Road trip - day 15 - Saturday

Leaving day, up at 7am to be out for 9.30am

Cleaned, packed up & squeezed everything into the car! Only blip was knocking a picture off the stairs when taking the vacuum up, glass everywhere!! Christiana arrived a little later than we had arranged, fortunately she was ok with the broken picture. We were a little short in change for the heating charge & the tourism tax & she let us off a couple of euros short.

We set off shortly after 10am, the sat nav tried to take us via Switzerland (Geneva) but the route via Lyon wasn't much different; shorter distance but a longer journey time. Estimated 5 & a half hours driving to Bollene.

Nothing to report re the journey; left at 6c in the pouring rain feeling damp after packing up the car to 16c & cloudy with sun breaking through ...... but very windy, so much so there were frequent warning signs!!

We stopped after 2pm at a LeClerc service station on the motorway to find something to eat; extraordinarily expensive - over 1 euro for a croissant!! Got a baguette & some plastic cheese & ate outside on picnic tables.

Carried on to J18 on the Autoroute de Soleil, the exit before Bollene & did the last few miles on the 'A' roads. Decided to stop at an enormous LeClerc on the outskirts to get basics. It was packed!! Also managed to get stamps for the UK, back in Pontarlier this had been a problem (just no uk tourists around!)

Carried on & found the Gite tucked away off the road amongst some old properties up above the valley.

It really is lovely. Very clean, modern & comfortable. Well equipped with a dishwasher & Blanche, the owner, advises wifi - an unexpected treat!!! However the wifi turns out not to work - yet; I'm sure we will figure it out!

The wind is blowing exceptionally hard - the Mistral at its best! Without it it feels warm, but there is no let up. Decided a first job is to hang out the washing (done at Pontarlier) - used rocks to hold down the dryer!

Unpacked & made up the bed, had a late tea of omelette & salad. G watched Dr Who after spending some time setting up the TV to English settings. I read

Gite very comfy, with the shutters closed we can hear the wind whistling around. Forecast not great for the next few days :(