However, last year we went with the boat and travelled south down the River Saone and the mighty Rhone. We had moored for free in the South of France on the canal running parallel with the coast and had enjoyed the fun of the beach and the luxury of home comforts close by.
This year, rather reluctantly, we left Lobelia tied up and jumped in the car to motor south.
The Autoroute plays a coquettish game of hide and seek with the river and offers tantalising glimpses which made us crane our necks and hanker for our life afloat. But instead of relaxed and uncongested wide waterways we had to make do with fast-paced hell on the motorway.
We spent two weeks on a camp site and away from creature comforts like beds...
But our senses filled with the sights and sounds and flavours of the South of France. Ah, chilled honeyed Muscat - an excellent remedy for camping bad back (if taken in sensibly large quantities).
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| The best ever Pharmacy : Cave de Balta, Frontignan Try their fabulous "Chant de Cigales" |
And then we packed away our camp, threw it in the back of the car and motored seven hours back up the motorway with the windows closed and the air con on. It wasn't until we were off the motorway and twenty minutes away from the barge in Burgundy that we put a window down. The scent of fertile countryside and lush foliage was over-powering and made me gasp. The car had been a barrier to our sense of travel. It made us all realise the benefit of travelling at a snail's pace on the barge where we can appreciate the subtle differences in climate and aroma.
Lobelia and resident stray cat were waiting for us and both gave us a welcome home.
