Fitness Journey, 28 February

 

Today's walk was a bit of a struggle - I thought I would try to walk down to the farmers' market at Herne Hill (which, indeed, is exactly what I did do), but quite nearly aborted when I got to Sainsbury's (near the park entrance) and very nearly aborted when I got to Brockwell Lido (about the 2 km mark on the walk).  But somehow I got my second wind, and carried on, not only down to the Herne Hill park exit, but also round the farmers' market (which was crowded and nothing I really wanted to buy).  The park was crowded - a notice at the entrance said only to go in for exercise (although as they have a lateral flow testing station there, I would have thought you could go in for that, too!), but there were loads of people walking, running and cycling, and even a fitness class going on near the Lido.  I saw some people sitting on a park bench eating their lunch, and was tempted to remind them they can't actually do that until next Monday (but didn't, of course!).  Once I had been round the market, I walked back to the bus stop and was not impressed at having to wait nearly 10 minutes for the next bus home, but no choice!  

I didn't really think, when I set out on this journey on 1 February, that I would have reached 5x30 minutes' walk in one week by the end of the month, but that is indeed what I have done!  I haven't quite as many steps as last week, for some reason, but 5 walks! 

I think, though, that I shall still continue to log my journey during March, as it keeps me accountable!  You don't have to read it, after all.

Music: Simply Musicals: Broadway

Fitness Journey 27 February

 

Another bust, alas!  I had intended to walk up and cross the railway bridge and so up to Landor Road, but when I got there, alas, it was closed.  So I went on down Ferndale Road into Brixton.  I was looking for Chelsea Buns (there is an independent bakery on Landor Road that I am fairly sure does them), so popped into the Sainsbury's Local and the Iceland, with no success in either shop.  And I felt tired and there was a 35 coming along in 2 minutes, so.... and the artisan bakery 2 doors down doesn't do them, either!  So this walk wasn't very long and was very slow, and yet I am tired.  But I have done 4 walks this week, and if I can manage one tomorrow, it will be 5 walks of 30 minutes, which is not something I'd hoped to achieve for another month yet!  

Music: Saturday morning Radio 4

Fitness Journey, 25 February

 

Today's walk ended up being completely different from what I'd planned - I thought at first I'd just head down to the windmill and back, as I know that's a nice distance for me just now.  But I also thought that instead of going straight down Branksome Road and back up Strathleven Road, which looks rather phallic when traced, I'd go down Hayter Road and then Branksome Road to get to Lambert Road.  However, half way long Hayter Road, I saw this lovely elderflower tree in blossom: 

and that reminded me I'd meant to go out on to Brixton Hill to see whether there were any crocuses on Rush Common.  As it turned out, I couldn't get across the road to have a look, as there is building work which has closed the nearest crossing, so I walked back up towards Brixton and then up Porden Road to Acre Lane.  I then realised that if I went straight home, I wouldn't have walked nearly far enough, so decided to do a loop round some of the streets on the far side of Acre Lane, and, as it's ages since I've been that way, I forgot that Santley Street was a cul-de-sac past the 7th Day Adventist Church, so I had to retrace my steps slightly.  Which actually gave me a walk of almost exactly the right distance!  Very pleasing.  There were also daffodils in the street boxes on Hayter Road, and, a bit further along, children learning to ride mountain bikes over a jump!  Which I didn't photo, but did stop to applaud.

Music: Evita: songs from the musical

Fitness Journey, 23 February

 

A longer walk today, because someone on Facebook said that Gail's Bakery did the most delicious Chelsea Buns.  So I discovered that my nearest Gail's was well within my current walking distance, and headed out there this afternoon - only to find, when I got there, that they didn't sell them, never had, never heard of them, didn't know what I was talking about, no demand for those, Madam.... bugger!

I could have walked home, but had already done almost 2k by that stage, so decided to head on down to the 355 bus stop, which was actually slightly further than I thought it was, but not far enough to worry me.  Bus came at once, and I turned off the tracker, but did go into Lidl when I got back, very briefly. 

