Journey from Hell Part 11...

Backblip

Can you guess which country we're in? :)

Up at 7am (French time). Alan had some custard but no time for breakfast for us.
Steward came to take Alan off the ferry as a foot passenger (see yesterday's blip for the drama that ended with this arrangement being made.) It felt very odd watching him being wheeled away with his passport by a stranger!

David and I got to the car and it was just as well Alan was leaving as a foot passenger as there was a massive articulated lorry parked right beside us so we wouldn't have been able to get the ramp down. Alan was waiting for us at the terminal all smiles. I think he quite liked all the adventure!

And so began the second leg of our journey; the drive to Talmont St Hilaire and the lovely villa we've rented for 2 weeks. Ele and Kenny were flying and hiring a car so would be there waiting for us with dinner and wine.

Set off into the hot, sunny day, full of the joys. Figured the journey would take about 7 hours allowing for regular stops as David was doing all the driving. As we were getting to the outskirts of Paris we stopped for a loo break and just as well. Nightmare journey no 2 was just about to commence.

Hit the Paris Peripherique South and it was gridlock. Two and a half hours we crawled along the Paris ring road with the sat nav joyfully telling us at regular intervals that out ETA was getting later and later, whilst finishing off with the cheery message that "You are still on the fastest route." This of course was while the damn thing was still working. Half way round the peripherique, with lanes going off in every direction, the bloody sat nav got itself totally confused and was telling us to change lanes only to tell us to move back to the original lane once we'd done so. Luckily I had also printed off an AA route planner so between that and our gut instinct, we somehow managed not to get lost or killed in Paris!

Finally got here at 9.15pm. Quick nosey round the villa followed by a very late dinner for us all then collapsed into bed.

Here at bloody last!