With clear skies and big sunrise it threatens to be hot again today. The time has come to leave the Pyrenees behind us. Having been close up with the cols and peaks, no longer for us will they be the distant shadowy ripple on the horizon that we've seen a number of times before.

We say goodbye to Freddie and set off towards the coast, we cannot be this close without having a peek at the Mediterranean. It's a very touristy area of palms, waterparks, cycle-routes and marinas. About 20 miles of holiday towns then we turn inland through sparse Catalan wilderness to join the motorway near Narbonne.

We have driven this stretch a few times before but we are surprised how busy the toll road is for a Sunday morning. Much of it passes through maize and, by now expired, sunflower fields. Carcassonne passes by on our right and the Pyrenees mountains to our left are now the distant shadows described earlier.

It's a steady, generally unremarkable trip, cruise control set to 100kmh, Mary*Lou driving herself. The outskirts of Toulouse are busy, we turn north and complete the 110 miles of toll for a fee of €28.10

Our journey north brings us into a countryside of pink buildings, many, including churches, made of brick.

We reach the little town of Grisolles and find the aire near the canal, although with no views of the water, just in time to hear the last couple of numbers of the jazz festival in the nearby park.

It's 32C and way too heavy to venture out so we park as best we can in the shade, let as much air through as possible and simmer gently until bedtime.

Through afternoon and evening lots more vans come in and with nearly every one of them, as soon as they've parked the owner wanders across to the service point, grey cassette in hand, to empty their toilet.

With the tune to The Lambeth Walk in mind, Nick pens:

Empty out your chemi-loo

Long before it starts to poo

Chuck it at every chance

By doin' the Thetford dance - Oi!

Good night...