We haven’t got far to go to Valence so we only got on the road at 7.00am. I suggested a few laps of the BMX track but I couldn’t print the reply !
The good thing about arriving in a big place like Valence is there’s not the pressure to book ahead because there’s more choice
Anne speaks excellent English so she was the perfect guide . She showed us around the old town…
And now for the serious business of getting a French SIM card for my phone. First of all we found an ‘Orange’ phone shop. ( the franchise, not the colour of the shop). Next we queued for our turn to be served. ( it gave me time to charge my flat phone). When it was our turn and the lovely assistant sat us down I was starting to realise that this was not going to be a simple process. I had to produce my passport for ID, give my New Zealand address, etc etc then Voila ! I was the proud owner of a French SIM card. ( €10 )Thank God for Anne ! I would never have managed it on my own.
And now you’re thinking ‘Great ,Don might actually ring me’ Not so ! We then had to find a tabac where we could put money on the card
We finally found a plan that would give us a phone in France and in Spain plus enough data to stop us getting lost so often. On reflection it would have been cheaper to buy travelling data in NZ but hey ! We are now the proud owners of a French Simca ?
Our hotel is on the Southern end of Valence so after a nice rest and a bite to eat in the park we got back on the bike trail. I wasn’t sure where to find our hotel but when you have data on your phone the worlds your oyster. Nothing to worry about
Nothing ? The damned phone was flat. Luckily We were just passing a marina and I spied a power point on the refueling shed.
The hotel tonight is a ‘B n B Hotel ‘ Part of a chain and one which you get in with a code as there is no reception. BUT it’s got Aircon !
Paris to Paris 