A light hearted and (I hope) amusing record of some of our Campervan Trips.
It is mainly intended to inform friends and family where we are, plus, to keep our children updated on what is happening to their inheritance.
I do try to include details of Camp Sites and Aires, we visit. Checkout the "labels" listed in the right margin,
Please comment if you feel inclined, at least then I know I am not talking to myself (again).
Thursday, 8th October 2015 Weather exactly as forecast, cloudy, but mild at 15C. Today we are heading to an Aire at Le Cateau-Cambresis (N 50.10206, E 3.55513). Not exactly the most scenic journey, as we make our way North and West, staying well away from Paris. In fact, I think the nearest we get to scenery are the striking Autumn colours or the trees by the roadside. We pass the great cathedral city of Reims, passing more or less through the centre, but the closest we get to the famous Cathedral is in the far distance, probably not even visible, in the gap between the avenue of trees.
There is something about this road which makes me think, it must have originally been laid out by the Romans, as it goes straight as an arrow across the undulating countryside. It is almost impossible to pass through this part of France, without seeing reminders of WW1, we pass several World War 1, military cemetaries, this area was obviously hard fought over.
Le Cateau Cambresis was presumably "at the thick of it" at that time, there is a military cemetary, to the left of the road, at the entrance to the town. The font of all knowledge, ie Google (not Kathleen, in this instance), tells me, over 500 UK soldiers, from WW1, are buried there.
We have been to Le Cateau Cambresis several times in the past. We have been to the Aire at Le Cateau Cambresis several times in the past. Like most places, it has it's good points and bad points: Good points, It is within easy driving distance (approximately 100 miles) of Calais / Dunkirk, mostly on free motorway. There are four free EHU hook-ups. The campervan service point is free, indeed, the whole thing is free. There is a Lidl two minutes walk away. Not so good points. It is near a fairly busy road, so, a bit of traffic noise, but, quiet overnight. The town is depressing, clearly it has once been a thriving busy place, now, it is a sort of French version of Hebburn. Friday 9th, October 2015 A very cold start to the day, only 5C, but, it feels colder! As the day progresses, and we draw nearer to the coast at Dunkirk, the sun comes out and temperatures rise to an acceptable 16C. A late start, and, a relaxed drive, of approximately 100 miles, to Gravelines, arriving at about 17:00. We discover there is a good Commercial Centre at Caudry, just a few miles along the road toward Cambrai, from Le Cateau Cambresis, with a large LeClerc supermarket, good for final wine and gin top up, and diesel of course. Saturday 10th, October 2015 A dark and foggy departure from Gravelines. To Dover, not an illegal immigrant in sight. Thanks to queues at UK Passport Control, even at 6:15am!, we miss our 6:45am ferry, and are put on the 7:45am. A stop at Retford for lunch, and then home.
Tuesday, 6th October 2015 It has poured with rain all night, still pouring down this morning. The only upside is, it is not cold! There is no sign of this clearing anytime soon. Just as well we plan to leave today! We are heading for Chalons-en-Champagne, just over 100 miles north. In addition to wondering how I am going to do the "outside bits", without getting soaked, I am also wondering, are we going to be able to get off this grass pitch, which is well and truly soaking wet, with puddles beginning to form. The good news is, with a bit of thought, we able to get off the pitch with little difficulty.
The bad news is, no sooner are we on our way, still in the pouring rain, and we encounter our THIRD "route barre" of this trip! We are diverted along a small road, on a five mile detour, before we rejoin the main road. The two bright spots are: - the signposting is good! - we do not meet any large vehicles coming the other way! Excitement over, we arrive at Camping de Chalons-En-Champagne, the rain has even stopped. We find our English caravanner neighbours, from Montbard, Janice and Clive, have just arrived, after negotiating the same 5 mile diversion as ourselves, with their rather large caravan. For a change, the UK vans are in the majority!
Wednesday, 7th October 2015 The rain has stopped, mild and cloudy, but, also windy, so, no cycling today. A walk into Chalons-en-Champagne. Kathleen will not do the scenic route, along the canal, on the basis "we do not know the way", no sense of adventure! But, I win on the way back, and we return via the canal, to make a 5.5 mile walk, with lunch in Chalons-en-Champagne.
