Pity the poor public servant who pulled us over for a car search as we left Dover! Bob not at all amused. Both surprised at checking for people leaving UK!We sped bac
k to Rouen for a night at the Premier Class by the Cows Roundabout - very useful place! Then on the Armistice Bank Holiday we retraced steps back to Abzac, pausing at a nearby auberge where the veterans were having an interesting looking meal. The weather for the next two days was disgusting. We lurked around the house amusing Gregory whilst P&G handled the gite change-over day, then tried a new restaurant in Availles. On Sunday we squelched to the barn and re-packed the car with camping kit (use of which was looking unlikely!) and set off with only the vaguest of plans - loosely based on wanting to see more of the Lot and Cele valleys. In fact we got caught in the long weekend return to Toulouse and some interesting driving behaviour. We decided to stay in Montauban and the next day the sun came out - just right for a very long car drive up to Figean and along mostly the River Cele. Stunning mountains, valleys and architecture! Worth another visit!The cheap hotel chains aren't represented in or near Cahors, so we stopped short of there in the small town of Vers, and stayed overnight at a Logis de France. By eschewing the luxury riverside rooms and staying
instead in the original building we got a very good deal which included dinner. We loved it! A room like something from Sebastian Faulks, and a truly traditional French meal - snails, vast serve-yourself terrine, rabbit, local cheese etc etc. Next day we headed off for Narbonne. The plan was to stay on a campsite outside the town with local kayaking and sailing. No problem - the site had a real bargain for four nights in a small mobile home, and yes, there were some kayaks on the adjoining lake. Unfortunately there was a lot of wind, and the next day, just after Bob returned 
from a bike ride the heavens opened and it rained solidly for two days. So no water sport, no more cycling and not much else really!The bar at the site wasn't open, the shop only in the morning, the restaurant barely open and aimed at the Dutch! Some local roads were closed so routes became more and more desperate and circuitous. It was all pretty depressing!A corporate policy of avoiding France in May was beginning to evolve, and we also discovered that one escape route - the Toulon to Civitavecchia Grimaldi ferry - is not operating this summer.
With our habitual luck as we de-camped on the Saturday morning the sun began to shine!
We dro
ve down the coast - seeing snow on the Pyrenees and some attractive coastal villages and towns, until we reached Canet en Roussillon and the great Campimg Brasilia used twice last year. They also had their special tariff for a spacious bungalow and remembered us. Jolly bar staff and Monique in the restaurant - sun - pool - WiFi in the cabin - excellent traiteur with take-away dishes. Things were looking up! (.. and the talk was all of how awful the last few days had been so we hadn't missed anything!)
It was a bit windy for those five days, but otherwise very pleasant!We did some cycling in and around - Ruth used the pool - and we sorted out the onward move:- from Barcelona with Grimaldi but to their new desination of Livorno - ideal for Tuscany.
On the last day we had a moules lunch in town before driving down slowly for a midnight sailing,
Total mileage Dunkirk to Barcelona: 1247!