METZ

We left Pont a Mousson and headed to Metz. Pronounced ‘Mess’ it is quite close to the German border and is a city with a huge cathederal with the largest expanse of stained glass windows in the world and I think the 3rd largest in France. Again as much as cities can be a busy hassle it is often worth it for the buildings. We find the free aire in a municiple carpark next to a caravan park. This costs around 40 euro a night so we opt for free though carparks do bother us and this has its fair share of long term caravans probably gypsies. The aire only holds 5 campers and it will be full by late afternoon.

We head off into town, about a 20 minute walk and it is still hot as as we meander down along the river. There is a beautiful church on an island that is very old and flowers adorn the many bridges making everything very pretty and colourful. We first find the info centre after walking around the cathederal which is bloody huge and has amazing ornate features. We find we have missed any free concerts the night before like we had at Pont de Mousson, most places are having these for summer, but we will get a good look at Metz. We first take a look at the cathederal which is as cavernous and huge on the inside as out and the windows are absolutly amazing. My only gripe is that though they are restoring & cleaning the outside slowly the whole aura inside is let down by the grime and dirt covering the windows and taking away the light effect.

We head outside and wander around trying to follow the touristy highlights. For some reason there are heaps of foot patrols of soldiers in groups of 4 and police everywhere so not sure if this is normal security for Bastille day coming up. It is a little un-nerving as they hold their machine guns with their finger on the trigger in a ready to fire position. However it does make us feel more secure. We walk past a man on the street begging and though we tend to ignore them as there are to many to help this man does not look like your typical beggar and has a sign saying he is hungry so we buy him a sandwhich and he is very appreciative. Most want money but we feel better giving food. Scot contemplates giving him one  of his beers but he may be a recovering alcoholic so dont want to tempt him.  (Lol….Scot wrote this but I don’t think he wanted to part with one of his newly bought beers)

We find ourselves on the outer of the old town area by the river and the old 12th century walls and newer castle fort which we assume once protected the city. We have a coffee in a small bar then head home towards the large scenic park and river boat walk. It is very picturesque and we love that the french spend so much effort on gardens and cleanliness with mature trees everywhere.  We try to find a church we are told is the oldest church in France – goes back to about 600 or 700 century but the lady in the tourist bureau has given us wrong instructions and after a long walk we deem it to be too far away so give up the idea. We get back to the van have dinner and crash.

 

 

PONT A MOUSSON

It’s Friday morning and we leave Nancy.  It is still so hot and I for one will be glad to be away from the city to a quiet place we can have our windows open without worrying.  Today is the start of the French school holidays and as we drive north on the motorway, the traffic driving south is manic.  We have been told about this – everyone is leaving for their summer holiday and doing so a little early.  Every 2nd car is loaded to the hilt with luggage, kids and bikes and are in the huge backlog of traffic thankfully going a different way to us.

We need to find a laundry which has been a little difficult this time.  We are going to stop only a short way between Nancy and Metz to have a break from the tourist thing.  I have found a place called Pont a Mousson where there is an aire on a marina again with all included in the price for 9.50euro a night.  Not bad.  We find a Laundromat and get the washing done.  These little Laundromats are located with a supermarket and they consist of a small shell with a large washing machine, a small one and one dryer.  A lot of people use them to wash their large doonahs as the large machine takes 18kilos.  Unfortunately I just beat another lady to the large machine and she is pissed off, but hey that’s life and my whole weeks wash has to be done, not just a blanket!

We head to the marina which I am aware is very popular and will fill quickly so we hope there is still parks available.  We are in luck and settle in.  Canal boats stop here and it seems to be popular with them too.  An English lady who chats as she passes tells us that even the washing machine and dryer are free here, so great value for money with showers and all (except we just paid to do our washing down the road). In the Moselle river which the marina feeds off there are lots of swans and nearby mother ducks with the ducklings which are just gorgeous.  There are swans by the marina walkway nesting and she is sitting on eggs that should soon hatch.  Shame we won’t be here to see them.

Saturday night we found out there was a concert on in the local market square so we went for an hour to listen to the music.  It was quite good and they had a really good crowd gathered.  It was standing only unless you got there really early to get a seat.  Why is it that being so short, every man and his tall dog seem to want to come and stand in front of me so that I can’t see a thing.  It happens all the time and I can’t figure it out.  I am feeling like I must be so short I am becoming invisible to the average Jo blogs.  Scot said I need to look more intimidating, so am contemplating face piercing and tattooing to see if that works….Lol.

