The flights went smoothly with many films being watched most of the time, eating, drinking and a little sleeping! Despite the mostly japonese signes, we made it onto the Narita express. Expensive but free wifi. Luckily Jul met us at Shinagawa. Most English is in extra small print! With wine and confit de canard weighing down the bags, and having to carry Elodies bag as she preferes ‘just one bag’, we stagered along in Jul”s wake,  Rio talking non stop, with Orlando and Elodie added a few tit bits here and there. We purchased some ‘oyster card’ type cards and charged them up. ¥1000 notes slipping easily into the mashing. Over the next few days these voracious cards need constant feeding. Jul does it without even thinking, the notes slipping into the hungry slot easily. Everyone has one, and the 3 have a little baggie with the card in and enjoy beeping themselves in and out after every journey. Our apartment was easily found with Jul’s help, and the codes and keys all worked as stated. All mod cons inside, including mini bath and kettle!! Luckily I found an instant decaf sachet at the bottom of my bag, so managed a hot slurp. A quick bit if DS with Toton Jul (Rio main, if not only reason for coming here), then Bento and onigiri fir duos,  with ready salted boiled egg! Jul and Mayumi have done some excellent guiding the last few days.  The Ghibli shop (purchases of small tots) Starbucks (delicious coffee compared to the acrid poison in the uk) a jolly park (superb pic nic. Toothsome food and the obligatory bevarage bots. Let me just explain about these bots. Drink dispensers crop up on ever corner. Luckily you can use your ‘oyster card’ on these, and with a simple flick of the wrist, you get a stiky drink.  Jul is a pro. It’s a work of a moment for him to avail himself of a couple of bots of a morn, replenishing his stock when needed throughout the day. Quite extraordinary. Rio was looking at some sweets, and was telling Jul that one seemed expensive, but that two seemed like a good deal. Jul concured, thinking this a sound thought process. Similar thought process!)

After a quick morning dip, we set off again, sad to leave our perfect swimming spot. We stop off when we saw the canoe sign not far down the road, and decided to give it a try! The Goozle hound was keen to come along, but she obviously didn’t realise we would be traveling on water! She got to stay and guard Berty. Incidentally, Goozle is not a hight loving dog. We went up on a bridge the other day to look at a Swan nest and she lay flat on her stomach, refusing to move. When chivvied by Paps, she adopted a crab like walk as far from the edge as possible. Anyhoo, we purchased the hire of two canoes for some money and amidst much exited squeaking we were given life vests, a waterproof barral for our food and we were off! Rio captained my ship, and Orlando captained Papas with the Chouque in the middle! As it was a blustery day and the sun a bit shy, I did not envy Geoff his enthusiastically rowing team!! We pooled off down the river, much fun being had by all! One could stop along the banks or on the islands wherever one wanted (which we did on numerous occasions, the captains enjoying leaping out, pulling the boat to shore and then pushing it back out and leaping in again) we had a jolly snack lunch on a pebble island, and what with the glistening water, breathtaking scenery, especially the limestone cliffs, and happy chatter it was a highly successful trip. Luckily Elodie only realised towards the end that she wasn’t a captain, and it was only as we reached the landing spit that she bellowed a bit, along the lines of ‘why is it always me because i’m small, i’m not listening, go away, Rio is being horrid’. All valid stuff, which we would have gone into in detail, but as luck would have it, the friendly canoe chap turned up in the nick of time! On the way back he showed us a tiny village on the other bank, only access across the river.  Apparently it was abandoned by 8 families, and the whole village was bought by a rich parisien who restored it and uses it as a holiday home! Looked very agreeable. Back to Berry and a quick hot drink as it had been a little chilly towards the end! Then onwards and upwards for Berty!  She hung around 90 on the temperature gage, and inched her way up. I got a photo at 900 is m. But she actually got to 1299! The roads were pretty twisty and it was starting to get near lights on time. As I havn’t yet mastered the lights, we scanned the roadsides for a handy spor.  This being a national park, there were a few too many nocampingcar signs for my liking. Just as we were getting desperate, and starting to check out the possibility of a campsite, Geoff spotted a sign for a lac. Lo and behold, many a van nestled up. We joined them just as the cloud and mist closed it. Brrrr. Sups and bed. Oh, we spotted a man carrying a dead snake so they all charged over to look. Apparently it had had it”s head bitten off, and was on the unpleasantly large side.

It rained heavily during the night, and I woke often to the pitter patter on the roof, and it was very cold. Cold enough to bring put doudous slanket! At 6.40 I peered outside and couldn’t quite believe it. Snow!  No wonder I was cold! Everyone else was asleep so the goozle and I went for a quick, cold and drippy walk round the lake! She thoroughly enjoyed the snow! I didn’t have the correct footwear, my shoes having been chosen for their breathable qualities,  so my toes were frozen when we got back! The jumpers came out and everyone had breakfast in a sleeping bag or duvet!! Campervanning in winter must be pretty bleak! Hang on, thats Geoffs plan for the big trip…. we need to research destinations carefully! Hot tea was blissfuL,  and then a twitchy moment when I started Berty. I should not have doubted him,  he started fine (after the usual minute and a half to heat up!) and didn’t get stuck in the mud! Huzzah! Down hill from here, though the snow and mist out into cloud and sun! Amazing scenery change! Geoff surpassed himself with stopping spot this time. The mairie of Gange had omitted to provide this particular aire with toilets, and toilets along this stretch of road are obviously few and very far between. This aire would seem to be the unofficial human poo corner….. in fact, on one of my trip back from the river I surprised a chappy just squatting down happily on the side of the path! He looked mildly sheepish, but being french he grinned, shrugged, pulled up his shorts and headed the other way!!! Despite the less than desirable stopping spot, there was a little path which led to the most beautiful swimming spot! Lovely water shaped rocks and a deep, translucent river. A most enjoyable day! Geoff swam,  I dipped and the three charged around! We loved it so much that after a quick trip to super u ( after a slight mishap involving a low wall and Bertys rear bodywork (I was feeling twitchy and hussled due to a message from our tenants asking if they could remove a fence as it was covered in weeds! I was busy muttering ‘why not do a spot of gardening then’ to myself  and git distracted!) Not too bad, but needed gunging up) we opted to cone back for the night. I tried gunging up the slight scratch on Berty. Needless to say that this was the usual type of gunge. You know, the kind that squeezes out too quickly, sticks everywhere but in the hole and dries as quick as look at it. Sigh…sups  (lentils again!) and a run around by the river and now to bed.