Ohhh what a day!!

And them lovely fffrench people do it sooo well till 2.am in rue Dussoubs!!
We punctually farewelled Serge and Dominique at 9.30 and got our taxi to station Gare du Nord.. we paid our driver 15.euro and headed into the huge station.. We saw a SNCF queue so asked a nice lady about the IDTGV we wanted to catch at 11.15 am.. "Oh not here.. you must go to to Gare de lyon !!! Opps!!!!
lucky we don't panic.. well not too much.. found the taxi rank and got a second taxi to the right station .. some silly person will read the tickets more carefully in future.. but we were there in plenty of time and soon found the right area of the station and then had to find the right carriage --of course we had to walk the whole length of the train platform , then drag heavy cases up to the second floor -- ooh yes nothing but the best here.. Ist class just 42 euro from Paris to Avignon!!! wendy's in hysterics!!

So great train journey .. and scenery.. reached Avignon at grand vitesse (that's french for high speed you peasants!!)

Found the Europcar terminal easily right beside the station. Have signed up for our allocated car - an absolutely fantastic vehicle -a brand new shiny black 7 seater diesel Renault Savan. Drivers seat on the left and more instruments than a 747.. and just as big!!! big? did I hear Big?
We got the Europcar lass to change the GPS settings from Polska to English and put in the co-ordinates for the address in Nimes - some 40 kms distant.. . Had to find out how to release the hand brake - there really isn't one!! Got the aircon operating.. drove to the carpark gate only to discover we'd lost the card to put in the machine to open the boom gate! somehow it just opened and off we went.. this car drives itself.. well almost .. learning to keep to the right side of the road and to go round the roundabouts on the right takes a little getting used to.. also the size of the car was somewhat offputting.. but there was no possible way that we could have managed our selves and our two (now bulging) suitcases in a smaller car.. europcar were extremely helpful and considerate in this matter and a young guy named Nicholas explained the virtues of taking out full damage excess wavers and fuel wavers. but oooohh maybe that smart car would have been a smart move ..
all went well .. we followed the lovely lady in the back seat who gave us directions all the way to Nimes.. Then the road was blocked and we had to take side streets.. and that's where the fun really began!!
streets in nimes are sooo narrow that cars on two way streets have to pull over onto the side niches to allow each other pass! then there's another voice .. somewhat more panicky "get over more!!! you're too close to the wall on my side.."" and there are lots of stone walls either side.. Thank goodness for the GPS.. but suddenly there it was -- right in front of us in a one way street we had just traversed.. this wonderful tunnel - one inch wider than the car. Poor Wendy had to get out, go through the stone archway (that's what it was really) and help //to manoeure the car this way.. that way a bit.. no this way.. I did hear a mirror graze the wall bu tisn't that what insurance excess waivers are for.. funny now.. but not at the time .. the GPS changed to a diagram of the car surrounded by red warning lines and was beeping loudly!!
Tthere were cars behind us and Wendy in front waving this way and that.. but it only took a couple of very slow minutes to crawl safely through, pick up one very relieved passenge,rmake another right hand turn and go on up another tiny narrow road, guided by the faithful voice behind! We came to our destination at the end of "Impasse des Pssrerouns" to find a very large, solid metal gate.. but there was an intercom at the side and after some brief "hellowing" the gate opened and owner appeared with his two alsations and welcomed us inside.
We are in a smallgouundfloor flat beneath and behind the house. our landlady is very helpful and has provided internet, but the area is far more remote than we anticipated.. we unloaded bags then set off again (!!!! not again i hear you exclaim!!) following instructions to get the the main shops. 'cose we needed some provisions and parking had been just impossible.
"tomorrow's another day"..