Where in the world is David today? Same as yesterday - Bellac

Sorry I didn't manage to post yesterday - sleep overcame me. Not surprising really. Yesterday was a good day, and I am happy to say that I don't have to ride anywhere today. There are practicalities to accomplish like planning routes for the next few days and booking some accommodation, but otherwise the day is an empty page to write upon! This may even be a short post because I think I hear Stephen returning from the boulangerie with fresh bread for breakfast. (For those who don't know, Stephen and Ivana Partridge are Daniel's godparents, Stephen was my first boss, and they are probably the first new friends we made when we got married and moved to Bedford. We have had quite a few adventures, but not been in close contact for quite a few years, sadly.)

As promised, I got myself off to a quick start yesterday morning, leaving Poitiers just after 8.00am. It was damp,  but not raining, and thankfully the wind had died away almost completely. After a few miles round the ring road, I was onto N147 all the way to Bellac, but the traffic was light and there was nothing to spoil a straightforwardly enjoyable ride through the countryside. I seemed to find a really good rhythm too, and the miles just clicked by. Yes, there were hills, and some of them were hard work (long 5-6% drags for a couple of miles), but that rhythm held and I never once got myself out of breath. Yes, it rained briefly a few miles from the end, but not for long, and not enough to be a bother. So, having budgeted for five hours door-to-door, with just very short breaks I was there in four and a half, and, lo and behold, as I worked my way up the final hill into Bellac, Stephen and Ivana passed me in the car. What timing - they were there in just enough time to get unlocked, really. How did I know it was their car? It was packed to the roof with characteristically Partridge cargo.

Finding the house was even quite straightforward - I didn't have to ask for directions. I made my way down to the church, through crowds emerging from a 'first communion' service and dismounted to negotiate the last bit on the steep narrow streets. It amused me that some people were having more trouble than me with my heavy bike - the ladies from church teetering down 1 in 5 slopes on high heels that they obviously weren't used to. Ivana said to me later that they would be back in their housecoats and flatties today. It was great to arrive, and a great welcome, and I was amazed at how fresh I felt.

Stephen and Ivana's house in Bellac is truly lovely. Of course it isn't finished, but that would spoil things really! I can count five floors, if I try hard - cellar (once a bomb shelter, now used for wine), workshop, kitchen level, living level, bedrooms. And then there's the 'little house' which is very much work in progress, and that has its upper level of three at the same level as the workshop. That should tell you that this is on a steep slope. The views, naturally, are superb - especially from Sophie's bedroom! The exterior is great too, with fruit trees, gorgeous clematis, a pond with fish (which had survived Graham, the neighbour's cat) and multiple interesting spaces.

Anyway, tea was drunk, lunch was eaten, I freshened up, and then there was work to do. I would have been disappointed not to have been given a job! Stephen and I had a car to empty (new garden furniture, plants, bamboo screening and miscellanea for the main house and plumbing goods, kitchen units and doors, plus an old ceramic hob for the little house). Then there was garden furniture to assemble and a hammock to dress in its finery before more tea could be made and drunk. From there on, I rested, I am afraid to say. Stephen pottered around planting things, and my laundry got done, and we took turns to talk about life's serious issues - without, I hope, getting too morose or anything!

Ivana took me on a tour round the town to see if any of the local restaurants was open for dinner. OK, it was Sunday, and some might not be, but it was also Mothers' Day in France and first communion, and after touring the whole town - which has surprisingly extensive facilities - we found that nowhere was open. Several places had signs saying things like "Fermeture exceptionelle" with reasons such as illness and family first communion celebrations. In England, we said to ourselves, the restaurants would be doing a roaring trade with families on Mothers' Day, but it is a different, more family-oriented culture - more DIY when it comes to that sort of thing, I suppose. About the only thing open was florists, in case anyone had last minute need! On our return I made myself useful by resolving Stephen's WiFi problems. He had described it as a bit sensitive and choosy. It should serve them better now, and he know's what to change if it gets picky again. Meanwhile, I can actually get connected and blog.

Anyway, as a result of our failed search around town, we took a trip out of Bellac for a few miles to a local restaurant and had a quite exceptional meal. From the freebie asparagus mousse on, it was all excellent. My starter of golden delicious apple baked in flaky pastry with slices of smoked duck on top was wonderful, for example, and so was the pepper ice cream served with our strawberries. An excellent end to the day, and time to fall into bed. Let us see what today holds... I may even take a day's break from blogging.