France - August 2017

Day 1- Wednesday

The one and only thing that has made both Del and I  say “it was easier with the camper” is the fact that we could park the camper on the drive at home and pack it at our leisure.  Of course, with Bill it’s a case of having to remember everything because once he’s hooked on at the storage place there’s no going back.

Today Del managed to leave work earlier and was home by 13.30, Rob, Fred and myself were all ready for him and we were at the storage and all hooked up by just after 14.00.   

The first part of our trip was to Folkestone where we stayed overnight at the Caravan & Motorhome Club site, Blackhorse Farm https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/black-horse-farm-caravan-club-site.     The site has ‘Ferry Pitches’ for the likes of us who want to leave early in the morning to catch either the ferry or the tunnel to France.   We were somewhat shocked to find ourselves the next morning the only ones still left!  Everyone else had gone.  Very nice site, lots of rabbits bobbing around, nice clean shower block etc.

Day 2 – Thursday

We were up and ready to go promptly and got to the tunnel terminal very quickly.  Note to self here, make sure you check the roof hatches are closed as the main roof hatch (the expensive one) was wide open, thank goodness we hadn’t travelled far.  For those of you who have not used the ‘ferry pitches’ it’s really quick and simple to get to the tunnel and takes about 10-15 minutes.  There was a slight delay to our train departure so we had some breakfast in the terminal – breakfast muffins at Leon, yummy.

Arrival in France and on the road with no hassle.  The weather was mixed but even with the low cloud the air was much warmer than at home.   The drive to Epernay took us about 3.5 hours with a couple of stops and despite trusty Satnav not being able to tell us where the campsite was, Del and I remembered as soon as we drove into the area.

The municipal campsite here in Epernay was heaving Epernay Municipal Campsite – thank goodness we’d actually booked a pitch.   The small restaurant/snack bar had been raised to the ground by a huge fire earlier in the year so a pop-up restaurant had been installed just yards from our pitch and we decided to go along there for dinner.  The food was lovely, well-cooked, tasty and portions were sufficient – prices around the same as you’d pay back in the UK.   Probably a little pricey to eat in there every night but as its well within staggering distance we’ll definitely be using it again before we leave.

Despite every intention of ‘practicing’ the erection of Flash (the awning) we didn’t actually get round to it before today...   BUT!  With the help of the lads (gotta stop calling them ‘the boys’) we erected the awning, complete with inner bedrooms for the lads, remote control strip lighting, blow up beds etc. in about 2 hours – which isn’t bad considering all the new stuff was still in boxes and needed unpacking, instructions read etc.  and not a cross word was uttered!

This is one of the pods that the boys had each

Day 3 – Friday

Shopping day today.   We went to Carrefour as there isn’t a Super U or Intermarche in this area; not sure if it is that particular supermarket or prices in general but boy the prices have gone up in France!  Del and I shopped carefully as we’re feeding 4 mouths this time and boy can these lads eat!

The afternoon was spent lazing around, playing cards, before a lovely barbeque cooked by Del on his birthday present.  The weather once again has been mixed, quite a reasonable amount of sunshine and it was quite hot (ish).

Playing Chess

I bought Del a Safari 2 Cadac for his birthday (tomorrow) and we/he was very impressed with it.  Del’s not a lover of barbeque but on the new kitchen he cooked a lovely pork chop and chipolatas for us all.   Definite success.  The evening was quite warm and we sat outside until about 9.30.   Del and I are early birds so the boys (sorry lads) are set-up with a video to watch on the laptop outside in the awning – result!

Day 4 – Saturday – Happy Birthday Del

Crap day to be honest – so far!   We decided to go into Epernay Center Ville but by the time we got there, the market was closing, all the shops were either shut for lunch or closed for their holiday – can you imagine closing a shop for 2-3 weeks at home?   Oh yes, and it’s raining...   Robert is getting a cold... and Groucho seems to be visiting us all today!   We then came back to the campsite, had some lunch and then sat in our own corners being grouchy.   However, as I write this we’re all much happier and preparing to visit the campsite restaurant again to celebrate Del’s birthday!  