Anyway, this is where we are now.  We decided to have a break for the weekend and stay here since the heat is killing us and here it is safe and quiet to keep all windows open at night in the hope some cool air might come in. It has been 26+ every night and the forecast keeps telling us we will have a storm but never happens.  Tomorrow – Monday 10th July it will be cooler supposedly and we are heading up to Metz.  Our plan for this week is Metz, then Verdan and then closer to Paris – sticking the van in a campground for 3 nights and we have accommodation booked in Paris for 2 nights so we can help celebrate Bastille day there.  Our next posts will most likely be on/after next weekend.

 

NANCY

After leaving Haut Koenigsbourg castle we head down the long road away. We briefly stop at the bottom to get our bearings and decide where we will head for the night. We could stop where we are but time is a marching on and we want to get to Nancy in the Lorraine region. We decide we will head west on the highway to get through the Vosges Mountains and into Lorraine. The highway has a 6km tunnel and you pay the price to travel on it – 10euro for the privilege and Morrie does not need another hard grind over mountains it was bad enough up to the castle.

We decide to stop on the way to Nancy at Saint Die de Vosges, an ordinary town where the aire is about 5euro for the night but has free power. We now know why we pick and choose big towns as really unless there is something special they just aren’t worth the hassle. We find the way to the aire but there is a tiny bridge that is really difficult to fit over so go into the parking lot of the large swimming complex (wouldnt it be a nice swim but there are too many kids) to work out how to find another way across the river. A lady pokes her head in and asks if we are lost so we explain our situation and she tells us about a bridge up the road. Again we are blown away about the french helping tourists especially in dodgy areas as we find later when we pushbike to get supplies and  go through typical immigrant settled highrises.

We head away the next day so that we are in Nancy early as the aire at the port only takes a few vans and if you are late, you miss out. It turns out there are plenty of spots and this place is expensive. You pay for your spot, electricity, a shower, water etc but they know you dont have a lot of options here. A shower is again very welcome as the heat has turned into the mid to high 30s again. It is another stinker but we reluctantly set up shop and have lunch, unsurprisingly a baguette!

We then walk into the city and make our way to the main attraction the Stanislas Square and the surrounding area. What a cool square and all in light pinky sand coloured building and huge forecourt with a statue of Stan the Man in the middle. Not surprisingly it is stifling hot and we try to find the info place to get an understanding of what to see with tbe least effort. We consider taking the local tourist train (not a real one but a snazzy fibreglass one towing carriages which we see in all the tourist towns & cities a bit like a quaint sugarcane train) that in 45 minutes takes you around the tourist highlights. We quickly decide they are not airconned and would be too hot crammed in with other tourists so decide, cleverly on Vickis part, to just follow the same route as the train which will enable us to see the main sites. The popular parts are the bars and cafes where the cold drinks are but we need to do tourist penance and see the beautiful buildings and then have a couple of coldies in a tabac bar.

We then walk through to the large park and see they are setting up for a piano concert in the rotunda. A young girl is playing and she is really good. We find out that it starts at 5pm with the main man on at 8. We tottle off to the nearest shop and grab a couple of beers and crisps and head back. The chairs quickly fill up and we are entertained by 5 young kids playing Bach, Liszt and Beethoven and they are absolutly amazing we cant believe these maybe 12 to 15 year olds can play like this. We are totally gobsmacked and the last little lad played Liszt like he should be (and probably is) playing in the Royal French Synphony. I personally walk away with tears in my eyes feeling so humble and privilaged to be a human being. It doesnt take me long to think of all the kids with talent in our world that are shitheads and wasters due to our way of life and I realise there are oasis of beautiful kids out there.

We find out there is a light show on at 10.45 that night as that is when it is dark so head back to our home and have dinner then wander back to the square. We hang around till the show starts we are in the middle of Stanislas Square and the 3D CGI show is phenomenal and three sides of the square are illuminated with the most amazing colours and images for 30 minutes. We again sit with our jaws dropped as we witness a spectacular free show that the square is perfect for. This is on all month and though the aire is not cheap we are very satisfied we made the effort to see Nancy. We head home at 11.30pm, it is still 31c and we sit outside wondering how the hell are we going to sleep.

