Nestled in the bowl below the barrage means we wake up to minus 2C. The heavy frost has coated the grass and trees and everything else with white, making the rocks below the barrage look like a frozen waterfall.
We're in no rush to move and it's 11:00 by the time the temperature has a 'plus' in front of the number and we set off.
The road climbs away from the river through thick woodland where, through the bare trees, we get a sighting of Chateau de Chateaubrun.
A turn off the main road drops and climbs again to the little town of Gargilesse where we stop to look over the valley at the pale stone church. A couple of houses have Spanish style enclosed balconies. Through narrow streets and down to a bridge, we cross the river Creuse and climb to the viewpoint at Boucle le Pin. We know boucle means bend, especially when applied to rivers, but this boucle has a special feature: a noticeboard describes it as the join between two different geological areas, the Granite Gneiss and the Paris Basin. Sure enough we can see the hard rocky outcrops of granite on one side of the valley and the sheared yellow ochre faces on the other.
It's a beautiful, sunny drive through more forest and in places alongside the Creuse before we reach Perchereaud and detour into Carrefour for a few supplies. Driving through the town there are some grand houses backing onto the river, some with crazy-paving patterned stone walls and brick detail, others styled like mini chateaux.
Perchereaud merges seamlessly into Argenton-sur-Creuse where we pull in beside the river for lunch. The water looks, at first, quite smooth but is is flowing quite quickly and there are a few eddies and tiny whirlpools from the undertow. Occasionally the water is disturbed by fish breaking the surface to catch flies.
Our planned stop at Thenay is only six miles away and because it is still sunny and a bit early to stop we find another aire listed at Ouilches. We follow the main road towards Le Blanc then turn off cross country to Ouiches. We are out of the woods now on a small road with open fields all around and sunshine beating through the windows.
We reach Ouilches, an attractive little village with a simple stone church and stone houses with charcoal coloured woodwork. Some houses have balconies like little wicket gates on upstairs windows. Best laid plans etc…. The aire is being resurfaced, barriers, workmen, trucks and tarmac spreaders are using up the marie's latest lump of funding.
Plan C: Not far from Le Blanc we know of two nice aires, Tournon St Martin we have used two or three times, and Fontembault which we have passed but not stayed at.
The road from Le Blanc is familiar, running alongside a jagged rock face on the right and the flood plain on our left. We reach Fontembault and park in the empty aire looking across 100m of green grass to the river.
Nearby is a boulangerie with a constant two or three customers' cars in the parking area at a time. Must be good so Ali wanders across and comes with a few treats, including some buns called 'Paris Brests'. Ali wonders at the name. Nick says it comes either from a mis-spelled act at the Follies Bergeres or perhaps they were a speciality on a notable train running between those places. Ali favours the train idea because there were toy trains next to the till.
We later find it was created a representation of a wheel requested by Pierre Giffard for the 1910 Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race. The choux pastry with praline cream filling became a favourite with cyclists because of its high calorific value. Tastier for cyclists than ketamine or corticosteriod too!
Once the sun goes down it cools rapidly again and it just 4C by the time Ali dishes up our dinner of baked dorade on a bed of fennel, tomato, onion and pepper. Rations can be sparse on the road…
Never mind, Paris Brest for dessert.
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