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! 

Autumn holiday, 10 October 2026

St-Etienne-du-Bois, Ain

This morning, first thing after breakfast, I told the Swan Whisperer that I was going to catch a bus into the city centre and have a proper look round. 

I just missed the bus, so walked for several stops until I came to the place where there were only a few minutes left to wait for the next one. It duly came, and I got off at the station. 

I thought at first that Aix-les-Bains was going to prove rather dull, the only interesting things I saw on the way in were a rather peculiar statue

and a "Salon du Chocolat" at the casino. I was tempted to investigate the latter, but decided not to, and walked on. Finally, I hit pay dirt - lovely independent shops, a Monoprix (which I did walk round!), a bakery, where I got bread for lunch and then the local market,

both covered and outdoor. I didn't buy anything, but really enjoyed wandering around, until I discovered that the next bus back to the aire was due in 8 minutes, and I needed to get a wiggle on if I were to catch it. 

I did catch it, but made a mistake and stayed on a stop too far. It looked as though it would be nearer, but the road I thought led straight to it ended up on a building site! So I walked down to the lake, enjoying the pollarded limes bordering the lake path,

and so back to the WoMo. 

The SW had returned from his own walk by then, so we used the services and headed on, driving cross-country to this little village, where we have been able to park up by the local church (I gather this is very much a Thing, but we are the only WoMo here just now). The drive was a mixture - the usual endless roundabouts and industrial/commercial areas, but also lovely countryside and pretty villages. There was even a rainbow on the side of a hill, which neither of us had ever seen before, but of course as soon as I got my phone out to take a picture, it disappeared! 

Autumn Holiday, 9 October 2026

Aix-les-Bains, Savoie

We started off this morning with a disagreement about what to do. The Swan Whisperer wanted to drive up to some lake near Beaufort, and I wanted to visit the heritage museum in Ugines. In the end, we could do neither. First of all, the Satnav showed that the road to the lake was closed - snow? Mud? Roadworks? Who knows! And then when we got to Ugines, we couldn't find anywhere to park near the museum, and weren't altogether too sure we'd even found the museum! So we came away, and drove here to Aix-les-Bains. 

Lunch was a mistake - it was too fatty with butter and cheese, and I felt very sick after it. After a nap it was better, so we drove back on ourselves a bit to the nearest E Leclerc, where I did some shopping, and then came back to the aire. After a cup of tea, the SW announced his intention of going for a walk. I had understood that we had been going to go for a walk together, but this was evidently not his plan, so I went for my own walk a bit later. Which was lovely - along the waterfront,

and then up along the Tillet (a little stream that runs into the Lac du Bourget), and across a small, wooded park. I'd have thought I'd gone the wrong way had I not seen a couple walking their dog in front of me! 

I went slightly the wrong way myself, as my phone told me the SW was in a park a little way away, and I thought that was where the motorhome aire was. He seemed not to be moving, so when I realised my mistake, I rang his phone to make sure he hadn't dropped it somewhere, but all was well. I got back to the WoMo shortly before he did, and will spend the evening watching YouTube videos in bed! 

I think we leave the Alps tomorrow and start heading slowly home. We haven't slept at higher than about 700 metres, but, apart from when my digestion has gone back on me, I've felt as well as I usually feel here!