Yesterday we successfully completed the transition to the continent so it was then all about practicalities which didn't work out so well due to limitations with our accommodation. Today we have to address that. Fortunately, although I woke early, it was a peaceful night even without air-conditioning. This morning we were offered a continental breakfast which wasn't expensive but my partner wished to stay in the room.
The first job today is about securing provisions, but we can take our time as it's only two hours to our next destination. At 11.00 am we make a move and head for the nearby Carrefour supermarket. This will be my first experience of French shopping for a very long time. Once inside, I'm immediately impressed by the variety of many goods compared with the UK. I'm soon filling a basket with what we will need. It's time to kill those two hours and the first real challenge of using French roads. To simplify things, I decide to use the motorway; it's by far the quickest. The first test is at the intersection between the A131 and A29 east of Le Havre, It's a test I fail as I try to follow the satnav, lack of commitment causing wrong lane selection. Once I correct that, things, improve from there. One surprise to me is that there is only one short section with a toll booth at the start on the A131 but, thereafter on the A13 nothing. I make one stop after activating the food warmer and continue towards Paris. It's not long before I realise I'm on a smart motorway as I use some rusty French. I will have to deal with that later. Amidst all the action, I'm slow to notice the mercury rising. I had been warned, but the temperature as we close in on Paris is 38 Celsius. Luckily, I find the apartment without fuss but there is another issue. At Aparthotel Adagio Access Carrieres-sous-Poissy there is a mix-up with the booking which adds more cost. Then there the parking fee of 8 Euro. By the time me move in, I'm exhausted from the heat. To make matters worse, the room has no air-conditioning. The only consolation is the bag of goodies that I bought. I have to say the French don't do things by halves. Once all is set up I can start to relax and manage to pay the toll fees online. At least that was simple enough.
We now have two days to visit Paris and won't need the car; the train station is just 10 minutes walk away. As things stand it should be a little more comfortable with a drop in temperature expected later.

Source: Visit