Two days in one as really apart from driving we did nothing.

Monday 23rd September

Précis:- started on journey home, drove a lot, spent night on Aire, drove some more. The end.

We left Beach club Charlemagne around 10am and drove to Agde where the entire population were apparently intent on buying food so having managed to get a tank full of diesel we decided to get out quick. I am convinced that France is determined to rebuild it's roads to get out of the recession. Everywhere we've been there are major road works, it's amazing.

Anyway we finally got to the Aire at Cournon d'Auvergne which is attached to a campsite so we could easily walk in and us the facilities, however ours were cleaner so we didn't bother. We arrived at about 4pm and it was red hot.

All the way there Joan had been worried because it only took 15 vans and it might be full by the time we got there. (Joan, as you all know, has to have something to worry about otherwise she is really worried! ) There was one van there and we were able to park in a quiet little shaded corner and relax with our chairs out and long drinks, smashing.

After a very peaceful nights sleep we awoke very early and because we had no Baguette I settled for cereal with a promise of bread for lunch. We really needed to get to a supermarket for food and also of course diesel. Being early we thought it would be simple, big mistake! Clermont-Ferrand is a very big city and like the rest of France is being rebuilt with the resultant traffic jams. We managed to fill up with extremely cheap diesel and after   Circling around for half an hour I lost it, and drove out of town ignoring the b....y sat nav. who had been recalculating every few feet!!!!

When you are heading north from here it is virtually climbing straight up. I'm not kidding it is a long climb up and up for ages and really the rest of the journey is spent going down hill pretty steeply. Our destination was just past Limoges and when we finally had a break I said to Joan, surely we are so early if we go diagonally across on some smaller roads we can go direct to Airvault saving a day?

The total distance was 215 miles and Joan was worried as it took 7 hours, but I did get two snoozes on route. This little campsite at Airvault is really funny, it's like I imagine Singapore was in the 30's, it is full of English people being very English. Don't get me wrong they are all very nice but it is so strange not to see any other Nationalities here plus, they all seem to know each other and come every year. We haven't seen a rolled umbrella yet or copy of the Times but there's time.

Happy Birthday Carole we hope you have a good one xxx

Lots of love
Bryan & Joan xxxx