Thursday 30th July
It’s odd really I found I couldn’t get as excited as normal, obviously the threat of the C-word and “the next wave sweeping through Europe” (British press) and of course, the slight guilty feeling that we’ve come away when lots haven’t. Are we being selfish? We really pondered over this these past few months and were quite prepared to cancel everything at the nth hour, but we came in our own caravan, we don’t intend to go to any cities, we knew that France were even more insistent on masks and sanitising than the British. The only time we would HAVE to go anywhere ‘slightly risky’ was the odd trip to the supermarket so a) not a lot different from home and b) they have plenty of antibac for the trollies and customers – so really not a lot different from home. Do one Coronavirus!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We arrived at Black Horse Farm just before 5pm. Normally we eat in the pub across the road but this year because of the dreaded C-word we ate outside the caravan. Beautiful warm evening and the site was about 50% less than normal. Bed was calling at about 9.30 (Del had been up since 5am) but neither of us had a decent sleep, other campers arriving all through the night, cars and motorbikes zooming up and down the road – although we’ve come to expect this both worrying about sleeping through the alarm and/or excitement about our forthcoming holiday.
Friday 31st July
Oh god, why do we do it? Booked on the 5.45am train, up at 4pm, pack up the little we had unpacked and on the road to EuroTunnel. Customers were asked NOT to go into the retail outlet/facilities unless absolutely necessary, we had packed rolls and coffee so had no need to go in – plenty were, with masks. I did see one bloke/geezer with the mask on his head – I suppose they hadn’t actually said where you need to wear the mask! I wish him well.....to**er!
No getting out of your vehicle on the train so the next time we got out too stretch our legs and use our own facilities was at a petrol station just outside Calais. This year we have made a slight detour to our usual ‘little piece of paradise’ and headed towards Giverny – campsite about 30 minutes outside called Ile des Trois Rois in Andelys - www.en.flowercampings.com - Del loves art, especially the paintings of the Great Impressionists and having seen a programme on TV about Monet and his House & Gardens in Giverny we had to add it to our MUST see list.
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| Monet's House |
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| Monet's famous Lily Pads |
The campsite is great – even more if you have a family. Lovely spacious pitches marked off by a barrier of hedges about 4ft high. There’s swimming pools, a bar, a bar-restaurant (complete with water rats), petanque, children’s play area – it’s been very nice, but maybe as a non-children couple for a couple of days..... (especially now the French family “le shoutees” have moved in next door).
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Flower Camping l'Ile des Trois Rois |
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| Our guest for the evening |
Saturday 1st August
C’mon the Blues - FA Cup Final day.....
Back to Monet – what a truly fabulous, wonderous garden and house it is. The house was small and had a really lovely cottage feel about it. You could quite understand why Monet felt the inspiration to paint here – it reminded me of Chartwell, the home of Churchill. The gardens stretch either side of the road with the famous lily pond on one side and the house and garden on ‘tother. They even have two ladies with flashing paddles to see you across the road safely. Because of the C-word we had booked before leaving home as they were restricting entry. Masks MUST be worn and hands sanitised each time you entered a different part of the venue. I took 85 photos, I only hope that you are able to enjoy them and appreciate how beautiful it really was.
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| The gardens of Monet |
However, must just share this! We followed Google Maps to get from the campsite to Giverny – otherwise known as the “what goes up must come down tour”. The trip included going over the top of a hill/mountain and the road included 4 rather sharp hairpin turns – why do you always meet someone coming the opposite way when you are going round such hairpin turn?????? (On the way back Del actually had the car at about 45 degrees to avoid a car coming up the hill/mountain!) Anyway, going back to our arrival c/o Google Maps (GM), we came across a bit where the road split into a Y – Del took the left road and very soon realised it was the wrong way.... at the bottom of road (about 50 yards) the road went left/right, but GM took us to the left.... lots of people walking, a car coming the opposite direction and two Gendarmeries waiting at the end “Monsieur you have done a VERY bad thing.....” flippin hell.... lots of “very sorry Monsieur” and “sorry, sorry” he generously left us “this time I let you go” (giving his best Gendarmerie frown)....
