It’s so difficult to choose a few pictures from our holiday to show the highlights. Between the camera and my iPhone we took over 700 photos and so whittling them down to a number that would be appropriate for a blog post is really quite hard!
It was so nice to be away, I knew that France was a picturesque place but having never stayed in the Dronne Valley before (South West France) I didn’t know it would be full of such stunning scenery. Every corner we rounded brought us to lush green forests, wide open fields or beautiful historical villages.
My favourite day out was when we visited Brantome. It was just such a quaint village. Whilst we had strange weather (5-10 seconds of heavy hard hitting rain followed by beautiful skies for 10 minutes then rain again) it didn’t take away from the village itself. I honestly could have taken so many photos of the winding streets and the shabby chic doorways and window ledges. If there was ever a place I would want to live, that would be it. I don’t think I would ever get bored of just wandering around having a nosy at other people’s houses!
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| One day I will have a front door as cute as this one! |
Eli loved the animals; he became very attached to the black rooster that would escape from its enclosure from time to time and the minute he saw it he’d be off like a light chasing it down. I learned that chickens can actually run really really fast, especially when being pursued by an over excited toddler! He also enjoyed taking our scraps up to the two resident pigs each evening.
I think possibly for Eli, his favourite day was when we went for a walk in the rain and he got to jump in some seriously muddy puddles. Being located in the middle of farming country there was plenty of thick mud to go around. I don’t think he will be satisfied with puddles on normal concrete ever again! As you can see from the photo below, the idea that he would have to come back inside after his fun adventures didn’t sit well with him. It’s cruel but this is one of my favourite photos from our holiday…looking at it you can hardly believe his distress was over splashing in puddles can you?
There really is so much more I could share but I won’t bore you to tears. I am confident that we will go back to that part of France. Not even the exhausting car journey is enough to put me off as it was totally worth it to be able to sit out on an evening, glass of wine and book in hand, in the setting sun looking out over the valley below. Amazing!
Mike and Gail who own the gites were very accommodating and there is lots to do in the surrounding area. We went to a lake beach, walked through the forests, visited local towns and villages, experienced the local market and so so much more.
Without wanting to make this too photo heavy, here are just a few other favourite photos from our time away:
