Tarte au Citron or Mille Feuille?: There's Life in the Old Dog Yet!

I hope that you aren't all thinking that I am referring to Linda in the heading for today's update! Nope, it's me and at the ripe old age of 62 - yes I know it's hard to believe because my mental age is at least 50 years south of that figure - I quite surprised myself this afternoon. Mind you, I expect to pay the price in the morning by waking up to pain in every muscle in my body and ready to consume vast amounts of Ibuprofen.

How did I surprise myself? Well I was back on my bike in the sunshine and completed my first ever Col. Impressive eh? Most of you of course are probably now asking the question, "what's a Col?" Well in simple terms, it's a hill or as I prefer to call it, a mountain and today, I rode up one using just my legs and lots of determination and willpower.

I set off with the intention of having a gentle 10 mile ride on the flat but the devil, somewhere on my shoulder, made me take a right turn to Eyroles! By the time I reached this village, I had climbed no less than 1825 feet, not bad when the maximum climb I had actually planned for my ride was around 50 feet! The result of my efforts was to be rewarded with fantastic views, divine aromas from the prolific broom and the tilleul trees and an incredibly fast descent which seemed to be over far too quickly, bearing in mind the efforts put in to get to the top! If any of you out there are interested in my route, click on the following link. https://www.strava.com/activities/615130310

We had planned a lazy day but the bright, beautiful morning led us on a mission to find coffee in an ancient Drôme village - we succeeded in Rémuzat - and then to explore parts of the area where we had never previously ventured. Every twist and turn brings pure delight. Quite simply, it's breathtaking and despite so many previous visits, we still revel in the stunning scenery that is on offer. You could never get bored and we remain amazed that the sight of a UK registration plate in the Drôme is rare. While ever we are returning to the area, long may that continue.

Finally tonight, I am heading off on a tangent to comment on a purchase I made prior to us departing for France in early June. This was of a new BBQ to replace our trusty and now, rusty old thing that had given us years of service but had come to the end of its useful life.

Our friends Ann and Paul and my old mate Barry had all espoused the wonderful benefits of the Cadac Carri Chef 2. This isn't product placement, honest, no money has changed hands. I am minded however to send a copy of this post to the company!

With tales of the amazing food this BBQ could produce, thanks Ann, I didn't bother doing any more research and simply forked out the £169, unknown, to Linda! A mistake really because unpacking it for the first time in France and learning of the price paid, she expected me to produce haute cuisine, similar to that offered by Gordon Ramsay. What I produced unfortunately was sausages and burgers and very delicious they were I might add. Since then, I have been trying to convince her of the Cadac's merits but I fear it is an uphill struggle albeit I was complimented on my pasta sauce, completed the other night in the chef's pan and pictured below. Apparently, to cook like Gordon Ramsay, I need to spend another £100 on accessories so in the short term, I'm sticking to sausages and burgers with the odd mushroom thrown in!

We have had a lovely day here and appear to be guaranteed blue skies and elevating temperatures until our departure.