NATURE ALONG THE LOIRE

 

We had a wonderful time staying on the banks of the Loire at Briare, cycling every day to explore the nearby villages. We were rewarded one day by the sight of an otter calmly swimming along the canal who took no notice of us as we stopped to watch him go by.  At one stage of that day's outing we took a wrong turning and found ourselves deep in a rather damp wood and were surprised by the trails of caterpillars hanging on threads from the trees.  We quickly decided to turn back as the insects were rather busy too!

 

At the campsite the shower block was taken over by a flock of swallows that swooped and chattered all over the place with no fear of humans.  They were busy building their nests in the rafters and even on the light fittings. One pair had chosen a spot inside the shower area and had to wait for human assistance to open the door if it was inadvertently shut!