Another thousand mile journey from Shropshire to the Pyrenees on Tuesday/Wednesday of this week went well apart from a couple of unexpected detours.  The autoroutes were almost deserted as usual apart from in and around the bigger towns and cities so I was snapping away to record the journey.  The chateau d'eau/water tower on the horizon towards the left in the photo above was a lovely shape!

 The miles and miles of flat open farmland to the north of Chartres makes for boring driving but the modern grain processing and storage systems are fascinating.   

 We use this bar tabac just outside Chartres for a coffee stop.  It's accepted as normal to pop over the road to the boulangerie for croissant and cakes to accompany the coffee served in the little bar.  This time we had croissant au beurre, éclair au café and flan.  Délicieux!

 This lovely old cinema in a sleepy little town near Evreux was still in use.

 The spires of the cathédrale in Chartres can be spotted from many miles away as they stand out majestically on the otherwise quite flat horizon.  It's a vast and stunning edifice and has recently undergone restoration and a clean-up.

 Travelling in a car at 110kms per hour along autoroutes doesn't allow for the best of photographs but I managed to capture a few of the chateaux peeking through the trees along the way.

 These tourist placards announce entry into the Dordogne.  Inspirational sources for quilts?

 I haven't yet visited the Pech Merle caves with their prehistoric paintings but I can certainly recommend a trip to Saint Cirq Lapopie.  It's perched on the side of a cliff and is stunningly beautiful.