Nantua Sat 4th August

FCTVs seem to have entered into some tacit competition to see who can have the biggest chocks and who can employ as many different coloured ones in one go. This is mystifying as the campsite is completely and totally level, yet still they persist! A certain smugness pervades the area around what is clearly the winning van. Onzo looks on with certain nonchalant unconcern.

We head off to the market with hopes that this time there will be a better showing than in Mensil. Thankfully this turns out to be the case, the market is excellent and quintessentially French.

Rows and rows of fresh fruit and veg, wonderfully unidentifiable meat and gloriously stinky cheese all assault the senses in the way that only French market produce can. We buy half the fruit stand for €7 and then smash the budget on two slivers of cheese which cost the earth. A quick drink in the bar opposite eases the pain somewhat.

Later on the weather closes in and once again we are caught in the storm. The lightning flashes seer the lake and the thunder reverberates round the valley, bouncing back and forth and coming ever closer. We batten down the hatches and have an early night.