The heatwave has broken and a wet and soggy Bastille Day in the Loire Valley saw White Car, Blue Car and Red Car hit the back roads. The countryside is magnificent with fields of sun flowers, hay bales and stacks littering the fields and the country gardens are in full bloom with the flowers I grew up with prior to the days of being water wise in Australia. Our plan was to visit a number of Chateaux and then have lunch.

Bastille Day is a day of celebration for the French. Each village is decorated with the red, white and blue flags and has a street parade. Tonight after a fine dinner we witnessed an impressive Fire Works display over the fort in Chinon.

After sitting in a cafe having morning coffee and watching the televised Bastille Day Parade in Paris we were moved by the moment and the red, white and blue theme. We planned to take a picture of the three cars, given the significance of their colours, in the streets of Richelieu surrounded by the French flags. But at a restaurant in Montsoreau at lunchtime someone suggested that the memorial monument on the roundabout in the centre of this village presented a better backdrop as there were six French flags in close proximity.

In the pouring rain, Ian M and Reg, scoped out the situation. There were four bollards on the pavement so the cars would have to be backed up over the curb on the roundabout.

The rain stopped and the  plan was quickly executed. The cars were backed into place with Mary and I keeping an eye on traffic, which of course, slowed down to watch the production. Lorraine sat, well away from all the action, near the restaurant and observed these antics, in disbelief. The restaurateurs stood at their doors watching this episode with great amusement. Mary and I proceeded to capture the moment with photographs. Once again these little cars were making people laugh