Happy Birthday Del

Once again we had a very nice meal on site, I tried the coq au vin which was cooked the traditional way with a rooster, the meat was red and a little drier than normal chicken but still very tasty.   Del was presented with a glass of Pineau Champagne for his birthday – he enjoyed it, I thought it tasted like sherry – and cooking sherry at that!

Day 5 – Sunday – on the road

Up and packing this morning in search of the sun.  We were very methodical in our packing – open the door and chuck it in the van!  It was a long drive south to LeMoulinFort in the Loire Valley http://www.lemoulinfort.com/ where we have stayed before, just down the river from the beautiful Chenonceaux Chateau.

The sky changed from grey heavy clouds, through to lighter off-white, through to bits of blue, bigger bits of blue (like The Simpsons) and now this:

On arrival we had the awning up and all but the lighting in an hour – we didn’t even have to use the instructions for the awning – hallelujah.   The awning is the best erection we’ve had so far!   Dinner was had in the campsite, pizza which wasn’t the best but they were very busy.   Del and I were reminded of our previous trip as we sat outside eating with the hot air balloons flying overhead, a beautiful site.

Tonight in the awning we had a visitor.  Now normally he would be nicknamed Freddie but as poor Fred was not to happy with our visitor best we call him Fergus.   Fred had opened the awning and in he hopped, he did quite a circuit of the awning until Del managed to catch him and let him go outside.   It really was quite funny!

Fergus the Frog

Day 6 – Monday

Woke up to glorious sunshine today and as we’d had a long journey yesterday we decided that a day in camp would be for the best.   By the end of the day there were some very red bits amongst us.

This evening we attended the Pasta & Virginie evening at the camp house.  Lots of different pastas to be had and then the delightful Virginie as entertainment.  All the songs were in English and she had us up dancing by the end of the evening.   Once again we watched the beautiful balloons flying overhead – it was a lovely evening so we counted six tonight!

Balloon Fest at Le Moulin Fort

Day 7 – Tuesday

Shopping this morning and we found SuperU just up the road in Chissay de Toigne, we bought just a few things we needed – meat and wine mainly.   Prices here are about the same we’d pay at home and Del looked forward to trying out the new ‘kitchen’ and barbeque we had.  

The afternoon continued to be grey and miserable so we decided that today maybe a good day to visit Chenonceaux – so did everyone else...   We waited an hour in the queue to get into the chateau, but it was worth it.  The rain left off until we came out, so unfortunately the beautiful gardens went unvisited except for a quick photo shoot.   There were some aching legs that evening.

Beautiful Chenonceaux

Day 8 – Wednesday

Mixed day sunshine/showers but it remained very warm.   We decided it would be good to hire a small propelled boat to sail the River Cher and see Chenonceaux from underneath.   I was a little reluctant at first (I’m not too good with boats) but once we set sail it was very peaceful.... until, we picked up some weed in the propeller and the boat almost ground to a halt – I mean, we were being overtaken by row boats!

Father & Son sailing on the River Cher

Caught up with some washing in the afternoon – quite expensive here at 4.50 euros a load, but they are big machines.

Day 9 – Thursday

Umbrellas in soggy Saumur

Grey and windy today so we thought we’d go to Saumur which was about 1.15 hours away.  As we approached Saumur it began to rain, once we’d parked at Saumur it was really raining.  Mr. Grouch returned, mainly because we’d come out without coats, umbrellas etc.   Saumur didn’t look anything like Del and I remembered from two years ago and we just wandered around until we decided that we needed food and a drink.  So, we went to the first restaurant, got totally ignored, I went to the loo, still ignored, got up and left.  Found another restaurant, ignored again – I mean do we smell?   Finally went to a third restaurant and was told “non Monsieur food finie at two o’clock” (it was 2.05) – no wonder we were ignored at the other two, they didn’t want people ordering so close to closing time!   Seriously, 2pm?   The waitress gave me a forlorn look and I returned her look with a really p’d off scowl!   Finally we found a ‘pub’ which gave us his own ‘version’ of a croque monsieur – piece of ham between two slices of bread and some grated cheese on top, but it was okay and ‘filled a hole’ as my mother would say.  The return journey went quickly and the day was summed up by the blue skies above our campsite....

