Dates: 2-14 July 2009.

I’d always fancied a driving holiday, and after years of watching Top Gear, Liz and I planned a tour of France, where she also had some family. The trip would see us cross the Millau Viaduct (as seen on Top Gear!) and nip into Monaco for a few hours too.

It would be a challenge fitting everything into the CRX’s modest boot, but that just added to the romance of it all.

The planned itinerary:

• one night in Caen
• one night in Le Mans
• two nights in Bordeaux
• one night in Nîmes
• two nights in Nice
• one night in Grenoble
• one night in Lyon
• one night in Dijon
• two nights in Beauvais

Day 1

The trip started with an unremarkable journey to Portsmouth and getting the CRX safely onto the ferry:

Breezy:

Around Caen:

It was in Caen that I turned left onto the wrong side of a inner-city dual carriageway! Luckily, it was a slow road with a gap almost immediately to switch to the correct carriageway. My first and last mistake!

Day 2

We left Caen the next day to visit the D-Day beaches:

The cemeteries were incredibly thought-provoking:

After a sobering morning we headed south to Mont Saint-Michel, which is a tidal island and mainland commune in Brittany (the middle pic is of a lift system used to take goods to the top):

Day 3

Before heading to Bordeaux via Saumur, we visited the Le Man track and museum:

On to Saumur; the Château de Saumur and Pont Cessart over the Loire:

Day 4

The 18th century Place de la Bourse:

Pont de Pierre:

The famous “water mirror” on the banks of the Garonne:

Around Bordeaux:

We actually witnessed this heron pluck an unsuspecting fish from the water before flying to a nearby tree:

Sunset:

Can’t get enough of that water mirror!:

Day 5

Our route to Nîmes would include crossing the (fairly) famous Millau Viaduct and travelling through some beautiful countryside.

Our first siting of the Millau Viaduct:

Hot rubber:

The Millau valley and river Tarn below:

Here’s a short video clip of our largely underwhelming crossing!

Sunset above the Amphitheatre of Nîmes:

Day 6

Amphitheatre of Nîmes by day:

Maison Carrée:

Around the 17th century Jardin de La Fontaine:

The view from up by the 18th century watchtower, Tour Magne:

En route to Avignon we visited the Pont du Gard, a three-tiered aqueduct built by 1st century romans:

The Palais des Papes and acient city walls of Avignon:

Pont Saint-Benezet:

The road to Nice:

A Nice evening:

Day 7

Monaco, baby!

The famous tunnel:

“Loews” Hairpin:

Casino Monte Carlo and Casino Square:

Sadly, there was a significant joining fee which meant I couldn’t play a few hands of Black Jack in Casino Monte Carlo…

After retrieving the car from the car park, Liz snapped it outside the casino before doing a reverse lap of the GP circuit:

Here we go:

And just like that, it’s over!

Back in Nice for the evening:

Day 8

The road from Nice to Grenoble:

La Rochette:

The view over Grenoble from the Téléphérique and its bubble-shaped cable cars:

Day 9

Welcome to Lyon. The Flower Tree in the Place Antonin Poncet:

The Pont de la Guillotière and the Pont de l’Université de Lyon:

Contemplating and feeding on the banks of the Rhône:

Louis the 14th and Liz:

Lyon Cathedral and the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière:

The view from the Parc des Hauteurs:

The Roman Odeon of Lyon:

The Bartholdi Fountain on the Place Louis Pradel and the charming Passerelle du Collège:

Day 10

Dijon and the medievil Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne:

No more pictures, please:

Day 11 and 12

After a busy ten days we spent a few days at Liz’s aunt’s and uncle’s place in Beauvais. I seem to have lost the photographs for those two days…!

Day 13

Home time…

My first driving holiday was amazing. I loved the feeling of freedom but also having my whole world (at least for two weeks) all packed-up in my awesome little CRX. I’m sure this won’t be my last trip of this nature.