Music: Evita. Songs from the Musicals.

Fitness Journey, 22 February

 

It was not a nice day today.  With hindsight, I should have got up and gone out when the Swan Whisperer did, about 8:00 as the sun was shining then.  But by the time I'd had breakfast, it had clouded over completely, and was raining, so I went to sleep instead!  However, the rain went away towards the end of the afternoon, so I went out for a brisk leg-stretch and into Lidl to get one or two things I wanted from there.  Not as far as some days, and of course shopping brings my average speed down, but I'm glad I went out!

Music: Tapestry, by Carole King, followed by songs from Evita

Fitness Journey, 20 February

Today's walk - and yes, I have managed 4 walks this week, go me - is a singularly unfortunate shape.  Oh well, that's just the way the route to Windmill Gardens and back is,  until I can make it a little longer.  Which I won't until I'm walking a little faster - 16 minutes per kilometer is still far too slow.  But it will come.

I like walking to Windmill Gardens because there are benches when I get there, and I can sit down for a few minutes to get my second wind.  The daffodils are coming, but the grass in the main part of the park is still a sea of mud.  Oddly where the children play football is much greener (no photos, because they were playing!).  

Music: Tapestry, Carole King.

 

Fitness Journey, 19 February

 

Not the walk I wanted!  I wanted to go into Brixton, which, as you can see, I did, but as it was a shopping walk I took my handbag, and I was also carrying a shopping bag as I had the little paper bag full of empty blister packs for recycling.  I don't know whether it was that, but my back was aching before I was half way down Acre Lane!  And I stopped to take a photo of someone's daffs, and just as my camera was coming up, the tenant came out with her dog, who promptly weed all over said daffs!  So I didn't take the photo, after all.

It's not really a good idea to shop in the afternoon in Brixton - I had to queue outside Holland & Barrett, only for a couple of minutes, and then I didn't buy anything.  Then I had to queue for what felt like hours outside Superdrug, but I did get what I wanted in there, and got rid of my blister packs.  I thought at first that the box where you put them was just advertising, but no!  

I really had had enough by then, but I did still want za'atar and also some more Dunn's River seasoning, so I thought I would investigate Nour Cash and Carry, which has a really good rep in Brixton for such things, and sure enough they had all I wanted in the way of seasoning!  Will definitely go back when I want more than just parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.... 

And then I came back to the main road and there was a 35, so I called it a walk!  It looks slower than it actually was, as the workout didn't pause itself while I was queueing, which it should have done.  But Active 10 says I did 19 minutes of brisk walking, so I'll call that a win.

Not sure whether to try to up things next week or not; I did go out yesterday, but only round Lidl (800 steps, and 2 brisk minutes not really worth counting).... I'll see.  If it's fine over the weekend I might go down to Windmill Gardens again.  

Fitness journey, 17 February

 

I never know whether to keep the tracker on while I shop - which adds to the distance and time, but slows the average pace - or to turn it off, which speeds up the average pace, but keeps distance and time shorter.  All very difficult.  

Anyway, today I'd meant to go for my walk after breakfast and before the Ash Wednesday service at 11, but - er - fell asleep, so as soon as the service was over I went out.  Checked the nearest little playground to see if it was open,

which it was, and then walked down past King's Acre and the entrance to the Estate to where used to be an adventure playground back in the day.  These days it's a little grassy space with a sports court in it - the grassy space was open but the sports court wasn't.  Thinking about it, probably only community groups or recognised teams have access, and are keyholders.  Anyway, I did try to take a photo, but it didn't come out, for some reason.

Walked back into the Estate, past where the Daughter's primary school used to be (how often I did that walk, back in the day!) and up Branksome Road to get to Lidl.

Music: Agnus Dei - Classical music for reflection and meditation (well, it is Ash Wednesday, after all!).

