Spending up - St Dier de Auvergne, France

Without trying (too much) to emulate Alanis Morisette’s song.... isn’t it ironic when there’s rain on your wedding day. Last year Nic and I went to a wedding at a winery in Tasmania that couldn’t have been more beautiful. It was full of fun and good times, and perfect ... apart from the rain. And isn’t it ironic when there’s good advice that you just don’t take. Like the advice not to play soccer on a bad knee that my brother didn’t take, only to end up with months and months of rehab after knee surgery.

And isn’t it ironic that when you go out seeking something vertical to climb, you end up stuck in the flattest part of the country for a week. And isn’t it ironic that when you are unemployed and on a tight budget thats when you suddenly need the most money... Nic and I had envisaged a road trip in France where we would avoid paying much for accommodation; in particular, so that we could spend more on wine and food, and climbing gear. Ok, so maybe you might think that seems a little idealistic, but we had our reasons... We have a 4 season tent which survives through any weather, we are self sufficient in cooking and other camping equipment, and we are used to not using camp site toilets or showers; particularly after 2 months of living in remote areas of Nepal where we had no choice! Besides, Nic’s parents had generously lent us their new van for the trip – for 3 months! and we could always sleep in the back if we really needed to, although it would be quite a squish with all our gear.

So, at the start of our journey driving towards the south of France, as the sun started to set, we headed off the main road and found a little woodland behind a paddock on a farm that suited us just fine for a nights camping. It was flat for the tent and gave us enough privacy and shade. No one bothered us at all there in Agnes and we spent a night for Free! So, the second night we did the same.... as the sun started to set, around St Dier De Auvergne we headed off the main road and onto a country road and then onto a dirt track that seemed more built for a 4WD than for the van. The track gradually became wetter until it was full of mud and we started to get worried that the van would end up bogged. With bated breath we made it through unscathed and onto a very scenic camping spot with a view across the valley and over the town. Ahhh, we sighed; it was a long day of driving, and nice to finally arrive at a destination that was perfect for the night. Nic turned the car around to park, and suddenly crunch!!! What the &*(& was that? OMG, OMG, OMFG there goes the radiator, cried Nic. And sure enough, the van had hit a rock, not hard, but hard enough to crack a section off the radiator so that it was broken and leaking.

After much swearing and self reprehension, bordering on self mutilation, we took the van back onto the road, determined to find the next proper campsite, adamant that it was karma; in our search for saving a euro we had now wasted hundreds of euros. The radiator leaked along the way and the car overheated, but ironically the next campsite was free!.... The following day, after finding the local mechanic, we waited impatiently for the radiator verdict and an estimate of the damage – a replacement radiator, 2 hours work, up to 7 days wait and 637 euros. Eeek!!! We could have paid for 6 nights of luxury accomodation with that; or up to 63 days of camping at a proper campsite at 10 euro a night!!! Furthermore, on our climbing holiday it looked like the furthest we would get would be St Dier de Auvergne , flat as a tack, in the middle of France, and where the only climbing was on the local playground. Isn’t it ironic; when you try to do things on the cheap, you end up spending big time!