A new toy

Following a hitch-free journey from Perth to Nice via Dubai with Emirates (we were lucky to have a whole row of seats each to ourselves on both flights!) and a safe night in Nice, we were ready to collect our lease car - a silver Peugeot 208 - from Nice airport on Thursday morning. Interestingly, the car is not a regular hire but what is called in French, a transit temporaire (TT). In effect, this means that we have bought the car for two months (we even have registration papers for it in our name), after which time, Peugeot will buy it back from us, and re-sell it to a new owner, still as a new car but at a reduced rate of tax. This means a cheaper new car for the next owner and a car that is easier to sell for Peugeot. Apparently this is a common scheme in France, albeit available only to non EU residents, and all the French car manufacturers - Peugeot, Citroen and Renault - do it. The benefit for us is a brand new car (it had only 2km on the clock), fully comprehensive insurance with no excess, it was slightly better value than hiring a car, and they threw in free sat nav. Pas mal!

Collecting the car from Nice airport

First stop at Michelle's parents house in Lodeve in the Herault