Snails and cows

Just thought I'd post this while waiting for Keith to emerge from his shower. Yesterday, we stopped for a quick break in the mountains and I found a snail - a real French edible-type snail. Not that I tried it, mind you. I took the photo and removed it to a place of safety. Lifelong member of the Snail Conservation Society, that's me.

A few moment before, we had squeezed the Range Rover through a ribbon-like route, only to come face to rear with a herd of cows being trundled along the lane to a nearby field.

Entente Cordiale

Well, we came to an amicable arrangement, quite unplanned as it happened, because Keith got to navigate the car through people's back yards and down roads the width of a garden path up in the mountains
and I got to cross theMillau
Bridge,
all of which was truly spectacular. We are now in Serignon, our old stamping ground. Keith used to come to this area on holiday when he was growing up (I use that phrase advisedly!) and has always loved it. We had our lunch by the river and then carried on to re-visit Valras Plage, although we didn't venture into the sea. We will leave that pleasure until tomorrow morning, before continuing our journey to Coussa in the Midi-Pyrennees region.
Today the weather has been beautiful and I have been resplendent in my shorts and a sun-encouraging top.
I hope you all appreciate that Keith had to dangle my by my feet over sheer rock faces to get the mountain photos!

Travelling on

Today we took the scenic route - intentionally - but forgot to do our homework with regard to where to stay tonight. We left Orleans and travelled south, past Clermont Ferrand, Vichy and Bourges (not necessarily in that order) and arrived, eventually in Puy le Velay, where we finally found somewhere to stay that satisfied my guidelines regarding economy. So here we are for the night and we now need to decide where we want to move on to tomorrow. There may be a slight animated discussion (we never have arguments), as I would like to see the bridge at Millau, which we saw a couple of years ago when it was still under construction, but Keith is in search of mountains and winding roads. Watch this space!
Oh, and once again, we were attacked by fierce rain! Global warming is no doubt to blame.

From Wales to France

Setting off at 5am and driving all the way (apart from an hour and a half on the ferry) to somewhere near Orleans, where we finally arrived fourteen hours later, makes for quite a tiring day, and it is not improved when the GPS sends us through Paris at rush hour for some unknown reason. However, we are here now, with FREE internet access and all ready to snooze the night away.

Something else which was not according to plan was the torrential rain which greeted us for half our journey. As Keith said, you could see the car in front overtaking but couldn't see what it was overtaking! Here's hoping for much better weather from now on. Be good, everyone!

Crossing the Seine in the rain.

Speak nicely to the officer

Living in North Wales means being more aware than most of the risks we run every time we take the car out on the roads. Up here, 30 miles an hour means 30 miles an hour and not 31. Stick to it or you risk being confronted by officers of the law leaping out of a cunningly disguised horsebox and forcing you to an abrupt halt. That being the case, this seems a natural progression in their remit.
If anyone is worried by this and feels they need help in brushing up their accent, grammar and general command of the English language, I shall, of course, be happy to help, on payment of an exorbitant fee naturally.