Cholet -26 October 2019

26 October

Tintin’s favourite quick and easy food last night, Heinz baked beans, Idahoan mash, topped with a fried egg! We’re running down food supplies - and veggies are in short supply!

Both of us finished another book yesterday - most enjoyable.

Peaceful area last night (but still didn’t sleep well) - and only a few cars around this morning when we left. Probably typically French - not a well used sports centre and fields? So many places seem like little ghost towns, I know we seem to pitch up at places at lunch time, but would still expect to see more people.

I drove for about an hour today. Beetling along on the motorway with a speed limit of 110km - nice smooth surface - Dave loved it! Oh but how quickly it changes, off an exit and into lots of traffic on the outskirts of Cholet.

Today’s mission was to visit a Decathlon, a huge sports shop, purely because we’ve never been in one. They seem to sell everything - although a young man asked if could help, and when I asked about a lacrosse ball (duly Google translated) - shrug of the shoulders, quick consult with others - et non! Never mind - have just ordered now from trusty Amazon. To be used for massage and relieving tight muscles if you need to know!

In the end, bought some more goggles, as I hope to get back into pool swimming this winter...

Had lunch in the carpark (used to it now, and no one bats an eye!) then went and found the Carrefour and topped up on both LPG and diesel. Sometimes these massive places on the outskirts of towns are quite confusing with so many shops, roundabouts, exits and entrances - but today wasn’t too bad!

Drove for only another 10 minutes, we’re now at Etang des Neous. It’s a lovely sunny day, about 20°, but chilly in the wind. Went for a walk around the lake, about 5,000 steps. It has exercise ‘stations’ all the way around and tells you which exercises to do and has a few pull-up bars, balance beams, steps to run up and down etc. Was a very pleasant walk. Lots of damselflies, butterflies and birds.

In our nearly two months away, the total spend for Aires, places to sleep AND water - comes to under €30! Some people pay that each night for a campsite. At times we’ve spent ages researching where we can park or service Dave, but pretty pleased with the end result.

Defrosted the last portion of chopped up chicken breast - must mean we’re on the way home! I tend to get quite excited about that prospect right now! Doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed it - but it’s always good to be home - well in a home that doesn’t move!

Still think about Bailey a lot, and will be so sad not to ever see him again. Hope Indi will appreciate being top cat!

Tomorrow is forecast for rain most of the day - but it will be a driving day to be close to St Malo for Monday morning.

You’ll be relieved that in a couple of days, you won’t read about the minutiae of our existence, until the next time!