Tamarisk, Hawthorn and all things nice

We have been staying in the Parc Naturel Regional du Perche, at L'Esperance, Dorceau. The site, Forest View, named by a pair of Yorkshire exiles that run it, is so called because of the (above titled) trees surrounding the lake we are camping beside (you can just make M out, sillouetted againt the sun reflected off the water). A lovely place to spend our last few days in the country.

The journey from Sainte Foy La Grande was by far our longest yet at 340-odd miles, but the kids did really well, passing the time with reading, watching the changing scenery (went from shouting 'grapes' to 'wind turbines' and 'cows'), time on their DS's of course, some times-table practice (what task masters we are), a movie and, finally, going a bit nuts.

After exploring the stunning area (that may be familiar with readers of Proust? No? Me neither, not yet anyway), for example the village of Combray ('Remembrance of things Past'? Apparantly..), our last night, tonight, has been spent at the fabulous restaurant Domaine de Villeray - a fine (though expensive) way to end our hols!

Tomorrow we head for home turf, and whilst it will be lovely to be back to creaure comforts (and a house that doesn't have scaffold on it anymore - hurrah!), we know we will miss France, even after over two-thousand miles. The kids favourite locations involved body-boarding in the sea (the boys, Soulac sur Mer) and the pools (M, at Versailles and Sainte Foy la Grande). Ours was certainly the Pyranees, defined by amazing walks and the views early and late in the day. Incredible.

We feel we've got to know a few spots of the country and look forward to our next trip. However K reminds me that Spain is on the list, and we've had a couple of calls to Italy and Switzerland, then there's Wales and Scotland... Which reminds me, we'd better get Rosie in for her 160,000 mile service!

Will post a few more pics later.