Au lavoir

This is me and my brother-in-law John cooling our feet in the lavoir at la Guerche, which like all lavoirs (communal laundries) is on the banks of the river (in this case, the Creuse). It was so hot and the river so low that a group of canoeists out on the river ran aground on the old ford which crosses the river just here. They had to hop out and walk the canoes up river for some metres. John and I, standing in our ice cold pool and squidging the frog poo and accumulated algae between our toes, exchanged friendly waves and greetings with the canoeists.

Susan