145kph - 25 Sept 2011

25 Sept 2011

Warning. Your car may explode on this freeway

Travel day 1. The beginning of the long haul home. Today we tried to get up and leave early but the pleasantries of breakfast and packing got in the way. We were finally in the car by 10.30 and Monseiur GPS promotly put us on the toll road to Paris. This was not the way I'd planned to go but it turned out to be good due to the lack of traffic. It also helped that it was a Sunday so we had a good run without many trucks. The tolls added up to E50 - not cheap but a lot easier than the endless, time consuming small roads.

Luke averaged 130kph, up to 145kph at times, during which the petrol guage visibly ticked down. We zoomed past the usual French countryside, mourning the loss of such a nice day. But holidays have to end eventually.

The Paris part was beset by traffic jams and unfortunately Monseiur GPS took us on the inner ring road instead of the A86 so we lost a bit of time there. Spotted the Eiffel Tower, the Parthenon and Sacre Couer and in the distance, that's as close as we got to the city. It felt like a pity not to do Paris but we'd been there last trip and it was better to spend the time elsewhere.

We made it to the el cheapo Premiere Classe hotel by about 5.30. It was our cheapest hotel and it showed it. Corridors smelled of smoke, shower was tiny, planes flying overhead and the whole place was directly under huge high tension powerlines that actually buzzed. Very much The Castle hotel.

After a spot of repacking we headed out for dinner in nearby Roissy. It being Sunday most things were shut but we scored a win at a Japanese restaurant that had the best gyoza I've ever had. It was so good to not eat French food. Finally retired for the night at about 11.30