1. Patch’s Christmas Adventure in South West France

2. The day after school finished for Christmas, Patch travelled through the fog and snow to Prestwick Airport to catch a flight to Girona in north Spain. A drive across the French border took him to the historic medieval town of Carcassonne.

3. After Carcassonne Patch travelled on to the city of Pau which is wonderfully located near the Pyrenees and also near the Atlantic coast and the beautiful seaside towns of Biarritz or St Jean de Luz. So he had the choice of a stroll on the beach or sledging in the mountains. Patch stayed in a house with beautiful views of the mountains.

4. Patch found the sledging high up the mountain a bit cold, but he enjoyed the hot chocolate in the bar afterwards.

5. Another day Patch had a picnic in a mountain meadow in glorious sunshine.

6. The south-west of France is famous for its ducks and not surprisingly they find their way onto the dinner table. For Christmas dinner Patch had a local specialty called “Canard Royale” which is a whole duck with all its bones removed stuffed full of foie gras. The is cooked at a high temperature for a short time so that the out-side is lovely and crispy, but the foie-gras remains firm inside. Patch even enjoyed a very small glass of local Jurancon wine to wash it down.

7. Unlike in Dundee the sun was shining and it was warm enough on Christmas day to sit outside and make a daisy chain!