Rouen, France. Day 30-31

Weekend sees me back in lovely lovely France! It's a very hard place to beat!

Am staying the weekend in the country near Rouen. Friends live on a wonderful small rural property. Arrive very late due to the pathetic state of Belgium highways...2hours off schedule...

Late for dinner, but what a Dinner. Tom & Eleri have laid on a traditional Normandy feast. Roast Guinea fowl in Calvados sauce with Potatoes. Magnifique! Dessert is rice pudding with cinnamon, Apple Tar and of course, cheeses!

The next day sees us earn our keep, helping them set up classrooms for their new French Language class. What a work out!

Their house is some 40mins out of town, set on 5 hectares in a typically lush beautiful Normandy valley. The wooden gates meet you, and take you along the gravel road to the house. Stables and horse paddock to the right, rich colourful garden surrounds the traditional house. Their dogs and cats are full of character and are always welcoming, bounding with playfulness.

The house itself is warm and full of character, much like the owners. We spend the next day being shown the dreamy gardens, fruit trees abound, including apricot, apple, and cherry, all bearing fruit. We see the stream and feed the three horses. Berry picking takes up the morning. Life is good. I wish I had a place in the country!

Thanks Tom & Eleri!!

The House
Jolly
Pilot
Blackcurrents

John and Eleri with the mornings fruit picking

The new kittens