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I make the mistake of suggesting to Kathleen last night, that today we should just drive to the ferry port at Calais and see if we can get on a ferry today. If not we can follow plan B and stay at the Calais Aire or drive to Guinnes just a few miles from Calais. This will suit both of us really, since I know Kathleen is anxious to see the new grandson, Daniel, and I am anxious to ensure I see Gary & Susana before the depart to Houston.
But Kathleen is so enthusiastic, she is out of bed at 06:00 in the morning, this is the earliest she has been out of bed by at least 3 hours for the past 12 weeks! She of course makes enough noise clattering around that although I hold out until 06:30 I am eventually forced to get up too. I should have waited until this morning to make my suggestion.
The journey is uneventful, in her enthusiasm to ensure we get to Calais promptly, she even directs me onto the toll section of motorway and pays the toll.
We are in for an unpleasant surprise when we get to the ferry check in, at about 10:00. We have a return ticket for tomorrow at 09:20 (which cost £75), and based on previous experience with Sea France and Norfolk Line, we would expect to be charged an extra £10-£15 to switch. Wrong!. This time we are travelling with P&O and they want a whopping £65 to allow us to switch. Now I could understand this if we were switching from a really off peak time (like 02:00 in the morning) to a peak time, but we aren’t. Anyway we grudgingly pay up, and resolve not to use P&O again ever!
We stop off for a very pleasant lunch at a small pub just off the M11, and arrive home at 20:00 all we have to do now is unload the wine we have brought back with us, hopefully enough so that we will not have to buy any at UK inflated prices!
Finally now that we are home, and I have access to the lead which someone forgot to pack (plus I thanks to Andy's sterling efforts, the garden looks superb, so I will not have to spend the enxt few days weeding and tidying), I will try and upload some photographs so that you can see the sort of places we visited, so keep watching.
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Friday 3 July 2009
Monday 29th June 2009 – Tuesday 30th June 2009
Sainte Claire, Neufchatel-en-Bray (ACSI2009-728) N49.73781 E1.42803We return to one of our old favourites. This is one of the first sites we stayed on when we began the campervan journeys, and we have returned at least once each year since I think.
Just to show anyone who is concerned about driving here, this is a shot through the windscreen as we drive along, this is typical of traffic levels even during the day.
The site is beautifully kept, and the chap who runs it always takes you to your pitch and guides you onto the hard standing so that you don’t damage his grass, which he obviously cares for very carefully. We have been here so often now that one of the French families who have a static van here, recognise us on our arrival.
The site is much busier than we have seen it before, and for once I would say the GB’ers out number the Dutch and Germans, we will have to stop recommending it to people, otherwise we will not be able to get on ourselves!
After we get settled and have our lunch, we are just about to set off along the cycle track (in preparation for eating cream cakes for afters), when the David and Carol the Welsh couple from the previous site arrive.
From here there is a cycle track which goes in one direction to Dieppe (about 20 miles away), and in the other direction to Forges-les-Eaux (about 13 miles away). Dieppe is on the coast, so overall going there must be downhill there and uphill back, while Forges-les-Eaux is inland so it must be uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back. On previous visits here it has always been my intention to cycle both routes. But Kathleen has always wimped out after a few miles. So on the first day, we set off for Forges-les-Eaux, and (someone) wimps out after about 8 miles. To be fair we set off at about 15:00, so we had the heat of the day to deal with and it was hot (30C).
In the evening Kathleen gets out the guitar, but the singing is cut short by our French neighbour, who informs us that she has just been informed today that her nephew has committed suicide by driving his mother car into a wall. So she is understandably upset and having difficulty with being surrounded by revelry from us and our English neighbours. Kathleen stops immediately and we try our best in our inadequate French to be apologetic and sympathetic.
It turns out that two of our English neighbours Jack and Joan are from the north east, Joan from South Shields and Jack from Boldon Colliery, although they now live in South Shields, they are on their way to Costa Brava towing a caravan.
Next day we set off at 09:30 in the morning before the heat builds up, and we make it comfortably to Forges-les-Eaux. Kathleen says she is training for the Coast-to-Coast when we get home.
We decide we will go to the nearby Lidl to buy “a bottle” of Gin for the Boss. We go on our bikes. When we get there she cannot resist buying three bottles of gin, six bottles of wine, and two three litre cartons of wine, oh’ and a bottle of coke and a bottle of cheap “Bacardi”.
Try carrying that lot on a bike, it is not easy.
As if that was not bad enough the “Bacardi” was rough. I swapped a couple of large glasses of it with David & Carol for a lemon, and I think that I got the bargain, but there again, for 4Euro what do you expect!
The site is beautifully kept, and the chap who runs it always takes you to your pitch and guides you onto the hard standing so that you don’t damage his grass, which he obviously cares for very carefully. We have been here so often now that one of the French families who have a static van here, recognise us on our arrival.
