Early spring holiday 2024, 26 February

Brassac-les-Mines, Auvergne

It was too wet for the Swan Whisperer to want to go for a run this morning, and he said that the town of St-Pierre-en-Moutiers wasn't really worth seeing, so we didn't linger (too much!) and after using the services we set sail for an E Leclerc shopping centre we knew was on our way. 

Honestly, it was enormous! I got in most of my day's exercise just walking from the motor home to and round the supermarket! And I didn't want very much, really - it was only a top-up shop! Still, it was good exercise, and I always like looking round other people's supermarkets, especially when I am not in a hurry. The SW was getting diesel and then I knew he would be making and drinking his coffee, so no rush. 

When we had finished, we decided to revisit Vichy, where we hadn't been for some years. On the way, we passed the commune (as the French call it) of Billy, with a 12th-century chateau that looked amazing. We wondered whether to stop and have a proper look, but decided not to. 

Which, in hindsight, was a mistake. We found a car park very near the centre of Vichy, and after lunch set off to walk down the length of the park between the two pump rooms, where we hoped to taste the waters. But, alas, all is under renovation, and the pump rooms were closed, as was the park. So that was a bust, and we walked sadly back to the WoMo, saying that we must come again next year to see what it looks like when it has been finished. I expect it will be lovely, but right now it is a mess.

The Casino (the gambling--hall, not the eponymous supermarket) was open, but we are not gamblers, so didn't particularly want to look inside. All very sad! We should have stopped in Billy after all.

So we came away, and drove across country to the top of the A75, everybody's favourite motorway, and are parked up in a Camping-Car Park which we have used before on the banks of the Allier. The SW went for a leg-stretch when it stopped raining.

 Supper, however, was a bit of a disaster as I tried to make a pureed broccoli sauce to go with our pasta and aubergine steaks, but my travelling blender simply wasn't up to the job, so the sauce was not exactly smooth, and I was stressed enough not to be very hungry! It did taste good, though - I must try it at home where I have a much more powerful blender.

For once, the WiFi here is working and we have a good signal, so we plan to watch television (I have a VPN and a Chromecast, so if we can get it set up, it should be possible). 

Early spring holiday 2024; 25 February

Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier

It was much milder this morning. At least, I don't think it was very much milder, but the wind had dropped so it felt warmer. 

After breakfast we went for a walk round Troyes, basically up to the Cathedral and back.

(I do not know why this photo insists on being on its side - sorry about that!) 
We did have a brief look inside, but Mass was about to start, and the Swan Whisperer's French isn't really good enough to enable him to enjoy hearing Mass in it, although, as I said, it was really only the sermon, as if we had service books, the services are so alike across the denominations that it is easy enough to follow.

Anyway, we left it, and went back to the WoMo. I called in at the Intermarché because the SW had run out of kitchen paper, which he uses to wipe everything down before washing up, to avoid bits going down into the grey tank and making it smell even worse than it already does. So I got that and some spring onions and walnuts for our salad this evening - I had already bought filled crepes that just needed reheating, and thought they would be nice with salad (which they were!).

We set off for Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier, about a 3-4 hour run cross country; again a lovely drive. We stopped in a lay by to listen to our church service on Zoom, only when the intercessions came on, F either hadn't turned the microphone on or failed to use it, so we couldn't hear, but we had had most of the service by then.

We stopped again in a place called Pontigny to have lunch, and then set off again. The last bit was on motorway, but it was a free one; it was also raining, which was nasty, and when we arrived here (a Camping-Car Park) it was too nasty to want to go out again.

However, the SW did go into the town as it looked as though one could not drive through it, but we had been directed on a horribly narrow road with ditches on either side, and worrying all the time lest we met someone (we didn't, not until the road widened out). However, the Satnav seems to have misunderstood a notice that says there are height and width restrictions in the town centre, because the roads we will actually need to drive on are fine. So that's okay.

We will need to get diesel and gas tomorrow, and I will need to shop (I could feed us with what we already have, but would prefer fresh pasta to dried, and I expect the SW will need milk). I expect we will find a supermarket somewhere en route to the top of the A75, which is where we are headed tomorrow! 

Early Spring Holiday 2024; 24 February

Troyes, Champagne

Didn't sleep terribly well, as first of all I woke up and remembered I hadn't taken my evening medications, so had to get up and do that, and then started worrying that the would-be migrant who had taken refuge in our loo (but who left gracefully when we said we were going the other way) had found my handbag and removed our passports, which of course he hadn't, but I had to check!

Anyway, it was about 7:00 when the lights came on in the swimming pool next door to the aire, and I decided to call it a night. The Swan Whisperer went for a run before breakfast, and after it we left most of the clearing up and went for a walk up to the Basilica of Saint-Quentin.

I was very sad to find that the bout of flu I had two weeks ago has left me incredibly unfit, and as it was slightly uphill all the way, I was very slow and felt sorry for the poor SW! I will get fitter again, of course, but was very unimpressed with myself! However, we got there in the end, and I took some photos,

and then we walked back to the WoMo via Monoprix and the river or canal (not sure which it is). There are photos on Facebook.

Then we finished sorting ourselves out, emptied the loo and the grey, and headed on down to Troyes. It was a lovely drive - we didn't go on the motorway, but the N and D roads were mostly very straight, well-paved and dual carriageway. And because it is Saturday, fairly quiet.

We are parked up by the Seine, in the same car-park we used last September. What we didn't find last time, though, was the Intermarché a very few yards away, just across the river. Almost nearer than Lidl is from home. I needed one or two things, so popped in there, and now the Swan Whisperer has gone for a walk. In the morning, I expect we will walk up into the town before heading further south. It is still bitterly cold, but we seem to have missed the rain today.