Here I will say that Scot falls asleep quite quickly.  We have our windows wide open and we are in the middle of a city – not a place I feel safe or comfortable in even though there are police surveillance and security men with dogs in the area. I don’t like to sleep when I know someone can easily climb in through our window and with the heat it is difficult to anyway.  I think I must doze off about 4am as I am so tired by that time and the van is still showing 27deg without a breeze.

RIBEAUVILLE, HAUT KONIGSBOURG

As usual we surface around 8.30am when it becomes a bit warm and noisy. I cant believe I always feel so jaded maybe the heat but i seemed to sleep alright. Vicki says for Polly to put the kettle on so I get an extra 5 minutes while the gas jug boils to pretend I am still sleeping, a bit like your snooze alarm. A cuppa always makes the difference and after brekky with the customary stowing and check we head off.

We try to find the aire near Ribeauville but find it is closed so we find a carpark near the local pool. This has a few campers in it so all ok. We bike into town which unlike the past few is one long street with short private streets branching off. It is also very pretty with contrasting pastel colours, lashings of flowers in baskets, troughs and tubs with some very original art work decorating the facades. This is a little bit more touristy with shops and things but it never gets that chintzy, cheap & nasty  feel. We really enjoy the artisan shops with local art and crafts which I find quite original and I am getting lots of ideas for future inspirations. I think I have a lifetimes of photos for this. Even though the gifts can be repetitive in shops every now and then one is a class above and we curse that we cannot bring all the things we love home.

After walking up and a walk back we grab a placemat we are sort of collecting as reminders as everytime we see one we want we say we will get it on the way back or a cheaper one will be down the road and we miss out. We get back to the van and for a change we have a baguette for lunch. Lo and behold we are at the point of debating whether we will bike to Bergheim or give it a miss and head straight to the castle when our swede friends bowl on up. Now I think they are stalking us!

We have made up our minds to go and they are already sizing up our park which is under the trees so cooler. So we say Au Revoir, unfortunatly not in swedish, till we see them again and head off up into the mountain. We can see the chateaux way up on top of the mountain as we wind past the sea of vineyards and then into the thick forest with glimpses of the surrounding countryside which gets more and more expansive the higher we get. Poor Morrie churns his way up the steep roads as we try and find the gear that suits the incline hopefully 3rd as second can be tough but when we hit the hairpins we have no choice. 1st gear is the one we like to avoid so it is often a choice of carrying speed into the corner and risking van contents or slow and steady wins the race. No guessing which one Scot is!

We park a little way from the castle as it is always a gamble to how far to push for a park. This castle is huge and was rebuilt in 1903 by a very clever architect and luckily with the open coffers of King Louis the whatever and unlimited gov money. This one costs 9 euro to get in but given the size and the fact we have come all this way it is cheap considering what we have paid in the past. As it is new but fastidiously rebuilt to exacting research it is heavy on architecture and substance which is awesome but obviously a bit short on paintings, everyday items etc but has a good range of cannons, weapons and beautiful furniture and also examples of the huge spectacular ceramic tiled fireplaces/ovens that have been remade I think. At the end of the tour you can see the excavation & archeological history and how it was rebuilt. It was in such disrepair this 10 century castle took 8 years to rebuild, had its own railway to it from the quarry, a forge and pioneered its own building techniques that were cutting edge for the day. It basically had a whole community supporting the build. Even after the beautiful chateaux in the Loire this one is right up there and thank goodness for the foresight of these people on behalf of the next thousand years of visitors.

We slowly drive the steep descent down and Vicki uses the gears well as we do not want to overheat the brakes as we did in Norway. We have been told that you should use the gear you came up in for the way down which is sound advice. We head away from the Alscace with a bit of a heavy heart and head to the Lorraine region. We have so much enjoyed this wine region with the germanic and prussian influence with its amazing vineyards and outstanding award winning colourful towns and know we will never forget this special region of France. We could spend a few more weeks here seeing the many other similar villages as we have seen but perhaps another day, another time.

 

KAYSERSBERG, RIQUEWIHR

We took advantage of the showers again and wash in luxury before heading off after our coffee, which we take full advantage when when we have electricity plus the Nespresso brand is so nice we save $$ & its better than bought. We say goodbye to our swede neighbours and head off to Kaysersberg (voted 2017 french town of the year) which is not far way as these towns are all along the Alsace wine trail. K’berg is another beautiful town and after settling in the Aire which is only a small bike in from the old town, off we go.

