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!

Autumn 2014, Destination France, Bordeaux Area (perhaps).

Final Preparations, Complete, Tuesday 9th September 2014 

It must be some form of perverse "human nature" thing, but, I spend the summer rescuing the garden from the neglect resulting from our campervan trips, then, just as it is looking "rather good", we go away again!

True, perhaps it is not up to Alan Titchmarsh standards, but, to me, it is looking "rather good".

The scooter is loaded on the trailer, the van is packed.

Our "pencil plan" this trip, is to meander south from Calais, taking in La Rochelle and then Bordeaux. It remains to be seen if that is what happens!

Wednesday 23rd July 2014 - Thursday 24th July 2014

Cromer, Incleboro Fields, Caravan Club Site, contd...

Today, Wednesday and a beautiful sunny day.

Kathleen wishes to visit the Catholic Shrine at Walsingham.

A quick check on the computer shows that getting there by bus is not going to be easy, and is going to take over an hour.

The idea of going on the scooter is not popular, on the basis that it is "too far". The sat-nav says it is 28 miles away. After studying the map, for short cuts, and with fingers firmly crossed, I manage to convince Kathleen it is only 20 miles each way.

So, following my "short route", A149 to Blakeney, then B1156 to Langham,  unclassified road to Binham, then on to Walsingham.

All is well to Binham, but, then, the road is closed, and we have to follow a signposted diversion, which takes us via Wells-next-the-Sea, we may as well have followed the sat-nav route!

Eventually, 30 miles later, we arrive at Walsingham.

Kathleen is not a happy bunny, but, puts a brave face on.

A good wander around, including the Slipper Chapel, and, the inevitable "candle lighting area".

I am not a religious person myself, but, this is a calm and tranquil place, all beautifully kept,  with a notable absence of commercialism, plus, the tea shop does

excellent sandwiches!

We decide to go back via the sat-nav "fastest route", via the A148, calling in at Holt, a very nice Georgian Town.

It would probably have been a very nice Medieval Town, except, a fire in the 1700's burnt most of it down, and it was rebuilt in the Georgian style.

Eventually, back to the van, a 59 mile round trip.

If nothing else, Kathleen is now an accomplished pillion passenger! She is so good, I do not even know she is there, I have to keep checking in the mirror to re-assure myself I have not lost her off the back of the bike!

Thursday, up early and back home, exciting stuff, cutting the lawns.

Monday 21st July 2014 - Tuesday 22nd July 2014

Cromer, Incleboro Fields Caravan Club Site, (continued)

Monday, and it is overcast and a bit cool, so, a trip to Norwich on the train.

Norwich is a one hour journey, with five or so stops, not bad at £8 return each, and quite comfortable.

We do the usual visit the Cathederal, and very impressive it is.

A very unusual font, it was a chocolate making vessel, in a Chocolate factory. When the factory closed down, the vessel was given to the cathederal and converted to a font!, so, you can get baptised in chocolate (well, not really).

Lots of quaint narrow streets, even some thatched roofs!

Then, Kathleen gets down to the serious shopping. 

It is a mystery to me, a company like Marks and Spencer spends a fortune to develop a "brand". Every one of their stores in the land has the same stock. So, when you have two enormous branches of Marks and Spencer (substitute Next, Dorothy Perkins, Primark etc as required), in Newcastle, and Metro Centre, Gateshead, why would you travel hundreds of miles to shop in a smaller version?

But, I am pleased to say, Norwich is my kind of shopping city. I am able to avoid going into any shops at all! instead I spend my time sitting in the sun at various locations listening to the numerous street musicians, playing everything from classical guitar music, to 60's pop, to Irish folk music.

Tuesday, a day of gentle exercise.

An adventurous walk to Sheringham. By adventurous, I mean using the OS Map, to find our way, and not a printed list of instructions.

Almost six miles, in total.

Using the usual maxim of "if a place looks busy, it is probably good", Meat and Potato pie for lunch, from a bakers in the High Street.

They say, the exception proves the rule, well, it was a potato pie!.

At least there was a real steam train at Sheringham Station.

Friday 18th July 2014 - Sunday 20th July 2014

Cromer, Incleboro Fields Caravan Club Site.

We made the major misjudgement of deciding to do some jobs around the house, during possibly the best period of sunny dry weather which has occurred since we retired!

We had planned to visit Cromer earlier, when my brother, Brian, and his wife were here, but the house and garden renovations disrupted that, so, here we are sneaking in a quick week before the School Summer Holidays begin.

The drive here is as uneventful as any journey by road can be in the UK, the usual traffic hold-ups at road works with 40mph speed restrictions, miles of beautifully arranged cones, but, sadly not a sign of any WORK.

Incleboro Fields, is quite a large site, but, is arranged in small areas, so the overall impression is one of seclusion and quiet. It is to the usual Caravan Club standard, so, no complaints there, and is within easy walking distance of both a Railway Station (West Runton) and Bus Stops.

Unusually for Norfolk, it is on a hill!

So far, the weather has been very hot and dry (during the day), with overnight thunderstorms.

In addition to the folding bicycles, we have brought the Yamaha xMax with us.

Thus far, Kathleen has not been a willing passenger, but, I have fitted a "top box", to make her feel more secure that she will not be jettisoned off the back during lively acceleration.

In addition, I have kept up a subtle (well I think so) serious of remarks directed at her lack of enthusiasm for the scooter.

I think, the latter has done the trick, any suggestion to Kathleen that she is perhaps not upto the task is like a red rag to a bull, and, you WILL be proved wrong.

So, we have been for several jaunts on the scooter:

twice into Cromer, (once for the inevitable Church attendance),

a visit to a "Car Boot" Sale (what a load of tat!),

and a trip to Tesco.

