Leaving Honfluer and on to Le Chateau-d'Olonne, North Vendee

Sunday 14th September 2014 - Tuesday 16th September 2014

Honfleur Aire

It is church day, so, Kathleen walks into town to do the church thing.

I forego my usual Sunday morning of wandering around a French town and finding a pleasant bar, in favour of packing up, ready to leave.

It has been excellent here, but, with only a 5amp electricity hookup, this means no hairdryer. The advantage to Kathleen is she has an hour more of each day to do other things, but withdrawal symptoms are becoming apparent.

To help get her through today, she was able to use the hair straighteners (only 50watts), this morning before heading off to church.

Just over 100 miles south, on virtually empty roads.

Yvre-l'Eveque, Camping Le Pont Romain, near Le Mans, (N48 1'9" E0 16'47")

An ASCI site, just off the Le Mans ring road, in a sleepy village.

Free wifi, swimming pool, usual facilities, 14.40Euro.

Another glorious day weather wise, it is 19:30 in the evening, and a very pleasant 25C

Le Chateau-d'Olonne, Les Fosses Rouges (N46 28'46" W1 44'28")

An ACSI site, a bit dated, but, well kept.

Well placed, an easy three mile cycle along the coast to town.

A bad start to the day, Kathleen lost a filling while brushing her teeth. Quick visit to the Dentist, and, we have to go back at 18:00 this evening (Tuesday).

To pass away the time a very pleasant cycle ride along the coast and into town, lunch, and back of course, so 7.5 miles of peddling on our folding bicycles. In the excitement of finding a Dentist, I forgot the camera, so, no photographs, another day hopefully.

On the way back, we are going so quickly, we overtake a French couple who are staying on the site. When the arrive, after us of course, the French lady has a try on Kathleen's folding bicycle to see if it will make her go faster.

We make the visit to the Dentist, just like the UK, we do not get in on time. It turns out, the tooth is broken, presumably a result of falling off her bicycle three weeks ago. The dentist decides a root filling is needed, but does not have time to complete the procedure. The initial work is done, back tomorrow 10:00 for the final (Kathleen hopes) filling.

Honfluer, contd

Saturday 13th September 2014

Yesterday, we walked to the top of an enormous hill, where the church Notre Dame de Grace is located. The young lady in the Tourist Information Office, had told Kathleen there was a Mass there on Saturday evening. Clearly, the young lady either has a sense of humour, and does not like the English, and/or, she is not a church goer. There is not a mass there on Saturday!.

In our usual way, we appear to have stumbled upon some form of "local event", as we walk into town, there are enormous crowds of people, roads closed, and, a chaotic French market.

All jolly good fun.

I acquire a new belt, Kathleen tries on numerous hats and pairs of shoes, and buys no less than two purses, to keep her enormous wealth in.

We have lunch by the harbour, Moules and Frites (what else?) for me, and Pizza for Kathleen, plus of course copious red wine, followed by an excellent Tarte Pomme de Normande. We round off with Cointreau for Kathleen and Calvados for me.

When we emerge from eating, we find the cause of all of the crowds is a Cycle Race. There appears to be hundreds of participants, all dressed in lycra, with very expensive looking bicycles. But, I assume it is a fun thing, since many of them do not look, how can I say this, very fit?

We have a rest to recover from lunch, then, go out on our bicycles, unknown to us, the cycling event is still going on, and, spectators cheer us as we peddle along on our folding bikes!

To Dover and on to Honfluer

Wednesday, 10th September 2014 - Friday 12th September 2014

The day begins badly, major traffic jam on the A19, we get only 30 miles from home, and then crawl for one hour through Teesside.

Licques, Pommiers des Trois Pays N50 46’ 47” E1 56’52”

A site we have been to before, easy to get to from Calais, but, not much else to recommend it. At 17.20Euro a night definitely not a bargain.

Honfluer. Aire. N49 25.150’ E0 14.586’.

We arrive Thursday morning at Honfluer, at a very large Aire, 10Euro per night, including Electric Hookup, if you can get it.

It is very full when we arrive, there must be well over 100 vans parked.

We are fortunate to arrive, just as a Belgian van is leaving, and we get a spot, but, no spare electricity hook-ups.

Nevertheless, a pleasant spot, as you can see, this is the view from our front window.

The advantage of the Aire being large is, there is a rapid turnover, on Friday morning, we get an electric hookup.

That, coupled with a stroll into town, which shows Honfluer to be a beautiful French seaside town, increases Kathleen's enthusiasm for the place.

Lots of quaint, narrow streets to explore, bars, cafes. It is warm and sunny, what more can anyone need?

Well, for Kathleen, there is one more thing, a church, with mass on Saturday evening, or Sunday!

A visit to the Tourist Office, and that problem is solved.

Clearly we will be here until Sunday, at least.

Let me see, we have Electricity, we have found a cash machine to get some Euros, Kathleen has found a church, that is the major items dealt with, it is time to find a bar and have a drink.

Plenty of choices around the old port. This has clearly once been a functioning

port/harbour, but, now, it is a mooring place for pleasure craft and fishing boats, surrounded by typically French buildings and literally dozens of places to eat and drink.

An ideal spot to while away an hour or two, until lunch time.

Kathleen is still on the energy pills (Prendeslone), so, after lunch, it is out with the bicycles and cycling along the coast.

Beautiful, if a little hilly!