Day 1 - Ealing to Limoges

Well, I've just reached my hotel de super grande luxe in Limoges and I'm absolutely shattered. I've racked up about 530 miles today which is probably about 100 miles too many for me on about 2 hours sleep, though I think Bertha is turning into Terminator 2 could do another 500 miles without any thought.

I got up at 0130am this morning and left home at 2am after a small but rather embarassing moment of brain fade when after loading duvet and sheets into the car I realised that I'd managed to load my car key as well. I then had to spend the next 5 minutes unpacking what I had packed and shaking everything in the forlorn hope that the key would appear. 5 mins of this nonsense passed and then mild panic set in until my hand was guided into the corner of the boot by some sort of Jedi mind trick and I found the key again. A good job too, it was as dark as a black bulls balls on a moonless night and my temper was beginning to flare.

So I managed to get to the Eurotunnel terminal in record time and then had to wait for an hour or so to board the train. I could've stayed in bed for an extra hour but you never can tell.

After hitting Calais it was down on the usual A16 route past Abbeville, Amiens and Beauvais and then cutting through the northern suburbs of Paris on the Route Nationale 1 road. It's absolutely shocking driving through that area. You wouldn't know that you were in a place classed as being part of one of the world richest cities. I know London has some shit areas but it's nothing compared to Sarcelles, St Brice and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine. St Denis, once feared even by the most evil police with guns, seems to look a lot more prosperous these days. From entering Paris by Porte de la Chapelle it was a reasonably quick hop around the Peripherique to Porte D'Orleans to get the A6 out of Paris where I then changed onto the N20 to avoid paying anymore motorway tolls.

Then I met Dorothee and Rob for lunch after having dinner together back in Ealing earlier in the week. I had a nice pizza with Merguez Zzzauzzzzaaaagessss and an egg. Not bad. Couldn't finish it all but found a little room to have Cafe Gourmand whilst Rob came alive with his Colonel. Lemon Sorbet and lot of booze. After leaving the two of them it just a case of managing to stay awake driving south from Orleans through places like Nouan-le-Fuzelier, Salbris and Vierzon. Then back onto the Autoroute again passing Chateauroux and then down to Limoges, once the home of Renoir.

Anyway a few pictures.....

Firstly the view from an Aire off the A16 motorway at sunrise.

Then we have the main shopping street in Orleans.

We have so much to learn from our French friends. Used here in Orleans to forcibly stop cars advancing before the tram passes. But I see another far better use for this in the UK. The next time a fecking cyclist jumps a red light whilst people are trying to cross over gets one of these through his spokes, or through his groin.

This was once the house belonging to Joan of Arc..

Another one of Orleans' main streets with the Cathedral in the background

A slightly nicer B&W shot

A very opulent looking bank, in this instance a Caisse D'Epargne

PS. Does anyone else watch The Tudors? It's just pure smut. It's on ARTE this evening. I have to keep turning the sound down in case my fellow hotel guests think I'm watching Bangkok Chick Boys.