France was forecast for three days of torrential and disruptive downpours, culminating in the small matter of the presidential election.
Overheard discussion of politics in cafes and on the street was increasingly heated as the temperature dropped and stayed a cool 10-12 degrees.
We drove south and east around Paris amidst the last of the morning’s commuters and as we hit the A6 toll road the heavens opened.
It was with some relief that we arrived at a favourite aire in Gurgy, a charming village alongside the Yonne, and battened down to spend the afternoon busy doing nothing.
The next morning, we left early to make the short journey south to Vincelles.
We stopped at a family-run campsite amongst cherry trees, and alongside the Nivernais canal, in a pretty corner of the Auxerrois. Once again rained in, we read and prepared words and pictures for our blog.
Happily, the sun came out in the late afternoon so we cycled speedily along the banks of the canal waving to soggy boat trippers and a busy pair of lock keepers.
The sandstone village houses had an air of old world and brightly painted-shuttered charm. Back at the camp we freely indulged in its clean and luxuriously hot showers.