Saumur

We stopped at Super U tonight and bought some of the very nice pork that the French seem to produce.   Barbequed pork chops, June’s barby potatoes and the tinned peas and carrots that the boys seem to have taken a fancy too.

Rain, heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow, it’s very windy out tonight and Del is fitting the storm straps to the awning.  Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Day 10 – Friday

Well surprise surprise it was grey and cloudy with just a hint of rain in the air so Del and I thought a nice trip to the supermarket would be a good thing to do – yawn... but seriously there is nothing else to do!   The boys decided to stay at home and play games.  However!   Joy of joys we found an Intermarche where we were able to buy our favourite wine – Del likes the 10 litre box of cab sav for a whole 17 euros!   My 5 litre box of white wine is a whole 9 euros.  We bought, chocolate, cake and a whole stack of naughties to try and cheer us all up –goodness we’re sad!

As we left the shop the sky decided to burst and it just poured, we stayed under the shelter of the roof.  A young English family left at the same time, the Dad being ‘macho’ said, I’ll run for the car and bring it across – well!   And it’s one of those moments where you have to repeat the word, well!  the poor bloke just as he made a beeline for the car there was this huge cloud burst and he got drenched.  

Once we’d got back to the campsite the sun came out and we were able to sit in the sunshine for a short while.  The campsite had really emptied out and the friends we’d met via a Facebook page Janice & Ted had already left.  

Day 11 – Saturday

Yay!  We were on the road to our favourite place in the whole wide world!   It was only a two hour trip so we virtually slung everything in the van and left pdq. Arrival at Kathy and Dave’s was just about the best feeling ever and we both felt that we were finally able to relax.  The sun was shining it was warm and K&D were hosting a huge party in the garden to celebrate Kathy’s birthday.

Now by party I mean the entire village turns up.  Food is brought out in dribs and drabs, huge bowls of beetroot, shredded carrot, bread and there was no specific order, it just came, you helped yourself and then ate until the next bit came.  For the main course they had been roasting a pig and cooked whole potatoes in the ashes, then came pate and more bread and fruit salad, cheese it just kept coming.  Of course, all of this was washed down with copious amounts of wine, including their own cocktail of wine, pamplemousse (grapefruit) and cointreau – oh yummy it was gorgeous!  

Camp Host Dave had his dancing shoes on!

I sat with Tracy (& Bob) whom we met last year and caught up on the news, they had just arrived that morning and a French couple named Phillipe and Chantal, both of whom spoke very good English but were keen to learn more – it was quite hysterical teaching him cockney rhyming slang!   I think I must have drunk about 2 bottles of wine but felt fine.  I think it all finished about 11pm, everyone went home until the morning when they all come back to tidy up!

Day 12 – Sunday

Oh what a beautiful morning.....

The sky is a deep azure blue the sun is shining and hot – Del went off in search of bread as the bread van doesn’t deliver on a Sunday.   Several men from the village had turned up, later joined by the women – it seems K&D were hosting an invitation only lunch party today. 

Campers kept their distance, we went out.  We decided to visit the Trogladyte village that we’d been too before, but of course, the boys hadn’t.   They both agreed they’d enjoyed walking round seeing how the people lived.   Accidentally on purpose as we say in my family, the trusty Satnav took us the wrong way and we ended up driving around the area, but it was just so glorious in the sunshine.  Fields of sunflowers with their heads bowed ready for cropping, purple hazed fields of linseed and of course rows and rows of vines.

