I woke up to grim clouds and low temperature, what a change from Strasbourg, but it seems this a general change in climate throughout central France. I decided to take a trip to the town of Autun about 16 miles away through beautiful countryside. Autun is a small town with a modest sized cathedral and some pleasant buildings to walk amongst. It has a nice bi weekly market in the main square partly inside a building and partly outside. The market provides a nice range of quality foods such as vegetables, fruits, cheese and of course breads and fish. I also strolled amongst the many small streets, darting in and out of small art galleries and shops. It was mid afternoon when I returned home to unpack my shopping, which included cheese, bread, and salads for dinner. I soon discovered that our hosts, Chris and Judith had organised a barbecue for their guests, which meant I needed to buy some meat to grill and some fruits to share with the other guests. This meant another visit to Autun for further supplies. I realised I was not experienced in self catering, having even forgotten to bring tea, coffee, milk and toilet roll! After a second drive into Autun and new supplies I was ready for the barbecue. Around 1900 I went down to Chris and Judith's owner’s house and met all the other guests. It was a fully booked week so we were 12 guests including us plus Chris and Judith. It was a really great evening meeting many from the UK but also two couples form Germany. Most were teachers on holiday and the evening was full of laughter and interesting conversation. After a great evening eating and talking I soon became tired so I made my excuses and retired around 2300.