Heading off for a long trip tomorrow, 1st September, hopefully around 6 weeks. We have a one way ticket from Poole to Cherbourg and will worry about getting back when we decide that we have had enough.
So where are we going ? Well we are starting by travelling down to a campsite just north of Poole called Merle Court for the first night. This will allow us to catch the 0830 ferry on Wednesday 2nd and get us into Cherbourg around 1pm UK time. Then a slow drive to St Bruiec to meet the Betts-Masters who have been touring Britany for the last two weeks.
We aim to spend about 3 or 4 days with them looking around Britany before meeting up with my brother Chris and his wife Lynn and my sister Sue and partner Karen at a camp site on Quiberon. Then two or three days with Sue and Karen in our motorhomes introducing them to the delights of French aires before rejoining Dave and Lins at Le Biches for the last weekend of their holiday.
After that a slow drive across France to Hidelburg in Germany before spending a couple of weeks exploring the Rhine upto Koblenz.
This link will take you to Google maps and show you the route we have taken.
Arrived at St Bruiec around teatime to find the Betts-Masters already in situ - they had been there for 24hours already. The aire was facing the estuary and was very tidal. In fact it went from a muddy stream to a fast flowing estuary very quickly. The fishing boats from St Bruiec came down to the sea as soon as it was at full tide. Had a good walk before a nice meal and wine in their van. The following day we set off for Ploubazlanec further up the coast - after at least 15mins we stopped for a coffee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Betts was fed up of following a tractor !! When we eventually arrived at the air it wasn't the best - grassy slope and a little bit uncared for. The beach was all pebbles and not great for walking but we managed to take a few photos.
Friday 4th Sept headed east - back past St Bruiec !!! - to Erquy. Great aire right next to the beach easy to walk on so we headed towards the town which was over the headland and found a lovely cove with a nice town and beach. long walk around the cove for a beer and a crepe - very nice.
We parted ways on Saturday, Lins and Dave to Les Biches and us to Brest - past St Bruiec - again !!!! Visited the maritime musuem which was very good and had a walk around the town enjoying a coffee in a bar run by on old negro who brought the tray of coffees balanced on his head !!!! - all part of the service. From Brest we drove east and then south to Morgat another beautiful coastal town with the aire a stones throw from the beach.
Moved on to Quiberon to meet Sue and Karen and Chris and Lynne. First time abroad in their camper van for Sue and Karen - had hoped to spend a couple of days visiting aires with them but they were happy to stay on Quiberon - can't blame them. We had a good two days with them, spent time on the beach and had a good walk around town and lunch with Sue and Karen.
Headed South towards St Gilles and Lins and Dave but stopped off at Arzon and La Berneire-en-Retz, both really nice places. Posed so that a very old frenchman could take our picture for us.
Fri 11th – filled up with lpg gas after 20 days of use – cost a fortune E4.00 !!! may even let her put the heating on if required……..
Sat 12th September
Went shopping in challon with lins and dave. Challon, apart from a vast car park, wasn’t as good as expected. Went on to the Bouchier for lunch – Lorraine had just found out about her teaching pension so she was paying.
Her meal was extraordinary – kebabs of chicken threaded through dried apricots – not bad – BUT – huge salad of raw bacon and tinned peaches all smothered in sesame seeds – a bit of a struggle to eat. I had the french version of a burger – cooked on the outside and raw in the middle !!!!!!. Cooked tea for Mike and Carol – spagbol with smoked salmon starter and a cream cake to finish. As usual we all ate and drank too much.
Sun 13th September
Carols birthday – table booked at french restaurant for the 4 of them – we decided that it was time to move on. Had planned a day on the beach but the weather was only fit for travelling. Long drive upto Cholet and across to Samur and then along the tourist route along the Loire to the aire at Villandry about 10kms short of Tours. We have stayed here before but this time we were in time to visit the chateau. Lovely old building with lots of art work – some by Goya – and fantastic gardens all beautifully laid out.
Mon 14th September
Set off heading east – south of Tours and cutting across just north of Verzon – weather was poor, very wet – the van is considerably noisier when it rains at night compared to other vans we have had – stopped at an Elecerc to fill up on fuel and food – nice having a big fridge ! had a grand café in the bar, no café. Stopped for lunch opposite a school next to a canal – it was pouring down – kids came out for lunch and the bell went immediately to bring them in – LRM jumped up and was almost heading for the gate !!!!!
