I had paid a price for loitering in the Limousin region for a few days just to catch a rugby game, I needed to press North if I were to have any time exploring the coastline of Normandy before my shortened tour come to an end, so that's what I did, through the Bourgogne and into Champagne country, the day bought me my first affirmation that the stereotypical French roads you see on TV do exist, arrow straight, tree lined and surrounded by rolling open fields filled with grape vines, every couple of kilometres a stall by the side of the road selling local produce.
It was very soothing country to drive through and brought to bear a couple of names that even a wine novice like my self recognised as I drove through, Burgundy, Chablis and various Champagne houses, the only slight issue was that despite all this wine to drink there didn't seem to be an abundance for the van to drink ! I was actually getting a bit worried I was going to pay the price for slow and scenic over motorways with service stations, I was eventually saved by a small Total garage on the edge of a small village just as the fuel light had come on ! I did make one slight detour from the route but it was to take a look at the motor racing circuit at Magny-cours, probably France's third circuit behind Paul Ricard and obviously Le Mans, it was rumoured to have never been liked by most of the F1 world because of its remote location but it still hosted the French grand prix throughout my childhood, from 1991 to 2008 and saw amongst other events, Prost's last win on home soil, multiple wins for both Schumachers, Frentzen and even some Brits in the shape of Coulthard, Hill and Mansell before them. During the 1960's it was the home of the French motor racing school and produced such talents as Francois Cevert whom was hand picked by reigning world champion Jackie Stewart to succeed him at Brabham, tragically Cevert died at Watkins Glen in the States before the world ever got to see even a glimmer of his potential and Steward retired then and there, mid-season, never to race in F1 again. As such a massive fan of motor sport I couldn't miss the chance to see such an iconic track.
When I arrived at Giffaumont I knew I was to parking up lake-side but not quite a lake of this scale, I am now up directly East of Paris and the famous river Seine runs into this lake and out the other side and it is massive, hence the name, Le grande lac Seine. The lake has a circumference of 20 miles and has a hard paved path all the way around it giving access to all the small "resorts" that are dotted around it as well as sailing schools, water sports centres, bird watching hides and of course the natural beauty of the place. It was now 5pm and after a day being sat down behind the wheel I though what could be better that a little bike ride, so I did the whole thing in 90 mins, not bad for a fat lad and there was a head wind the whole way (yeah I know, made no sense to me either) all I know is I should sleep well tonight, even if there is a touch of a whiff of cheese about the van still !
Oh and I saw a bridge, in Auxerre a small but very nice Brunel-esque railway bridge that had been converted for road use, lots of iron riveted together with rivets as big as your fist, great stuff (in my best James May voice).
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