The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

This trip came about because Babička told me her plans to visit Czechia for an arts course and then rendezvous with her daughter in Aquitaine to meet her new granddaughter. I was looking for a road trip to celebrate passing 100,000 miles in Speranza. This is sadly not something that…

Today (Sunday) we ventured to the Dordogne to visit a favourite lunch spot of Babička and her late husband. It is a pub associated with an artisan brewery run by two Essex refugees from Brexit (according to the Daily Mail). The brewery is called Biere de la Bastide and the…

It is remarkable how cool it is (in the literal as well as the figurative sense) inside the 17th Century French home where I am fortunate to be a guest. Outside it’s been unpleasantly warm at times. Inside it’s crisply cool. The walls are made of thick stone and the…

We had a five to six hour run ahead of us from Barjac to Penne d’Agenais in 30º heat – mostly on autoroutes. By now we know the drill for driving without air con. Babička has even found a way I didn’t know was possible to open the tiny rear…

The Track My Tour app map is updated here. No waypoints will be added today as I’m having a break.  My Ferrari guys in London think the mecaniciens de Lorraine serviced the air-conditioning just fine, but that there’s a more basic problem. It blasted cold air when I took delivery…

Our apartment near Lake Garda was a good idea in concept. Clean and modern with secure parking and minutes from the lakeside restaurants, bars and cafés. Two bedrooms to accommodate both travellers and a nice living area. However there was confusion and hassle about checking in, the WiFi connected to…

Over morning coffee, Babicka and I decided to do a city tour by bus. After yesterday’s downpours we didn’t fancy a day seeking shelter. When we got to the tour company, we were upsold to the Original Sound of Music Tour.  As well as seeing the same sights as on…

Things almost got fraught in Prague today. I might have known something was amiss when Babicka said she would get up early to finish her packing. When I presented this morning, ready to leave, she announced that the packing regime for the trip was "simply impossible" and presented a larger…