Pedestrianisation, 29 October 2026

 

It is half-term week, and this means a visit from The Boys.  They are both taller than I am now, which is rather disconcerting!  I felt short....

So they came over around 11:15 or thereabouts, and we sat and chatted until their Granda came in - he'd been doing something down at church - and discussed fairly fruitlessly where we should go to lunch.  Boy Too was the only one who really expressed an opinion, and he suggested we go to the café across the road, which we duly did.  He had a smoked salmon bagel and a smoothie; the Swan Whisperer had a Full English breakfast, and the Lanky Teenager (actually, they are both lanky teenagers these days) and I had what is called Garden Bliss, which is a vegan plate, and absolutely delicious.  He ate all of his, and quite a lot of what I couldn't eat of mine!

In fact, it was just as well that we did go there, as it meant we came home for coffee, and then fire safety person, who was supposed to come tomorrow, was doing our neighbour's flat door as he was ahead of schedule and neighbour was in.  So he came and did ours, too, so that's done!  Apparently we don't need a new actual door, just some work done on it.  Not sure who they will recommend to do such work. 

Anyway, once that had happened, we went out and took the Victoria Line as far as Victoria and then a no 2 bus to Marble Arch (actually the next stop along), enjoying the autumn colours on Park Lane, 

which was a compromise between bussing all the way and being at the wrong end of Oxford Street!  

The object of the exercise, of course, was to walk along the newly-pedestrianised Oxford Street.  It's been closed to cars for many years, of course, but buses, taxis and bikes have always gone down it, mob-handed!  It was really nice not to have diesel fumes (not that many buses or taxis are still diesel these days) and traffic noise - in fact, it was really rather quiet, just a hum of conversation.  And I liked the bike holders they have put at every intersection, so that cyclists can, I assume, leave their bikes there while they shop (and probably find them stolen when they have finished!).

At least Selfridges is still there one end, and John Lewis at the other; most of the other big department stores have closed, though, and the street is very down-market these days.  I think most of the illegal American sweet shops have gone, but there were many tourist tat places.  Where Top Shop used to be is now Ikea, and there have been other changes of tenant, too.  

When we reached Oxford Circus, we said goodbye to the boys, who headed home, and we would have done the same except that the Swan Whisperer wanted to go and visit All Souls Langham Place. 

Sadly, it was not open, although people did seem to be inside, so we walked back again after a quick look at the BBC's shiny offices

and took the Tube home.

I actually was sensible today and realised that I could download my current book on to my phone and read it on the Tube, to save carting my Kindle around with me!  I wonder why that had never occurred to me before!

Anyway, the journey home was uneventful, although I was gasping for a cup of tea by the time we got there!

Autumn Holiday, 16 October 2026

 Brixton, London SW2

We got up early this morning to get to the Shuttle by 09:30, first checking that the service was running normally after last night's accident (it was).  We were offered a crossing 30 minutes earlier than our booked one, although I think it was only about 15 minutes earlier when it finally left.  

The drive to No 6 was horrible - it was chucking it down on the M20, and the other motorways were choked with traffic, although we didn't actually have to stop.  Once we had left the M23, it was okay and uneventful.   The main road had been closed to all but residents due to urgent work to repair a burst water main and subsequent damage, and we were a little concerned lest they didn't believe we were coming to the village, but actually, the works finished and the Southen Water vans passed us going in the opposite direction!  So that was all right.

We had lunch with my mother and sister, and the Swan Whisperer loaded the car and sorted things out.  I went up with him to put the WoMo away, and it's as well I did, as I said I'd just have one last check, and looked in a cupboard I'd missed earlier - whoops, we had nearly left the onions, the potatoes, the eggs and the bread behind!  That would not have been a good idea!  

Our drive back to London was fine until we got to Mitcham, and from there on the traffice was horrendous.  But we got home in the end, and I've now (mostly) unpacked and we've had supper, and that, I think, is basically It until next time!  Photo is of the view from just outside the WoMo's garage.

