Turned out lovely

Having returned to Lathus we found that the motorhome service point was not working so instead of settling for a few days we had to move off in search of fresh water. We picked an Aire some 20k distant on the same road that passes the Lathus Aire. Despite being a wet day the journey on a very minor D road was pleasant.

Thollet, according to Wikipedia, has just 165 residents so it seems unusual for it to have an Aire at all and we were not expecting much. It turned out to be a really good spot, apart from the fact that the water isn't working. Nonetheless we liked it so much that we have stayed for three scruffy nights, ekeing out our meagre water supply. This has been made easier by the presence of some rather good public conveniences.

The Aire takes 8 vans on hard standing on a riverside meadow area sited behind the Mairie and the Salle des Fêtes. The Salle building also houses the public toilets and happily has a tap point on the outside of the building so we have been able to fetch drinking supplies even if we can't fill the van.

It is a beautifully quiet spot and has the benefit of leading on to a network of waymarked walks.

The sun came out yesterday and we took a couple of shortish walks either side of lunch after breakfast outside on the picnic table provided. Dinner was also taken outside.

Today began warm and dry but cloudy and we took a 10k walk around the valley, sort of across the field of view on the far side of the river in this shot, right to left, then back in the foreground, left to right.

The sun came out almost as soon as we set off and jackets came off after the first K.

Yesterday Nell had chased a Coypu so she was on the lead for that section in the hope that we might see one again. We did... not in the distance where we were looking but practically under our feet. It slipped into the water and we watched it swim away.

Masses of butterflies and bees today. Wild flowers in abundance: cowslips, pulmonaria, violets, wood anemones, violets, ladies smock, speedwell, orchid and many more ... even a wild strawberry plant with a single flower. The Blackthorns were the star of the show though, in full blossom.

I sneezed my way around the walk. What's French for "anti-histamine" ?