Our Renault Clio. A sporty version with alloy wheels which was a very comfortable vehicle to ride in.
Near Avranches in Normandy we stopped for a break at the "Aire de la Baie", a rest place on the motorway
which turned out to be a commemorative site to US army third division which under General Patten came that way after the Normandy landings. Travelling through this part of France always has a similar effect on me. I'm always amazed at the audacity of the Nazis that they could contemplate the domination of the whole of Europe. It's a huge place with lots of people who do not take kindly to occupying forces telling them what to do. It just shows what you can get away with when you have the firepower.
This is our Satellite navigation system - built in. It's the first time we have used one and we have had a lot of fun with it. The voice we used sounded like Lady Penelope from the TV puppet series.
We only had a couple of difficult moments. Once when the off ramp from the motorway immediately divided into two separate directions. The arrow along the road we were to take was not clear until it was too late and we had to make a detour to get back to the same place. The precision was uncanny. In the depths of a Swedish forest for example we are told to turn left now. How did it know there was a turn off and we were on it?!! To begin with we thought they must have locked Lady Penelope in a room and got her to read out the names of every town and village in France but when we moved outside the country we realized they were just joining up sound bites. Some of the pronunciations were atrocious!
This is the suspension bridge over the Seine near Le Havre (Lez Havers according to Lady Penelope!)
One of many toll gates along the way. No good for people with short arms! Funny to watch people struggling with the door half open and trying not to fall out.
First night Brugge, after about 9 hours with stops, where we stayed for a couple of nights with Sonia and Tony.
The beer shop with a thousand varieties.
On the road again...
Next big bridge, between islands in Denmark, shortly after second stop over at Aabenraa. We have stayed at "The Great Western" hotel there on a previous trip shortly after the engagement of Aussie Mary to the Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark. The proprietor is of Scottish origins who married a Danish girl and was just about to go on a Harley Davidson tour with friends to Scotland.
The next bridge takes us from Denmark to Sweden.
Wind turbines everywhere.
A couple of pictures which typify Sweden. Pink granite and lakes.
Passing by Enkoping, which is the home of SAAB, the car and aeroplane manufacture. Unfortunately it seems the company is at the point of extinction.
This is why we keep coming back here. Beautiful vistas like these.
Our friend Henry at Koping, outside the theatre where on August 11th a performance of a play he has written based on the life of a famous local architect is to take place.
Standing in the auditorium.
The subject of his play designed this building put up after a fire which destroyed the city centre.
In the local pub.
Our car close to Henry's house. The community lawnmower operator grazed our front end, probably accidentally. Fortunately we got away with it on returning the car to Paris even though the mark stubbornly refused to come off.
At Guns farm the cranes are still here from two years ago and so to are wolves whih have been sighted not far away recently.
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