Along the way

We rented a small gîte (vacation rental house) just across the Allier River from the small city of Moulins. It's about a two-hour drive from our house. Just before we arrived, we drove through an old spa town called Bourbon l'Archambault. It's more than a spa town, of course, being the home city of the Bourbon line of French kings. The ruins of a rather imposing fortress/castle rise above the town.

A glimpse of Bourbon l'Archambault. This is not the castle itself, but part of some other fortification.

We drove into town and parked the car, then walked Tasha up to the château which, I think, was closed. Either it was because it was Monday or because it has reduced hours in winter, I'm not sure. We weren't planning to go in, anyway, because we had Tasha with us. I had a small problem with the camera (it somehow got locked and I couldn't change the settings), so I didn't take many pictures. Our short walk was good, though, and we soon got back on the road to the gîte.

Our first dinner in the gîte: cold roasted turkey, Brussels sprouts, and boiled potatoes served with mayonnaise.

We stopped at a local bakery for some bread and something for dessert, then at a supermarket for a few things, including some local wine. While Ken was in the store, Tasha and I walked along the river then sat down while I had a coffee at an outdoor café. The sun was out and it felt warm. After checking in with the gîte owners, we settled in for what turned out to be Ken's birthday dinner (which we had brought with us).