The format of bus trips is now familiar: the meeting time is 0730, so by 0715, everyone is there, greeting each other and chatting while waiting for the bus. The instructions are that men pack the cases and women find the seats. We make several stops to pick people up and then head up the motorway towards Orleans, just as we did 4weeks ago on our way to the UK.
It's a scenic drive and all the more enjoyable for being in a bus, and therefore able to see more.
The format is similar to our trips with the 3rd age club: sweeties are distributed from time to time and, being a choir trip, there is singing with popular songs in both Spanish and French.
Views from the bus
St Laurent de Muret
Broom makes the countryside much more colourful
Viaduct de Garabit, built by Eiffel
Snow on the mountains near St Flour
Lunch break: a picnic near Lorlanges, South of Clermont Ferrand.
We arrived in the early evening at our hotel. It is Sologne, in a forest, close to many small lakes. The evening began with a quiz in the open air. The questions were delivered in very fast French with lots audience participation.
We ate with our group in the hotel restaurant and then joined many of the group to play bingo!
By the time the bingo finished, we were ready for bed.
- Pat and John on tour
