One of the places Simon and P like to visit when they stay at La Maison Française is La Fosse Arthour. 
There are several pleasant walks including a very gentle one around the lake. Mop went in his buggy and Buster was largely off the lead. In true dog style, Buster used this freedom to find something unpleasant to roll in, unaware that such actions have consequences!
On the far side of the lake, there are a couple of slides set into a little hillock. Mop tried one but it was a little too steep and he ended up at the bottom – sat on his bottom in a muddy patch. This had the advantage of slowing his progress on the other slide to an acceptable rate. With P supervising at the top and Simon catching at the bottom, fun was had by all.
As they were in the area, Simon suggested going home by way of the Château de la Bière to buy some of their excellent beer. However, the notice on the closed gate said that one had to telephone to arrange a visit, so Simon thought it would be easier to look for local shops that stocked the beers.
In the village there is an old lavoir that is now used as a fish pond. 
Mop takes great delight in riding there on his bike with a tub of fish food. The fish are very pleased with this development and join in the activity with great enthusiasm! In the top cistern there are no fish but instead it is populated with tadpoles. Mop gravely inspects their progress each day, as Simon and P have told him that they will turn into frogs or toads.
Mop has a bath before bed each evening, supervised by P. Simon brings his milk upstairs and says goodnight etc. Tonight Buster was surprised to be called to follow upstairs. Perhaps he was going to be allowed to sleep at the bottom of Mop’s bed? No – Buster was horrified to be taken into the bathroom and worse still, Mop’s bath water was still there. But as Simon said, dogs who roll in fox poo shouldn’t be surprised when they are bathed!
It wouldn’t be right to finish this post without remarking on the date – 6th June 2019 – which is 75 years since the D-Day landings. People living hereabouts still take the time to think about the sacrifice and bravery of allied forces that liberated France from a dark period of history. There are the street names (La Maison Française is on Rue du 6 juin), the boulangerie has pictures of now and then (the village suffered significant damage – there are few old buildings), there is a memorial in front of the church, and today one house in the village was flying a French flag with the words “Thank you” written across it.
simonandp 