What do you do when Thunderstorms threaten?

We jumped in our MX5, Max, and climbed a mountain. We did not realise that our chosen destination, the Arboretum Marcel Kroenlein, was up so many hairpins and such tiny narrow roads, but Max handled it well.

The arboretum at about 1400m showcased unusual trees from all over the world and many unusual sculptures. We wound our way around all of the paths for 2 1/2 hours. We’ve never seen so many butterflies in one place. There was even a greenhouse and small flower/vegetable garden. Amazing at such a height. We thought it could do with a bit of TLC in some places but overall it was fantastic. We even had lunch on one of the numerous picnic tables watched by a squirrel.

All we had to do now was get back down. A different route took us through the medieval village of Roure. A beautiful little village perched on the edge of a mountain.

We made it back to the appartment in time to see our hero, Sir Mark Cavendish, be honoured by the cycling world for his great achievements. PS we saw him finish stage 19 of the tour!!