French Letter (6)

A Road Less Travelled

'A French Letter'

Caen

17^th May 2016

I turned on the radio and tuned into a local travel station. The French radio reporter said 'The unions CGT, FO and Normandy Road Transport have set up a series of road blocks on the southern ring road round Caen. Closing the road between Mondeville and Cormelles-le-Royal. The workers were demanding the withdrawal of a new French labour law. Over a hundred protesters stopped all the trucks queuing them in the right hand lane. However, they allowed none commercial vehicles to pass on the right lane. 

Jean-Marc Lambert, secretary general CGT Road transport of Normandy, and Christopher Henry, coordinator Normandy Road transport FO goods, announced the move could take several days. They also called upon all opponents of the Labour Law to join the ring after the planned event in Caen. They have been joined by members of the collective strength and ‪#‎NuitDebout‬. They met earlier at a general meeting to decide on action. We have a lot to learn from our French colleagues about organising, implementing and orchestration of a good old fashioned protest.

Soon we were past Caen and instead of stopping as we had planned. We decided to carry on heading for our next stopping place on our itinerary Mont-St-Michel.

Mont-St-Michel.

17^th May 2016

We stayed on a farm ''Aires'' for a change – Advertised as €10 a night. However, and typical of some of the farming fraternity – you had to pay for everything else as an extra. Want a shower, that will be €3 kerching! Want power that will be €5 a night kerching! Going to the toilet – supply your own toilet roll – kerching! We thought it was a bit strange on our arrival that there were so few motorhomes parked up! Afterwards was when the penny finally dropped with us. Kerching!

The next morning the rain was coming down in torrents. So we made our way along the road to a nearby farm track, where we parked up waiting for the rain to stop. Looking out of the window we could see Mont-St-Michel across the fields. I took a photograph of the 'Mont' from the driving seat. A moment later, the sun burst through a hole in the cloud to light up the Abbey. A few seconds later it had turned back to the dismal gloomy grey.

The rain gradually grew heavier and eventually even the 'Mont' disappeared into the gloom. The weather turned so bad that we have decided to move on. Bad weather is a good time to move between stopping points. So we are headed for the 'Aires' at Plèhèdel.