Millau

We left vichy early, did a bit more wine shopping in Lidl then headed for the aire at Millau. The torrential rain on route settled and the sun cane out for the walk around town. Leaving the motorway and dropping down the gorge avoids the 11 euro charge for the millau bridge toll, the highest bridge in the world.

Vichy

If you Google Vichy then the city will come up smelling of roses, with numerous references to various fragrances and perfumes. However further down the list will be more revealing accounts of the cities dark past with obnoxious odours of treachery and treason. But modern day Vichy is forward thinking with millions invested in its promenades, parks. Cycle lanes and walking routes. Its vibrant, classy and chic with undercover shopping walkways, tasteful coffee bars restaurants wine bars, some of which spread along the ALLIER River. Today we strolled from the camping aire (12 e per night with lecky .) along the river and into the centre it was a dismal day but still pleasant. Its our 4th visit here and we look forward to returning, hopefully on a warm sunny day when we can lounge at a Riverside restaurant.

Stephen Stills once compared leaving a new lover to ".Saying goodbye to Paris for the first time",but leaving Paris for me felt more like leaving an elderly Grandma. I enjoyed looking at all the old things but also knew that to try to touch them and experience their delights would cost me dearly. So we left with mixed feelings but glad that we had stopped by to say hello and accept that there was a mutual agreement to not feel obliged to return for quite a while. And so we drove 100 miles to the amazing aire at Châtillon-sur-Loire. River/canal views, electric, large HS pitch with grass section and table, toilets and showers after 1st April. All for 9.70 euros. We went on a bike ride along the Loire to Bonny, similar aire there. Great cycle paths along the Loire. It must go on for over a hundred miles. I once bought a lovely 1 man tent about 20 years ago for such bike trips. It's still in the wrapper in the garage. Must get it out for the grandkids to wreck.

Spring tour 2022

At our age we are beginning to detest the word... " Spring" as we seem to have lost ours many years ago. This trip will be a " coming of age" event as we head towards old age. Barbara has a new step to get in the van,she planned on bringing a walking stick to help with her bad knees, but failing memory meant that she forgot it. The Brompton bikes now have motors and batteries to help us get around. But back to the trips and some positivity. Saturdays early morning dash to the tunnel went well. We arrived at noon and got on the 1.20 train. We found a nice aire outside le Treport for 10e a night with lecky. Sunday we travelled to camping Paris, 34e and went into Paris on the bikes. I had Jonesy in his new carriage behind to pull and after all the test driving I'd done at home on the bikes my battery soon went flat. Not great as it was a hot and very busy Sunday in Paris.