This morning is bright and sunny but only 2 deg C. We set off at 11:00 heading for Perpignan on the A61. Traffic is light and the weather is sunny making for a very pleasant journey. We stop in an aire overlooking the huge fortress at Carcassonne. Near Narbonne we leave the A61 [toll for 147km €20.30] and join the D6009. In the distance we can see the Pyrenees mountains covered with snow, while in other places we can see the Mediterranean sea. We st...

Similar to yesterday, and Ali has kindly passed her cold onto Nick. We loaf about until 15:30 then move the van to a different pitch arranged by the site manager so that we can be next to Nick and Grete, who arrive just before 16:00. We have a lovely evening together enjoying the fish pie Ali made and froze at home with some of the excellent Muscadet we bought on our first day.

It is a very cold day again with frequent showers, and Ali has a nasty cold so although we had made enquiries about the nearby Space Centre and AirBus museum we decide to stay in and keep warm Plenty of food, wine and watched Quartet on the DVD.

This morning appears calm with just the occasional squally shower. Whether we stay or leave, the van needs servicing and we need to move from our grass pitch to one of the vacated hardstands. Very glad we took the trouble of putting mats under the wheels, we get out of our sodden corner with no trouble. By the time we've dumped and filled there are tiny patches of blue sky, and better still, no wind, so we ring ahead to Toulouse and set off at 10:45. Last yea...

The rain didn't let up for a minute last night and the wind is blowing a 5 or 6. We are woken at 7:30 by a series of emergency vehicles racing along the road outside the campsite, about ten inside fifteen minutes. The TV is showing the standard cooking, beauty and history programmes so we dispel any thoughts of a major incident nearby. The rain is heavy and forecast not good so we decide to remain holed up here for the day and plan our next few days ahead. T...