Fitness Journey, 15 February

 I don't know what Huawei Health thought it was playing at, but I certainly didn't start my walk where it says I did - I may have pressed "start" too quickly before it found the GPS.  Anyway, for the purposes of the walk, I started where I finished, if that makes sense.

I really wasn't feeling it today, but I knew that if I didn't go out, this fitness journey would have ended before it started, so once I had finished Sunday's sermon, I made myself walk down to Windmill Gardens (we have been here before!), where at least I could sit on a bench for a few minutes and try to make my bluetooth headband work - for some reason it simply wouldn't, so no music today and I'd been looking forward to listening to Carol King's "Tapestry", which I believe is now 50 years old.  Anyway, no joy, and sitting on the hard bench made my sciatica, or whatever it is, flare up, so I came back through the Estate.  Still no signs of spring, even though the recent cold spell does seem to be over.  

So not quite as far as it says, so slower than it should have been!  Ah well....

Fitness Journey, 13 February

 

I don't normally go shopping on Saturday, but I signally failed to go out  yesterday, largely due to the fact that the temperature in the bathroom was far too low to even think about showering, so I didn't dress, and I don't think the good citizens of Brixton would be very edified by the sight of me in my nightie.  Plus a bit on the chilly side, this weather!  So I went out today instead.

I went to Tulse Hill Sainsbury's, which is slightly further away than Clapham Common, and I thought didn't have Smart Shop (found out, too late, too late, that it does).  I made sure I went a way that avoided the Sainsbury's Local on the corner of Lambert Road - I could, and arguably should, have walked home that way, but I was a bit tired, so caught the bus.  Proved to me that I'm not yet able to do the walk I really want to do, which is down to Brockwell Park (the bus stop where today's walk ends is at one entrance to the park) then across the park and catch the bus home from Herne Hill or Brockwell Lido.  One of these days.  

Again, next week's goal is 3 walks of at least 15 minutes each.  

Fitness journey, 10 February

 

Just too far, really.  I wanted to go to Sainsbury's (I did turn off the tracker while I was in there), and it's a great circular walk, but without the possibility to stop for a cup of tea, or even a sit-down, it was just that much too far!  Oh well, it will get easier.

What's more, Sainsbury's didn't even have what I wanted, so it was a wasted journey in that sense, although not from the walking point of view.  And the weather was lovely - it's very cold, but bright.  The Swan Whisperer has gone for a long walk - it's unfair to ask him to walk at my pace at the moment, or I'd have made him come with me as far as Sainsbury's, and then he could have gone on over Clapham Common to Battersea Park or wherever...  

Fitness journey, 8 February

 When my alarm clock went off, the bright and chirpy weather forecaster who greets me by name informed me that it was -1 and snowing.  And going to snow.  Accuweather said it was going to start snowing in about an hour.  So I thought I'd better go out while the going was good, dressed quickly, and headed out about 8:30.

It was very cold, so I thought I would just go to Tesco and back - walking into the wind on the way there, and, more comfortably, with my back to it on the way back.  Over the weekend, I bought a headband with bluetooth headphones hidden in it, which worked very well, so I was playing the egregious "Let's have a party" album - think songs like Agadoo and the Birdie Song, but excellent to walk to!  I must see what else I have that increases one's pace without trying.  

I failed to turn off the tracker while I was in Tesco's because I thought I hadn't switched it on properly, so was surprised to find that it paused while I was looking for ras el hanout in the spice rack.  They had it last week, when I didn't need it, but I had less than I thought....  oh well.

I did think of catching a bus back, but there wasn't one due for 3 minutes, and, in fact, I'd nearly reached the next bus stop by the time it arrived.  I'm glad I walked!  And so home to a belated breakfast!

Fitness journey, week 1

 Not exactly travelling - but who knows when, if ever, we will be able to do that again.  Right now it's illegal - illegal!!!! - to go on holiday.  I'm beginning to wish I'd never bought the new motor home; I'd sell it if I didn't think I'd lose so much money on it.  And the Swan Whisperer says we will be able to use it again sometime.  I hope he's right.  

