Date: Friday 23 June 2017 Weather: Overcast sunny intervals Mile: 000 /
The girls had decided that Tom and I could chose what we wanted to do today. Provided it met with their approval. We men called a meeting in the tractor shed for after breakfast to discuss our options. Before breakfast had finished and we could convene our meeting it was decided by the girls we would have Fish and Chips for lunch at Confolens.
Now getting fish and chips over here is not that easy. These are the real McCoys. Cooked in a deep fat fryer using traditional ingredients and recipes. The family that run it are all English and he has a fairly good following in the surrounding countryside. Considering we would have to drive for an hour to get there, that's like driving from Plymouth to Exeter, you can imagine how good they must be.
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The old bridge crossing the Vienne at Confolens. |
There is another very valid reason for todays visit. Audrey, Angie's late departed mother wanted her ashes spread here on the banks of the River Vienne and today we were to plant some tete-a tetes on the spot where we had scattered her ashes two years ago. It is a lovely spot and we felt privileged to be asked to help. We look forward to returning perhaps in the spring and seeing them in bloom.
Our next stop was another reclamation yard run by an English guy who had been over here years and specialised in the demolition of old chateaux and farms. His huge warehouses, themselves architecturally interesting were jammed packed with everything from 12C arrow slits to replica Bugatti's on a Volkswagen chassis to two 1800's wooden Canadian canoes. These last items, one of which was beyond repair, the other he was sanding down to varnish was an absolute delight in design and form. The craftsmanship was unbelievable. All hand made.Far too good to use on the river as was his intention. It was here that Angie and Tom spotted some flagstones that were needed for a small garden project that was up and coming. Before you could say "Bonjour Jean" cash changed hands and seemingly two tons of paving was loaded onto Mike and Jackie's rear seat!
