Ma Baker is the FBI's most wanted woman

My word of the day is ‘Ébourgeonnage’ – no, you look it up

I was up with the alarm clock so I got a couple of hours writing in before being whisked off to Périgueux for lunch. A crystal white hoarfrost and bright blue skies coupled with the morning sunshine intensified the beauty of the unfolding landscape.

Before we did anything else, we stopped at the cash’n’carry for essential restaurant shopping. Once in Périgueux we walked all of 100m from the car park to the Café de Paris for a café noir and to meet Manu, our lunch date. She led us to a fine restaurant where the friendly staff served delicious food. I sampled a mussel risotto (excellent) and magret de canard (only second to that served at L’Enfance de Lard) and a delicious chocolate dessert, rosé and fantastic Bergerac red wine accompanied. Trés trés bien.

Afterwards we did further restaurant shopping at a shop specialising in porcelain de Limoges, before a tour of a beautiful town called Brantôme. I nodded off on the drive home, which was due entirely to the relaxing classical music and nothing to do with the two bottles of red wine at lunchtime.

A Chinese meal this evening, followed by champagne, Puccini and Mahler. God I hate France.