Tai Chi class, we were worked very hard by the instructor before she finished with the relaxing part of the lesson. Afterwards we headed to the Lac Saint Paradoux for a picnic tea and a late afternoon paddle. Robert and Wendy enjoyed a trip out on a pedalo.
We decided we would like to see some animals whilst on holiday, so today we took a trip to a local zoo. The animals had very large enclosures with beautiful natural landscapes. It was also a lovely envirenment to walk around. It was hot today and lots of the animals were taking shade and it was a little difficult to see them. We did see some monkeys, camels, bison and a tiger.
Last day of our holiday. We spent the morning finishing our craft projects and making sure that everything was packed in our suitcases. In the afternoon we had a farewell BBQ and then gave some gifts that we had made to Jim (the owner of the Gite). This was to say 'thank you' for a lovely holiday. Then it was time to head off to the airport and our flight back to the UK.
