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07.07.08 Monday.
Monflanquin to Villeneuve sur Lot
The lady of the house in the B&B was very good to us and took us back into town (no forward progress by vehicle) in order for us to have a meal, really beyond any expected hospitality. They have been there 7years, her partner is a builder, and we think has done great work in the restoration of the old farmhouse.
A slightly later start then after a good night’s rest and a full Dutch breakfast. But a relatively short day of 12 miles into Villeneuve, however once again the previous wet weather was still producing the horrible mud of the area and hordes of mosquitoes were on the prowl for fresh meat. Unfortunately for Geoff he was flavour of the day and his legs were devoured.
We arrived in Villeneuve about 13:00 and had an omelette and frites and a look round the centre. This is another Bastide town but much altered and very different from Monflancon being a river crossing not a hill fortification. The central church with an enormous red brick spire visible for miles is from the early 1900s as the original had a disaster in the crypts and collapsed. Only a very limited amount of the medieval centre remains.
The tourist office were very helpful and, after saying no camping in Agen, then found one just south and also suggested a farm/wild camp area suitable for tomorrow. Campsites look thin on the ground further south however.
GF adds; just gone back into town to get military strength DEET. Decided the problem is lack of quinine in my blood – haven’t had any G&T for a week now. Garlic from last night’s excellent meal (most comprehensive crudite salad for three I’ve ever seen) doesn’t only seem to encourage them!!
This blog is typed out on Tim’s laptop (we prefer camping equipment that is at least dual-use but he won’t permit us to use it to chop vegetables on) and then uploaded to Tony’s home server via his smartphone. So long as he can get a decent 3G signal, the whole process is entirely portable. Electricity usually seems available by unplugging the campsite washing machine for 30 minutes or until someone notices.
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