Over the next two weeks we drove steadily through France – Rouen, Dreux, Chartres, Orleáns, Grenoble – expecting to cross the Alps into Italy via the Fréjus Tunnel. However, when we joined the queue at the ticket kiosk to pay the €60 toll, the attendant asked to see our Vehicle Registration document. He told us that it was not possible for us to travel through the tunnel because our vehicle was manufactured way back in 2003 and did not conform to the current European Emissions standard. We had no option but to reverse the truck out of the toll lane and retrace our steps back to Grenoble. From there we took the scenic, but circuitous, route through the mountains. The road went up to almost 7,000 feet and the journey took us a good four hours of very steady driving.
We arrived in Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes and headed for the town centre where there was overnight parking for campervans. Unfortunately we took a wrong turn and found ourselves going down a steep, narrow street which came to a dead end with no space for us to turn round.
It was our second reverse manoeuvre that day; very slowly we crept backwards up the hill, edging carefully around a hairpin bend – all the time being watched by folk on the balconies of the overlooking flats. Tony’s unflappability and driving skills ensured we made it to the top without incident. One panicky move could have caused a considerable amount of damage.
Once parked up for the night at the camper stop, a very large glass of wine was required to restore our equilibrium!