Hey! We made it on time and you didn’t have to pay for parking!!!!!!!!
Sunday 1st August
All on board for Amboise! Despite 3 different pieces of tech telling us the “shortest/quickest route” which varied from between 5.5 hours to 3.5 hours we settled on Google Maps to get us there. Personally I was bricking it as I was so worried that it was going to try and take us across the hill/mountain and round the hairpin bends, but we were safe and we were soon on the D roads heading south.
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| Amboise - one of the beautiful chateaux of The Loire |
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| Early evening balloons over Amboise |
We avoided the motorways this time as there didn’t seem a direct one to Amboise which turned out to be rather lovely as we drove through some lovely French villages, numerous ‘Avenue of Trees’ and because we were heading south, Sunflowers! I’m not sure whether I’ve mentioned it before, but the D roads are the equivalent of our A roads, with the omission of pot holes, utility patches and roadworks. Yes there are numerous roundabouts, the odd set of traffic lights but the roads are long and straight with beautifully smooth tarmac and take you through the glorious French countryside.
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| Amboise |
Wasp 1 – Del 0
Monday 3rd August
We walked across the bridge into Amboise, the wearing of masks in outdoor spaces was at about 50%, indoors it was 100% or you don’t get in – simples. It was nice to just walk around but all the time being on ‘red alert’ for someone coughing, we stopped off and had a beer at the same restaurant/bar we’d stopped off 6 years ago, but when Del asked for another one we were told “no more beer, this is a restaurant” – there were loads of empty tables so obviously our money wasn’t good enough. I must confess I have not found the French as welcoming as in the past – I’m talking those in the shops etc. Last year the talk was Brexit, Brexit, Brexit this year it’s Covid – I know which of the two I’d prefer to talk about!
No balloons tonight, lots more campers have arrived including a few English. We’re off tomorrow to La Fosse tomorrow – yippee.
Tuesday 4th August
Another very hot day, the weather forecast is saying it will be reaching 40 degrees this week. The journey to La Fosse is about 2 hours with the caravan on board and we were mostly on the D roads again. The villages we passed through were their usual clean and tidy but not as many flowers as usual and of course, no people. It’s not unusual to not see anyone, but then when there’s a fete or village party everyone emerges and enjoys a good “knees up” – something I think the whole World could do with at the moment. I’m really beginning to hate the words “lockdown” and “socially distant”.
The village of La Fosse is undergoing some modernising, Dave tells us that there is talk of an Aire being built, but mostly it seems it’s improving the roads a little and extra lighting. The only retail that is open is the hairdresser, even the little bakery is closed. The wall to the chateau is being rebuilt, there are new live-in owners now and he is slowly doing the much needed repairs.
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| The chateau at La Fosse de Tigne |
Of course, the welcome at Les Beauliers was as “socially-distanced” warm as ever and it wasn’t long before the caravan was parked and we were on the terrace enjoying several glasses of chilled rose with Kathy & Dave and Sonny, their new canary. The orchard is really dry and crisp underfoot and for some unknown reason every time I walk across I can’t help singing “Horse with No Name” (America 1972) which unbeknownst to me is really rather apt as Google tells me
“A Horse with No Name” was a “metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life’s confusion into a quiet, peaceful place”.
For those younger readers these are the lyrics, it’s one of those songs that I seem to know all the words –
A
Horse with No Name
On the first
part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound
I've been
through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la
After two days
in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead
You see I've
been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la
After nine
days I let the horse run free
'Cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
there was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with it's life underground
And a perfect disguise above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love
You see I've
been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la
Anyway, I’ve digressed slightly, despite it being extremely hot and dry and having consumed three glasses of wine we did manage to get the awning up and set-up before our lovely friends Steve and Ruth arrived. It was so lovely to see them again albeit that once again we had to “social distance” (god, I hate that phrase) ourselves and it wasn’t long before chairs were gathered in a flippin “socially distanced” circle and to use a real west country phrase we were all “chittering” away.
