Day Four - Millau to Toulon

Today was really going to be a boring trip to Toulon.  Surprisingly, it had a few surprises along the way.  First one, straight out of the starting-blocks and I got told - yes you WILL be photographed at the viaduct.  Not many cars get this honour.  I'm really up for this.....
So I drove back along the road from Millau to the toll booth end, paid my toll (about 9euro) and took the first slip road INTO the Millau Viaduct rest area.  You can't see the bridge whilst in there, but if travelling SOUTH, drive into and part-way out of the rest area, keep looking back and you get this....

Looking South (but I'm facing North) BRILLIANT, JUST BRILLIANT

Just had to do this in massive mode, it really means a lot to me.  Not every day does a British Architect get in at the French side of the Channel.  Talk about a way of putting a big smile on my face. Yesterday was a big NO, today it was yes, yes, yes.

So onward along the Auto Route, again NO POTHOLES, just brilliant driving tarmac.  Towards Montpellier and in the area of junction 50 to 52 you drive down the mountainside.  Honestly I drove at around 50mph down this left, right, left, right slalom for several miles, through the Tunnel de passage de l'Escalette, more slalom then normality...

Tunnel de passage de l'Escalette

onward to Montpellier where the mototway network is ballsed-up.  You finish up in town when a few million Euro's would bypass the place (a bit like Birmingham without the M42).  Montpellier suffers the same as any other city.  ROADS ARE CRAP.  Council prefers to spend on non-infrastructure projects (even if the money was for roads).  Sat Nav didn't recognise the place too well, but map reading got me onto the A9 to Nimes, the A54 to Aix-en-Provence and A52 to Toulon.
Round every corner is a surprise and overlooking La Ciotat is a rest area Aire du Pos Ouillier, with this view - much better in clearer conditions

View of La Ciotat from Aire du Pos Ouillier rest area

again, I can't get a photo, but I was parked in the shade....

Me in the shade at Aire du Pos Ouillier



A cooler device for travellers at a rest area.

 And at an Auto Route service area this device spurting out a cooling mist........... NO SURPRISE REALLY, THE TEMPERATURE WAS 32 deg C.

Came across a fair bit of roadworks from Aix en Provence to Toulon.  They were completing the concrete central barrier having widened the motorway from two to three lanes.  Speed limit - 110 kph (75mph).   WITH CONES PROTECTING LANE THREE - ANY CHANCE OF FRANCE TAKING OVER OUR MOTORWAY NETWORK????????? 

Some indiscrimate French person has unloaded his luggage and scraped my nearside in an underground car park this evening.  Hope he's first out the car park or he's gonna get a BIG shock tomorrow morning..........

Toulon to Monte Carlo tomorrow - slowly - loads of views - hopefully.






Thursday.........................................