One of the most memorable meals so far, pulling in to a
green meadow flooded with evening sun over the rolling hills. 
Something very luxurious
about chosing your dining spot with the option of the best seat
in the house everytime! Whipped up some gnocchi
with red wine, Paul Simon playing loud- a memorable
spontanious alfresco dining moment in the Dordogne.















Driving through the Dordogne rolling hills, we approached a
dramatic valley with the fat moon casting reflections on La
Tarne a huge slow flowing river carving through steeply rising
cliffs. A supernatural energy force really resonated from Saint
Antoine Noble Val.  
The meeting of two strong natural
forces rock and water. This was
destinedto be our stop for the night.

Pulled up next to la Salle du fête
where an alternative country music
band was featuring, had planned to
gate
crash but fell asleep under
the stars in our blankets instead.
Saint Antoine Noble Val; enchanting narrow, winding
cobble streets with charming medieval architecture a cote de
la grande stone bridge mirrored in the vast waters ebbing below.
Something auspicious about this place, maybe we will be back one
day.
In the morning after a 2 hour conversation in French with a
curious monk (Frere Michel) about various pilgimages around
France and Spain.
After a curbside cafe au lait brother micheal signed la creperie
visitors book and we set south in the mid morning light.
Stunning winding roads through vineyard clad rolling hills. 
Finally we have found the sun! Had to stop at a friendly
crossroads where wesaw a sign for vin a vendre!
Since our cellar was running low we
investigated la cave where we were greeted by freindly
vinyard owner and left a little tipsy with a 5ltr box of
vin rouge.

Albi; a red brick town constructed from dredged materiel
from the Tarn river on the banks of which it sits with the
largest brick built cathedral in the world at it's heart. 
The austentacious bishop of the town in the 13th century
built it along with his own brick defensive palace where he
lived in fear of attack from the towns people. Cruising around
on the hogs after parking up little lb with the campervans in
the free parking beneath the cathedral, we cycled about the
stone clad streets.  After sussing out the gigs for the night
in music shops, we found a possible Friday night venue for our
soirée at the albi university.  We definitly found the right
place; a circus big top with music stage, a gigantic fire with
2 large beasts on spits and a bar which also sold home
made soups and whole roasted pigeons!  The two bands were ace
the first a very cool Tarantino soundtrack sound
and the second a rocking band with cool front woman in a 
bloodstained wedding dress- my hero! A great party
and free too.  Our first wild showers followed in the woodland
south of albi, rather fresh but quite a beautiful experience as
you look up through the golden leaves above
through the falling water from the shower rigged up In the branches.

Now we head south with Ali and claire who we met at Mont Roc in the
middle of a cursing orage with horizontal rain,  black clouds and
biting winds....this was not the plan, especially that all camping
spots are closed - so on with the wild camping (camping savage).
Camping next to a derelict chateaux there was plenty of exploring to
be had in the morning. However sunshine is still missing ingredient
so yet again we hit the road to head further south, this time sand
dunes near Perpignan.

A crazy winding hair pin thread road through the black mountain led us
to our evening spot a very french setting at the end of a farmers
track to a small mound of trees surrounded on all sides by mature
vinyards in full autumn colour.




With plenty of wood for our fire we
sat under bright moonlight and ate Claires delicious Thai curry and
rice noodles. The wind picked up over night with more than gale force
winds LB shook for most of the
night as the wind hurled through the vinyards and bent the island of
trees sideways where the tent and Lb trembled all night long.














In the morning, glad to have not been totally blown away, we shared
a bunch of black grapes left on a vine at the end of a row and set
off for some breakfast wine tasting.

Vingrau has been the perfect spot for all of our climbing needs.
Camping out at the foot of Gouleryous Gorge where the clear waters
swirl and pool at the base of the rock providing us with a perfect
bathing pool teeming with fish.
























A big fire of drift wood provided
light and warmth for the creperie party in honor of claire's birthday.
The baby pumpkin was lit and the French climbers joined us for games
of 'The cardboard box game' and offered birthday
gifts of shots of absynth and the multiple layered birthday pancake
with a plathora of chocolate ingredients with banana and honey.

Life has been easy in the gorge again a vinyards setting that has
providedample grapes for grape juice pressing (gringo berry presse),
and fresh water for bathing and washing.  The weather has been
blissful most days with blue skies, and early morning sun which 
we have made the most of since the clocks fell back.  Feeling very
self sustainable in this landscape we have only needed a couple of
visits to perpignan for groceries in the three weeks that we have been here.



























New features to LB's kitchen menu have been added including 
falafel with salad and flat breads (all handmade and cooked on
the open fire).   Bonfire night was pizza night.  Three cheese
with spinach onion, olives and
chillis - was delicious, baked in the small oven made by the two
chapati pans placed together on the fire.  Early morning
starts to our climbing sessions has given us long evenings
to devote time in the roodytoots studio.  Preparations for the 
'vintage Paris' winter range
photo shoot are taking shape.  Lb will be making it's way to Barcelona
to meet annie on the 16th -looking forward to it pannie! Re stocking
of the boutique la boheme and arrangements for the shoot will take
place as well as the obligatory fun nights in the city, look out
Barcelona here we come!