After a pleasant walk around despite the heat we settle for another savoury Flammekurch, ale & wine and then resume exploring. We bump into a pom & his wife who were at our previous aire that live in Germany and we recommend the flammekurch. Its funny amongst all the tourists, you see people from around, met or unmet, from previous towns often as like me they probably wear the same clothes for a few days! Dr Albert Schweitzer is famous in this village as he was born here and there are statues and a museum about him.

We finish our sightseeing and head back to the van for lunch then decide to bike to a neighbouring village Riquewihr about 6 km away through the vineyards over the hills or 10 km the long way around but supposedly flatter terrain. Slightly out of town we turn off the road and after about 2 minutes bike on uphill gravel in 35c+ heat decide that this is going to do Vicki in, so we consult god google and opt for a slightly different tarmac route. Unfortunatly it is 4 km of uphill slope that is very deceiving from below but we struggle on with numerous stops for water and to get the heartrate down. Our bikes are really crap for this, as two 70 year olds wizz past on their bloody electric bikes on the hard parts while we push our bikes on foot. We pass a walking young couple (in sandles??!!) on a flat bit then they overtake us as we stop to avoid carking out but we finally reach what we think is the summit only to be rewarded with a 10 second downhill then uphill again. Finally we reach the downhill and are in the village quickly.

These villages continue to amaze and though similar, all have their own quirky feel. After a very quick orientation and to find a post box its off to a bar for a very well deserved drink. Vicki is an absolute trouper digging in out of her fitness &  comfort zone and I always admire her tenacity (or is it stubborness) not to give up. I wish we had been able to do this years ago when younger but better now than never. Funny enough as we take our well earned drink and cool down the young couple sit down at the same bar as if they were on a sunday stroll. How the heck did they get here just after us considering our mad last downhill dash!

We have an enjoyable look around which is easy when a lot of these are built in a circle for protection so you dont get lost or miss much. There is a lot of history in these places especially being close to Germany and the info place has guides so you can read about the buildings and their place in that history. The ride back is the opposite to earlier as there is an initial tough uphill for half a km or so, then basically downhill all the way back which really makes us realise how hard it was earlier. We arrive exhausted but really satisfied and so glad we made the effort. Lo and behold there are our Swedish friends who are parked up practically next to us.

It is still hot and hard to sleep but we move from maybe a cooler spot to another across the carpark away from the road which at 9pm is still really noisy, especially trucks and realise it is the main thoroughfare through this part of the Vosges range. At least it is a little bit quieter with the windows open which is a must. Tomorrow it is along the flat road we could have taken and to Ribeuville, and depending on how we feel and back up from todays effort we will leave Morrie and bike the couple of kms to Bergheim supposedly another must on the trail.

 

COLMAR

Monday morning we left Eguisheim and headed to a nearby city Colmar. We pulled into the aire here which is at a port. It isnt a normal port as it is in the middle of the country and not on the sea. It is for canal boats to moor up and get electricity, fresh water and dump toilet waste etc like us. We find our spot and check the marina out. This place has 2 showers and they are free. We immediately head to the showers to have one. This is our first real shower in about 7 weeks so we really enjoy it. We then enjoy a coffee before heading into the city for a look around. We read the walk is only 10 mins but it is really 20 by the time you get to the old part and hindsight is great when Scot moans we should have taken the bikes. Colmar is very pretty, like Eguisheim on a much larger scale and there are more tourists and tour groups around.

We decide we are going to try the local food for lunch which is a Flammkurchen. This is a traditional Alsace dish made of a really fine pizza type base with cream, onions and bacon on top. You can get varieties with a few other toppings as well and we have cheese as well. They are very nice especially with the very thin base. We enjoy a local beer and local wine with it for lunch.

Colmar has a small waterway running through its centre which is big enough to have small tour boats on so they call one part Petite Venice as the houses are built on the canal type waterways. The flower boxes here are very pretty and we are spoilt for photo opportunities. One thing we didnt mention about Eguisheim and the same applies here is that people make the front of their building as unique as possible by putting all different types of things as in a theme. Some put things based on the shop contents and some houses just put all sorts of things that attract your attention. You will see some from the photos, but they look quite cool.

Back at the marina we have a Swedish couple beside us who we get talking to. They have encountered rain everywhere they have travelled for the past 2 weeks but now are going to get the sun & heat. We tell them of a few places they should visit in this region. They like many others, want to get to NZ so we have this joke that we will see them there in 2 years time.

The last photo below is a supermarket aisle. This is only one of two aisles in the supermarket, where there is more wine than we have seen in any bottle store.

