Blowout

After having breakfast in Beaune we got packed up and got back onto the road. We had just got out of the centre when I felt that the car did not feel quite right. Parth was driving and I insisted that he stop so that we could check around the car. We had a look at the tyres and the exhaust pipe but didn’t see anything out of order so we set off again.

 

We had decided that we would stay off the motorways today and take a more scenic route through the Burgundy countryside.

The sun was shining and the views were lovely as we drove alongside the fields and vineyards but a few kilometres down the road a warning message flashed up on the dashboard and there was a strange flapping sound. It was fortunate we had chosen to drive along the country roads so it wasn’t too difficult to stop.

 

I was horrified when we got back out of the car and saw the rear right tyre.

"Must be a defect of some sort..."

 

I called up the insurance company and thankfully they got a local garage to come out and pick us up within the hour.

 

When we spoke to the people there they said that we needed to have all four tyres replaced as they were too worn but unfortunately they didn’t have the correct ones in stock and the earliest they could get them in would be Monday. I was so thankful Parth is so good at French but it was nail biting trying to follow the conversation only being able to understand a few words.

 

When Parth explained that he only had an emergency passport and had to cross back into England tomorrow the staff were very helpful and started calling other places to see if they could find somewhere with the correct tyres. Finally they found a place in Dijon and after a bit of persuasion got him to bring the tyres to us. It would take a couple of hours so one of the ladies very kindly drove us out to a restaurant so we could have some lunch.

 It was such a relief when we got back to the garage to see the car already having the new tyres fitted. 

As soon as we could, we got back on the road headed for Laon.