Today we were leaving Bern, but first Rita again went down to the Marzili baths to meet up with her good friend Regina, have a swim and discuss plans for Regina's next trip to Australia.

I finished packing the car and drove down to pick up Rita. I looked at the various parking options and chose an area that did not have any parking restriction signs. However, when we returned to the car, I saw that I had picked up another fine! I just can’t win.

We then drove to Mutti’s for a quick lunch, and then said goodbye and got on our way back to Moissac. Again we were going to break the trip, and after studying the map, we decided on staying the night in Paray le Monial, to the south-west of Cluny. We had not been there before and didn’t know what it would be like, but it looked promising. As we were to find out, it seemed to be a mecca for religious conferences, with the church and chateau providing a focal point for lots of activities. We noticed lots of people walking around town wearing name tags, as they were all attending a workshop that day.

The town has two waterways; the Monial River (left) and Canal de Centre (right and below).

After a walk around town, we were feeling a little peckish, so we found a cafe overlooking the river. Unfortunately, they were very busy because all the conference-goers were trying to squeeze dinner into the time between sessions. So we made a booking, went for another walk and returned later for dinner overlooking the river.