We enjoyed sitting in the peace and silence (not a sound to be heard) of the orchard until it was time to cook dinner.   So nice to be able to sit outside eating a lovely meal, drinking some wine and watching one of the glorious sunsets here at La Fosse de Tigne.

Rochemenier - Troglodyte Village 

Day 13 – Monday

So tonight at La Fosse was the traditional wine tasting evening! Around 6pm Dave (the host), Luke his son, Bob & Tracey, Del and I and a couple of other campers walked into La Fosse and sampled a few of the local wines.   As we’d been before we knew to have a meal before the sampling.

Now the vineyard produces 10 different wines and even at 0.5 of a glass to sample it’s still a lot (Del and I had also had a snifter with our meal).   Once we’d tasted and purchased what we wanted we wandered back to the campsite and we all gathered (plus the 3 other couples that hadn’t come along) for an evening of more wine, cheese, pate and lots of chit chat into the dark hours.   The evening was warm and very quiet and as everyone was attending the party there was no one to disturb – result!  This really is a place for lovely people and to meet lovely new friends.

Day 14 – Tuesday

Oh god!  Felt rubbish this morning but after several cups of tea and some breakfast we decided that we’d go to Nantes to Les Machines de I’ile http://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr.  It was just over an hours’ drive from La Fosse but well sign posted once we got near.   Bob & Tracey decided to come along too.

Oh my god! What a fab afternoon we had.   The machines are amazing and so clever and despite the heat (about 32 degrees) a good time was had by all. 

Les Machines de I’ile

First stop was the Gallery of the Mechanics – it was a guided tour, all in French – where we watched enormous creatures come to life, driven by children and adults from the crowd.  Giant spiders, caterpillars, ants and a Heron all came to life, flying overhead or coming up from a hole in the ground and squirting webs (water/steam), we were in Jurassic Park!

We had lunch at the cafe/restaurant on site – we had lovely fresh baguettes filled with tuna, chicken or ham (thon, poulet or jambon) – if any readers plan to visit the museum make sure you take water with you, there’s very few places to buy drinks but there are some water stations around.   Following this we visited the Carrousel des Mondes Marins 82ft high, 72ft in diameter – 3 carousels on top of each other.   You have to pay extra for this but we’d travelled a distance and probably won’t go again, so you have to do it don’t you?   Each level represented a different part of the ocean and the mechanical creatures reflected this – Del and I chose the middle layer – the abyss, and rode the Deep Sea Lantern Fish.  All of this excitement was followed by an ice-cream which was blinkin cold and we all struggled with a bit of brain freeze!

The Grand Elephant 40ft high, 26ft wide and 70ft long.  The ride on the elephant was arranged for 6pm and I managed to get right up the top – although you - could move about once you were on there.  The ride is very slow and takes about 20-25 minutes; every now and again the elephant would raise its trunk and squirt water over ‘itself’ (in other words - us) or the crowds standing around watching.   When the elephant was standing being unloaded and loaded with new passengers it also pee’d itself!  Much hilarity from all the kids.

Exhausted but happy we returned to the car where the machine wouldn’t accept the parking ticket and I then had to explain to the guy what had happened, fortunately with my little French and his little bit more English we managed to sort it out.

Day 15 – Wednesday

It took us a while to get going today and then it was all a bit of a mad rush because Kathy & Dave had invited us all to a Chinese restaurant for lunch.

We followed Dave nearly all the way to Angers – Del actually thought we were going to China at one point.   The restaurant was an all you can eat buffet at 12.50 euros a head and the food was really good.  There was sushi or you could take your meat up to the chef and he cooked it all for you, or of course, there was the many many dishes to choose from.   Well recommended if you are in the area.

When we arrived back at the campsite several fellow campers remarked that tomorrow evening would bring thunderstorms and heavy rain.  Oh blimey, we wanted to do so much tomorrow – our last day at La Fosse, but with this news we now also had to contemplate packing up the awning on Thursday night, dry or leaving it until Friday morning when it would more than likely be soaking wet?

