Canals and castles

The canal is the Canal de Berry, which crosses over the Sauldre River near Saint-Aignan and Selles-sur-Cher on an old stone bridge. And the castle is the Château de Valençay — one of the major attractions of our area, with a fine garden, an animal park, beautifully furnished rooms, and a labyrinth.

We had a beautiful day yesterday — sunny, warm, breezy — and we made an afternoon outing of it. Here are just a few pictures. Today is "pack up the luggage, load up the car, and head for Paris" day for our friends Geri, Phil, Julia, and Conor.

Conor and his mother Geri watching a little barge
move through the Canal de Berry...

...which passes over a bridge across the Sauldre River.

It's raining this morning, very lightly. We lucked out with the weather over the weekend, and spent much of our time outdoors. We also spent long evenings getting re-acquainted, cooking, eating, and drinking the good local wines after we got the kids fed and squared away. It has really been fun.

Here's the group for those of you reading this who know us

Julia's ninth birthday is today. Yesterday we bought her a cake, candles, and some presents, and we had an impromptu surprise birthday party for her when we got back from spending the afternoon at Valençay. She said the cake was very good, and told Phil later that she really enjoyed the party.