FRANCE - HOLIDAY 2013 (5 July)

Hooray, at last, it's that time of the year again...holiday time...whoop whoop.

Set out this morning (Friday 5th July) from home at 1am, driving to Liverpool, John Lennon Airport.

A fairly uneventful journey despite the growing tiredness that almost surpassed me a couple of times.

Reminds me, I tried that "Red Bull" or an ALDI supermarket cheaper derivitive. Gave me wings for about 10 minutes before reentering land of the slumbering driver.

We made it to Liverpool at approx 4:30am and were greeted by an elderly scouse gentleman who parked up our can and took our cases etc over to the Airport Shuttle Bus.

The park was about a mile away and we disembarked right next to a yellow submarine (Beatles and John Lennon influence there)...still will be easy to remember where we will be collected on the return.

Into the airport we went, threw our bags at the easyjet rep...I have to say easyjet have been more professional than I last remember them and efficient too.

Had a sit down and a crappy snooze for 2 hours on an airport seat then went to our gate to embark on the plane.

Waiting on a Jet Plane

Allocated rows 21a-f, we set off and landed at a cloudy Nantes approx 1 hour later.

On achieving the impossible (retrieving our bags with no delay) we went to the Alamo desk for our car and were given the keys to a Mondeo...actually ok but still warm from its last user.

I sat for half an hour like a novice at the controls of a Jumbo jet, bemused by the gear stick on the right and the drivers seat where the passenger should be. Zoe and me caffuffled the sat-nav for ages, wondering what was a street and a postcode and deciphoring French like it would ancient Greek.

We eventually punched in the coordinates and set for the off. Sortie in French means exit, however in this instance it was exit via a carwash...strange...could we be wrong....well we went through and soon were on the open road...nails chewed to the qwik.

Have you driven abroad? its daunting at first, but you soon grasp it and the lady on the sat nav kept us right.

We travelled and stopped after about 40 miles at a large Carrefour Supermarket at the town of Cholet for some provisions and had lunch at a place called frunched...some French chain of restaurants.

Sun was out now an 24 degrees - wooooo.

We set off again and eventually made it to Doue la fontaine and the hotel Auberge de la Rose.

View from Hotel Balcony

We are staying in the hotel for one night as our Gite only becomes ready on Saturday at 4:00pm...so a longish day tomorrow.

Dinner in the hotel was tres superbe...I had a pate starter as did zoe, the kids had a half canteloupe melon with cous cous and Angela a salad. This was followed by a selection of steak, chicken and fish and cheese, ice cream, creme brulee and rasperry soufle.

Jodie tucks in

Ohhh and there was red wine too, a local speciality from Saumar.

Afterwards we went for a walk.

Took an attratcive picture of the Planet Venus. Spotted some Bats flying overhead.

Venus over Doue-La-Fontain

Back for bed and another day tomorrow.