But whether or not we can travel, we can at least stay fit.  I have got extremely unfit lately, and have decided to try to get fit by walking for about 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week.   I started this last Monday, 1 February, and did 3 walks last week, all of which involved about 20 minutes' walking and then shopping, as we are only supposed to go out once a day.  I have been posting these walks on Facebook, but think it would be better not to bore people there, so will post them on here instead, with a link to Facebook.  

So, this week's walks.

Monday 1 February

I went along Acre Lane, down Baytree Road (there was a blackbird!) out on to Brixton Hill, and then back up Porden Road and so to Tesco's.  Then I got a bus back from Tesco.

Wednesday 3 February

• 
  
  

I had been going to walk to Tulse Hill Sainsbury's and then bus back, but ended up in Sainsbury's Local on the corner of Lambert Road and Brixton Hill.  Was feeling a bit breathless and my back was aching.  Had walked down Strathleven Road and along Lambert Road, then into Sainsbury's.  They didn't have Za'atar, which is what I'm out of!  Anyway, I then got a bus as far as Lambeth Town Hall, walked up Porden Road to the bus stop on Acre Lane, and then bus home. 

Friday 5 February

• 
  
  

Up Strathleven Road, Glenelg Road, Kildoran Road on to Lyham Road, then through Blenheim Gardens but I was getting tired, so cut through to Lambert Road, walked up Branksome Road back to Acre Lane and thus to Lidl.  Breathless again and my calves ached!

I am going to repeat Week 1 next week, weather permitting - aiming for 3x15 minute walks.  I've now acquired a bluetooth headband, so may be able to listen to music while I walk, which will help.  

London Transport Museum Depot. Acton

 We decided we wouldn't carry on with the Treasure Trail, it was too long and had got boring.  It was also a bit too old for Boy Two, and even The Boy had to have help with most of them.  Even us adults did, on a couple of them....

So the question was, what to do today, which is the last day we could all get together before school restarts next week.  I looked on IanVisits and found that the Transport Museum's Acton depot was, exceptionally, open for a few weeks this summer.  Normally it only opens for two weekends a year.  I had never been - I did buy us tickets to go one year, and forgot to put them in the diary, to discover them ten days after the event..... 

They were selling timed tickets, but the 11:00 am slot was already sold out.  The noon slot was warning "Last few tickets", but they managed to sell me 3 adult and 2 child tickets, so we arranged to meet outside the depot at 11:55 this morning.  The Daughter said she was going to drive, since that was easiest and avoided using public transport, and the Swan Whisperer insisted that we would, too.  I had nightmares about it and was very worried about finding parking in the area, even though we knew that the local CPZs were in operation only 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-16:00, presumably to stop people parking all day and going into work on the Tube from Acton Town station.  In any event, I need not have worried as we found a parking space at the first time of trying, within a couple of minutes' walk from the Museum.  So we ended up spending 20 minutes in the car as it was too early to go in!

It was all very easy, and most enjoyable.  We could only see the bus collection and the Tube train collection (I felt we were slightly ripped off, as the tickets were full price, and there was much of the depot that was, understandably, closed off - we couldn't see the ticket machines, or the little huts that the collectors used to sit it, other than from a distance, and the upstairs galleries were closed).  The daughter, Boy Too and I wandered on, but The Boy and the SW were far more engrossed in the technical details of the buses, wondering how you accessed the engines in these ones for maintenance, 

 and generally being nerdish.  They had fun!  We spent hours in the Museum shop (the Daughter said she never had enough time to browse, usually) and the SW bought her her birthday present there.  Then we wandered on through the various Tube trains and out the other end, where they presented the boys with a pack of things to do at home (mostly make a bus-driver's cap), and we had a drink and a snack in the café area, and then a ride on the miniature railway, before heading back to the car.

As I said, most enjoyable, but I do think they could have reduced the price slightly as not all of the Museum was, or could be, open to the public.

