30.04.14 Wednesday Tim.
Many thanks to Jane’ sister Phillipa and Andy her husband for a comfortable nights lodging and a lift to Ebbsfleet International station in the morning. This was not out of the way for Andy, he is a HS1 train driver and recenty moved job to Ebbsfleet.
We check through security, similar but less restrictive than airport and have breakfast before boarding the 8am Eurostar for Paris. The chunnel is not very exciting, but the train is fairly full and gets us to Gare de Nord with plenty of time for the metro across Paris and a beer and shopping for lunch. The TGV hurtles across the French countryside and smoothly deposites us in St Etienne. On the way we meet up with Ray, Ann and Geof. The plan is going too smoothly something must go wrong.
Nothing did except for the line from St Etienne to Le Puy being a bus service for 7months while they replace the non standard gauge line. The camp site was open and very pleasant under the Puys with there lit up statues. And we managed enough shopping to cope with tomorrow May Holiday.
And so to bed