Wheels

This has been a momentous week for the car, after a long haul it has finally received its " carte gris" and will soon be able to display its French number plates... so we are very, very nearly there. Our journey to this point has been long and no doubt muddied by the need to replace the headlights ( for right hand drive roads) on our senior yet very special Mercedes.

Yesterday was the culmination of many months of pursuit. We set off in the morning to Moissac,  the financial centre for Tarn et Garonne, where we were issued with a certificate regarding any tax payable for the import. The next step was to go to Montauban, to visit the Prefecture for our department and to get the "carte gris".  Leaving Mossaic and the Sat Nav carefully loaded, we headed off on the final leg of our quest. As we reached the outer section of Montauban we discovered roads were closed, we turned... more closed roads. We realised groups of people were walking, heading for somewhere? Finally the penny dropped we had arrived amidst all the preparations for the "Tour de France" which was cycling in later that afternoon. We had to park up the car and head in on foot.

I was very impressed with Montauban and in truth I had not expected to be. The outer part, like many places, had out of town retailers but the centre was home to a warren of shopping streets opening out into a beautiful square and just the place for a coffee. There were several stages for music events and everything was gearing up for the party later that afternoon when the cyclists arrived, it was going to be an amazing event. We wanted to stay but had our own party to go to last night, however we felt that we would be better prepared next year and that we should find out the route of the "Tour de France" a little bit earlier. 

Apart from car wheels and bike wheels we have another kind of wheel in our field this week, hay wheels!! Our local farmer has cut the field and I am proud to say... and this is a new sort of pride, one I have never had before.... that our field has produced twenty one circular hay bales. I am sure you are all as impressed as I am! 

Our final circular link this week is somewhat a mystery. On Wednesday we went to the barn to find a circular pattern etched in the dust floor. My first thought was that deer had stood there though on closer inspection.. no. We wondered about water droplets but I think it must be perhaps a beetle or insect emerging, perhaps you can shine a light on it?

Not really sure what has created these circular patterns on the barn floor.

Twenty one bales of hay! ( well twenty, one is out of shot).

The seldom seen north side of the farmhouse.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Oiseau Bleu'  This beauty is just coming into flower.
 

The faithful pelargonium. The gardening girls potted these six weeks ago and they brighten the tiny windows in the barn. The flowers are coping well with the heat which is 29 degrees c today. (08/07/16)

Montauban. Top: ready for the race. Bottom: The square in the centre of town.