A week in the French countryside, in France Compte.

It was a week seeing friends, going for walks, helping with the hay-making, having time to look at the abundant wild-life, taking time off from the helter-skelter rip-roaring everyday world.

Wildlife, see photos (but not yet put up)
- Sparrowhawk,
- Peacock butterflies,
- Black bees
- Hummingbird moth
- Buzzard
- Red Kite

Restaurants

- La Crevette Petite, we walked down to Dampierre and chose the Table D'Hote menu. We had a 'Pression' each to start with and while we waited I asked for a carafe of water. There, swimming away for all his worth was a little shrimp, so the cafe is now known as La Crevette Petite

- La Tete de Veau,
we visited Pesmes, a short distance away and spent a delightful hour or so having a cup of coffee at a pavement cafe; walking around the town; round the battlements, down to the river and then upto a Logis De France restaurant. It was fairly busy when got there and then got busier. A delightful restaurant witha superb and delightful menu. The poached salmon was beautiful so I was a little disappointed for Tete De Veau I don't know why but I was expecting it to be roast. In the event it was braised or casseroled and consisted of veal tongue and jowls I think. The vegetables were over cooked and overspiced. For all that the first course and the desert (tarte aux prunes) were tremendous and La Ronde Du Fromage waas superb. (No wonder I put on weight while I was away.)

General
- Haymaking
- Gardening
- Swimming, virtually every day
- Peaches, now there's a tale, ask me about whether you should leave the stones in when you're making a peach gout.