After what seemed like an endless stretch of cool, cloudy days, we finally have a day of warm sunshine, offering Mike a chance to use the pool here at the villa before we depart for Provence tomorrow.

Despite the gloomy weather, we’ve had a great time in and around Monpazier. Maureen successfully fought off an aggressive cold, and yesterday afternoon we went for a 6-hour horseback ride at a farm about 30km (check me out, using the metric system after just two weeks in Europe!) north of here. Throw in some great meals, countless adorable villages, and dramatic old castles straight out of Game of Thrones, and it’s been a fantastic five days.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Roz and “Big Mike,” chasing warmer weather (we hope!) in Provence and on the Riviera. I’d promise you some photos, but I’m guessing I’ve lost any credibility on that score by now.