- I love flowers and whenever we're away I take photos of the beautiful blooms that can be seen in the villages of France.

Day 16 – Thursday

Woke up to a another beautiful morning so Del and I set off to Doue le Fountaine Intermarche to stock up on our favourite wine and to spend some of the euros and cents we had laying around – “last day of holiday, spend your shrapnel, postcards and souvenirs”.   We got back about midday and went straight off to the zoo at Doue http://www.bioparc-zoo.fr.   

BioParc Zoo 

Doue is only just 10mins down the road from La Fosse and to be honest we weren’t expecting much in the way of a ‘zoo’ – so much so we all nearly choked when she said 82 euros for us all to get in!   However, we weren’t just pleasantly surprised we were all wonderfully amazed at how fab the zoo actually was.  Wow, bears, tigers, lions, hippos, giraffe, monkeys, parrots, vultures, the list goes on.  Each area is beautifully laid out and all the animals were very well cared for and all given adequate living areas – thoroughly recommended if you are ever in the area; do take refreshments with you as they are expensive.

Upon return to the camp we made the decision to collapse the awning and pack all away for an early departure in the morning.  It seemed like a good idea but when you’ve been shopping and then at the zoo all afternoon you are rather tired – I think we finally finished around 9pm.   At which point Bob (of the Bob & Tracey campers) came and invited us for drinks at their place – we finally left at 12.45am....

Day 17 – Friday

We got away about 9am, none of us slept particularly well but as it happened the weather was not too bad and it only just started to rain as we were winding up the legs.

Bob & Tracey were there to say goodbye with “see you next year”....” if not before”.   We’ve spent some lovely time with them this week.

We’d booked for the night at a campsite just 10k from Calais which meant a long journey ahead of us.  One thing we have found a bit annoying is the services at the Aires on motorways; the signs are really good saying where each type of vehicle should park but the spaces for car/caravan are very limited and are usually full of cars or trucks.  Twice today we had to drive straight out again because there was nowhere to park.   However the roads are so good here and traffic was very light compared to the UK with three stops we arrived at www.campingdelabienassiste at about 4.30pm.   Lovely campsite, really pretty.  Loads of Brits here, swimming pool, bar, restaurant, snack bar, golf etc.  Not sure I’d like to stay here more than two nights as there are loads of kids but it is very pretty.

We just had dinner here, all reasonably priced and nearly all the food is homemade!   Really really tasty.  And sorry, I have to say it as it’s been going through my mind since I got here – there’s several people that look like they’ve made the most of the good food....

Camping de la Bien Assiste

Can’t finish today’s blog without telling you of the little ‘oh dear me’ moment we had at our nemesis – Rouen.  It seems each time we travel through Rouen trusty Satnav takes us a different route, this time we were doing okay until trusty Satnav told us to stay left – we did, until we found ourselves in the filter lane for the tunnel that takes you under the next busy junction and brings you up the other side with a bloody great sign that says height maximum of 2.6m.... STOP! Del just managed to stop before we descended down the slope into the tunnel and without following cars hitting us.   Fortunately there was a small escape break in the wall which meant that we could get back into the lane going straight on, but this meant we had to back up about 2m too be able to swing the car and Bill into the traffic – this also meant getting the traffic behind us to back up too... oh dear!   But at the end of the day, it is better to have to ask traffic to back up than to close the tunnel for goodness knows how long because a caravan has gone in it and crunched its roof.

Day 18 – Saturday

We were up around 7.30am, we’d all had a reasonable sleep, the campsite had surprisingly been very quiet; it was about 9am by the time we left and the Tunnel was minutes away.  At check-in we managed to get an earlier train, traffic on the motorways home was heavy but moving – good grief, caravan in storage and home eating toast by midday!

Another adventure had, we’ll cram in a few weekends before Winter but for now there’s a mountain of washing to be done and a caravan that has that well lived in look to be cleaned and polished.   So I leave you with just about the best view in the World – La Fosse de Tigne at sunset....

Sunset at La Fosse de Tigne