Middle-aged flash packers

Getting out of our chambre d’hôte was even more tricky than getting in. Lugging a heavy suitcase while descending a spiral staircase should be an Olympic event except it’s probably too dangerous.

We were on our way after a quick stop at the local Intermarche to buy lunch and fill up with petrol.

I really don’t have anything to tell you about the journey to Macon. The landscape was pleasantly bland, nothing bad happened and nothing particularly good happened either. It just was.

Our abode for the night this time was an Ibis hotel in Macon Crèches. And not just any Ibis, but a budget Ibis. How the mighty fall. One day I’m pimping it in the relax lounge, the next I’m slumming it. I didn’t even know you could have a budget Ibis. I thought it already was budget. Turns out I’m in a doubly budget hotel. But I like it. It’s Spartan but has everything. It’s truly zen.

Desperate to get our legs moving again, we walked along some paths that ran parallel to the Somme river. It’s very unspoilt with lots of undisturbed bird and insect life.

In complete contrast, on the way back we popped into to the Carrefour megastore. It is by far the best food store I have ever been to. I am bedazzled. The organic offering is immense – row upon row of organic wine, meat, cheese, anything you could want. Plus just about anything else you could ever want, or not know you wanted until seeing it in Carrefour. We are going there again tomorrow morning, we may never leave.

Dinner was at the Buffalo Grill, an import from USA and may I say a welcome addition to the French cuisine offering. Pleb that I am, I thoroughly enjoyed my burger followed by a bbq’d banana and ice cream. Far better than the merde I was served last night.

And so to bed. All was well until Steve spotted an enormous tick scurrying around in the shower. It had obviously fallen off one or the other of us, picked up probably after our meander through the paths lined with long grass. A frenzied chimpanzee-style searching for other ticks on each other took place until we were sure we were all clear.

Tomorrow we are heading to Avigliana, a small town in Piedmont, Italy where we are staying for 3 nights. We’re looking forward to a no-driving couple of days if at all possible.