May 3rd
Morning routine on a porcelain throne without seat covers is like cold coffee without cream! Luckily, my wife had the foresight to bring along a hefty stack of paper. Otherwise, it would have been a more colorful morning in the sanitation facilities. In the shower, I had to lean on the water tap the whole time to keep the shower running.
For breakfast I had half a dry baguette with air-dried meat. Eva made a smoothie. It was such a relaxed atmosphere that we couldn’t even bother to bring out chairs and a table! The weather seemed just right from the early morning. After breakfast, we took a little walk. We admired the sandy beaches and from there, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees. We probably got some good shots too!
After emptying the chemical toilet and washing our feet, we packed up and set Adge – Sète – Velleron on the navigator. On the way, we stopped to cook some rice, into which we put some meatballs with sauce from the doggy bag in the fridge. A person could eat that when hungry.
The town of Sète, which we chose as a waypoint, turned out to be quite an interesting destination. The city built on a high hill offered quite a view from the top. The ascent up winding and narrow roads was a little effort for Tellu, but it managed well – and fit, even though it was a bit tight at times.
As we were coming down, we noticed the battery running out. I stopped the van with the nose downhill and tested the starter: no reaction. So, I put it in second gear and held the clutch down. A moment of speed downhill, clutch up – and the engine started again. At the same time, it occured to me that I can’t afford to turn off the engine at traffic lights when starting uphill. A couple of times on this trip, I’ve tried to start off in third gear on a gentle uphill! I didn’t try that now. We arrived at Auli’s place in Velleron with the same routine and drove Tellu into her courtyard.
On the way, we pondered all possible factors that might be causing a slight hitch in our journey. A battery over ten years old will probably need to be replaced right away.
In the evening, we sat with Auli, Mallu, and Wolfgang, engaging in lively conversation and enjoying excellent food. I learned a lot about both German and French culture. I might ponder those later…
May 4th.
It’s quite nice to wake up in a house once in a while – not on wheels! To go to a real bathroom and take a shower. To enjoy the morning in a peaceful garden setting with birds singing and the sun in your eyes. So, we woke up in Auli’s guest cottage. A really peaceful environment. Luxury!
We said goodbye to Mallu and Wolfgang, whose journey continued right after breakfast.
A leisurely breakfast turned a bit quicker when we got word that we had to be at the car repair carage in Avignon before noon. So, off we went with Tellu. Auli’s language skills were invaluable at the carage. We got excellent service and the information that the battery charger had reached the end of its journey. We’ll have to wait for a new one for just over a week, so a certain amount of changes came into the program all at once. Fortunately, we can leave Tellu safely in Auli’s yard until Monday the 13th of May. Then we’ll take the car to the repair shop and probably get it back in the afternoon with a new charger and battery. At the same time, we started thinking about the activities for the coming week. Will we stay here to play chess and sevens or will we head for some more cultural activities?
We made a trip to the local cooperative, where we bought provisions for today and tomorrow. Fish is expensive – just like in Finland. Meat is much cheaper. We found some small farmed trout, which we took for tomorrow’s meal. Today’s menu featured grilled duck! On the way home, we stopped by a neighboring village, which seemed like a place worth spending some time in!
Auli’s partner Christian arrived in the afternoon. We just managed to mow the lawn and spruce up the garden a bit under Auli’s guidance before he arrived.
With lively and talkative Christian, we got to know each other in the evening and heard (we also told a bit ourselves) great stories about experiences around the world. At these age points, around eleven in the evening, sleep starts to weigh on one eye, if not both. So, we headed to bed in good order. Another night in the cabin ahead.