Day 6 Aubagne

The morning started uneventful, and the sky was clear. I calculated via Google maps that i would take 7hrs- not as bad as the trip to Koblenz but still a challenge.

I took the route along the coast, and i passed Cannes, Toulon, and other small towns. I could have gone nearer the coast, but the toll roads kept me on the fastest route possible, and time was of the essence. I soon realised that there is an awful load of tolls running through Italy and France, Italy being the more expensive- and it was in Italy that I'd made my first mistake.
I stopped at yet another toll booth in Italy, when i noticed that there was no place to get a ticket ( you first get your ticket, travel where you want to go, and pay at the toll booth on the other side) so, I pressed the assistance button, in the hope that someone will show me where to get the ticket. Nothing happened at first, and then he gate opened. "great" I thought, " I bet you don't have to pay for bikes here" and drove through blissfully unaware.
I was about 5km from Aubagne, when again I was stopped at yet another toll road. This time though it was occupied. "ticket please" he asked
"I haven't got a ticket, I wasn't given one" I replied.
"No ticket tut tut, 17 euro's then" he said
He looked over the scooter and gave me a piece of paper. Must have been a recept for the 17 euros, I thought, and continued on my way to Aubagne, where I would get a good nights sleep.

The hotel was nothing special, but at least it had a shower and a nice comfy bed for the night, and that what counts! Again, breakfast is continental, so nothing special there. Looking back, this must have been the basic hotel I stayed... Maybe something was telling me something?

I looked at the piece of paper the toll supervisor gave me. Then I realised. It wasn't a recept, it was a fine - for 79 euros! Just for not getting a ticket! the 17 Euro's that I'd paid was part payment of the fine, I had to pay the rest in 15 days! Great! 

Money was fast running out, I hadn't accounted for the toll roads, and especially in Italy they are expensive. I decided to cancel my stay in Limoges, in order to help pay for the fine. I logged onto the internet and cancelled that stay.. Little did I know what was coming...

In the morning I got changed and set off for my next stop- Gerona, Spain. Here i hoped if I had time to get to Barcelona, as it was just another half hours ride from Gerona.

I got to Gerona, and again the SAT NAV let me down. I was noticing that it missed out a few roads and newer roundabouts, I thought the map was well out of date, and that I'm going to have to get a new updated map if I'm going to do this again.

I stopped at a bar and asked for directions, the chap behind the bar gave me a map, and marked on it the way to get to the hotel.

i entered the hotel, reservation in hand, and passed it over to the receptionist. he took it and turned to his computer. A quizzical look came over his face, and rechecked my paperwork.

"I'm sorry sir, but you're a day late"

"Sorry, pardon" I said

"you're a day late the room was booked for yesterday"

"WHAT!!!, oh never mind, can you still fit me in?"

"I'm sorry sir, but we're all fully booked, but we do have just the one room left, our executive suite with en suite shower"

"great, how much"

"150 euro's for the night sir"

Bugger that, I thought, I'll go and find somewhere cheaper. But I never did. I tried 5 other hotels, and they were all the same- fully booked. I later thought it was because the wekkend, but you never know.

I sat on the scooter and thought about it. A night under canvas, and because I cancelled Limoges, my next stop, another night under the stars as well.

I searched for a place to pitch up my tent, but it was getting desperate. Night time was approaching, and I had to find somewhere fas, so i could pitch the tent. Then i saw it. A small layby, and just running off it, a slope that led to a field at a lower level than the road. perfect, i thought, and started setting up the tent. The scooter was hidden away, and because I was at a much lower level, no-one could see that I was there. I settled down for the night, pleased that I'd found somewhere to stay. That Night, I briefly woke, thinking someone was messing with LJ, and popped my head out of the tent. The view was impressive, what with the stars illuminating the night sky, and shooting stars coming down!

I'n the morning I woke to a really bad headache, and was aching all over. The tent, as all tents do, was covered in dew, and I was still very tired and hungry- I hadn't eating anything at all for at least 12 hours, and things were getting bleak. Worse still, I'd have to do this again, as I cancelled my next hotel in Limoges.

Things weren't looking too good at this moment...

I'd better find a camp site, packed the tent away, which was soaking and tapped Limoges into the SAT NAV, and me and LJ rode off in the misty morning.....