There were two reasons my mother particularly wanted to head to Marciac. The first was because she used to go there with my late father for the jazz festival and the second because friends of hers had moved near by to Gazax-et-Baccarisse. Of course due to the jazz festival every where within about 30 miles of Marciac was booked up, so we found ourselves in Auch.

First off there had always been one aim for the day, predetermined before the holiday started. A visit for 5 p.m. to the village of Le Fournial, near Bussière-Galant. My parents had stayed a number of time with a friend there who passed away almost a year ago. My mother wanted to visit the house and see if a number of neighbours were around, as it was a small and close community and they might remember her and my late father.

The first full day in France, though still one mainly of driving. Planning the night before meant I knew the route to follow, allowing a trip through Blois (famous châteaux town in the Loire Valley), plus avoidance of péages.

Though split by a half hour trip on Le Shuttle, today was the longest as far as driving distance was concerned. Roughly 325 miles. Watford to Folkstone, then Calais to Chartres.