 

EGUISHEIM

As we pack the van up and drive onto the water and toilet dump area our power point was very quickly taken over. We headed out of Belfort and onto the road to Eguisheim. We only had about an hour and a half journey to get there and the closer we got the more the vineyards took over the countryside. I thought we had seen a lot of vineyards since being here but on this side of the Vognes mountains they are really unbelievable. They stretch out like an ocean on all sides. There are many beautiful little villages they recommend that we see along the Alsace region. Eguisheim is the first of many here. The Alsace region is famous for riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot noir and pinot gris wines amongst a handful of others. Not many regions make gewurztraminer wine, but it is a favourite of mine.

We arrive at the aire in Eguisheim and it is just on the outskirts of the village and it is free. It is mid afternoon Sunday so we take a stroll into the village. Here you can see the German and Austrian influence with the tudor style of buildings. We are hardly in the village when the first winery beckons us to come and taste some wines here. A lot of people probably just taste the wine and walk away, but i always feel obliged to buy something. We dont really like the riesling we taste but it has been matured in oak and i think you have to like that added flavour of the oak. We both love the gewurztraminer so get a couple of bottles of that plus one other. We keep on walking and this village won the most beautiful village in France in 2013, so you can imagine how lovely it must be. We cant get enough of the stunning colours of flowers everywhere, they are just so spectacular and we cant stop taking photos knowing they will never do this place justice, the place looks so lovely. We love colour and this place is magic.

We stop for the compulsory drink which is very welcome as the temperature has been climbing the last day or so and we are now experiencing high 20s again but it is heading back into the 30s which isnt so great. Scot bought his first and i think last glass of this trip – a storky pills glass. The stork is a signicant icon in this region as they roost on top of the rooves, normally where people have erected platforms for them. It is baby season, so many of the nest have young in them which is a photographers heaven. Eguisheim was a fortified town and once fortification wasnt necessary they built houses against the walls such that the main street goes around in a circle. In the market square you find the typical fountain and church. When we went into the church it was the most beautiful feeling of serenity and calmness we have ever felt. The church was small and round shaped inside. Its hard to describe but in all the churches we have been into throughout Europe this was the one i think we will remember because of its atmosphere. It wasnt over powering with icons or other things, but it was like going into a cosy home.

This is a place Scot would like to have stayed a bit linger but we knew there were many villages like this to see here.

 

BELFORT, ALSACE REGION

We left Moliner earlyish and headed up into the Alsace region. We had a really long day travelling and arrived at Belfort about mid afternoon. The aire here is free, but there are only 8 free powerpoints so you have to be early to get one. There were more than a dozen vans when we arrived so it was a case of hoping someone left and grabbing the power before anyone else.

We didnt hang around for that though and we took a walk into town and it was drizzling, but a lovely temperature. We went to find the tourist bureau to get some info on the Alsace region, but they were closed on the Saturday. We kept walking around and checked out the town. Belfort has a large fort on the top of the hill. The fort was used extensively in the war between the Prussians and the French in the late 1800’s. Frederic Bartoldi built a massive lion statue to comemerate the freedom of the French after the war ended. Bartoldi was also responsible for building the statue of liberty. Aparently an amazing man. The Belfort lion stands guard over the town of Belfort.

There was a bicycle thing on in the town and we had a chat to a couple of lovely people. The picture of me on the bike is a bike made for wheelchair people who can get themselves around on it. I could only just touch the ground on that one. The statue photo symbolises freedom of the people.

The next morning we were lucky to spot someone leaving and snagged the power point to charge our electronics. We then headed down town after a nespresso coffee – which we can only have when we are hooked up to power. The tourist bureau was open and we got some info on the wine trails and then headed up to the fort. On the way we strolled through an antique flea market where there were some quite cool stuff and not just junk.

The fort is a bit of a climb but the view was amazing from the top. We have to remember that these places, though tourist attractions now were once living & working environments where whole communities lived, fought and often died trying to keep together entire countries. The seige here lasted over a 150 days. I had another coffee here, a gourmand cafe they call it which is a coffee of your choice and then 3 small cakes or little desserts. I hadnt tried this before and it was a delight. We were lucky as it was the 1st sunday of the month and the fort and lion viewing were free. We then headed back to the van to pack up and leave. Colmar is next and isnt a long journey.

