France

*Camp and day’s information: Tuesday, 15^th April 2003*
Camp Place	End of Day GPS Coordinates	End of Day Odometer	Today’s Distance	Cumulative Distance	Weather	Food
France S. Bolougne	N50° 41.226’ E1° 38.566’	16948	373	373	Lovely warm, hazy weather	Bacon and eggs. Upper Crust baguette

We arrived in Dover in good time to catch our 18:15 ferry to Calais, but a frustrating (and pointless) hour-long delay getting our vehicle export form stamp meant that we missed it. Fortunately, the 19:00 ferry was not full, despite it being the start of school holidays.

We camped soon after an uneventful crossing, but it was still around 11pm before we got to bed. We were both pretty exhausted after a bit of a wild party night before our departure and the inevitable frantic pack up.

*Camp and day’s information: Wednesday, 16^th April 2003*
Camp Place	End of Day GPS Coordinates	End of Day Odometer	Today’s Distance	Cumulative Distance	Weather	Food
France La Verte St. Aubin	N47° 43.168’ E1° 56.450’	17370	422	841	Fine and sunny	Croque Monsieur

We had a long day today. We didn’t sleep particularly well last night as we parked in the lorry section of a roadside park area – we now know to park within the area allocated for cars if we can, as they are less noisy when manoeuvring and less likely to arrive and depart at all hours during the night! We spent a pleasant day driving on the toll roads for the most part and stopping to have a look at a few places en route. We did some food shopping at Carrefour and soon found we had quite a few items within the cabin area which weren’t required in the short term so we spent a considerable amount of time in the early evening until quite late repacking the vehicle and agreeing together what should go where. As a result the cabin area is much clearer now (if only I could get Michael to keep it that way). We found a quaint village with a parking area where we spent a peaceful night’s sleep!

*Camp and day’s information: Thursday, 17^th April 2003*
Camp Place	End of Day GPS Coordinates	End of Day Odometer	Today’s Distance	Cumulative Distance	Weather	Food
France Bordeaux	N44° 51.951’ W0° 29.497’	17838	468	1384	Typical warm spring day	Cheese/ham/jam baguette.MacDonald’s

What an absolutely glorious day. I had forgotten how beautiful France is in the Spring. There are so many trees, forests and farming areas. I also love the somewhat shambled array of houses and the fact that people sit on their doorsteps having a chat with neighbours and friends. Each village seems to have its own personality and everyone is out in their summery clothing enjoying the start of the Easter weekend. We are feeling much better organised now, although there will doubtless be more rearranging as the trip progresses and we identify what is used when. Having the GPS software on the computer makes navigating so easy – this is a far cry from the hand held compass and unwieldy maps of yester year!

We noticed a sign for Hotel Formule 1 near Bordeaux and decided it would be a good idea to check in for the night, and get a shower and a bed – especially as it had secure parking for Nyathi.