After spending a couple of great days in Paris, we continued our drive south and took in some great parts of the French countryside and experienced a completely different country. It is picturesque and beautiful but a world away from the busy cities and highly polished Parisian people. We drove south through the Loire valley and Dordogne region.
First thing on our agenda was to pick up our second car and another tom tom and discovered when we went through the language options that the tom tom lady’s name is actually Jane. There was an option for ‘Ken’ the male Australian voice but he was not installed – we gave 'Tim' the Irish man a go for only a short time but he got a little hard to understand (and kept on saying to be sure). We also discovered after talking to some other travellers at dinner one night that we are not the only ones who talk to her or at times disagree with her directions (They also had Jane and agreed that she was troublesome). It seems we’re not all that crazy after all! And bonus - the car we were given this time, an Opel Astra, was brand new. It had only 6 kms on the dash. Wow, go us. Being new it drives like a dream and corners like it is on rails. Bonus if you can name the pop-culture reference on this one. I couldn’t! We have traced our journey through France on the map on the left.
First stop, Orleans – birth place of Joan of Arc and still it seems the local economy revolves around her name. Let her live in peace I reckon. It is a cute little city with some lovely little streets but once again, apart from a Cathedral and a museum (the Joan of Arc museum, of course), there just wasn’t much there! Luckily we had our fare share of culture in Paris so a few quiet days certainly wouldn’t go astray!We also took in a few Chateaus that were absolutely breath taking- Chenonceau and Chambord; expansive estates, gardens and amazing structures. I kept asking Dan if he would buy me a chateau for Christmas so I can live in hope til then. If he buys me one, then we would have the room to get a dog! Win, win I reckon!
On our way to Tours we stopped off for lunch at a lovely lake side town called Blois. They had a marathon so most of the streets were blocked off and we found an amazing café atop a hill near a church (what else?) for a rest and some lunch before continuing on our way.From Tours, it was onto Bordeaux – as in the wine and we did enjoy some good ones too. After a bit of a search, we found the one and only gay bar that
was open on a Tuesday night and what a night! It started slow but soon two boys were putting on a show for everyone dancing around waving feathered fans and wearing sunnies. And of course it wasn’t long until the pink wig came out and everyone (including the bar man) was having a go and loving themselves sick. It was just like being at home! Tim, Ben and Paula – we thought of you three straight away, you would have loved it! Then at one stage Lady Marmalade came on and 4 boys got up and danced on the actual bar… it was crazy! One thing we have noticed over here is that no matter where you are, the music is the same - Madonna, Britney and of course Kylie. Even in some of the 
smallest bars we have found in the dingiest cities, she always makes an appearance. I guess she really is international! A very late, slightly messy night and a hangover for both of us the next morning.This also marked the beginning of some very hot days followed by huge but brief storms late in the afternoon. Lucky I got to drive through that one again! How is it that when we swap drivers after Dan gets tired, it seems to be a signal for the heavens to open up!?
Next stop was Toulouse where we had to say good bye to Jane so as to not incur a 100 Euro fee for taking her to Spain with us. She was in good spirits but was holding back what would have been tears if she allowed herself any softer emotion. We had a bit of a drama dropping it off as the AVIS lady wouldn’t accept the GPS at first but after convincing her to look up our contract on the system and then making some phone calls to Paris, she was told she could do it. What she said at first was “impossible”, was now possible. Showing some rare restraint, Dan bit his tongue about that, although he couldn’t help saying “Je ne pense pas, c’est tres complique”. (“I do not think it’s very complicated”) which surprised her as she just assumed he couldn’t speak any French at all. Dan, argumentative? Never.
Our last night in France was spent in Toulouse and we decided that our last meal should be traditional French in a local square. We were halfway through our entrées when the rain started. We were under outdoor umbrellas but before we could finish them the rain was coming in between the gaps and splashing onto us off our plates. Not the best way to enjoy Foie Gras or Salmon tartare!
With Jane left behind us, we had to rely on maps and our keen sense of direction for the next part of the drive. I mean, really. We’re two grown men, fully able to drive and read maps and road signs… how hard could it be??
We were now on our own (sans technology) from Toulouse to Figueres, then onto Barcelona. Needless to say I was a little bit scared but we successfully passed the first challenge by making it to the medieval town of Carcassonne. It is the last remaining entirely walled city in Europe and they have a great shop that sells all sorts of delicious, handmade biscuits, gateaux and truffles. We did our best to support the local economy and
said goodbye to France, crossing the border into Spain and arriving in Figueres mid afternoon.Learnings:
- An Oom pa-pa band (as we saw in Bavaria) is not the same as an oompa loompa band.
- It is possible to give some one a travelling haircut with beard clippers and nail scissors.
- As the waiter gave Daniel his meal in Bordeaux, we both swear he said, “Here is your chicken and dog box.”
Next up is Spain which marks one week to go. :(
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