Early start and off towards the Channel Tunnel.  Heading for Giverny, the home of Monet, the famous French impressionist painter.  Sara had booked us into a lovely Chateau for the night as we headed south over three nights to eventually reach our first real rest stop with Janet & Gary in Roujan, near Montpellier.

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Lovely drive along near empty motorways and beautiful winding side roads to our Chateau de la Madeleine.  We arrived a little early but on knocking at the door of what was a bit of a shabby chic exterior, Paul invited us in.

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Proper shabby chic, or just plain shabby - but lovely.  Kids' toys everywhere, screaming kids, fantastic Chateau.  Not sure if he had inherited it or was just squatting and taking in guests, but a great bloke and a lovely place.

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Settled into the best room after an arm wrestle with Bookings.com to sort the upgrade.  The roof down and off to Monet's house.  

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Sara's favourite bridge, flowers in full bloom (how do they do that?  It is only the first week of April after all) and a great bar for a beer.

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Drive back to the Chateau and put the roof up (it is 6.00 p.m and about to rain).  Or NOT as the case may be!!!!!!

Poxy roof dead as a door-nail!!!  Red warning light.  BMW warnings.  Roof f***ed basically.

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45 minutes spent winding it up manually, almost nobody in the world, BMW mechanics included, have ever done this - but Mrs Henslow and I managed without a cross word.

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Quick change for dinner at the only Michelin starred restaurant for many miles around, courtesy of a surprise from Sara.  Got there, no booking!  We went through every name and there it was.  Gary had spelt our name three times, in French, and still the booking was for GARY.  Great meal, we took the five course degustation with accompanying wines.  Quite predictably I turned onto the main road on the left side of the road into three oncoming cars. who took it with Gallic pragmatism - once I had turned down my main beams,

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Up for massive breakfast.  Paul has listed the 'options' for breakfast one at a time on our arrival.  I had said 'yes' to all waiting for him to get to 'bacon and eggs'.  We got it all.  A veritable mound of food.  On the minus side we shared that massive breakfast with his screaming kids - so honours were even.

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On the road agin - this time heading towards the massive Chateau Chambord.

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Raining - thank f**k the roof was closed (permanantly).

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