We leave the village before 8am well fed on pancakes and probably home made jam. We have eaten very well here but thought the price a bit over the top considering the unfinished nature of the facilities. 40euros b&b and evening meal per head.
It is a short hop over to the next valley with the town of Chateauvillain where there are cafes and a super market open till 12, it is Sunday!
The town is the interest for the day. There is,it is claimed,the second largest dovecote in France with 3,000 places non it appears still in use. Where is the largest we ask? It also has a floating wash tub, this you might think is some sort of pleasure boat, a floating gin palace but no,it is a lavoir or public washing area on the local stream. These are no longer used. We can recall seeing one in use by one person in Spain. This one is built on a floating raft with washtubs attached presumably because the hieght of the river varied to much.
After coffee we walk on through the woods accompanied by possibly a French Canadian who live locally. He tells us the very straight road we are on was built not by the Romans but by the Templars for pilgrim use during their period of power after the crusades.
Soon we reach Cour Leveque where life is enlivened by Nougat a fluffy little dog who escaped and has a whole family chasing him up and down the road while he annoys another dog on a lead and tries to follow us. This other dog was barking superiorly from an upstairs balcony. There’s always something going on in rural France.
Early arrival washing done time for some time resting feet