The site is much busier than we have seen it before, and for once I would say the GB’ers out number the Dutch and Germans, we will have to stop recommending it to people, otherwise we will not be able to get on ourselves!
After we get settled and have our lunch, we are just about to set off along the cycle track (in preparation for eating cream cakes for afters), when the David and Carol the Welsh couple from the previous site arrive.
From here there is a cycle track which goes in one direction to Dieppe (about 20 miles away), and in the other direction to Forges-les-Eaux (about 13 miles away). Dieppe is on the coast, so overall going there must be downhill there and uphill back, while Forges-les-Eaux is inland so it must be uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back. On previous visits here it has always been my intention to cycle both routes. But Kathleen has always wimped out after a few miles. So on the first day, we set off for Forges-les-Eaux, and (someone) wimps out after about 8 miles. To be fair we set off at about 15:00, so we had the heat of the day to deal with and it was hot (30C).
In the evening Kathleen gets out the guitar, but the singing is cut short by our French neighbour, who informs us that she has just been informed today that her nephew has committed suicide by driving his mother car into a wall. So she is understandably upset and having difficulty with being surrounded by revelry from us and our English neighbours. Kathleen stops immediately and we try our best in our inadequate French to be apologetic and sympathetic.
It turns out that two of our English neighbours Jack and Joan are from the north east, Joan from South Shields and Jack from Boldon Colliery, although they now live in South Shields, they are on their way to Costa Brava towing a caravan.
Next day we set off at 09:30 in the morning before the heat builds up, and we make it comfortably to Forges-les-Eaux. Kathleen says she is training for the Coast-to-Coast when we get home.
We decide we will go to the nearby Lidl to buy “a bottle” of Gin for the Boss. We go on our bikes. When we get there she cannot resist buying three bottles of gin, six bottles of wine, and two three litre cartons of wine, oh’ and a bottle of coke and a bottle of cheap “Bacardi”.
Try carrying that lot on a bike, it is not easy.
As if that was not bad enough the “Bacardi” was rough. I swapped a couple of large glasses of it with David & Carol for a lemon, and I think that I got the bargain, but there again, for 4Euro what do you expect!
Damned Microsoft!
Sorry just a slight hiccup. I made the mistake of upgrading to Internet Explorer 8, and now it will not let be update my blog!
Microsoft strikes again I should have known better!
Normal service will be resumed ASAP
OK normal service resumed, you now have to click "edit html" instead of "compose" before you can update your post, how obvious.
Microsoft strikes again I should have known better!
Normal service will be resumed ASAP
OK normal service resumed, you now have to click "edit html" instead of "compose" before you can update your post, how obvious.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Sunday 28th June 2009
Domaine de Marcilly, Marcilly-sur-Eure (ACSI2009-727) N48.83184 E1.32972
The morning is warm and sunny, a beautiful summers day is promised. Kathleen goes off to church, and after packing up the van, I while away the morning watching the canoeists on the Loire. A whole group of them have arrived, some in cars and vans with their canoe on the roof, and some in a minibus, towing a trailer of canoes. They obviously plan to canoe and camp, as they have camping gear and spare clothing packed into plastic barrels in the canoe, and they launch them into the river and paddle off down stream.
Kathleen returns at about 11:45, and we set off for our next site, which is only about 2.5 hours away, (we think).
The satnav goes on the blink again, with no GPS signal. This time it happens as we are negotiating Dreux. Kathleen has not been paying attention, so has no idea where we are on the map, and we soon become totally lost in a maze of unclassified roads north of Dreux, which are not marked on our map. The problem is that the roads are extremely narrow, fortunately although we flounder around for about an hour before we find our way onto the road we want to be on, we do not meet anything bigger than a Renault Clio coming the other way. Eventually we find the campsite.
The site is more geared up for large static caravans, than tourers, but it is very pretty and well kept. There are three swimming pools, and numerous tennis courts, petang courts (French Boules), and table tennis.
There are not many tourers there, about 15 in total of whom five are GB’ers, including us.
Two of the GB couples have been here for four days so far and are inveterate complainers and reckon it is the worst site they have ever been on, they must have led a charmed life. One of their complaints is that there are no washing machines and no sinks to wash clothes. Well one of our first tasks when we go to a new site is to do a quick scout around and check were all of the vital facilities are ie toilets, showers, dishwashing, clothes washing. So Kathleen having been there four hours explains to them to where to find them (about 50 metres from their pitch as it happens). They are dog walkers, and another of their complaints is that the site is not very good for dogs. I ask you, who chooses a site on the basis that your dog will like it!
The third GB’er has a damned cat with them, the fourth pair (David and Carol) are actually welsh, but appear to be the most normal and likeable of the lot despite that..
