It's drizzling again as we share out the remaining supplies and check that everything is in the van it belongs to. Ali and Grete visit the mill shop before we drive to the end of the lane and turn in different directions. Nick and Grete are headed for their ferry at Dieppe tomorrow evening, while we will sail from St. Malo at noon. The rain eases as we approach the busy periperique at Rennes. Our journey is mostly dual carriageway, but we take a small ...

Good news! Grete found a vet in town to check Cleo for the ferry so we have another day together. Ali and Grete go back into town for a final look then we find a passion en route to our separate ferry ports, which turns out to be a flour mill and restaurant in Gennes near Saumur. Before reaching the bridge we see some of the island's famous donkeys which traditionally worked in the salt pans and wore trousers to protect their legs. We cannot see a lot more th...

We have been impressed with this tidy little campsite. We service the vans and leave at 11:20 for probably our last night together. We use the toll roads as much as possible, taking a break about half way at a 'green' picnic area. The roads are not too busy and the scenery is generally flat and green. As soon as we leave the toll near Rochefort we call into the town to find a supermarket for fuel then rejoin the busy section around La Rochelle. The plan ...

We had a peaceful night and Sunday dawns bright and sunny again. Before leaving there is a chance to look around at the cider producing shed and see the huge casks. Today we have another day of making up some miles so we select a camp site near Bordeaux but decide against the one we used on the way down in January. The journey is nearly all motorway, and once we get into south west France there isn't much to say. The road is straight with not much traffi...

Bright sunshine again this morning as a herd of cows with bells is driven past the van down to the lakeside. Grete comes back from walking Cleo and reports that the elephants are out of bed, so we all head up the path for a look. It is a truly magnificent scene as we look down into the valley forming the park. There is a flat, grassy valley floor, with pools and a small oasis. On the far side a huge rock escarpment rises up perhaps 300 feet, from which eagles...