Sunday 4th October 2015 Overnight rain, cloudy and damp morning, clouds breaking up and sunshine by mid-afternoon (21C). Fortunately for Kathleen, she had done "the church bit", Saturday evening, so, no need to walk to church in the rain this morning! We manage to have a pleasant 4.5 mile stroll and explore of Montbard. The Canal de Bourgogne, runs through the town, with a manually operated lock. By chance, there is a boat passing through the lock, what appears to be a lot of hard work for the female lock keeper, first closing one set of lock gates by hand, by operating a huge lever (Archimedes would have been proud), then manually opening the sluices to allow the lock to flood, then manually opening the other set of lock gates, to allow the boat out. In the town, we come across this antique (?) shop, which appears to specialise in nothing but fireman's helmets.
Monday, 5th October 2015. Overnight rain. The weather forecast says, cloud with sunshine 20C in the morning, showers from 15:00, turning to steady rain by 16:00. That is almost exactly what happens, except, showers started at 14:00, and turned to steady rain almost immediately after that.. Time enough to fit in our 13 mile cycle ride, along the Canal de Bourgogne. The plan was to cycle to Abbe Fontaines, but, the cycle track in that direction is being resurfaced. The temporary surface is loose gravel, which made hard work for bicycling. We did not quite make the Abbe, next year perhaps? Back to the van for lunch, followed by the most critical task of the whole trip. I am "on duty" to dye Kathleen's hair. Kathleen is the most impatient person imaginable, so, the part of the hair dying process I enjoy the most, is the part where the lotion has been applied and you have to wait for 15 minutes!
Saturday 3rd October 2015 Sadly, we have to begin thinking about making our way nearer to Calais, our ferry is a week today, early in the morning, if we are to avoid any long driving days.
Looks like another good day in prospect, as we leave Autun, for Mountbard, just over 50 miles north of here.
When we arrive at the campsite at Montbard (Municipal de Montbard, Les Treilles), it looks excellent. Very few people here. Weather is beautiful, sunny 21C, but, the forecast does promise some cloud later this afternoon. The helpful receptionist at the campsite gives Kathleen a town map, plus details of mass times this evening and tomorrow. After lunch, two immediate chores to do, Find a shop to buy something for this evening, find the church(es) for Kathleen. Below, is the view from "Eglise St Urse" We find the churches, St Pauls and St Urse (the French have saints I have never heard of!). St Urse, as you can see, is a particular challenge, up what feels like hundreds of steps, fortunately, for Kathleen, the Saturday evening mass is at St Pauls, so, no need to climb up to St Urse, twice.
Friday 2nd October 2015 Thank goodness, the sun is back, another warm (20C) and sunny day. After yesterdays lame excuse for sightseeing, we try again today. First to the market, in the town square. Kathleen manages to resist purchasing shoes and tea-towels, thus having enough money to by me a beer at lunch time. We explore the remains of the Roman Theatre, where, no doubt, had Kathleen been here 2000 years ago, she would, as a Christian, either have been sold as a slave, (pity the unfortunate buyer, trying to make her do as she is told), or thrown to the lions. Beside the ruins, there is a house, presumably built before plundering sites of historical interest was considered, not the done thing. It has original Roman Columns and statues incorporated in the fabric of the building.
Nearby is a large lake, with a Campervan Aire, on the shore.
Nearer to the campsite is this massive ruin, Temple of Janus, apparently. And, finally, an after evening meal cycle ride, to keep in trim.
