Almost all of our lives are spent in ordinary time. Nothing out of the ordinary passes from day day to day. Seemingly ordinary events stretch behind us. Stretch in front, like a linear Route 66. The ordinary sun rises. The ordinary earth does a 360. Encompassing all of creation in its ordinary way. Speeds us on our way. No wonder we often find ourselves going round in circles. Going nowhere fast.
That’s how our ordinary day 7 seems. Going nowhere. And not fast. An ordinary two-lorry convoy of one full and one empty car transporter do what they do best. The former tailgates. Leaves no gap. Beastie unable to overtake. His 360s made up of 180 after 180. Gripping hairpins incapable of keeping ‘one’s’ hair on. Even when there’s little left. Eventually we do find our Gap. And don’t mind if we do. The town – with tonight’s stop – Alpes Dauphine Camping.
Earlier Beastie needs a fill up. We don’t spot the not so wide exit. In days long gone this would have caused consternation. A mini melt-down. A tantrum maybe. A head to head even. But now Beastie secretly thinks ‘One more scar? More like a new notch. It’s me or that pillar! Right? Bring it on . . .’
Camping Le Daxia, south of Lyon at Saint Clair du Rhône hosts us for day 6. Mr S with his labrynthitis surprisingly unaffected by swimming – takes advantage of the still evening warmth with a dip. Mrs S does her own thing. Impersonates a poolside solar panel.
Thursday and Day 8 ends at Camping La Paoute. Courtesy of the Napoleon Road. We’re 2K south of Grasse – the heart of French perfume. Yet another site with table tennis and pool on tap. Both help relieve the day’s ordinary frustrations. A change of venue en route. Brought on by a sudden downpour or two of mountainous weather. The planned Gorges du Verdon given a miss this time.
The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence mountain passes never fail to amaze, delight and impress – here’s today’s highlight.