On the road again

Pierre was along bright and early yesterday to clear the cellar, and made a superb job of it, removing two trailer loads of mud, rotten wood and all sorts of garbage, including a double sink.  I was very impressed with the results, having been reluctant even to go down there because of the mess left by flooding.  I wish I'd asked him to do it years ago.  Anyway, he asked a very modest fee, which I bumped up a little, and then the three of us chewed the fat for a while over a glass each of rosé.

We had a couple more glasses later on the Prom with Sheila and her neighbour Suzie, but didn't make a long session of it (a) because we were travelling today, and (b) because the highly amplified live music  made conversation impossible.

We both slept badly, as is our wont the night before leaving, but have made it successfully to Bourges for our overnight stay in a familiar flophouse.  I had to abandon my first shift at the wheel because of cramp in both hands.  I suppose I've been asking a lot of them over the past fortnight.  Martyn took over and drove us as far as the Viaduc de Garabit, where we had our sandwiches leaning on the car.  Motorway aires are notorious for car break-ins, and as ours is loaded to the roof, it would have been an attractive target.  (I don't suppose edge-of-town one nighter hotels are a lot safer, but there's nothing we can do about that.)  I did the last leg with only a brief return of the cramps.

The countryside was looking beautiful once we were past the early morning mist.  The trees are starting to turn now, so we had some fine views as we drove over the plain of the Hérault and again as we came down through the Auvergne.  Traffic was heavy, and the absence of a usable inside mirror made the process more tiring.  Still, we've got the hang of it now, so tomorrow should be easier.

Despite the overloading and motorway cruising speeds, the car has performed well and frugally.  Tempting fate to say so, perhaps, in that it has as far to go again tomorrow.  It has a full tank, so it's time for us to follow suit.  An apéro, I think, then supper at one of the adjacent hostelries, for which the hotel provides discount vouchers.  And with any luck, a better night's sleep.