Treasure Trail

 This may well end up being Treasure Trail part 1, but I won't edit the title until I know for sure.

One of the sad things about this pandemic is the dearth of summer expeditions with the Boys.  But yesterday their father had an important court case over the Internet, and really didn't want it added to with fighting in the garden, or football goals being scored against his office wall.  So the Daughter decided to take them out on a Treasure Trail around Spitalfields and Brick Lane.  This was a detective trail, with clues to solve to find "Whodunnit", or rather, to eliminate certain suspects and murder weapons, a la Cluedo.

 We met at Liverpool Street Station and first off found a Prets for a cup of coffee/iced tea/juice/babycino (not that Boy Too is a baby any more; he is very nearly 7, but he still likes them!).  But once that was done, we had to retrace our steps to Bishopsgate to find the first clue, which was a date inscribed high on a building.  Most of the clues were that sort of thing, but sometimes you had to think sideways to find them.  There were definitely two we didn't find before we all decided it was lunch time, and headed to Franco Manca for pizza and affogato.  Or plain ice cream, in the case of the boys, who do like coffee now but aren't allowed it much.  

Once lunch was over, I knew I had had enough for one day, and went back to Liverpool Street Station to get a 133 back to Brixton.  I had hoped to go to Morley's, but there was a 355 behind us when we got to Brixton, and I realised I was absolutely exhausted.  I staggered home and went to bed for the rest of the day!  Not as many steps as sometime, but a lot more than I've been able for since I had Covid-19 back at the end of March! 

The Swan Whisperer came in a little later, saying that they had done one or two more clues after lunch, but the boys were getting a bit tired of it, so they decided to call it a day, and the rest of the clues can be done another day.  

Lockdown Lifted, 29 July

So we are home. In the morning I did a big shopping and then we headed to the terminal two hours before our booked crossing. And were offered one an hour earlier, and were then waved through and caught the 12:20, not the 13:50 I'd booked.

We were glad of the extra 90 minutes, arriving at my mother's at about 14:30 and then lots of cleaning and clearing up to do. Car packed, but the van had to be taken to my brother's yard as the garage we rent from him is having its roof replaced. An excuse to go down again in a couple of days, I hope.

We then drove back to London and unpacked the car, and things are mostly put away now. We have eaten, and it will be an early night.

No photos today, so here is one from the Alps. 

Lockdown Lifted, 28 July

It was much cooler this morning, and we were just having breakfast when the heavens opened and we had to rush to close the skylights! Didn't last long, though.

We have had a long and dull drive on the motorway, enlivened by a hunt for diesel and a quick dash into a convenience store for bread and water.

But we are now parked up in a very windy Sangatte prior to crossing at lunch time tomorrow after a big shop and perhaps a dash round Calais.

And I have a new great-nephew, born this morning. 

Lockdown Lifted, 27 July

Once again, we are not where we expected to be tonight, having originally planned to stop somewhere outside Reims that wasn't Chaméry. However, we were going to need services somewhere en route, and the Swan Whisperer picked on this place, by the Lac d'Orient,

and when we got here it was so nice we decided to stay. It will mean a long and boring motorway drive tomorrow, but that can't be helped.

It was a pleasant cross-country drive today, lots of pretty towns and villages and countryside with newly-harvested fields of corn and still-ripening fields of sunflowers and maize. Big sky country here - the French prairies.

After lunch and a rest we went for a short walk

but it is horribly hot so we came back and flaked out in the shade of the van. Now the SW is having a Church council meeting outside (one downside of Zoom meetings is you can't use being on holiday as an excuse not to go!) and I'm flaked out on the bed. 

Lockdown Lifted, 26 July

The aire where we stayed last night gave free electricity, and there were services not far away, also free, but they asked you to use local businesses.  So the Swan Whisperer went to buy bread only to be turned away because he was wearing a thick, home-made mask rather than a flimsy disposable one!  So we thought if they didn't want our business, they needn't have it, and decided to do without.  We had half a baguette left over from yesterday, which we toasted, and then at lunch tried (not very successfully) to make toasties with ordinary bread. 

