Paul Doesn't Know His Oest From His Est

AVERTON (ETANG DES PERLES).

Up in plenty of time for mass which the internet told us that it starts at 10am. We even had time to empty the grey and fill up the blue water at the service area that we used yesterday evening.

However, we learn that today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. As a result, there is a procession around the town before mass at 10:30. We walked around (but not in the procession) until then but the statue and its entourage didn't arrive until just before 11:00. Then mass went on until after midday, it was a strange mix of "happy-clappy" and solemnity.

Breakfast became brunch before leaving for our next destination. Still, the fresh croissants were a delight. The town of Gaillon is a pretty place with cobbled roads and old and new buildings.

Just in case you are wondering, the wine is for tonight not for brunch.

A pleasant journey through the Normandy countryside delivers us precisely to the middle of nowhere. After much headscratching, I realise that I've entered the latitude co-ordinates as east and should have used west. We're about 25 miles away! A man pulls up alongside and offers to guide us back to the main road. The only consolation is that a large deer leapt out of a field and hopped across the road in front of us. We wouldn't have see it on the correct route.

A couple of roadblocks mean detours along minor roads but we arrive at the lakeside shortly after 4pm. It's a lake with a perimeter of about 1 kilometre. A playground alongside has a number families attending but they soon leave the car park to us alone. We're in for a quiet, peaceful night, we hope!