Bois de la Couarde

Last Sunday (we have got behind with our posts) we went for our usual afternoon walk. We'd decided to explore two areas of woodland between Braslou and Marigny Marmande, Bois de la Couarde and Le Bois Millet.

There are marked routes into the wood and we chose the clearly marked (!) CR65... *or was it CR85...?

The rest of the walk was well maintained with paths running forever through the woodland. A couple of minutes walking and we came upon a picturesque Etang.

It was particularly photogenic in the sunshine which made the waterlily leaves resemble a Dulux colour chart from the "Shades of Etang" collection. (other brands of paint are available)

The paths running around the etang and off into the woods were lit by shafts of autumn sunlight...

It's on days like these that everything is at it's best..

The ferns and bracken were just wonderful!

We met an elderly couple out foraging for mushrooms, their paniers full of a mix fit for a banquet. We were happy to just photograph these colourful specimens...

Turning left at the edge of the wood our walk took us along a hedgerow laden with blackberries - long past the picking stage. Note to self: next year come a month or two earlier!

The circular walk took us just over an hour and a half but we were stopping to take photographs so frequently that this is no indication of distance. As we approached the end the sun was getting low in the sky

But it had been a glorious afternoon and we enjoyed every minute.

** It was actually the CR85