Blogday 5 Sunday 20th September La Rochelle to Sarlat in the Dordogne via much of Burgundy; by reason of getting lost a few times. This on account of my Michelin Road Atlas being somewhat out of date, like 8 years, and not showing recently constructed autoroutes. This is what happens when a boy from Cardiganshire goes on holiday (for the information of those readers who come from beyond the Welsh borders, Cardiganshire natives are famously tough when it comes to spending money.....folks from other areas of Wales describe us in rather less fulsome terms). Meanwhile back at La Rochelle: up reasonably early and on our way south on the autoroute heading for Bordeaux where we would turn east for Periguex. A brief deviation to fuel up at a nearby Carrefour (petrol at supermarkets is 15% cheaper ... read more

Tour de Chev: Blogday 1 Wednesday 16th September So we finally set off: up at the crack of dawn heading to France for some culture, ancient monuments in Carnac Brittany , and cave paintings in the Dordogne, Lascaux, but most mostly for some sun having been deprived of the same for the third summer in a row. The Mighty Chev was serviced, cleaned, and ready to head for a country where left hand drive was the norm rather than the exception. We left for Portsmouth at 7.15am planning to catch the midday ferry to Le Havre. As usual the Chev drove like a dream and we arrived in Portsmouth half an hour before loading began - time for a coffee and sticky bun in the terminal café. Although the weather in Cardiff had been very overcast ... read more