Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Despite our sheltered position the wind this morning is rocking the van and its downdraft keeps blowing the heater out. Squally rain hammers the roof as we are having breakfast and we wonder whether it would be wise to stay put if there is any further ferry delays. Ali rings the ferry company to see if our sailing is still on schedule, and it is. By 10:30 the worst has passed and the sun breaks through so we decide to go.
Out on the main road there is a strong cross wind but fewer of the scary gusts we had yesterday. After about fifteen miles we start to get a few avenues and screens for shelter and driving is much easier.
We pass areas vaguely familiar from a week spent here in a gite in the 1990s; Saumur, Fontan Geurin, Blou, among them. Our lunch stop in Bauge's main square brings back more memories of evenings spent in restaurants here. The square is overlooked by the Justice Courts housed in a former Roman bath-house. Its form reminds us of the ruined bath-house we saw in Italica a few weeks ago.
Leaving Bauge the roads are more sheltered and the winds calm as we drive through Le Mans where we see part of the race circuit. We do a pit stop in Super-U at Arnage for fuel and head into the countryside on the way to our selected passion. The temperature drops to 2.5 and wipers are needed to clear the sleet as we take a narrow road through remote villages to Villaines la Carelle. Unfortunately the Passion symbol points to a waterlogged paddock, no way are we parking there, and the farm gate is padlocked. We look in the Aires book and find a place in Mamers, 6 miles away. When we arrive the aire gate is latched and bears a notice with phone number. Ali rings. Then she has to walk five minutes back to the Tourist Office to pay €7 for the key code. In pouring rain she keeps entering the code. The lock buzzes but the gate won't budge so we ring the TO again to be told 'enter the code, press 'E' and the gate will open'. 1512-E .. BZZZZ 1512-E!... BZZZ. No it won't so she sends a technician who also struggles.
Finally he opens the pedestrian gate and uses the inside keypad. The gate opens and we go in and connect the electricity and put the kettle on an hour after arriving.
With heating on it is peaceful and cosy.
Curry for dinner with Queen on the CD player, quite loud as no neighbours to upset. The only ones around are the nearby graveyard and some unused tennis courts. We seem to be developing a theme here...
- comments