The biggest weakness is that there are no shopping facilities onsite (amazingly for a French site, not even bread), and the village while quite close at about 2km, is along a rather busy road and down (and hence up on the way back) a fairly steep hill. Not good if you are cycling back with a pack beer and a few bottles of wine in your backpack!
Our final bit of excitement here occurs when a small Dutch boy (about 2 years old), burns his hand on a part of his parents camping stove. We do not know what has happened at first, but we can hear him crying. David (the Welshman) and Kathleen offer assistance. Despite the fact that Kathleen is/was a nurse, we have virtually nothing in the way of first aid kit, except a (very) few elastoplasts. Fortunately David has some Germoline, which does the trick, after cooling his hand in cold water.
The morning is warm and sunny, a beautiful summers day is promised. Kathleen goes off to church, and after packing up the van, I while away the morning watching the canoeists on the Loire. A whole group of them have arrived, some in cars and vans with their canoe on the roof, and some in a minibus, towing a trailer of canoes. They obviously plan to canoe and camp, as they have camping gear and spare clothing packed into plastic barrels in the canoe, and they launch them into the river and paddle off down stream.
Kathleen returns at about 11:45, and we set off for our next site, which is only about 2.5 hours away, (we think).
The satnav goes on the blink again, with no GPS signal. This time it happens as we are negotiating Dreux. Kathleen has not been paying attention, so has no idea where we are on the map, and we soon become totally lost in a maze of unclassified roads north of Dreux, which are not marked on our map. The problem is that the roads are extremely narrow, fortunately although we flounder around for about an hour before we find our way onto the road we want to be on, we do not meet anything bigger than a Renault Clio coming the other way. Eventually we find the campsite.
The site is more geared up for large static caravans, than tourers, but it is very pretty and well kept. There are three swimming pools, and numerous tennis courts, petang courts (French Boules), and table tennis.
There are not many tourers there, about 15 in total of whom five are GB’ers, including us.
Two of the GB couples have been here for four days so far and are inveterate complainers and reckon it is the worst site they have ever been on, they must have led a charmed life. One of their complaints is that there are no washing machines and no sinks to wash clothes. Well one of our first tasks when we go to a new site is to do a quick scout around and check were all of the vital facilities are ie toilets, showers, dishwashing, clothes washing. So Kathleen having been there four hours explains to them to where to find them (about 50 metres from their pitch as it happens). They are dog walkers, and another of their complaints is that the site is not very good for dogs. I ask you, who chooses a site on the basis that your dog will like it!
The third GB’er has a damned cat with them, the fourth pair (David and Carol) are actually welsh, but appear to be the most normal and likeable of the lot despite that..
The biggest weakness is that there are no shopping facilities onsite (amazingly for a French site, not even bread), and the village while quite close at about 2km, is along a rather busy road and down (and hence up on the way back) a fairly steep hill. Not good if you are cycling back with a pack beer and a few bottles of wine in your backpack!
Our final bit of excitement here occurs when a small Dutch boy (about 2 years old), burns his hand on a part of his parents camping stove. We do not know what has happened at first, but we can hear him crying. David (the Welshman) and Kathleen offer assistance. Despite the fact that Kathleen is/was a nurse, we have virtually nothing in the way of first aid kit, except a (very) few elastoplasts. Fortunately David has some Germoline, which does the trick, after cooling his hand in cold water.
Saturday 27th June 2009
L’Isle aux Moulins, Jargeau (ACSI2009-953) N47.86909 E2.11531
This is a very pleasant site, right alongside the River Loire. Facilities are basic but clean and functional. Only 13Euro/night however. It is a 5 minutes walk into town, where there are a selection of places to eat/drink, a small supermarket, plus of course the usual range of French small town shops, and a church (it is Saturday, so finding a church is a priority), with mass 10:30 on a Sunday. Plus there is a pleasant cycle track or walk along the river bank.
The rivers of France are one of the things I find amazing, they appear to be so enormous, we have been following the Loire more or less for about 240 kilometres, and at this point it is about 300 metres wide, and there is still about another 140 kilometres to go before it reaches the sea.
Jargeau is somewhat famous in second world war terms, although I must admit I had never heard of it, but it was here that elements of the French army stopped the advance of the Germans after they had invaded France. They presumably did it by holding the bridge, which appears to be the only one for a considerable distance in either direction. Not sure if it was a permanent stop or more a delay, but there you are.
The good weather has returned after yesterdays rain, and we have hot sunny weather with a clear blue sky.
We find we are not alone, compared to most places we have been this a little England with no fewer than six GB campervans/caravans there. As usual however the place was occupied mainly by Dutch.
It is strange how some sites are more “friendly” than others, within an hour we have had conversations with our Dutch neighbour and 5 of the six GB’ers.