Anyway, back to breakfast, which was nearly a disaster as my poached egg slipped out of its plastic cup on to the baguette, then slipped off that and made a beeline for the floor.  Do not catch a freshly-poached egg in your bare hand - it hurts!  But at least I saved it and was able to eat it. 

We were driving as far as Dijon today, and decided to go non-motorway, which was pleasant.  Is this an archetypal or a stereotypical French tree-lined road, do you suppose? 

Sunflowers are very much a crop here - just losing the radiance of their petals now.  We don't know whether they are mostly for animal fodder or for cooking oil (or, indeed, for the delicious seed, either for human or avian consumption). 

We stopped for lunch in Louhan, by a river,

and arrived here, at Marsonnay-la-Cote (infamous for being the place where my mother spilt tonic waer on the cushions in her hotel room in 2003) just in time for the last Zoom church service of the summer.  Live worship restarts next Sunday, with limits, and I am to take the service the Sunday after, which I am delighted about!

Lockdown Lifted, 25 July

Today I finally found the cows whose bells we have enjoyed hearing over the past two days - sadly they were brought in at night se we didn't have them to enjoy at night.  

Breakfast was horribly late as the Swan Whisperer insisted on going and buying croissants and the bakery was a long 20 minutes' walk, even at his speed, from the aire.  However, we had it at last, although we deprived ourselves of eggs, for once, and had a piece of cheese instead, as quicker. 

We then, sadly, had to say goodbye to the mountains, and come back down those ten hairpin bends - and more, later, down to the Grenoble bypass, stopping to do an enormous shop at an E Leclerc  - I haven't done much shopping over the last few days, somehow, and we were running low on stuff.  

When we got to the aire, on the outskirts of Lyon, we were surprised to find that it was not where we thought it was, and although there were services, which we didn't need, having used them in Les 2 Alpes this morning, overnight stays were apparently forbidden.  All very strange - and then Park4Night pointed out the aire I thought we were going to some 5 miles away.  So I entered the lat and long into the satnav and asked it to find the nearest aire (which it mostly knows), and, lo and behold, it pointed to the place where we were!  So that is how that muddle arose!

We drove on to the aire we had intended to go to, and found most of the space occupied by a wedding party, but they soon cleared off, and as there is what appears to be free electricity, we have been playing with the television, but there is nothing really worth watching, so have turned it off.  

It is so hot  down here - we were really too cold first thing this morning, I had to close the bedroom skylight when I woke up.  But down here it is much hotter.  I wish we had another week in the Alps.... Oh well. 

Lockdown Lifted, 24 July

Today we decided to stay her in Les 2 Alpes, and to explore the village. There is a shuttle bus that takes you around the place in the mornings, at lunch time and in the evenings. We got the last bus of the morning into the village and then took the cable-car gown to Venosc, a village some 500 metres lower. There are paths, but no other mechanical way of reaching the village from above - it would be a very long way round by car!

Not that there was much to see when we got there, so we came back and did a bit of exploring around the village which is so utterly dependent on tourism that it must have suffered badly in recent months.

We bought bread and a cold drink in a bakery and sat watching some friendly sparrows while we drank it.

Then back on the bus to the motor home for lunch and in the afternoon the SW went for a hike and I had a nap and then worked on my crochet shawl, which is nearly finished.

We leave the mountains tomorrow - I could do with another week, I must say! 

Lockdown Lifted, 23 July

We have had another glorious drive today, partly retracing our steps towards Briançon, along the most beautiful lake (more photos on Facebook) 

and then up over Lauteret again. At Briançon, I saw a huge hospital overlooking the town, and wondered whether it was once a Sanatorium for TB patients. Now, I expect it deals mainly with ski casualties (and probably, this year, with Covid-19 cases). 

