Off we go........... May 1st 2023

Angouleme.................not sure!! we had wanted to visit here for some time, we would have liked to have visited when the Circuit des Remparts was on but we are never in France at that time of the year ;-(. We will have to visit again sometime, it was just too hot and the best thing that happened while we were there was I got a good haircut in a back alley Coiffeur. We are sure there is lots to do and see but the visit just did not inspire, from the lack of parking to what seemed a high charge for the bus ride and the run down appearance to the what seem dodgy back alleys. We will do some more research on the city and revisit.
Back at Rouillac we found a Petanque tournament under way so we grabbed a drink and sat, watched and talked to some of the players, it had cooled off a bit and sitting in the shade watching Petanque was a great end to a mixed bag type of day.
We head towards the Loire via Essouvert and Argentonnay, on the edge of La Benate close to Essouvert we find a quite shaded location for lunch next to a well/pumping house on a deserted lane "perfect". From here we wander our way to, Site de la salette Argentonnay. Here there were plenty of trees for shade on this very hot day and with our aircon now failing every bit of shade was welcome and with great views across the river L'ouere we stayed for a while.
By the time we reach our nights stopover we are exhausted from the heat, we are greeted to Chateau De Bellevue by its owner who on seeing our predicament of no aircon he guides to a shaded parking place away from the usual France Passion parking arrangements, we are alone in an outcrop of trees near to the vines "we love it" and as instructed once we have cooled down and changed we go back to the Chateau for a personal wine tasting. More than usual photos of this beautiful stop over.

Quiberon beckons................................