The other thing about campsites or course is that they present great people watching opportunities. Pitched opposite to us are another Dutch couple, who are travelling by bicycle and camping. The female of the pair was rather large, a size 18 at least I would say, whilst the man did not appear to have an ounce of fat on him. I must point out, before continuing, that it was Kathleen who brought this to my attention. I suggested a theory to Kathleen, that perhaps her used her as a counter weight, whereby having got her to the top of the first hill, he could use her momentum on the downhill stretch to tow him out the hill. I was rebuked severely for this, on the basis that I was discriminating against fat people. I just want to remind you here that it was not me who drew attention to the Dutch lady’s size!.
Joking aside, you have to admire these people, we subsequently found out that they had travelled by train with their bicycles from their home in Holland to Basle on the Swiss / French border, and were then cycling across France to the Atlantic coast. At that point their son is to meet them in the car and give them (and their bicycles) a ride home.
They obviously were carrying a minimum of equipment, but even so their bicycles were well and truly loaded down with each of them having four panniers, two on the front, and two on the back!
In the evening we walk into town for a drink or two. This brought us a possible lesson in French language. We have been taught, that if you have had (say) a gin, and you want another the same, you say “encore un gin, s’il vous plait”, and that if you ask “un autre gin, s’il vous plait”, the waiter will interpret this as meaning that you did not like the first one, and want a different type for the subsequent gin. Well, we ordered our drinks using our best Michel Thomas French, “un Gin et Sweppes, et un pichet de vin rouge, Cotes de Rhone, s’il vous plait”. No problem. But when we came to order a subsequent gin, we asked “encore gin, s’il vous plait”, where upon the waiter said to us “un autre gin, mais oui”. Obviously he did not learn his French from the Michel Thomas CD’s! So we ask ourselves, is this autre vs encore a load of rubbish?
This is a very pleasant site, right alongside the River Loire. Facilities are basic but clean and functional. Only 13Euro/night however. It is a 5 minutes walk into town, where there are a selection of places to eat/drink, a small supermarket, plus of course the usual range of French small town shops, and a church (it is Saturday, so finding a church is a priority), with mass 10:30 on a Sunday. Plus there is a pleasant cycle track or walk along the river bank.
The rivers of France are one of the things I find amazing, they appear to be so enormous, we have been following the Loire more or less for about 240 kilometres, and at this point it is about 300 metres wide, and there is still about another 140 kilometres to go before it reaches the sea.
Jargeau is somewhat famous in second world war terms, although I must admit I had never heard of it, but it was here that elements of the French army stopped the advance of the Germans after they had invaded France. They presumably did it by holding the bridge, which appears to be the only one for a considerable distance in either direction. Not sure if it was a permanent stop or more a delay, but there you are.
The good weather has returned after yesterdays rain, and we have hot sunny weather with a clear blue sky.
We find we are not alone, compared to most places we have been this a little England with no fewer than six GB campervans/caravans there. As usual however the place was occupied mainly by Dutch.
It is strange how some sites are more “friendly” than others, within an hour we have had conversations with our Dutch neighbour and 5 of the six GB’ers.
The other thing about campsites or course is that they present great people watching opportunities. Pitched opposite to us are another Dutch couple, who are travelling by bicycle and camping. The female of the pair was rather large, a size 18 at least I would say, whilst the man did not appear to have an ounce of fat on him. I must point out, before continuing, that it was Kathleen who brought this to my attention. I suggested a theory to Kathleen, that perhaps her used her as a counter weight, whereby having got her to the top of the first hill, he could use her momentum on the downhill stretch to tow him out the hill. I was rebuked severely for this, on the basis that I was discriminating against fat people. I just want to remind you here that it was not me who drew attention to the Dutch lady’s size!.
Joking aside, you have to admire these people, we subsequently found out that they had travelled by train with their bicycles from their home in Holland to Basle on the Swiss / French border, and were then cycling across France to the Atlantic coast. At that point their son is to meet them in the car and give them (and their bicycles) a ride home.
They obviously were carrying a minimum of equipment, but even so their bicycles were well and truly loaded down with each of them having four panniers, two on the front, and two on the back!
In the evening we walk into town for a drink or two. This brought us a possible lesson in French language. We have been taught, that if you have had (say) a gin, and you want another the same, you say “encore un gin, s’il vous plait”, and that if you ask “un autre gin, s’il vous plait”, the waiter will interpret this as meaning that you did not like the first one, and want a different type for the subsequent gin. Well, we ordered our drinks using our best Michel Thomas French, “un Gin et Sweppes, et un pichet de vin rouge, Cotes de Rhone, s’il vous plait”. No problem. But when we came to order a subsequent gin, we asked “encore gin, s’il vous plait”, where upon the waiter said to us “un autre gin, mais oui”. Obviously he did not learn his French from the Michel Thomas CD’s! So we ask ourselves, is this autre vs encore a load of rubbish?
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