What a sound and what a day.

Chinon view from campsite

Roitelet Huppé and a few others, were in full throttle yesterday morning, charming us with their musicality as well as their technical dexterity. Individually they were superb vocalists and collectively, offered a sound that was as complex as Tallis's Spem in Alium. Not that Spem in Alium is performed that often, whereas our singers go through their paces every day.

We were out yesterday morning for a walk in Chinon, on the other side of the river, starting near the campsite. It was a beautiful day. There were fourteen of us from one of our Anglo/French groups, Among them was a wild flower (and mushroom) expert and also a bird song expert, who was 'leading' the walk, as essentially it was about birds along the Vienne. We went because we don't know much on the subject. But the walk also took us  along a trail we'd never done before so offered different views of Chinon.

There were a couple of places, where at least a dozen birds were gathered in one spot, all singing their hearts out. With our expert in tow, we were able to tune into each of their songs, so that little by little as we went along, could pick out the individual birds from within the chorus. Just fabulous.

For the first time ever, I heard a nightingale/Rossignol philomèle - in fact two. We saw a bird called a Serin ciri, which stays in France, never venturing across the channel. It looks like a small canary. There were several Roitelet Huppé/Goldcrests. Blackbirds/Merle noir. Dunnocks or Hedge Sparrows/ Accenteur mouchet. Chiffchaffs/Pouillot véloce. We were walking for about 2hrs, but it just flew by. Oops sorry about that! Had camera so took photos from time to time. We then headed back towards Chinon for lunch in a little café by the river. An added bonus was being shown all the wild salad and edible salad leaves, which you could pick along the road side. Although we seem to have a few in the garden. We've often spoken about growing a few lettuces. Now it seems we don't have to.

Lunch was simple and delicious with the La Forteresse (as Chinon castle is called), the river and traditional river boats providing an idyllic setting. After that we drove home- around 3.30pm. As we pulled into the drive our neighbour Isabelle rushed out - would we go round for a coffee. So we dumped our gear, changed out of walking boots and went round for a coffee with Isabelle & Jean-Phi, Annabelle & Christophe and their children from our road. Then another neighbour, Julien, came in with his little girl, Lily. The children all know each other so happily played together -  all four of them.

By the time we went home next door it was about 5pm. We had three private view invitations yesterday as well, but realised going to all of them was not practical. Our priority is to support our local gallery - Gallerie Cravantaise owned and run by Danielle Perrot. Lovely lady. So we changed again and around 6.15 walked down the road towards the gallery which from us is a quick fifteen minute stroll. Gorgeous evening for a p.v./ vernissage. Quite a few people there. Grégory Cortecero was the artist on view, who is part of a International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Association. Completely different style and some of it was particularly lovely. Thoroughly enjoyable. We met a Dutch/French couple who live in Cravant. Seen them twice before, so had a good chat with them. And for the first time we met wine producer Joel Bournigault and his wife and daughter. We've often seen him out working and walking. He's a distinctive figure - very very tall, and is neighbour to our friends Patrick and Nadia Lambert who are one of our favourite Cravant wine producers. Got back around 8.30pm.

A grand day out as Wallace and Gromit would say.