The main excitement since my last entry has been a really enjoyable week long visit by Rachel. She arrived by train at Brive only an hour late. Apparently there was some sort of rail strike, but nobody really bothered to mention it – later we couldn't even find a mention on the SNCF website.

We were very lucky with the weather while Rachel was with us – sunny and lovely and warm. We did all the tourist things – a visit to Rocamadour (our second in a couple of weeks), and from there to the Goufre de Padirac – the large hole in the ground with underground lake that Nick and his family had visited. I went down there with Rachel, and was very impressed – you descend deep into the earth and are then rowed across an underground lake – viewing wonderful rock formations, stalactites etc.

Another day out was to the Dordogne where we visited the Chateau des Milandes, a lovely old building which was the home of the American singer Josephine Baker. While Judy and Rachel looked at the house and the exhibition on the amazing life of Ms Baker, I was able to sneak away and watch the falconry display. We had lunch in Domme, a hilltop bastide village with wonderful views.

Rachel caught the train back to London (all on time thank goodness), and since then life has returned to its quiet pace. The weather stayed really nice until today – the temperature has dropped 10 degrees C, and we have had some rain – ah well, I expect the farmers need it.

We have a pair of kestrels nesting in the wall of a house opposite, so I was able to get a good picture just by pointing my camera out of my study window – bird watching in comfort!