Thursday 1st October 2015. Autun, is 290 metres above sea level, which presumably accounts for the cool (actually, bloody cold, at 2C), start to the day. The good news is, the weather forecast says it will be another sunny 20C plus day, the bad news is, the weather forecast is wrong. It stays cloudy and positively cold for most of the day. It is not until about 16:00 the sun puts in an appearance. Not to worry, today's plan is to visit some of the interesting "cultural" sites, eg, Cathedral, Roman Remains, etc. I am pleased to say, the plan comes unstuck, in the nicest possible way! We set off from the campsite on foot, armed with our tourist map, and walk along "Promenade Albert Montmerot", by the river, then, with much consulting of our map, through a tangle of streets to the Cathedral. By chance, we meet our German neighbours, who tell us, yesterday, in the heat, they were looking for ice cream, today, it is so cold, they are looking for a place which sells hot tea with rum in it! The Cathedral is very impressive, but, sadly, in the process of being renovated, which detracts some what from the spectacle. By the time we leave the Cathedral, it is approaching 13:00, lunch time, so, we begin our search for a place to eat. There are several attractive looking places in the streets around the Cathedral, but, Kathleen is not impressed. We walk toward the main square in the "modern" (ie early 1900's) town centre. In Rue Saint-Saulge, we chance upon a place called "New St George Salon de The". It looks quaint from the outside, but, this in no way prepares us for the inside! Kathleen has resolved to be "adventurous" and have something "French", in we go. The Restaurant is a narrow space. It looks as if it has been furnished by someone who likes to acquire "interesting things". There are not many tables, perhaps seven or eight. When we arrive three tables are occupied. We notice, one couple are in the process of eating their meal, the other two couples have not yet ordered, or, are finished, we are unsure which, but, this becomes significant, read on. The Patron, I cannot call him the waiter, since, it becomes apparent he is both Head Waiter, Chef and all things inbetween, shows us to a table, then scurries off. We do notice, there are smiles all round from the already seated couples. After about five minutes, we are presented with a veritable book of drinks, starters, teas, main courses, and sweets. The book, yes, it is a book, includes some hand drawn sketches, presumably by a child, a page or two of comic strip cartoons, and, a narrative on the "New St George Salon de The", in French, naturally. My French is not magnificent, but, I think the gist of the narrative is to say, the objective is to serve good food, in interesting surroundings, and, at a leisurely pace. Now, for those reading this who know Kathleen, they will be aware, patience and leisurely pace, are not her key virtues! The Patron is helpful and amusing, as he explains the menu, in English. We order Gallettes, and, a "demi pitcher de vin rouge". There is a further ten minute delay before our wine arrives, but, the time passes amicably, we watch the Patron as he presents the bill, with full explanation, to one of the seated couples. They pay, and leave, to be replaced by two Dutch (?) ladies. Next, he asks another of the seated couples, who have finished their food and are drinking coffee, to write a few words about the establishment in his "visitors book". It transpires the couple are American, who appear to speak English with an Italian accent. They oblige with a written paragraph, I know not in which language! The next event may not appear remarkable, but, patience, all will become clear. One of the Dutch (?) ladies enquires as to the location of the "toilette", the Patron shows her to a door, then, proceeds to give her a lengthy explanation of how to find the toilet, this will become clear when, later, Kathleen goes through the same routine. Next, a very elderly French ladies enters, and is shown to a table. She is clearly a regular, from the conversation. Another couple (French ?) enter and are shown to a table. All of this activity is being handled by the Patron, in between arrivals, taking orders, serving drinks and nibbles, issuing and explaining bills, he disappears into the kitchen area, to cook a little, we assume, or prepare coffee or tea. The elderly French Lady is served with coffee, then, a freshly cooked Almond covered tart, still in baking tray, is brought out. We assume it may be for the couple by the window, who were seated when we arrived, but, no, the Patron cuts a large slice and serves it to the elderly French lady. Next, he appears with two gallettes, can they be ours? As he passes our table, he tells us, "this how the gallettes will look, but, these are not yours", and presents the gallettes to the couple by the window. Next, he takes the order of the two Dutch (?) ladies, explaining to them, it may take some time, since there are two more gallettes to prepare (gesturing towards Kathleen and I), and he will have to make more Gallette mixture! The French couple decide they will have Tea and Almond Tart, and, are duly served with a slice cut from the freshly prepared tart brought out for the elderly French lady. Kathleen has now started eating smarties and chocolate buttons from a small selection on our table, to fight off hunger pangs. We are served with a portion of nibbles (peanuts, chorizo etc), to keep us amused. Our Gallettes arrive. They are excellent! The couple seated by the window pay their bill and leave. The elderly French lady leaves. The French couple finish their Almond tart and tea, pay their bill and leave. It would appear, the rule of thumb is, only one couple can be eating their main course at once. The two Dutch (?) ladies are served with their Gallettes. We finish our wine. Kathleen decides, she will "go to the ladies". At this point, she discovers why a lengthy explanation was necessary, after passing the "the door" (or should that be la porte). The door opens into any alleyway, she is instructed "walk past the two bicycles, up the wooden stairs, and you will find the toilet at the top of the stairs". Kathleen tells me, having climbed the stairs, which appear to date from the middle ages, she did find a perfectly functional, clean, modern toilet". I pay the bill, Euro23.50. Like everyone else before me, I am given a full explanation of the breakdown of my bill, in English! We have been in here for about two hours, it have been entertained, amused and very well fed, Kathleen has learned to chill (well, a little), an absolute bargain, in my humble opinion. If you are passing this way, do try it! Although we have had a thoroughly enjoyable day, we have only seen one Roman remain, and that from a distance, so, our "culture day" did not work out too well, never mind, there is always tomorrow, after all, all of this Roman stuff has been here for 2000+ years, another day will not hurt.
