Farewell Paris - off to the Loire Valley

7 November

Picked up the car is Paris this morning which we'll have for the next 16 days of the journey. We got upgraded to a large 9 seat diesel Renault van as it needs to be dropped back in Rome which is our drop off point. Its huge !!  Its got 3 seats across the front so the kids take turns sitting upfront - they love it.

 

Blake and I picked it up and drove out of the car hire place and straight into the round-a-bout around the Arc de Triomphe - wow - 5 lanes but no lines on the road !! We cruised through in the van and headed back to the apartment to pick up the gang - a baptism of fire. I think the time in HCMC helped though and whilst getting out of Paris was a bit rough we made it unscathed. We drove through Chateaux and wine country and arrived in a tiny town in the Loire Valley called Sanziers (near Le Puy Notre Dame) to find our house for the next few days. 

Our house in Loire Valley

It was only 7 degrees when we arrived so we lit the open fire and enjoyed a welcome bottle of wine from our hosts.