We awoke to see hot-air balloons, through our bedroom window, floating across the valley, and after a leisurely breakfast we watched the tourist boat departing from the dock on the river for the short cruise upstream.

Later in the morning, we started to drive home to Moissac via Fumel on the River Lot, which was just beyond Ste Vite where we had got to last year on our trip up the lower Lot River. As we drove through Fumel, we saw a sign up the hill to Chateau Bonaguil. We had wanted to go there last year, so we thought we would take the opportunity now that we were in the neighbourhood. We were so glad that we did as it turned out to be a real highlight, well worth the 6euro we each paid for the self-guided tour. The Chateau was in very good condition, and was quite complex with many different spaces on several levels. The view of the Chateau from the approach road promised a lot, and was backed up by some spectacular views from the top of the tower. There were also many interesting passageways in and under the chateau, as well as some ancient and bawdy graffiti. Well worth a visit if you are ever in the region.

Touristically, we could have spent a lot longer at Bonaguil, but after a coffee in the village, we made our way home to Moissac. That evening, Rita helped Veronique with a ‘batucada’ class (Brazilian rhythm) that she was presenting in nearby La Francaise.