To make a change in our routine we booked into a bed and breakfast not far from Lyon in central France about 4 hours from Nice. The area is part of the Central Massif - high country.
Beryl took us along the Med coast towards Marseille and then North up the Rhone river valley. The route could have been a lot shorter in distance but would have involved much mountainous driving. We saw many interesting features along the route but it was virtually impossible to take decent photographs while moving. This fortress or Monastry is sitting on top of a cliff overlooking the valley.
The countryside around the farmhouse we stayed at.
The owner breeds Alpacas.
And has a collection of birds. This is a type of pheasant which she explained originated in Persia. As do all pheasants apparantly.
She also has a variety of Australian birds. Reason being she came originally from Australia. Moved to London to study music, became a fixture as an Operatic singer with the Lyon Opera and married a Frenchman. Unfortunately he died after they had both reestored this magnificent farmhouse. She now devotes herself to raising Alpacas and currently has about 60. She got the idea on a visit to her family in Australia where there has been a surge of interest in these animals over the past few years. They are rare in France. The Global Financial Crisis has severely cramped her ambitions. People have stopped spending here according to her.
This one was born the morning we arrived so we were a bit of a burden to Gillian as it was touch and go it would survive. She lost a baby a couple of days before. Happily it survived the night we were there and is being fed on goats milk as mother is not producing enough.
This is our hostess Gillian Howard Evieux tending to and bonding her dog with the new born. She was planning to drive to Calais and back this afternoon with a friend to collect four male Alpacas, one of which had been flown from Australia via New Zealand. The round road trip will take 18 hours and they are going to do it with only a two hour break in between. All in all a pretty risky venture. Hope the Aussie Alpaca is not too traumatized!
Two new mums and babies. Not sure about us.
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