Day 27 - A Grotty French Service Station

We don't want to have another bad night in northern Spain like we did on the way down, so we start early and get going. Suddenly Spain is behind us and we are through the border. Then there's a panic as we hit a French toll booth. Its been three weeks since we needed French money. We dig some francs out of the bottom of our bags and pay, and then roar off in a cloud of black smoke. Elsa's oil seals need a bit of work, but Sam enjoys leaving a trail of thick oily fog behind him at the tollbooths.

The only other thing that happens this day is that the clutch pedal gets a bit floppy. We put the bonnet up and find the clutch master cylinder filler. The bonnet has to come off to give us room to get some leverage on the lid. Luckily Land Rovers are designed for easy disassembly. With the lid off, we can see the problem. No fluid. That also explains the dribbles under the clutch pedal. We pour some more in, and hope we can get away without having to bleed the system.

As it gets dark we find another petrol station/truck stop place and pull in. This one seems to be full of Moroccans, possibly heading back after having August in Europe. There's trucks and camper vans. And toilet paper everywhere. Its not very hygienic. We eat more cold beans and sleep in the back of Elsa.

- Southern France to Dover and Beyond