Wednesday 5th August
There’s not really much to be said about the next few days as it was so bloomin hot we just moved from one shady spot to another and at one particular time Ruth and I went into the shower/toilet block (which is under the house) to play scrabble. The four of us have become such good friends that there are those times when you can always find something to talk about but at the same time you’re happy with each other’s silence – but of course, I couldn’t possibly share the topics of our conversations because as I’ve said in previous posts “what’s said in La Fosse remains in La Fosse”.....
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| Ruthie playing 'Jack in the Box' |
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| Keeping cool in a washing up bowl |
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| Steve's turn for the w/up bowl! |
Del and I did go into Doue La Fontaine to Super U to stock up on our fresh foods. The supermarket was very quiet and whereas in previous years you would have to circumnavigate around groups of people chittering away, this time there were very few shoppers and no one stopped. I did pop into the Pharmacie there because I needed some insect bite cream and something similar to Sudocrem – “bonjour, do you speak English?” – “a little” came the response from the young girl behind the till – quite honestly I think “a little” was the only little bit of English she knew! God, she was miserable – once again really really unlike previous years in France. So, with my best French/sign language/charades I was able to wave my arms around, buzzing with a final crescendo of “ouch” to get the insect cream. The Sudocrem was a whole new ballgame – I have since found out it is called Dermocrem in French – and after several different enactments and an exasperated, but I secretly thing highly amused shop assistant, I ended up with totally the wrong thing but by this stage I was so embarrassed I just paid and left! Of course, in hindsight I could have used Google......
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| The view from our caravan |
Thursday 6th August
HOT HOT HOT – nothing to report. Conversation bounced between “is it cooler over there”, “do you thnk it’s cooler over there”, “oh god I’ve ran out of water again” and “it’s my turn to have the bowl of water to put my feet in” – happy days.....
Friday 7th August
Better today it only got to 39 degrees! It was so hot that poor Ruth slept out in her chair until 2am! Del and I sat in our chairs until late watching the Sky and the stars appearing. Usually the sky is full of planes but very few to be seen this year, but we did spot the space station flying over.
Saturday 8th August
We went to Chez Paul’s for a late lunch today. Being Saturday there were no lorry drivers (no lorries on the roads at the weekend), but there was a few “socially distanced” (grrrr....) diners. The food was as good as always – Del had a beef and carrot sort of casserole with chips and I had pork cooked in ginger with creamed fennel.
After a visit to Intermarche for some fresh foods we came back to the campsite and sat in the shade under the trees until it was too dark to see each other.
Wasp 2 – June 0
Sunday 9th August
Waved goodbye to Steve & Ruth today, short and sweet few days but hopefully see them in the UK before the end of the year.
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| The campsite - just 6 pitches |
After that it ended up as quite a boozy day. I went up to the terrace to have a chat with Kathy which was probably about 3 hours(!) “No, no I’m fine I don’t want a drink thank you.....” famous last words. Del, Dave and Sonny (aka Fanny) joined us. Sonny is a little canary that Kathy & Dave have rescued, he’s a really cute little thing and really tame – I thought his/her name was Fanny whch Kathy found hilarious!!!!!
At 5.30 we went along to see Allan at the local vintners. It’s only just down the lane but oh my goodness by the time we’d walked there (5 minutes at the most) I could hardly talk my mouth was so dry.... well that’s what I’m claiming! The wine this year is as good if not better than previous years and we bought some of the red No.2 and the pink fizzy Saumur.
Monday 10th August
Having chosen to sleep up ‘tother end of caravan because it was just too hot sharing a bed I was rudely awoken by raining coming in through the skylight. The rain was short and sweet and the thunderstorm we could see across the fields didn’t come our way. Unfortunately this left the day as cloudy and very hot and sticky, we actually spent most of the day in the caravan with the blinds down and the fan on. For a while I did try to sit under the trees but the flaming flies decided that I would make a tasty lunch – stupid little flies but they really do hurt when they bite.
Tuesday 11th August
In a bid to escape the heat we decided to go on a jolly to SuperU (supermarket), we could have looked on the map to find somewhere to go but neither of us felt like taking any risks. The one thing I like about supermarkets in France is the fact that you can be driving along and there’ll be a sign saying “Super U 2 kilometers” so it’s always easy to find one. 99% of the supermarkets (Intermarche, Super U mostly here in the Loire) also have petrol and car washing facilities – however, a word of warning they don’t always accept UK bank or credit cards.
