Holiday

The week before last we escaped for a rest after the Garden Safari - which raised over £8000 for the Pilgrim's Hopsice - "somewhere in France" - in Sue and Don's super gite near to Saumur. We were blessed with lovely weather too, although it was really desperately dry down there

So as not to bore everyone, here first of all is the mystery Fritillary species I need help identifying please

There follow various holdaiy - or even holiday - pics

Chinon first - Chateau and ever such old streets - and a superb lazy lunch in the square for just over 11 Euros each plus drink and coffee

 

This is the brand new lift up to the fortress from the square in Chinon, all stainless steel and glass, looks superb against all the old buildings, suprisingly, can't imagine English planners allowing that!



This is a bread oven in one of the towers in the fortress, of interest (to me anyway) is the collection of bat droppinsg on top, fallen from the flue above!

This is Amboise, another lovely old town, and another superb lunch

This is Saumur - lunch was a bit more as it was Bastille Day!!

Other highlights were:-

This shipwreck in Saumur, no idea what it's about but definitely aground, note the Pompiers in attendance on a Sunday  - lots of overtime!!

 Mistletoe and 6 Golden Orioles in here, just out back of the gite

 

A quaint corner od Parcay les Pins, the nearest village

A baby donkey found while out walking

A Reed Warblers nest right under the hide front at Rille Lake, where there was also a lone and distant Great Egret

The Rose Gardens at Doue la Fontaine, superb place, when at their best the roses would have been stunning, later, in the town square, another superb lunch

And this Turtle Dove coo-ing at the rose gardens

  

The gite surrounded by Sunflowers

And a Hare in the field next door recently harvested - Oats or Barley it seems

The bird list was 39, including Cirl Bunting and Yellowhammer, Honey Buzzards and lots more too, a good holday