Banon, Bagnols sur Seze, Aveze, Aumessas, Campagnac and Perignat-les-Sarlieve.

Monday 24th April 2017   So, we've been to a few places since we left Gordes a couple of weeks ago. First stop was Banon (N44.03966 E5.62962) in the eastern edge of Provence; a beautiful small town with a steep walk to the Church offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It's the place to come in summer when the lavender fields are in flower. However we don't come for the view, we come for the restaurant "Les Vins Au Vert" ( www.lesvinsauvert.fr ). We discovered the restaurant 4 years ago and its a delight every time we visit. The walls are covered in wine racks offering wine from every region in France and beyond, the food is a selection of charcuterie, salad, cheese with a small pot of soup. Doesn't sound like much but every mouthful is delicious.   From Banon we headed west to a vineyard at Bagnols-sur-Ceze (N44.18519 E4.62158) a little way from Orange. Of course we had to buy some Cote du Rhone and the next day set off for Aveze (N43.97552 E3.59860) just outside Le Vigan, a great stopover by a river with beautiful walks.    The following day, Saturday, we set off for Aumessas (N43.98997 E3.50429),a tiny village in the Cevenne. Our eldest daughter lives in St Etienne with her husband and 3 children but her parents in law have owned property in Aumessas for many years and they take every opportunity to spend time there. It is a beautiful area and we've visited many times. Part of the village is a jumble of houses all joined together, perched on the hillside occasionally separated by a courtyard or narrow alleyway. Many years ago this was a prosperous village with terraced mulberry trees supporting silk worms and the resulting silk was sent to Le Vigan by rail to the factories there. Chestnuts also were harvested in the area. The railway line is long gone although the station remains and is now the village bar and social centre. The permanent population would be measured in the low hundreds I guess although there are many more folk here during the summer. Despite this there is a lively social scene and a wonderful atmosphere. The downside is that its a 20 minute drive to the shops but with a bit of planning this isn't really a problem.    We spent a week there during which time Phil celebrated a birthday, we enjoyed a couple of walks in the mountains and met up with friends we have made over the years (Hi Patrick!). But all good things come to an end and on Sunday we bade farewell and set off for the even sleepier village of Campagnac, (N44.41955 E3.08866) 70 miles to the north. We didn't really have a plan once we left Aumessas other than to arrive in Zeebrugge on the 5th May for our ferry back to England but we knew that the A75 is a scenic toll free motorway (apart from the bridge at Millau and I don't mind paying the €12 for the privilege of crossing) and we could get some miles under our belt. So today we are parked up in Perignat-les-Sarlieve (N45.73707 E3.13847) a few miles south of Clermont-Ferrand. It's an official motorhome stop over but whereas some of the aires we stop at supply water free,some charge and a Jetton for the machine has to be purchased from the Marie or the local bar or suchlike. Here they want €2 for water but we had a lucky moment. Shortly after we arrived a workman from the Town Hall arrived with several steel sheets with posters attached showing the candidates for yesterday's first round of elections. He turned on an outside tap and proceeded to wash the posters off the sheets (we cheered when Marie Le Pen was washed away hoping it was some kind of sign for the final round of elections in a fortnight) and when he had finished I asked if I could fill up a couple of water containers from his tap - pas de problem! I swapped the water for a can of cold beer and everyone was happy.    And now, after lunch and a look at the maps, we have a plan; we've decided to have a nosey around Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg having never explored that part of France, stopping off on the way at Macon and Dijon. Of course we all know what happens to plans but another good reason to explore these places is to do with the weather. We've had glorious weather for the last few weeks but all the forecasts indicate a sharp drop in temperature and some rain over the next few days so towns/cities with galleries and museums seem like a good idea.     Pat