The rest of the day was hot, cloudy and humid making it rather unpleasant and lots of rumbling to be seen across the fields. However, in the evening we went wine tasting again – quite a pleasant way to end the day.
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| Another beautiful sunset at La Fosse |
Wednesday 12th August
Happy 65th Birthday Del! But before I start talking about the celebrations I have to tell you about last night. About 11pm the sky decided to get noisy(ier) and as we laid in bed we could see the lightening over the hedge and across the fields, unfortunately it wasn’t accompanied by rain. It really wasn’t a pleasant night.
Anyway, Happy Birthday Del! The day was wet, windy and very warm up until mid-afternoon. We did have some lovely rain which helped clear the air a little, but not a lot. Dave had offered to cook a paella this evening and I’d bought a cake. Judy the other camper and dogs Molly and Lily joined us and we finally gave up eating about 3 hours later. Tonight is incredibly hot and sweaty, the sunset is beautiful and the owls are wooing across the fields. Pack-up day tomorrow....
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| Dave's famous Paella |
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| Even at 65 you have to have a birthday cake |
Thursday 13th August
Reluctantly today is pack-up day. The weather has really changed following a really bad storm overnight causing me to sit for 1.5 hours watching the sky light up all around us. Despite the loud drumming of rain on the roof and the grumbling thunder Del slept for longer than me but we both jumped and said “what the hell was that?” to a really loud not-thunder/lightening noise! With a peak out of the window into the awning we saw what the noise was.... our brand new awning had collapsed. We both went out – me with just a blanket round me and Del in his pants to find that one of the poles had completely bent in two. There was nothing we could do so we just made sure nothing else was, or could, get damaged and went back to bed until the morning. In the morning the wonderful Dave (campsite owner) came to the rescue and found in his garage of “it’ll be useful one day bits and bobs” a replacement pole for us. We took our time packing up and cleaned the inside of the caravan as we went along before having a final delicious bbq with Kathy & Dave and Judy before being joined by some more new campers. The weather really had changed several times throughout the day but instead of being able to sit and watch the final glorious sunset over La Fosse we spent the evening filling out the on-line forms before our return to the UK. Having lost so much sleep the night before we went to bed about 10.30 all set for an early departure in the morning..... or so we thought. Had we stayed up a little later and read the news from home.........
Friday 14th August
Del set the alarm for a 7am start, while the kettle was boiling I checked in on my phone to read that the UK government had announced at 10pm the night before (30 minutes after we’d gone to bed) that anyone arriving in the UK from France after 4am – YES 4AM! on Saturday morning would have to go into isolation for 14 days.
I’m tempted to say “words failed me” but I’d be lying, instead I’ll say the words were “unrepeatable”. Shock, anger, tears, disbelief – what a cruel way to end our holiday. Del was definitely a lot calmer than I, and with the other campers all still asleep, Kathy & Dave came to the rescue and calmed me down before our long journey back to Calais. Kathy – bless her – tried to call Eurotunnel for us but was 362nd in the queue. I had tried to rearrange our journey on-line but a) we’d gone to bed reasonably early unlike everyone else wanting to return before the 4am deadline and therefore missing the available slots, b) Eurotunnel would only accept phone calls to make changes because we were towing a caravan, c) Eurotunnel phone lines weren’t open for another 1.5 hours and d) just to add a mouldy cherry on the top, even if we’d got a place they wanted to charge us another £500!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After a little while we both came to the conclusion there really was nothing else we could do except to continue as we’d planned and have to isolate when we get home – which of course, in the true June & Del tradition was not so straightforward and I spent a great deal of the journey making phone calls and rearranging things – including having to ask my son to leave the house or he would have to isolate too!
Someone said to me “in a few years time we’ll all be laughing about this” – finding it very hard to believe right now.....
France you were the socially-distant tops! Kathy & Dave can’t thank you enough for making the holiday as good as it was and for coming to our rescue, and finally despite the hiccups we know we are very lucky to have been able to have a holiday.
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| Our fabulous hosts - Kathy & Dave www.Camping-KathyDave.co.uk |
