Day Sixty-eight 21.5.05 We drove to France today though the Pyrenees, as soon as we got near them the weather started to turn from lovely sunshine to overcast and a lot cooler. We were heading from Perpignan to a site on the coast at St-Cyprien-Plage. We found the site by chance and pulled in not realising it was like Center Parcs. This would be ok but it was expensive and included within the price was various forms of 'entertainment'. This of course was wasted money as we had no intention of attending the evening 'show'. The site was also really restrictive and probably would have charged us for farting. We couldn't work out where to put our rubbish so used the bin by the sinks. It was only after that we saw a recycling centre on the site and all rubbish was to be sorted. Somebody had taken our rubbish out of the bin (reserved for green waste.) and left it by the side. We figured we would leave it to be collected by one of the many cleaners and reps. In the night a fox or something ransacked our rubbish and left it strewn across the toilet block. William tided most of it away when he went for a wee in the night. Feeling a bit guilty about the chicken carcass debris we decided to only stay one night and visit Perpignan the next day. However, after reading that the city was 'disappointing' we changed our plan and would instead travel to Avignon. Day Sixty-nine 22.5.05 We left the site in a hurry as they had added up the bill incorrectly in our favour and headed for Avignon. We found a site not so far away near Pont Du Gard, a Roman aqueduct. The site is very peaceful and not at all restrictive. It is by the river which you can swim in and has a lovely pool. If it had been warmer we would have tried the river but opted for the pool instead. We lit our barbeque to cook kebabs for dinner and then decided to read the campsite rules to check that was ok. Unfortunately barbeques and open fires are not permitted but it was too late as ours was in full flow. We got a few stares from other campers and tried our best to keep the smoke down. Typically this was the smokiest barbeque we have had and in the end we decided to finish them off under the grill and hope that we weren't reported by some busybody French person. I think we got away with it and we would just have pleaded ignorance if anybody mentioned it. Tomorrow we have arranged to hire canoes and row along the river to the aqueduct. We are really looking forward to this so we hope the weather cheers up. It looks promising and although we have skilfully chosen a site completely in the shade the rest of the site is enjoying evening sunshine. Day Seventy 23.5.05 We arranged to be picked up for our canoeing trip at 10.30am. The canoeing centre was a couple of miles up river and the driver was bang on time. On arrival we put our gear in two waterproof containers and opted for single canoes as opposed to a double which from experience is more difficult to manage. The instructor gave minimal instructions and basically said that the Pont Du Gard was that way and what time did we want picking up downstream. We lugged our canoes into the water trying to look like we knew what we were doing and set off. Fortunately the river was flowing in our direction and not too much effort was required to move along. The water was crystal clear and it was possible to see the bottom and feel it a bit where it was shallow. William got grounded a couple of times and I was laughing at him until the same thing happened to me. William wasn't allowed to splash me as I was holding the camera, sometimes the paddle splashed William a bit but this was completely by accident of course. We had put the watch in the waterproof container so were unaware what the time was and how quickly we needed to paddle. Halfway along the trip we passed the campsite and then towards the end we went under the Pont du Gard. We think we did the best thing by seeing it from the river because if you were on it you would not be able to see its grand scale. We knew that the collection point was about 2km from the bridge so continued on and saw the sign soon enough. We actually arrived at 12.30pm (About one and a half hours before our collection time.) Fortunately the previous group were being picked up so we hopped in. After a swim in the site pool we headed off for Avignon. This is a lovely medieval walled town with lots to see. We saw a tourist train and decided as we were tired from the rowing we would use it to see the sights. This was a good idea but we felt a bit daft with all the kids and old people doing the same thing. We had a look around the shops and then it was time to go back to the site. Day Seventy-one 24.5.05 We got up reasonably early today as we are well and truly on our way back to Le Harve. We had a considerable journey ahead of us as we planned to camp near Lyon. There were no campsites within easy reach of Lyon so we decided to head for a village near Macon in the Southern Burgundy region. By about 1pm we had reached Lyon and decided to stop here for lunch. The parking space only allowed for two hours so it was a bit of a fleeting visit. Its quite a busy town with good shops and a large student population. We had lunch in a bar and then did a bit of shopping. I bought a suit for Richard and Nikki's wedding and by the time I had chosen a tie the parking had run out. The directions for the site were quite good and we arrived about 3pm. Its on the outskirts of Dompiere les Ormes. We have a beautiful view of a very green valley surrounded by the sound of birds and insects. The birds are ok but the insects are a bit of a pest. There are tonnes of little midges and some enormous wasps some are black and look like little birds. Every so often one comes too close for comfort and we jump up and dance around a bit until it goes. Will has just finished The Divinci Code lent to us by Sina and Anne and I am hooked already. it's the sort of book you don't want to finish because its so good. ERIC for tea as we have not been bothered to go to a supermarket. Day Seventy-two 25.5.05 Will got up early (No surprise.) and fetched some bread and chocolate croissants for breakfast. He said the lady in the bakery was nasty and not very tolerant of his basic French. ('oon baggette and some of those please, merci boocoop') We haven't done anything today except read and sunbathe. We did go to the local mini market but that was about it. We bought a fly swat and some sausages for dinner. We haven't managed to hit a fly yet but it does feel better waving the swat around. William is suffering a bit with his hay fever and his eyes are streaming and he is sneezing a lot. I am endeavouring to bless every sneeze but this is getting a bit wearing and I have decided to bless only after he has finished the multiple sneezes.