John and I sitting down to dinner at our first stop out of Paris at Gien. Fi and I had attended a cooking class in Paris that morning and were recreating a couple of the dishes. We had a fab meal topped off by a bottle of Moet that Bronwyn and Andrew had left for us in the van when they departed. One of two … saving the other for Fi and Pete’s wedding anniversary on Friday in Lake Garda … which if we don’t pull our finger out we won’t make! …. but thank you very much Bronwyn and Andrew … lovely gesture.

I’m sure you have all figured out that I am having way too good a time to waste valuable minutes writing a blog, but I will endeavour to catch up whilst on the road today. I have also had a chronic sinus infection that hasn’t helped the concentration.

… dinner in the apartment on the last evening in Paris. No we didn’t cook these dishes … Fi and Pete took us to the Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower … it was divine! We had a fabulous day … to be expanded upon.

Photos of the markets that we visited as part of our cooking school plus a couple of photos of what we cooked.

Briare where we we visited … stunning town … it has a canal that crosses over the top of a river!

John bathing in a river! … don’t waste the water … which of course is abundant.

Mary-Rose and Bruce Ramsden and myself outside their van. We met up with them last night and had a great night. Doesn’t she look fabulous … she completed the camino that I abandoned. We are talking about the Arles route for next year.

OK … so that was a quick overview and some photos to keep you interested. More to come soon …ish!