Day Three 31 Aug 08

Orleans - Retournac France

Miles to date 725

Mike comes outside this morning with the news that we are to have sunshine and showers, he can be so helpfull! He was so right, within minutes of the spoken word it duly RAINED and then the sun shone, this was to be the day for us rain then shine. Today we chose to do the motorways, in the main, until we reached Montlucon. From where we would use the 'N' roads to Clermont-Ferrand then Denis would come join us and guide us in. To a point it worked, then we missed the turn off we had meant to take and the rot set in! Montlucon to Ferrand was D2144 (formally N144) and it rained most of the way on mountain roads where it had been hot = slippy! Still we made it to Ferrand by which time the rain had stopped, so we did also to dry out and have a coffee in the town. Re set the sat nav and of we went, no sign of Denis yet. First we stop for fuel, non of our cards work so we revert to the old idea, convince a local to use there's, which we did, thank you. Me, being me, I had set the sat nav with the wrong avoidance's and we found ourself's on dirt track to nowhere............oop's. So, re, re set the sat nav and off we go, on OLD 'D' roads over the mountains, twisties with rain and fog and thunder storms one of which Mike was covinced Denis sent in to greet us, makes you wonder. The sat nav ETA always seemed to be 30mins from our destination.
Finnally we reach Retournac in the last of the days sunshine, it is a loverly village. Turns out Denis was waiting on the N102 at Brioude, he was txting and calling a phonethat was switched off, we didn't meet him until we go to his house, typical or what?
The bike's are now parked in a field out back of the house and we sleep in the attic four storries up. Peaceful and warm.