It was just as well we’d already decided to spend today in Nontron because our ‘lovely quiet night’s sleep’ was shattered by sonme of the most continuous and frighteningly  close thunder and lightning I’ve ever heard. The tent lit up repeatedly, giving scant seconds warning of hte awesome crashing, rolling, ground shaking sound of thunder ripping violently across the sky all around us. As we lay listening to the rain beat the tent and holding our breath as the lightning played percussion on the clouds it became apparent to me why so many civilisations consider such storms to be a manifestation of their angry gods throwing a temper tantrum, the might of the thunder certainly seemed other worldly as we hunkered, sort of bravely, in our little tent while mother nature spat her dummy. The morning was calmer but still grey with light showers and as we blearily arose Kez discovered a worrying dampness in the tent. I promised I hadn’t wet myself when we discovered the water had somehow got in and was under my sleeping at. I worried that we’d somehow punctured the waterproof bottom of the tent but I couldn’t see any tears or holes, then I had a vague memory of leaning against the side of the tent during the night, probably enjoying the cool fresh feeling of rain water leeching through the fly sheet and down my back as I pressed the inner tent against the outer while I slept happily. Must try not to do that in future. We wandered up into Nontron, enjoying views from the disused railway bridge that spans the narrow but deep valley that the town is built in. We looked down on the river below, the rickety looking houses with sagging orange tiled rooves typical of the area, and the tops of fir trees reaching up towards us. We picnicked alone in the immaculate botanic gardens which stepped down into the valley below from behind a crumbling municipal building which housed the tourist office (closed until July) and avoided a bare chested, bearded loon who chattered loudly to himself in the quiet Sunday afternoon streets.
A lazy late afternoon and evening spent snoozing on the river bank back at camp made up for the lack of sleep last night, at least until the air ambulance helicopter landed noisily in the playing field near the top of the camp site, annoying the camp madam by blowing leaves onto her neat beds, borders and pitches.