A walk in the woods

So here we are in the beautiful Charente, gardening done, plenty of wine drunk and now time for a wander. From the front of the house a path leads down across a small valley by the side of the vines, then up into the woods

Looking back across the valley, the house does seem rather splendid

This time of year should be good for fungi, but typically I was too late in the day - however I did find a few, and some fascinating lichens (memo to self - must learn something about lichen)

 A bracket of some sort

 No idea what this is

 Nor this, unless it's some form of coprinus?

And finally the lichen - very pretty


What a pleasant way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon

France Flying Videos

As well as taking photographs non-stop, Les is a great one for making short videos....

So here are a few:

Departure from Brie-Champniers Airport at Angoulême

Flying over the Poitou-Charente countryside near Cognac

Landing at Lesparre airfield on the Medoc (a greaser!!!!!!)

Another good one at Couhe (well any one you walk away from is a good one!)

And the next day, it was time to go home - here we are heading North from Angouleme, passing east abeam La Rochelle

Over the Loire, and on towards Cherboug for fuel (for the aeroplane and the pilots!)

A bit further up the peninsula

Then with 85 litres in the aircraft & 2 croque-monsieurs in the crew - off we went - life-jackets on and over the channel, out towards ORTAC, under airway Q41 (WHY IS THAT SO LOW!!!), and coasted in over Sandbanks

Back on the ground at Ashcroft Farm about 90 minutes later - a really enjoyable few days flying

G-CGRB in France

Our first trip abroad in RB, originally the plan was to go to Bremgarten and Tannheim in Germany, back across France to Angoulême, stay a couple of days in Poitou-Charente and then return home. But as ever with light aircraft the weather intervenes and the eastern part of France and into Germany just looked too 'iffy' so we departed Ashcroft Farm (EGCR) direct to Guernsey, refuelled there then on to Angoulême.
We arrived at Brie-Champniers airport (LFBU), Angoulême at around 16:00 local, our chauffeuse collected us and we spent a very boozy evening celebrating the first channel crossing for RB. Sunday we had a day off, then Monday we planned a flight from Angoulême to Lesparre/Saint-Laurente-Medoc (LFBU), on to Saint-Pierre-D'Oleron (LFDB), then eastwards and inland to Couhe/Verac (LFDV) and back to Angoulême.

RB on the apron at Angoulême

The Aeroclub at Angoulême were very accommodating letting us park in their hangar for the first night.

Overhead Lesparre

Parked at Lesparre

 Onwards to the Ile d'Oleron

Downwind for runway 10 LH at Saint Pierre d'Oleron

Parked up at St Pierre

Leaving Saint Pierre d'Oleron our track to Couhe took us over Fort Boyard built in the 1800s as a fort, used as a prison and latterly as a game show site.

Finally on to Couhe/Verac, a delightful little grass field, before our return to Angoulême

Overhead Couhe

Parked at Couhe

My thanks to photographer Les for many of the shots above.

Some Aerial Views

So, at long last with the noise issues on RB sorted out, a trip to France beckoned (I'll post another entry with the details).
Having arrived at Angouleme on August 28th, we took the 29th off and lounged by the pool, but then went for a day's flying on Monday the 29th (another post - coming soon!!) to do a round trip to The Medoc, Ile-d'Oleron, Couhe and back to Angouleme - amazingly, just the slightest deviation on the first leg took us right over our house - so an ideal opportunity for some aerial shots - for which I am indebted to my flying friend Les

The Chez Borgnette hamlet - you can just make out the pool

Overhead, a good view of the house, pool and barn

Looking back

Climbing away and departing to the west