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AUTOROUTES
IMPORTANT CHANGES
(October 2003)
Some of you will already know how amazingly useful two mainly toll-free
French autoroutes have become: the A75 and A20. The toll-free A75,
from Clermont-Ferrand to Clermont-l’Hérault, crosses
the entire length of the Massif Central. What a dramatic difference
this autoroute has made, for both access to a string of glorious
unknown regions of France – Cantal, Aubrac and the Cévnnes
just three among many, and for the speed of crossing the massive
range-upon-range of mountains. Do any of you recall the old, alternative
N9 crossing?
Alas, one critical section remains unfinished: the western bypass
of Millau. This entails a vast, futuristic viaduct across the
mighty Tarn Gorge; what an engineering triumph this will prove
to be when completed some years into the future. Construction
has started on the viaduct; this gives you a graphic idea of the
great height for the pillars to support the A75 across the wide
Tarn gorge. It is well worth making a short detour west from Millau,
on the D992, to view work-in-progress.
The A20, from Vierzon, south of Orléans, to the A62 at
Montauban, is now complete. Toll-free to Brive-la-Gaillarde the
A20 is a toll autoroute to Montauban. The section from sorties
55 to 58 is now finished, from Souillac to Cahors. The long viaducts
across the rivers Dordogne and Lot are now in place.
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THEFTS
(October 2003)
For over twenty years I have warned readers of the ever-increasing
number of thefts along the Mediterranean coastline - from the person,
motor vehicles and property. The problem has reached epidemic proportions.
The lack of warnings from tourist offices, both in France and elsewhere,
hotels, tour operators and car rental companies is scandalous.
When guests at du Bosquet in Pégomas report no less than
five handbag snatches in the village during this summer then you
can be sure my dire warnings apply to every community in the south.
My advice is to be on your guard everywhere in France.
If you are hiring cars at Nice Airport you are most vulnerable when
you are loading the vehicle with your baggage, One Irish reader’s
document bag, with papers, cash and cheques, was snatched at this
vulnerable time. Five minutes later, as he walked back to both Hertz
and the police to report the theft, the same young thief attempted
to snatch another briefcase from him in the airport buildings.
It is shameful that the car rental companies, airport authorities
and the French police (not that you would expect their wretched representatives
to care one iota) do not do more to warn travellers of this scam.
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MY
BROTHER
(November 2003)
 This
is the man responsible for setting up this web site for me.
He also is responsible for printing all my recent books.
He's my brother Keith, and the dog goes by the name of Zulu.
He is more than happy to quote you for setting up a web site!
Contact
Keith at Webmaster
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