Monday 20 January - Villedomer

**Where's Bertie?** He's in the Aire at Villedomer where he's been at least three times before. 

**Weather:** Mainly murky, with a bit of sun breaking through in places late afternoon. Temperature between 0 and 3. 

I forgot to mention yesterday: we've stayed at the Aire at Wissant many times, going back to 2016. For all that time it has been free. When we were there a few months ago, in September, a payment barrier had been installed, but not commissioned. Now there is a charge of €10 per night plus 50c/person tourist tax. Given all the free stays we've had, that wouldn't feel too bad a price to pay, except that they've not altered the layout of the place at all, so the pitches are narrow, crammed in, and almost all of them are slightly on a slope. Compared with many other Aires in France, it is not good value. That is probably why, when we've seen it quite busy even in winter, this time there were just five of us there (there are dozens of spaces). Still, it's convenient when travelling to or from the south from a late Channel crossing or to an early one, so I'm sure we'll continue to stay there.

As for today, we were away as soon as it was light enough to drive without lights (0840), and set out to repeat our staging from 2023. The only difference in the journey was that today we forked out for the Péage from Boulogne to Abbeville. I'm not sure how much time it saved, but it saved a lot of roundabouts, junctions and concentration on constantly changing speed limits, at a cost of €13.70.

Other than taking a different road, our repetition extended to stopping in Neufchatel-en-Bray so that I could go for a run along the Voie Verte there. With Mick not running today, he was able to shop and prepare lunch whilst I was gone, then all we needed to do on my return was eat, refuel Bertie and get back on the road. 

Mick drove the easy bits, at times with me working in the back. I drove the intricate bits, with Mick working in the back. The only afternoon stops were two brief pauses to swap driving duties, at the same time refilling our travel mugs from the flask I'd prepared this morning. 

We made much better time than last time we did this journey. Then we arrived here a few minutes before 1800; today we were here at 1635. The toll road will have helped, but I suspect we were also more efficient with our stop in Neufchatel. 

More repetition tomorrow, with a bigger day of driving as we try to make it down to Capbreton.