Unexpected terminus

Long day, long journey.

After some inhabitual 5.30 am vacuuming (to get duvets squished into tiny bags), the car was loaded in our patented method (put kids in and load luggage and oddly shaped items around them in a Tetris-like way until the car is full and the pavement empty) and we were off home.

The tunnel was fine, and we took it in turns to drive - though Mr B gentlemanly volunteered to do the tricky Paris stretch (with zero visibility). It fell to me, though, to control the Vexin (little history joke for anyone who cares).

We made better than expected time and, but for the fact we are working on about eight hours sleep between us, would have made it home tonight. Instead we chose a Village Étape over our more normal "cheatin' side of town" stop and are in lovely rooms after a fabulous three course meal that we couldn't do justice to, and for which we were dramatically underdressed. Happily, the car charger not working meant the kids had no devices and had to engage in some old-fashioned chat over dinner (Limousin cows, foie gras, food politics and Hamilton.)

This is a snap of the centre of Donzenac.