In this direction, there was a spectacular glacier: 

We bought a sandwich and an ice on the top of Lauteret, and ate them in the motor home and then drove on, past another spectacular lake,

to our overnight place at Les Deux Alpes (up 10 hairpin bends!). We had not been going to get here until tomorrow night, but we think we might spend another day here - there is a free shuttle bus that takes you all over, so I shan't have to walk much (I can't on these slopes, anyway) and can get bread. I think we have enough food, but I will have to do a huge shop on Saturday! It is Thursday today, isn't it? 

Lockdown Lifted, 22 July

Best laid plans, and all that.... Last night, the gas ran out, which was not unexpected, given that we had we realised, been using it 24/7 for the fridge.  We have plenty, so that is not an issue, and as it was the French cylinder that is empty, we can get more.  But, unfortunately, the fridge simply wouldn't start up again, no matter what we did to encourage it.  You could hear the self-starter clicking away, but nothing happened.  

This has happened before, in our old van, and was fixed up very quickly with a new filter of some kind - forget the exact thing - which took him all of 3 minutes to fix.  He said at the time that they don't last forever and ought to be replaced every couple of years. 

So we both slept badly and were cross and fratchety this morning.  As it is half way through our holiday, I changed things like kitchen towels and table napkins, and washed through the various masks - I just had enough to last, but wouldn't have had a fresh one to shop on Thursday of next week when we get home.

Masks drying in the bathroom.

Our route today was always going to be an exciting one, over Galibier and Lauteret. This is the monument at Galibier, and I'll put other photos, and photos I took of the wild flowers, on Facebook

Tour de France monument on Galibier

It was much colder up there, of course! We came down via Briançon, stopping somewhere for a lunch neither of us much wanted, and at a passing services that were badly needed, and then on to Gap to a motorhome repair place which refused to do anything to help us as they were booked solid for weeks. In vain did we please that it would only take 5 minutes (and at that, we could do it ourselves if we knew how to open the panel, which we will find out!). So we came away, and the Swan Whisperer said, despairingly, that he would give it one more go - and it came on!  It is definitely staying on until we turn the gas off for the Shuttle crossing and we will, of course, get a new part when we get home.  

So that has thrown our plans into disarray, rather.  We are not sure whether to find the places to stay we first thought of, or to change our plans again.  We did some shopping an bought diesel after visiting the unhelpful place, and then came on to this random aire that Park4Night recommended, and, indeed, it is very nice.  It rained and stormed, though, when we got here, which is actually nice as it was very hot and muggy (and we are still 960 metres above sea level, as at Abondance).  We don't really need to start home until Sunday.  Watch this space..... 

Lockdown Lifted, 21 July.

It was just beginning to get light when the Swan Whisperer woke me by clambering out of bed to close the skylights as it was raining! Only a very localised shower, and by the time we came properly awake an hour or so later, the sun was out. So the SW went for a 2-hour walk before breakfast! I had half thought of going to explore the village and find a bakery while he was out, but by the time I got up, it was a bit late for that! So I got breakfast once he returned.

I was very annoyed as the supermarket we decided to go to had no parking for motor homes, so I ended up going to Lidl, which didn't have any mushrooms, thus effectively foiling my plans for mushroom risotto for dinner. I got some trout instead.

The drive was not nearly as bad as yesterday's, despite millions of hairpin bends, but it was a 2-lane road so it didn't matter meeting lorries on their way down. Mind you, endless cyclists, but then there always are on French mountain roads!

We arrived here at Valloire in nice time for lunch and then we both flaked out for a bit. First I, and then the SW, went out for an explore, and to visit the giant straw sculpture competition that we can see outside our window (photos on Facebook). This is very much a ski resort, and is the highest place we've ever slept - 1,565 metres (although I've been to Boulder, Colorado, which I think is higher). Certainly the highest in the Alps, though.  Here are today's mountain views! 

And tomorrow we leave Savoie via the Col du Galibier and the Col de Lauteret to enter the Dauphiné.