So – as ever – Dave was itching to get on the road – so we bid a fond farewell to Donostia-San Sebastian before 10am and initially popped Bordeaux into the SavNav.
We were only 25km from the border and crossed into France at 10:10am. We hadn’t been travelling for very long when we came to a Péage (toll booth) requesting €2.90, so I bibbed the contactless point with the credit card, the barrier went up and we continued on our way…
Not very long after this, we came to another Péage – I didn’t notice how much for – I just grabbed the credit card, bibbed the contactless point again, the barrier went up and off we went…
Seemingly in no time at all, we came to ANOTHER Péage this time requesting €6.90, so (chuntering a bit about the theiving, dirty French… 🤬) I bibbed the contactless point with the credit card AGAIN & the barrier went up, etc.
I kid you not – within a few kilometres we then came to a FOURTH damn Péage this time requesting €3.90, so (not having a lot of choice) I HAD to bib the contactless point with the credit card ONCE MORE & the barrier went up, etc.
And by this time we were only just past the little sign below on the first piccie of the map – where it says “3 hr, 18 min Tolls” so THAT WAS IT !!! 😡
I asked Google Maps how many more Péages were coming up before Bordeaux and there was another one imminently and another in about 40km (ish)… So Dave pulled off just before the next Péage as he said there had been a road running alongside the motorway the whole time we’d been travelling and we’d go on that instead…
It was slower (obviously) as the parallel road went through all these pretty little towns & villages and there were roundabouts, etc. but Dave said it was more interesting than the motorways…
Once in France, we noticed that the fuel seemed quite a lot more expensive (anything up to €2.18 a litre) so when we came upon a Super U fuel station at €1.70, we filled up and nipped into the hypermarket…
€250 later – between the fuel & the hypermarket… 😐 (where Dave bought ANOTHER 15 metre “Magic Hose” for €20 – like the €12 one from Benidorm market but he says this one actually IS 15 metres… blue job… whatever 😐)
Anyway – the point is – see how much we SAVED 💰 by NOT going on the Péage roads 😂😂😂
As we’re pretty much on the home stretch now – and past sightseeing – so we decided to press on a little further north of Bordeaux to a place called Mirambeau. When we were almost at our destination, Google Maps took us down this single track set of roads with ditches at the sides and blind bends and this bleedin’ juggernaut 🚛 came out of nowhere – legging it down the hill towards us and (very kindly) went onto the grass at the side in case we collided. I was already a nervous wreck telling Dave to “slow down” and “bend coming up” but the lorry incident just finished me off 😳
Anyway we arrived at an “aire” which used to be a campsite so it was really lovely – with grass & hedges & individual pitches – and water & electric included – for the bargain price of €8 for 24 hours – result !
It WAS about 4:30pm by then – and Dave was tired but he plugged in the leccy whilst I assembled fresh bread, butter, pate, cheese, crisps & pickles with a cup of tea & coffee.
THEN – as I now addicted & needed a “fix” as we hadn’t played for 2 days (!!!) – we popped on 🎵 da tunes 🎵, poured a couple of glasses of vino and got out the Rummikub !!!
3 games later and I was the winner of the match 🏆 🥳 !!!
Then Dave went to bed and I did the blog – everyone says to be happy you have to find your passion – well I’ve decided that Rummikub 1️⃣ and writing ✍️ are my passions and make me happy 😊
