Colombey-les-Deux-Églises

Colombey-les-Deux-Églises isn't exactly on a direct route from the Channel Tunnel to my brother's house in the Lot, but it makes quite a straightforward first leg via the A26 and bits of other autoroutes, and it is a fascinating place for a stopover.

That said, today's journey wasn't at all straightforward, as our ageing Jimny broke down on the A26 just a few kilometres out of Calais, and will have to be 'repatriated' to Scotland for repairs. Instead, thanks to AA European Cover we now have a French-registered Peugeot 207 to take us all the way from St Omer to the Lot, and then back as far as Calais (where we're told an English-registed hire car will be waiting for us).

However, one effect of this is that at the age of 52 I've had to start learning a few new tricks. Although I've driven literally thousands of miles in Continental Europe, all on the right-hand side of the road, all of this has been right-hand-drive vehicles driven over from the UK. (I have previously driven a left-hand drive car in Canada, but that was an automatic.)

So today I've been getting used to the idea of changing gear (and applying/releasing the handbrake) with my right hand. Most of today's itinerary being on relatively uncluttered motorways has certainly made the lesson a lot easier, but somehow it all still seems so unnatural. (At least you don't have to cross your legs to operate the pedals.)

We arrived this evening in Colombey to stay at a
superb country hotel, with plenty of time for an evening stroll to take another look at the Cross of Lorraine (which we last saw back in 2000) - though the new (2008) Memorial building and exhibition was by then closed for the night.