We got loaded up and ready to go by around 11:45 am – but didn’t get anywhere as the battery was completely dead. Luckily Colin has a charger, and he plugged it in for 45 minutes and got fully charged and on our way before 1:00. Bye-bye Mansle.

Stopped for food supplies in Ruffac, then continued north past Poitiers, Tours (crossed the Loire river again), Le Mans, and then Alencon, where we stopped at a nice road-side rest stop for dinner. Unfortunately the gas wasn’t working – apparently there’s an air bubble in the gas line from when it was filled in Ruffac, so instead of having steak we had baguette/bun with cheese – not the same, but at least we’re not going to starve.

There are large signs on the side of the highway notifying about all of the local points of interest – there is so much to see here. Crossed into Normandy – same kind of large signs everywhere. It got quite stormy off and on – rain hit hard a couple of times.

Not long after that we came to another toll-booth, and when Colin went to re-start after getting the ticket out of the machine the campervan battery was dead again. Very strange, as the van had been turned off at the gas station, the store and where we stopped to eat and had started again with no problem at all.

They put the big red X up in the lane we were stuck in and Colin called for help (he has good insurance). About 45 minutes later a tow-truck showed up and got it started again in a matter of moments. The guy filled out a paper that Colin signed and we were on our way.

Another 1 1/2 hours and we were at the ferry terminal in Dieppe – parked in the parking lot, along with several other campervans and cars and got settled for the night.

Long, tiring day, and I wasn’t the one driving.

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