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The next phase of the journey south was much easier, the most challenging part possibly being the F1 Hotel coffee! Slept reasonably well and got up early enough to have the car loaded in time for the start of breakfast, which I forced myself to eat, not being much of a breakfast eater usually. The first cup of coffer was biter to say the least, but the refills seemed less so!
On the road by 6 I made good progress, getting a good percentage of the journey in by the time the sun switched on, and even then the heat never got much above 30 while driving, bit chilly really...
Past a lot of interesting places on the way, and was very tempted to stop and explore, but my inner sense of urgency to get to the Hotel and rest up before this evenings gig at the Cafe Grand made me press on.
So I arrived at the Hotel de l'Orb in Bedarieux at 12:30, made really good time, walk up reception, it's shut! Doesn't reopen to 4pm arrrgh! I might as well have stopped off on the way. So I now have three and a half hours to kill, my first concern is that the car park is in full sunshine, and it's starting to get hotter, the PA will be okay, but I really didn't fancy leaving the guitars in there! So I drive into Bedarieux to search out a more shady parking slot, but nothing was to be found, in the words of Jimmy Reed, the sun was shining on both side of the street! I remembered that at the bottom of Lamalou-les-Bains there is a shaded car park so decided to try that, found a space, but still took the risk of leaving the windows open half a notch whilst I went for an explore.
The cafe I was most familiar with from previous visits with Pete & Linda, appeared to be shut so I picked another at random, and mulled a few moments away over some coffee. Wishing that the battery in this laptop worked so I could have worked on the blog...
After about an hour I grew restless and returned to the car, which was now in sunlight so I decided to move, driving back through Bedarieux and found a roadside parking just outside the town, which was now in good shade, so I stopped off to eat more of my now cooked cheese rolls and drink.
Found that I could get down to the river and so took my sketchpad down to the weir and did bit of sketching got half and hours or so, till it was time to return to the hotel.
Back at the hotel, it's still not open, but there is now a shaded spot, so I park up and wait for quarter of an hour, till they open. Finally in my room by 4:30 and time for a power nap before tonight's gig at Le Cafe Grand, Camplong.