We both enjoyed a magnificent night’s sleep and woke to . . . . . no rain. Hoorah!

Stoked up on breakfast and away after a quick visit to the Basilica of Notre Dame over the road. It’s very big but, frankly, not to our taste.

Soon we were on the motorway heading down to Paris where I enjoyed the ever amusing skirmish round that insane race track of the Paris Pérépherique.

South of Paris we stopped for our coffee and then Mrs Sixwheeler offered to drive the next bit, for which I was most grateful.

All the way it was very green and pleasant, and flat. My friend Nadia is busy bicycling across Europe at present and seems to be enduring constant hills so it would suit her very well, with a following wind.

Eventually we arrived in Moulins on the northern edge of the Auvergne where we had a booking at the Hotel du Parc, a place we stayed years ago and enjoyed so had high hopes.

A walk round the town revealed interesting buildings and I was able to indulge my passion for photographing interesting doors. Here are a few.

OK, that’s enough for today, but there will be more.

One of the churches we visited had some very colourful stained glass as well as more traditional. I particularly liked these souls burning in torment

which gave me a good appetite!

So to dinner; we were particularly looking forward to this as we had enjoyed a particularly good meal the last time we visited, and once again we were not disappointed.

I started with a chicken, ham and lentil terrine which was light, fresh and tasty; for my main I had a Charolais steak cooked ‘á point’ which may just have been the best steak I’ve ever eaten; finally I had a creme brulée with cherries. All washed down with some very decent Côtes du Rhone and a coffee to finish served with a small dish of crystallised orange peel. ALL DELICIOUS! 10/10. Mrs Sixwheeler’s was just as good.

And so to bed ……… A demain mes amis.

7 May 2014

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