I can officially state, Kathleen is now a confirmed "biker chick".

Sunday is rounded off with an excellent Sunday lunch in the pub in West Runton. It does not seem to have a name, other than, "the village inn".

Neufchatel-en-Bray, St Claire

Friday 25th April 2014 - Sunday 27th April 2014

Oh dear, Friday and it is raining!

Kathleen decides to bring forward "hair washing day", from tomorrow, to today.

I amuse myself playing on the computer, and, doing what men do best, ie "pondering" on important topics, like, "why do women live longer than men?".

I think, perhaps it is a case of natural balance. Women need to live longer than men, to make of for the time they spend "doing" their hair, and other such tasks.

For example, washing my hair takes 2 minutes maximum, and, is incorporated with taking a shower. No drying / straightening is required, a quick comb, and that is that for the day.  If by chance, I have worn my cycle helmet, or motorcycle helmet in the course of the day, a further 15 seconds of hair care MAY be required.

So, in the course of a week, say 35 minutes total?

Kathleen's regime averages at least one hour PER DAY, so, something in excess of 7 hours per week.

It is not hard to see why, natural balance, dictates that women need to live longer than men, just to compensate for that alone.

Saturday, we move up to Gravelines, near Dunkirk, for our last overnight in France, or this trip.

Sunday, through the tunnel, and, off to visit brother, Brian, for a couple of days.

Nefiach, La Garenne, La Couvetoirade, Faverolles, Dry, Camping St Claire

Sunday 20th April 2014 - Thursday 24th April 2014

It is Easter Sunday, the plan is, Kathleen will attend church at 10:30 in Nefiach, I will wait for her, and we will leave at about 12:00.

The Priest is late in arriving (an hour late!), slept in again?

So, the plan almost works, we just leave a bit late!

Sunday, La Couvertoirade, Mid-Pyrenees (N43 54.766 E3 18.970). 

The Aire is part of a Car park for a 12^th Century Knights Templar Village. 

3Euro per each time you leave (there is a barrier on exit, which costs 3Euro to open it), no facilities except toilet. 

The village in an amazing state of preservation!, and is open to wander around freely. 

Rather high (approximately 800 metres), so rather chilly at only 12C. 

The aire is convenient as a stop over as it is only about 3 miles off the A75. 

Tip, if you use this Aire:

when you leave, if you are heading North, do not follow the signs to A75, for some reason known only to the French it takes you on a cross country route for about five or six miles, to rejoin A75 South of where you left it, with a massive hill to climb! Just go back the way you came, to the A75 services at the top of the hill!

Monday. Faverolles, Auvergne (N44 56.339’ E3 8.858’). 

We first checked out Ruynes en Margeride (N45 0.075’ E3 13.437’), which was just fine, village perhaps had more going for it than Faverolles. 

Decided to check out Faverolles (which is less than 5 miles from Ruynes en Margeride, both of them are just a couple of miles off the A75), on the basis, it has a toilet. When we got there, toilet was locked. Not sure if that is because it is Easter Monday, and the person whose job it is to unlock it, is on holiday? Decided to stay at Faverolles anyway, perfectly pleasant, with stunning views. Nothing open, not even the bar, presumably because it is Easter Monday.

Tuesday Washing up disaster. 

As we are preparing to leave, and Kathleen is washing the breakfast dishes, suddenly, (hot) water starts gushing from under the sink unit. 

Quickly we turn off the water pump and water heater, to kill the water pressure, but, not before the contents of the food cupboard are soaked, and the kitchen floor is awash. It turns out, the “push fit” water hose for the taps hot water supply has come adrift. This gives us a problem, we cannot turn the water pump on, that means no water from any of the taps, no shower, no toilet flush.

An hour of mopping up and we are on our way at last.

Neris Les Bains, Auvergne (N46 17.207’ E2 39.137’). 

An excellent aire. 

Located alongside a campsite, for 7Euro / night, you get toilet, shower, usual aire services included, 10amp electricity. Maximum stay is 3 nights. 

Neris Les Bains is a spa town, a sort of French version of Harrogate.

The Aire is located next to what used to be the Neris Les Bains, railway station. 

What a magnificent building it is. But sadly, it had a very short life as a railway station. It was build 1929-1931, then enjoyed a short period of use, before the outbreak of WW2. Services were suspended until the end of WW2, and, when they restarted in 1946, they never achieved profitabilty, with the result, the French version of Dr Beeching closed the line for passenger traffic in 1957. The station is now a exhibition centre etc (I suspect that means an under used liability for the local council).

Once we are “settled in”, I manage to fix the water leak, so we have a functioning water system again. Kathleen assures me, she had every faith in my ability to fix it, why do I not believe her?

Before leaving on Wednesday, we have a walk around the very pretty lake, just alongside the aire.

Wednesday. An Aire, just south west of Orleans, in a village called Dry (N47 47.896’ E1 42.857’). The aire has the usual services. 

The village is a sleepy little place, but, it is most certainly not “dry”. It has a single cafe (Cafe du la Paix), which doubles up as the bar, restaurant, newsagent, tobacconist.

Thursday. It is back to one of our old favourites, Camping St Claire, Neufchatel-en-Bray.

Every time we come here, I suspect, I say the same things!, but, this is an excellent First or last stop after / before Calais, the site is superbly well kept by the owner, it is only 120 miles south of Calais, so, an easy drive.

 There is good cycling and a town with plenty of shops to stock up on wine etc.

There is also a sort of French version of Quick-Fit, which is useful when I discover we have a puncture in a trailer tyre. Fortunately, I did buy the optional spare wheel!. The bad news is, tyre is not repairable, so, an unexpected 23 Euro to spend.