11 a.m. A blazing sun beats down on this Péage-de-Roussillon car park, south of Vienne (Isère). Sheltered under a brown bucket hat, Tobias loads some shopping into his van. Tomatoes, a pot of basil and cakes, in anticipation of his usual June stay in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. While the A7 motorway roars in the distance, this 35-year-old German chose the alternative route via the national 7. “It’s longer, but cheaper, I drive slowly and I enjoy the landscape,” smiles the nurse, who also appreciates being able to refuel at the bend of a roundabout. Does he suspect that he is resurrecting the beginnings of French holidays?
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