Day 2 January 9 Reims to Champagny-en-Vanoise

Breakfast at 8:30, then went to look at the cathedral, which is
certainly impressive. Reims seems a place worth a weeked at some
point.Bought a sandwich and some crisps for lunch from
a Monop, before setting off at 9:45 back onto the A26.

A ong day's driving with the weather getting rainier and windier. Wind
turbines looking like cloud cutters near Colombey-les-deux-Eglises,
with just the top blade in the clouds. NOt doing any good, though, the
cloudes ot worse and worse, turining into fog on the hogh
ground. Crossed the channel-mediterranean watershed 250km north of
Lyon. More "Nostalgie", and "Shalom - Dijon", as well as "France Info",
which had continual rain warnings for departements I was in or just
leaving.

Stopped for coffee and to refuel north of Lyon, then had lunch two
hours later. I was convinced that there'd be a lot of snow on the way
up to Chapagny if all the rain I was driving through was also
falling up there, so I started to look for chains. I finally found
some for 185/55R15 at the third service station I tried. More
driving... finally got to Moutiers at about 5:40, and managed to take
a wrong turn setting off towards Les Menuires. The prat-nav kindly
kept telling me to keep on. About five miles up the mountain I decided
it was wrong, and looked at the map (which I had bought after leaving
the Chunnel while fixing the headlight deflectors, on the basis that
you can never have too many maps). Turned around and back down to
Moutiers, consulted the map again and followed old-fashioned
principles (follow road signs, the map and your nose). Reached
Champagny about 6:25 with no snow on the roads at all, and the
temperature 5C. A total of 798 miles of driving from Bristol.

Roger came down and helped me up with my bags. Good food at about
7:30, then out for a beer next door and to meet other English
residents of Champagny whom Roger and Richard know, who will no doubt feature in later episodes.