Autumn Holiday, 15 October 2026

Blériot-Plage, Pas-de-Calais

The last full day of our holidays can be really rather dull. Today was the exception. 

We woke at about 06:15 when people started arriving at the farm, presumably to do the milking and start the day's cheese-making (they were supposed to offer us a tour of the plant, but they never). I said I really didn't want to have breakfast with that appalling noise going on, so why didn't we get up and dress, and drive into Maroilles and have breakfast there. Which we did. 

After breakfast we went for a walk round the town. There are photos on Facebook. We thought the town was perhaps slightly more dull than we had anticipated, but when we got back to the WoMo, parked up in the car-park of the Mairie, I noticed what looked like an insignificant side-street, but which had a poster saying "Bienvenue à" and I couldn't see what we were being welcomed to. So the SW said he wanted his coffee, and why didn't I go and look while he had it. So I did, and I'm so glad I did. It turned out to be the entrance to the grounds of the former abbey. There is no trace of it left, but there are houses where the visitors' quarters were, and around most of the square. And then you could go down some steps and there was the old water-mill, in the process of being restored, apparently. And there was the water-wheel - not in use just now, but obviously heavily restored! And then you could go up another flight of stairs back to the main square. When I got back to the WoMo, I sent the SW to go and have a quick explore, as he had finished his coffee by then.

It was time to head on, so we drove back to the Cité Europe, arriving about 12:30. So we put on a load of washing in the machines there, and I did a Last Shop In France (very nearly!) and then we had lunch. Once the washing was finished, we headed out, via Lidl (hence the very nearly!) and up to Cape Gris-Nez. The main reason I'd wanted to go to Lidl was that almost every Lidl I've ever been to in France has a huge set of recycling bins, and we have a load of recycling that needs to be done. But did the one at Calais have any? You guess! So frustrating! 

Anyway, we drove down to Cape Gris Nez via the motorway, and then had a lovely walk round there, looking at things like rare breed sheep that are tasked with grazing the downland pasture there, looking at shipping in the Channel - it was too misty to see England today, but one usually can - and seeing a helicopter, presumably Search and Rescue. We hope it was just practising. Again, photos on Facebook. 

Once we had had our walk, we drove back along the coast road to Blériot-Plage and parked up for the night in the aire here. And we have just had a Last Supper, and will be heading home in the morning. Although the aire is stupendously dull, here is a photo I took of the view from the bedroom window. Rather nice, I thought:

Autumn Holiday, 14 October 2026

Maroilles, Nord

We hadn't really anything much planned for today. I'd put on the laminated sheet that we could go to Reims, but it felt dull and not really far enough along our route. But back at the beginning of the holiday, we had rather liked the look of the small town of Maroilles, so decided to come back here, and there is a France Passion farm that makes and sells the eponymous cheese, so we are parked up here for the night, and hope to explore the town in the morning before heading to Calais for our last night. 

It was an interesting drive, as the quickest route took us through Belgium, and we took a diversion into Luxembourg to buy cheaper diesel (and a baguette for lunch from the garage while we were at it), so we have been in three countries today. I do wonder, though, how long it will take me to stop having panic attacks every time we pass a larger vehicle on a narrow road! 

Anyway, we have bought cheese, and cider, and apple/blackcurrant juice, and some honey with nuts and other nice bits in to have with yoghurt/fromage frais. And I am making the long-promised risotto. At that, this is third time lucky with France Passion - I had planned two for this trip, and neither happened, once because the Swan Whisperer didn't like the look of the road, and then because we were stuck in Mirecourt pending replacement of our retroviseur. The only thing is that the cooling plant is a bit noisy, but once I have taken out my hearing-aids and we have shut the shutters, it should be all right. This is the view from the motor home:

Autumn Holiday, 13 October 2026

Amnéville, Moselle

The Swan Whisperer didn't really want to get up this morning - can't say I blame him, and anyway, he has just discovered Georgette Heyer! So I got up and went for the bread, and came back and cooked scrambled eggs for us both. And then we were sitting quietly, him reading and me playing my anti-senility games when a WhatsApp message came through from the garage to say the new rear-view mirror had arrived, and we should come in an hour. 

