Jerking down the road

Day 1 in the car, we had a scenic drive along the northwestern coast of Normandy to Mt. St. Michel and upon arriving to the campsite that night, we could see the lights of the island. In the morning, we explored both the touristy area as well as the more historic aspects of the island. Before a road was constructed for access, the island was only accessible via a land bridge which only emerged at low tide. Before becoming a major tourist attraction, it was originally a place of pilgrimage (and still is) as well as a prison due to its secluded nature. We then drove to Tours and stayed at a campsite near a somewhat busy road which was a lot different than all previous campsites. The next day, we needed to get some gas and just when we thought we were out of luck, we found a gas station that would only give us 30 Euro worth of gas. We did not understand why but just assumed it had something to do with the language barrier. We later found out that France is currently experiencing many gas strikes and protests. We camped that night in Royat at the Indigo Campgrounds. It was interesting following the GPS on the bicycle mode as it directed us to take many small "unpaved" roads. When we do use is for navigating by bicycle, however, it directs us to interstates and motorways. The next day, we had a beautiful scenic drive through many canyons and mountains. Due to a spelling error, we realized that we were heading toward the wrong village. Luckily, a well timed phone call allowed us to re-route and make it Emma's aunt's house in a tiny perched village in the heart of Provence. We arrived after dark, but in the morning, we were astonished by the magnificent landscape and vistas surrounding us and can understand how one could come here and never leave. Happy to return the automobile, we were delighted to have wonderful hosts who brought us to their favorite places including their own vineyards and olive orchards, natural springs, pine forests, Les Apilles (the Little Alps) and Le Ventoux (one of the peaks cycled in the Tour de France). We checked out a few of the surrounding villages in the area by bicycle, including visiting a weekly market with fresh bread, cheese, vegetables and the like. More to update soon...We look forward to your comments!!