Panic!

The train had arrived and I couldn’t find my tickets!

I bundled onto the train and started to empty my rucksack, when to the great relief of myself and the conductor, they fell to the floor!

The journey across France went smoothely, with changes at Perigeau to get to Bordeaux, then the nonstop TGV to Paris. I had been given an upstairs seat, so a good view, but squeezing a large rucksack and 2 dogs through the carriage was a challenge. A lot of mist as we sped through.

We had 30 minutes in Paris to catch the TGV back to Rennes, so managed to nip out of the station and for Topsy and Happy to kill off the grass that was struggling to grow on the pavement outside.

Arriving in St. Malo, I again had my usual St. Malo argument with the bus driver about letting Guide Dogs on his bus. After consulting control, I was let on!

Then the big challenge: starting the car after 3 months standing. I re-connwcted the battery and it started first time! Thank god for Hondas!

Then the un-simpke matter of exiting the car park, as I had lost my parking ticket. After multiple conversations with a dis- embodied voice in a payment meter, my credit card refused to pay the 300€ fee. So they kindly reduced it to 150€ which it still did not like. It was only when it was reduced to 100€ that it agreed to cough up! So for once irritating technology worked in my favour wand saved me 200€!

We filled up with petrol and I fitted the beam-blockers on my lights, then headed for the nearest vets to get Happy and Topsy treated with anti-tick pulls and registering this on their pet passports. I had forgotten that you had to wait at least 2 days before you could travel. So thst means Thursday 6PM at the earliest.

So headed for the nearest campsite. Really I should have known by now. It was ferméd! So tang up anorher, which was open, and putting my faith in a Google routefimder we set off. I seemed quickervyhan “the voice” and missed a couple of turns. We crossed over a barrage that was plasterrd eith RDF signs, so I suspect it was a tidal electric generator near Dinard.

Put the tent up and had the luxury of leaving all the rubbish in the car. Also 2 dog beds from the boot are making the floor of the tent quire soft!

Escaped to the local bar-tabac ( miraculously open!) and had a couple of beers!