End of the Monsoon

     After three and a half days of constant rain the clouds parted and the skies finally turned blue. We attended a very nice brunch at the home of the brother of my wife's son-in-law, a very distant if any relation. Way out in the countryside in the middle of nowhere. no sidewalks or fire hydrants. What struck me was the international make-up of the attendees. US, British and Irish expats as well as US visitors (us) and Frenchmen. Most spoke English so I was able to participate in most of the conversation. A lot of very different perspectives on things from child-rearing to the Irish Troubles than one would get in the US. At least among this group there was a widespread perception that the US is comprised of gun-toting violent people.

      I staggered out of there under the weight of two servings of chocolate mousse. We then took an unscheduled trip to Loches. another one of these French cities whose buildings and history go back 2000 years. It still looks like a medieval city with remaining walls and one of the oldest dungeons in France. Lots of torture and imprisonment equipment there. A15th century Italian big shot was imprisoned there, but he seemed to retain some of his luxury lifestyle as he had servants and was allowed to receive guests. Legend has it that when released he died from the shock of the sunlight.
However, the best news was that they honored the "official" mistress of Charles VII, Agnes Sorel,  (he died when he bumped his head on a chateau doorframe) by giving her a prominent burial place in the main church. I wonder what the king's wife and unofficial mistresses thought of that. Maybe the latter got her revenge since she married her husband's successor, Louis XI.  The mistress was banished to Paris where she appears in a museum in a single bare-breasted portrait.

     It appears that we will be leaving the friendly confines of the country house in Fleuray tomorrow for the road. Our insurance paperwork has arrived and after we pick it up tomorrow we will resume our travels. I am a bit apprehensive since we plan to travel 8000 km in a 20 year old car, without language skills in the countries we propose to pass through, without any reservations and plans courtesy of Lonely Planet and Mr. Google. It will be an experience.  But it is not tourist season and the car was checked out by a mechanic and has new tires and brakes. And we are not driving a new BMW so I suspect we will attract little attention.