France is a lovely country for travelling in a motorhome. Pleasant countryside. Easy parking. Quiet. We drifted across France without much effort as we settled back into living in Baloo.
Our normal routine is typically to drive a few hours a day. Mornings are for cleaning out the truck, fixing things, sorting out emails and occasionally baking bread. We also plan the route for the day. This is often a very superficial exercise and can sometimes be no more involved than choosing a direction.
Setting off in a clean, shiny truck 
We don’t usually fit into a space in the supermarket car park 
Fresh bread for breakfast 
After a few hours driving, we arrive. Sometimes we just spot somewhere nice. Often we use Apps and guide books to try to identify a good parking spot. Sometimes we need to try a few places before the ideal pitch presents itself. Generally, we avoid campsites and commercial camper van stops. Baloo is remarkably self-sufficient: power, heating, water, cooking. We have a lovely bathroom with a shower and even if we use the washing machine, we still only need to take on water every few weeks. Our ideal site is quiet and possibly quite remote. Somewhere to walk the dog, enjoy the views and relax in the evening. My personal favourites have been on the top of mountains or cliffs.
Not far from Bordeaux we met up with Pete. I have known Pete since I was a teenager and we have had many adventures together on the cliffs, mountains and ski slopes of the world. He is pottering around France in his one-man camper van so we travelled together for a few days.
Pete suggested a visit to the Millau viaduct. Built in 2004 it is, at 336m, still one of the highest bridges in the world. A few years ago, I watched a fascinating documentary about its construction and had been interested in seeing it ever since. Diane and I hopped on the bike to have a look around both ends of the bridge and then eventually we drove Baloo over the main deck. Actually crossing the bridge is a bit of an anti-climax. The carriageways are well away from the edge of the deck and there is a substantial fence. The view is limited and you do not really get a sense of the height.
We waved goodbye to Pete and continued to trek south.