We've loitered in the south a long time and now we have a few long drives ahead.

We said goodbye to Nick and Grete when they left at 10:45 and we left 20 minutes later.

After a short time on country lanes away from the site we join the main D902 and at Fix St Genys we start a long descent; 9.5km at 5% gradient. Down and down passing farmlands, a lot of which appear to be Charolais cattle, and rolling hills. At one point Nick thinks Mary*Lou is losing power but it is only an illusion from the long gentle rise which feels flat but isn't. We pick up the non paying section of the autoroute towards Cleremont-Ferrand. The outskirts of the city are heavily industrialised and not at all attractive.

After Clermont-Ferrand the road is a mixture of single and dual carriageways allowing us to make good progress. Approaching Puy-de-Dome, a high domed hill shaped like a giant Brent Knoll but much higher, the landscape is open moorland and waving grass.

We see plenty of chateaux and the general buildings are now made of a dark rough stone, many with almost white cement, and lots of geranium pots.

Also on the road are a number of classic sportscars, drivers and passengers wearing pink caps, as the take part in the La rallaye de Princesses

Montlucon is a busy, working town, the centre looks like it was redeveloped 30 years ago and not been touched since, and the outskirts look decidedly run-down and poor.

We had planned on a Passion outside Montlucon but have made good progress so decide to go a few more miles to a site. These last few miles are really attractive; chateaux, rivers and pretty little villages.

A mile on a single track road leads us to La Bonhomme at 17:30. It's a beautiful little site set on a slope in an orchard of cherry trees. The owner, Frans, is Dutch as are all of the other campers and they are in the middle of happy hour when they all congregate in Frans's garden for a beer, €1.00 each. We are invited but it's too much of a rush to set up, get out and join them for 10-15 minutes.

The site is peaceful, with birdsong in the surrounding trees.

Ali cooks the last of the Italian steak and then we use the wi-fi to catch up with news, mail and so on.