Although I was awake a couple of times in the night, I had a much better night's sleep. It helps that we have shutters over the windows and doors, and we do have neighbours nearby. However, it's maybe not a good idea to watch any creepy documentaries on Netflix while we're here!
I was awake at about 6:30am and making myself a cup of coffee. I opened the shutters and was met with blue skies and sunshine. The temperature was perfect! I wrote my blog until Sophie woke up, and we decided to head to the nearby village of Mussidan, as there was a Super U supermarket there. We needed to buy groceries to last us a few days and fill up with petrol.
Before we went, we sat at the table with another coffee and relished the morning peace and quiet. This area is stunning, and we're looking forward to exploring our local village and further afield. We left the house and headed for Mussidan, which was a short drive away. On the outskirts, we found the supermarket and a petrol station.
With the car full of petrol (which will hopefully last us until our return journey), we made our way into the supermarket and spent a very pleasant hour picking out food and drink to last us a fair while! There was a large section of local wines, and I picked out two reds, one of which was a Pécharmant appellation, one I'd never heard of before. I learnt it's a blend of the usual Bordeaux varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec) and it needs some ageing, so the wine may go home with us!
We both said we missed Keith here, as he normally makes straight for the beer aisle! We bought a six-pack of Grimbergen in his honour! We also bought lots of water, milk, salads, potatoes, bread, cold meats and a couple of pizzas we could heat up.
After the supermarket, we headed into the village to visit the pharmacy. We had a short, sharp bickerfest about parking, so I had to do another circuit and come back to a space right outside! Sophie has been suffering from a sore tooth since Friday and bought herself a bottle of mouthwash and a box of paracetamol. We also bought insect repellent as we don't want any more bites!
Mussidan was a pretty village with lovely old stone houses and narrow streets. We spotted a couple of restaurants that we may visit if we get fed up with salads and pizza! We drove home, unpacked everything, and I left the car in the shade of a couple of trees. It was then time to sit by the pool and relax!
And... relax!
We spent the rest of the day in or by the pool. The water was very cold, but we soon got used to it, and it was a welcome relief from the high temperatures. The wooden decking burned our feet, so we used some of our beach towels to make a little stepping "stone" affair and unfurled the two big umbrellas for shade. Lunch was taken in the kitchen, and then it was back out to read our books.
I've been able to do several loads of laundry, and the clothes dry quickly in the heat. In the early evening, we sat at the table and lit a couple of mosquito "spirals" that are supposed to keep the little horrors away. We also have citronella candles burning. Unfortunately, even though we used the little stand for the spirals, hot residue dropped onto the table and marked it. As there were loads of other marks, we weren't too worried, but we'll be more careful in the future! Uppermost in my mind is the threat of forest fires, especially as no rain is forecast and temperatures are set to soar.
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| Our first attempt at lighting the spirals - it scorched the bowl! |
Sophie prepared a dinner of ham, pasta salad, and bread, and we drank another rosé to go with the meal. After clearing away, we watched another couple of episodes of Unchosen and then decided to go for a walk and see the sunset. It goes down here at about 9:45pm, and it was a gorgeous evening.
Back at the house, we sat by the pool and watched the bats swoop overhead. They kept flitting into the water for a drink, just as they did in Rocamadour last year. It was heavenly!
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