The routine with Hugo is becoming established and we try to manage 3 walks a day, one of them a long walk, usually in the afternoon. He seems to have bundles of energy and never tires…until the end of the day when he just crashes out. All around the village are numerous lanes, tracks and virtually empty roads, so we have a huge amount of choice of where to go, and as much as Hugo likes a routine, I enjoy the variety of somewhere new. The walk the day before was a new route which took us out of the village, along an old track and through the next hamlet, making a nice round-trip of about 6kms. To say that it was cold would be an understatement. The easterly wind felt like the Russian sabres were out and cutting my face. The fact that it was a beautiful sunny day gives the impression that it wasn’t so bad. In fact the frost never went all day from some of the hedgerows.

These are the kind of things you miss seeing when driving…just beautiful!

Leaving the village

Looking towards the village

Dormant vines waiting to spring into action

Twenty-four hours later and a swing in the wind and we are positively basking in a balmy 16c. The coat is off, the gloves, scarf and woolly hat set aside and we have been able to walk with just a sweat-shirt on today. (Well, I did wear trousers as well; it’s not that warm)! Long may it continue I say, but realistically, winter isn’t over just yet. However, spring is just around the corner.

A bientôt!