Prueilly

Big day. Vita Weet biscuits that had travelled all the way with us from Australia were carefully placed in a fancy carry bag hoping that they would not be a box of crumbs after their long flight from OZ, their trip to Paris and then Saint Aignan. For good measure we packed them with some chocolates that we'd purchased on a recent day's outing. Prueilly punched into Navman. I could sense the nervous excitement. All of us were to meet, for the first time, our fellow bloggers, Susan and Simon, who write Days on the Claise. Fortunately, the journey there was uneventful and we travelled through some pretty rural landscapes. Our lunch appointment was for 12:00 but we arrived much earlier due to the Saint Aignan market schedule. We took the opportunity to explore the village. In the village there was a church erected to celebrate the millennium; the 1000 millennium. It was how shall I say, 'old?' Construction completed in 1009 according to the dated stone on the facade. Architecture of this church was simple yet impressive in both its size and structure given its ancient construction techniques. The village nestles comfortably on either side of the river where we enjoyed seeing the ever so subtle hints of Autumn in the trees. Our meeting with Simon and Susan was a highlight of the day as was the ride in Celestine Citroen. Over a fine lunch in a local restaurant we became really well acquainted with Susan and Simon who afterwards treated us to a tour of their home renovations. What a design and major undertaking! The pictures posted on their blog and the accompanying text did provide insight into the project but seeing it for oneself allowed us all to appreciate the history of the site and the many difficulties encountered when one tackles such work. The skylight in the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom demonstrates the creativity that they bring to the project whilst maintaining faith with original features and fixtures. I commend their energy and patience and wish them well. We would loved to have stayed longer but we had to travel back to our hotel in Blois in order to retrieve Stephen's passport from the Kate and Chris who had returned to Paris.