Tuesday 29th September 2015 Sunny and 20C An easy cycling outing, after yesterdays 24 miles, we cycle to Fontaines, a mere 14 miles round trip. Then, lie about in the sun. Wednesday 30th September 2015 Another beautiful sunny day, with 22C by mid afternoon. First, a shopping trip to replenish our dwindling supplies of food and, more importantly, wine. Then, we drive the short (less than 30 miles) distance to Autun. I had joked with Kathleen that Autun was close enough to cycle to, it was meant as a joke, but, when we see the hills we would have had to cross, it is definitely a joke!
Autun is not really "on our way", but, we have been told it is worth a visit, and, since it is such a short distance, there seems little point in missing it, Autun has a Roman connection, with, we are told, many Roman remains, there is certainly an impressive Roman Gate, much of which is still standing, after 2000 years. Will Mssrs Wimpy, Bellway, Barrett etc be able to say the same I wonder? I am always impressed by some of the large structures civilisations, like the Romans, managed to construct, with little or no mechanical aids, and or course, no Computer Technology. The canals, we have spent our time cycling along, although of much more recent origin, are equally impressive to me. There an enormous amount of earth moving (manually achieved, presumably) to construct them. In addition, although I understand the relatively "low tech", but accurate, Theodolite was available to them, how on earth did they survey and plan a contour hugging structure over hundreds of miles? Today, we limit ourselves to finding our way from the campsite (Camping de la Porte d’Arroux) to the town, a little explore of available shops and places to eat drink, then, refreshments in the sun.
Monday 28th September 2015 Autumn is clearly here now. A cool start to the day, but, sunny. By lunch time it is a respectable 20C, and by mid afternoon, it is sun bathing weather. After a weekend of R and R (that is Rest and Recreation for me, Rest and Religion for Kathleen), we are up for some cycling. The Canal du Centre is just under a mile from the campsite, once there, there is a traffic free cycle track to Chalon-sur-Soane and beyond in one direction, and St Leger and beyon in the other direction. We have been told by another English couple we met, that the section towards Chalon-sur-Soane is the more attraction, so, that is the direction we take. At the Halt Nautique, about 1.5 miles from the campsite, the signpost tells us, Chalon-sur-Soane is 16Km (10 miles) away. Being fresh, after our "weekend off", we go for the whole distance. It is a beautiful day for cycling, sunny, but, not too hot. It is noticeably "downhill", in the direction of Chalon-sur-Soane and we pass several locks, I carefully do not mention this to Kathleen. Soon, we are passed Fragny, and into the outskirts of Chalon-sur-Soane. A brief rest and, we set off for the return, I assume we will be stopping off for "refreshments" along the way, but, Kathleen is in full "health and fitness mode" and decides she will settle for water to fortify her, for the return trip. So, we resist the temptation to turn off into one of the many villages, signposted en-route, and settle ourselves one one of the strategically placed canal side seats to rest and refresh ourselves. For those who know Kathleen, I promise, that is water, and not gin and tonic, in the bottle!. Soon after we set off again, after our brief stop, we come upon one of the large pleasure boats we passed on the way to Chalon-sur-Soane. It is just in the process of entering a lock, so, we linger to watch the process, it is quite a large boat, and completely fills the lock.
In the afternoon, as I mentioned, it is sunbathing weather. We need at least one "essential" bit of shopping, ie, Tonic, for Kathleen's Gin and Tonic. There is no way Kathleen is going to be prised out of her seat in the sun, after a 24 mile cycle ride this morning, so, I set off, armed with a shopping list, whilst Kathleen gets herself "browned off". We have checked out where the "Commercial Centre" is, so, I head straight there, and manage to buy all of the requirements in Lidl, except, the Tonic. So, I next go to Carrefour, which is next to Lidl, and select a bottle of Schweppes Tonic, sugar free, as instructed. As I go through the checkout, the "shoplifter" alarm goes off. No problem, I am quite happy to show the checkout operator and supervisor who appears on the scene, the contents of my backpack, ie, shopping from Lidl, complete with receipt. What puzzles me is, what set the alarm off? Do they security tag Bananas, Maltesers, Pasta, Bars of Chocolate ?
There is something about this road which makes me think, it must have originally been laid out by the Romans, as it goes straight as an arrow across the undulating countryside.
We have been to the Aire at Le Cateau Cambresis several times in the past.