SAINT FLOUR AND MOLINER

We had an aire pegged for the night at Saint Flour and we travelled quite a few kms to get there. The weather had fortunately turned much cooler overnight and the rain from the thunderstotms had hung around. The countryside was very rolling hills like with the odd village set atop a hill with a castle or church standing out from the houses. We got to Saint Flour and google maps being what it is took us off the main road and onto a little goat track to get into where the aire was. This town was built atop a huge cliff on one side and looked quite amazing. The first aire was down at the bottom of the cliff and was very isolated and we didnt fancy it, so we went back up the right road to the top and the 2nd dedicated parking was in the midst of a carpark. No one was able to stop there the night before as there were notices saying strong winds and thunderstorms made it dangerous.

We parked with the other handful of vans that were there and had a wander around the town. The temperature had gone down to about 14deg and it was drizzling, so we had jumpers on and umbrellas.

When we got back to the van a handful of african looking fellas were hanging around the other end of the carpark setting off firecrackers and then we watched them as they sold drugs off to a few people who stopped by them. They obviously werent afraid of the police as i could clearly see the exchanges that were taking place. Thankfully they took off after about an hour and a few trucks pulled up near us and all was quiet for the night. I think we both slept really well because we could pull the blankets up and snuggle in because of the cooler temps.

The next day we were going to do a longer drive but we got tired and although we checked out the parking at Digoin, we ended up at Moliner because it was much nicer and was by a canal boat stop. It was lovely and peaceful there for the night. We heard from friend that they were near by so the next day we backtracked slightly and met them at Lapalisse. It was still a bit overcast and we had a couple of showers but it was ok. We had lunch with them at a local cafe and a few drinks and then decided it would be best to head back to the same aire as it was lovely.

 

VISITING FRIENDS AT LINCOU

It was very sad to leave the homeless cats (Scot found it very hard to leave the beach). It had rained overnight and only Meow was there in the morning for me to say goodbye to. I left food enough for the 6 cats and we headed off.

We were heading due east and the weather was supposed to be a little cooler. I had a small aire near Albi marked for the night at Lisle sur Tarne. The place was a fortified village, quite amazing like others we have visited. It was the first time arriving at an aire we felt unwelcome. There was only a couple of places to park and a few people came out of their vans to watch us and see where we parked. Scot waved to them but they ignored him and continued staring and pointing at the couple of spots we could have parked. They were still watching well after we parked up and their body language said it all. That is a first. We had a walk around the village before dinner.

On our way heading east we encountered horizon to horizon fields full of sunflowers, corn and wheat. They are starting to harvest the wheat and so we encounter multiple tractors and harvesters on the road which slows the traffic up considerably.  Scot had many attempts at photographing the sunflowers but since they all face the way the sun travels, they were often facing away from the road.  When he got a perfect shot a tree or truck got in the way – a bit like the fish that got away….Lol.

We had let our friends know we were on our way but when arriving in Albi, they said they had been inundated with family so instead of staying we just went and visited for the next day and we headed north afterwards.

These friends live in England but they have their own French chateau which was amazing. Their property is on the Tarne river by Lincou. The drive down was ok but very steep as we were going down the side of the mountain into the valley. Amazing countryside but also a little scary with huge drops over the side. The house was absolutely amazing. Scot had a swim in the river Tarne which looked so lovely. It was a hot day. We had a lovely lunch with their family and then we headed off. The roads around the area were quite hairy and we ended up deciding on going partly back the way we came and then north and ended up in a little place with nothing much in it but a small aire, a playground, a petanque field and a handful of houses called Saint Just Sur Viaur. The road down was awful and we met a truck head on at the bottom and we couldnt pass so we had to back until we could get off the road. I was dreading us encountering this on our way back the next morning which kept me from sleeping all night.

We maybe the only ones stupid enough to travel down these roads.  We had big storms on their way so we settled in and the storms hit.  It rained for a few hours which really was welcome relief to the heat we had been having. On the road by the aire we would have had maybe one car an hour pass by, so incredibly remote.

The next morning we took off with me dreading the climb out, but thankfully all was ok and we didn’t encounter any combine harvesters or tractors until after we were over the worst and narrowest part of the road. We had decided we need to head north quickly now as school holidays start for France in a week or so, so best to be away from the southern parts where they all descend for the summer.

Driving though some of the mountainous country like we have encountered is a double edged sword or as Scot says good cop bad cop.  If you don’t go there you never reap the benefits of the amazing scenery, but going there is a scary prospect with a van, unlike a car where you just can’t always manoeuvre it out of the way when you need to.