Mileage 3490. Travelling day. Stop over site could be very pretty in the sun, but now it is raining and muddy. The reception is closed for the day, but the notice: "chose a pitch and the owner will find you in the morning" is straightforward, trusting and typical in France at this time of year. BUT ... tea and toast time in the comfort of the van. To the tunnel via Carrefour supermarket to buy our evening meal. Mileage at the Tunnel 3507 and home at 3647.

Mileage 3285. A stop over so did not do the town justice. Main learning point of the day - don't drive through the centre of Orleans.

3163 miles. The municipal camp site is within 2k on foot. Breakfast in town - cafe croissants The town seems completely unselfconcious, getting on with daily life - plus a number of festivals and events through the year. The Cathedral has no transept and the effect of the open space inside literally stops you in your tracks when you walk in. The stained glass was particularly beuatiful with the low morning sun. The town also has a 'marrais' region where plot hol...

2965 miles. What a great little town. Decorated from head to foot with placistized paper flowers in red White blue and yellow. Evidently this is in celebration of the festival of Oc (?) which is an annual event where on town us chosen as the focus. The kind man behind the cheese counter explained all in simple clear French. We'd forgotten the genuine charm of the Dordogne, all the better for being out of season.

2737 miles. Short drive out of Pyrenees into France. Attempted to stop in San Sebastian, which looked smart and lively, but by time we had avoided a demonstration and missed one good parking opportunity, discovered that the town-centre car parks had a 1.85m height limit, and chickened out of a meter parking slot that left us sticking out too far into the road, we reverted to plan B, crossed into France and headed for the nearest supermarket. Sunny day and a tad ...