Interesting experiences

.. Driving in France - the toll roads 'peage' operate at tolerable speeds - 130km/h for example
- the first time I forgot how fast that is, was when I read 'plaza de peage 3000m' and all of a
sudden I was right on top of it (no, didn't disgrace myself)

More notes for intrepid travellers - on one stretch I found myself at an unattended booth, that
I didn't have enough euro coin for : Don't Panic !! If you have a credit card with a chip, use
 that (doesn't ask for the pin, but opens the barrier)

If you're wondering how the toll roads work, well, on sections, you go through a ticket gate,
that issues a ticket that you then use at a toll plaza or exit ramp - I had thought I was going to
avoid the whole lot and use secondary roads, but it seems I was overly ambitious/
underestimated the distances involved ....

ps .. Reversing out of toll area to check other options not possible with a sh#tload of pantechs breathing down ya tailpipe !

Pps .. Mildly amused at disdain shown by the french drivers for suckers (comme moi) who get caught/trapped in a slow lane - well, the french are nothing if not consistent in their disdain
 (I was going to use 'arrogant', but that's not quite it)

Full marks ..

To anyone who knows where this is (ok, there are some out there who know, since I said
"I'd like to visit xyz")

Normal blog service may take a while to resume - I'm having to post as drafts, then edit out the
 email disclaimer, so I've turned off autoposting for a while

Ttfn

Avignon (#1)

Arrived last night ... Was in severe danger of falling asleep on TGV and ending up in Marseille - but you can count on the timetable, if it says it will be in Avignon at 20:10, it will be (so I set an alarm for 20:00 and all was well)
Funny thing, getting closer to here I felt I was being watched - looking out the window I see the imposing profile of. Mt Ventoux leering at me - one day, I'll try again
Anyway, off to le petit dejeuner (brekky), then grab hire car and head south - a bientot !
(#1 - in the words of Arnie - "I'll be back" - this is just an enforced stop between 2 modes of transport)

Boring places I've been (see pic)

Alternate caption - close (to Paris) but no cigar
That's right folks, this is the TGV train station at Charles de Gaulle aeroport - not very inspiring - but if it saves me a trip into paris to catch the same train from a station there, I'll take - though the boredom waiting here may kill me first
Notes for the enlightened traveller - Aus credit cards (as long as they have a chip and pin) work in the green ticket machines - so I've already purchased a 'carnet' - book of 10 tickets for the metro (won't need them 'till the return trip, but nothing like being prepared (or as my brother would put it, 'anal' ... Sometimes I do wish I could just go with the flow, but I find mutha nature too unpredictable, as evidenced by recent curve balls she's thrown at me)
Ps. I also get a smug satisfaction at cruising through customs/immigration here, with little more than a nod from the douane (customs) police. :-)
<Next stop, Avignon>

Where's Lawrence ?

(As in TE Lawrence) - plenty of desert have I seen, no camels or such
This 'wing' of the terminal in Abu Dhabi has a large conical mosaic springing from one level below where I am, up to the roof - hard to give a sense of scale with such a small camera (b/berry)
Must leave it there - if I don't get to a loo I'll be doing a Lawrence of Arabia myself, "take no prisoners !"
Next flight hop - 8.5 hours

For the record

That was Roger Federer I saw, heading to a gate, one solitary escort ... Doesn't look impressive from here

And so it begins ....

What was supposed to be 'the Lancaster boys do France and Italy' went a bit askew....
So on the redo, Dom has already had 2 weeks of fun and is currently working in London, I'm at Syd airport waiting for Paris via Abu Dhabi (and thence to Avignon), and dad, one of my best mates, well, I'm gonna try dead hard to get him to Tuscany, Bordeaux next year, even if I have to re-mortgage my soul to the devil
So, watch this space for more broadcasts
Ps ; special mention goes to Outdoor travel, Bright, Victoria (Yvette, Sue, Martyn) - I know I havnt thanked them enough for salvaging/turning a bit of a schmozzle into an escape