We go castle-hunting, and are only moderately successful. CS is fairly tired, and becomes more so after several hours of driving on unknown and relentlessly winding mountain roads; so we don’t go as far as we intend. As usual, the best castle we discover is entirely unexpected; coming from the east, the Château de St André Entrechaux is a kind of summation of today’s France, I think: a panorama of perfectly tailored vines leading the eye up to a most extensively and wonderfully ruined château … (Another such château, clearly marked on Michelin map #528, is supposedly at Beaumes de Venise; we searched and searched for it, yesterday, with singular lack of success. Very frustrating.)

Tonight we return to Le Poème, only to discover that we have reached a stage (we’ve both been ill) where we simply cannot consume any prix fixe menu at dinner-time; we no longer have the appetite to get through all the courses. We can’t do the meal justice, more’s the pity; it teaches us a salutory lesson, and we are to that mistake only once again on the trip.

Small morning wanderings by car, next day, but eminently satisfying, both in terms of happily untiring driving and photographic results.

Memory: looking out over a marvellous vista from the walls of Clansayes’ old church, and seeing in the far distance, as part the beautiful panorama, the steam plumes marking a nuclear power station … Here, this works !

Discover we were completely fooled by a French movie we once saw set in La Garde Adhémar; the town’s centre must have been dressed by the Production Design department to make it look like a thriving village — but, in fact, it has an extremely sparse commerces area, and we see, if I remember correctly, a total of three people walking about … Why, we have no idea; it’s a fine town, and not falling to pieces …

And find that in France, a place calling itself a salon du thé will not always be good at its trade: in the main place of St Paul Trois Châteaux we are given cups containing old and stained tea-bags, and told they do not sell anything to eat ! This town can often be found listed as “StP3C”, which I find enchanting; and it is a delightful town, not to be judged simply by that one tea-house !

Going back to Valreas to collect our laundry, and being hungry, we follow signs to some restaurant called Terre de Nacre — I’m afraid it will turn out to be Chinese. What it does turn out to be, whilst also being (in all honesty) somewhat unprepossessing in appearance, is the provider of one of the best lunches we eat in France ! We’re the second of only two couples who eat there today; but there’s no sign of seediness or lack of care about the place, so I can only suppose that they usually have better patronage. Certainly, they deserve it; the meal is really excellent without being too rich, and the service friendly. If you find yourself in Valreas, take the trouble to find the Terre de Nacre !

This being our last evening in Grignan, we don’t want to go out; Jean-Luc says they will send up a plate with some meat and cheese, and a snack like that sounds fine. What appears is … hard to describe, really: a trio of three arrives in our room, Jean-Luc bearing the tray, Mark the stand to set it up on and one of the girls a jug of sparkling water. The tray contains — well, I think the picture will say it all, so I’ll let you find it and marvel.   :-)   That’s Le Clair de la Plume all over.

Memory: using my dubious French to thank for our stay the delightful lady who ‘signs us out’ of our favourite hotel. Not only does she understand me without problem, but returns the compliment absolutely genuinely !