This morning I was walking our Beardie and two extremely, extremely large hare jumped out onto the road in front of us. They then did a sharp u-turn and scarpered back into the vines. They were so large I could see them running for several hundred yards. They proceeded to jump up high so they could see over the vines as they went. Lovely.
It was time to take another day off and we headed off for Saintes. We were all slightly bleary eyed after a late night at a neighbours where a hearty and welcome meal was served, but it was only a 30 min drive away, so nothing too taxing. We started at the Roman amphitheatre which apparently, in its full glory, could hold up to 20,000 spectators who came to watch the Roman Gladiators. It was a fantastic place. You could walk through the tunnel where the chariots would have come into the arena. It was easy to imagine them thundering down the hill towards the roaring of the crowds. We peered into a dark more macabre tunnel where we found out that the dead bodies where held until they left for Bordeaux. The children really enjoyed projecting their voices. Well worth a trip.
We then headed down to the Charente river where there was a lovely park for adults and children alike. A small bunch of animals were on display including a fabulous peacock in all his splendour, some slightly podgy goats and some beautiful varieties of hens. We took the opportunity to visit the patisserie - as tends to be our way. My Paris Brest was so large I dropped half of it on the floor leaving a large lime green splodge in the middle of the pavement which somebody with very expensive looking shoes then walked through - eeek. Anyway, the river area is very inviting and the shopping is also very good. It was a shame we missed the market though. It will be a good excuse to visit again another day.
Home for a spot of decorating!