Set off for Sully-sur-Loire – a little bit north but a nice aire, we had been before on our first trip along the Loire. Large aire next to the chateau, walked into town but everything was closed – memo to self must sort timings out !!.
Tue 15th September
After a rainy night thought we would start the day with a shower – seemed in keeping somehow – really not impressed with the shower. Headed to Auxere, very pretty town with lots of medieval buildings. Parking next to the river right in the town centre – great. Spent a couple of hours walking around.
Ada’s first day at school – managed to catch up whilst we were having a coffee in town.
Headed on to Chaource to a grassy aire near the centre of town, very nice but the journey was hard work lots of French D class roads that would only pass for single carriageways in UK !!!
Toul the next town we stopped at - surprisingly nice. big moat all the way around it, impressive catherdral and a very nice town centre with all roads meeting at a large roundabout with a fountain and flowers. Started to rain as we walked back - and then it started to really rain! bouncing down and yes we were soaked by the time we got back to the van.
From Toul we headed south around Nancy and then northwards to Soufflenhim - the capital of the pottery world or at least it appeared to be. Pottery shops every 50yards, at least a dozen. it was clearly a stop for all the coach trips in the area.
Germany.
headed east and crossed into Germany near Baden-Baden, took a wrong turn and headed south around the bottom of the town and then into the Black Forest.
we actually crossed the rhine at Hagenau - the same place as 101st airborne - Band of Brothers - spooky as we have just watched it again.
Into the Black Forest towards Bad Wildbad and then around the next hill to a campsite called Camping Kleinenzhof for a couple of days rest - arrived friday pm, left sunday am and never went off the site - i didn't get up until 11oclock on saturday. Had a nice meal on friday evening, jager schnitzel, frites, licquer ice creams, coffee and schnapps..... bliss !!
Sunday headed north to Heidelberg and a camp site on the river Neckar, a tributary of the Rhine. Not a particularly good site but the bus stop was outside the gate and in 10 mins we were in town on Monday. Had a good walk round then lunch before taking a 3 hour boat trip down the Neckar - not quite as good as we had hoped but the sun was shining and the beer was cold. When we got back to the centre had a walk up the shopping area to the main old market square which was full of cafes and bars with loads of seating outside - LRM demanded cake and coffee - so be it !!
Tuesday we set off to travel up the rhine in the general direction of Koblenz but the weather was so bad that we ( I ) continued driving to Koblenz.
We found a campsite just south of Koblenz on the west side of the Mosel river, very nice site with a good restaurant and bar which was very welcome after a long day travelling. Spent Wednesday in Koblenz, found a parking site just short of "German Eck" (corner) where the Mosel leaves the Rhine and jumped straight in to a cable car that took us over the Rhine to a massive fortified castle overlooking Koblenz and German Eck. After a good look around and a nice coffee and cake - again - the cable car took us back to Koblenz and after a good walk around the centre and lunch we headed back to camp.
On Thursday we set off down the Mosel with no definate plan in mind other than to visit a castle built deep in the woods before returning to the Mosel. Check it out: http://www.burg-eltz.de/de/
We ended up at Cochem, about half way down the Mosel, where we stayed all day watching the river and the very nice cruise ships. Lovely lunch of schnitzel with both ziguner and jager sauces and a large beer. Stayed at the local aire for motorhomes next to the town campsite, not very inspiring considering how lovely the rest of the place was.
By now we knew that Peggy was in hospital with breathing problems and we had an issue with the water pump in the van so the decision was taken to head home. So Friday morning we set off heading west over the top of Luxemborg towards Bastogne and the military museum. Well worth a visit, very well done and the monument to the 101st Airborne is very impressive. Continued on into France but after sitting in an horrendous traffic jam through a town centre we found that the aire was full so we had to move on - which meant another 90mins driving to the next aire in the direction we wanted to go. Arrived late and in the dark - almost straight to bed.
Saturday set off very early for Dunkerque and a 12 oclock ferry home - which i thought i had booked on line. Unfortunately the booking had not been made and we had to head for Calais and the tunnel. Our 54.00 pound crossing for the van and two people turned into 340euros - ouch !!!
Eventually arrived around 4pm Saturday afternoon - approximately 32 hours after we had decided to head home - and around 17 hours of driving for me.