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20.06.08 Friday
St Savin to Montmorillon.
A good easy day down tracks and roads alongside the Gartempe a nice little river about the size of the Wye at Hay but not as fast flowing. It is held back by small weirs, the site of past mills at regular intervals, and over looked by relatively small but well preserved chateaux at times. We saw a hare that did not realise we were there for about a minute long enough for a recognisable photo, and several deer plus a strange looking duck on the river at Montmorillon, email to Freddie for ID.
Grey misty warm morning start but brightened up mid afternoon to allow us to see the medieval town at its best. Montmorillon is about the size of Stourbridge with a population of 7000 inhabitants, but serves a large rural area and has a hospital (modern working) that was founded in the 13th century to care for sick and injured pilgrims on their way to Compostella, by a local noble returned from his own pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Happily we have not needed its resources yet. We shall dine tonight on local trout (possibly from the river) with rice salad, accompanied by a £2.50 bottle of local Tourraine Sauvignon. All cooked on one little petrol stove, food and wine definitely a priority Geoff.