So we did, and while it was being fixed we went for a walk round Mirecourt

and did a small shopping in a local Carrefour Market, and then we were able to set off and come to Amnéville as scheduled! The Satnav, unfortunately, said it knew where the Thermapolis was, and would take us there, but in fact it didn't know at all, and we were some 20 km short of our destination when it said we were about to arrive. So I reprogrammed it with the address of the place, rather than the name, and it took us all the way through Metz, where we haven't been for years, which was great! Anyway, we arrived eventually and had a Nice Cup of Tea before heading to the pool. 

We spent a very happy hour in the Thermapolis, which reopened in February after a lengthy closure - longer than anticipated as it needed a new roof - and thus back to the Camping-Car Park here, where we have stayed several times before. 

I had planned to make risotto for supper - I'd planned that last night, too, but we were too upset and hungry to want much in the way of food - but when push came to shove I was pleasantly exhausted, so we had an "instant" supper of tinned squid mixed with microwaveable wholegrain, wild and red rice, and frozen peas. It was actually delicious, much to our surprise! 

The weather here is quite extraordinary - one day it is clear blue skies, and the next grey, dank and wet. Yesterday was the former, today, the latter. I have hopes for tomorrow... we shall see! 

Autumn Holiday, 12 October 2026

Mirecourt, Vosges

I do not believe it. I do not [expletive deleted] believe it! We go how many years without an accident in the motor home - and then have two in one day. To add insult to injury, it was the exact same thing each time. Some numpty knocked our wing-mirror right off. We went to a very nice garage down in Vesoul, which replaced it (eye-wateringly expensive), and lo and behold, an hour later some other numpty drove even faster into the new one and really smashed it! In hindsight, we would have done better not to have replaced the first one, which was still there, most of it.... but hey. So we found a repair place here in Mirecourt, which was only a few kilometres back on the route, and they, too, couldn't have been nicer, but they needed to order a new one (the first place had one in stock), and it may not be there until Wednesday. They hope it will be there tomorrow, but can't promise it. 

Mind you, Mirecourt seems a very nice place, and there is a Camping-Car Park - but I was looking forward to a farm stay tonight, with raw milk, cheese, plum jam, etc for sale. And we have had to spend the best part of £1,000 replacing the wing mirror twice - and I bought a protective cover for it, which did absolutely nothing. 

No idea where we'll be tomorrow. This photo is of the little park at the foot of the aire. 

Autumn Holiday, 11 October 2026

Chalezeule, Doubs

After breakfast this morning, the Swan Whisperer went for a walk around a local lake, and I set off to explore the village. There really wasn't much village to explore, and it wasn't all that exciting. I thought there was a Sunday market, but it was only two stalls, one selling honey and related products, and the other selling chicken and chips and very similar (no thanks, not straight after breafast!). 

So there wasn't much to see, although I took a fair few photos,

and then walked down to meet the Swan Whisperer on his way back from his walk. Then after coffee (for some reason I wanted a second cup, which I seldom do), we set off towards Besançon, straight along the former N road. This was a lovely mixture of scenic roads, fast roads, villages and the occasional, inevitable industrial/commercial area on the outskirts of larger towns and villages. 

We turned off to go to another "Cirque du Fer à Cheval", which the SW wanted to see, but from the top this time. I stayed in the WoMo, as I really hate that sort of thing. In fact, we think we got better views on the way down after we'd had lunch, as I think the official viewpoint was overgrown. The road was one of those dug into solid rock, always rather alarming! And not very well surfaced. 

Anyway, we headed on and arrived here at this campsite outside Besançon at about 15:30. After a cup of tea, I went for a leg-stretch around the site to get my steps in, and later the SW went for a walk on his own behalf. There is a walnut tree just outside the van and loads of windfall green walnuts; I am not quite sure what one does with them, but my mother probably knows - I must text her to ask!