Early Spring Hoilday 2024, 11 March

So we are home. We actually got home last night (Monday), but once we had unpacked and sat down, I went fast asleep and didn't wake up until the Swan Whisperer woke me as he was going to bed!

Yesterday morning, we got up early without too much dawdling, and were away shortly after 9. We had hoped to call in at the nearest Lidl, but they had a height barrier at the entrance to their car park (Grrr), so we went to the one in Cité Europe, which has all its announcements in both French and English. I got several things I wanted on coupons, most notably some fish and some stuffing for vegetables - I adore French stuffed tomatoes, and hope that this stuffing will be able to recreate them at home. I also have some tomatoes and a cucumber. And I bought, not on coupon but couldn't resist, a pack of 12 yoghurts based on traditional French puddings; we had two last night and they were okay, quite edible!

We then got diesel - only marginally cheaper than in the UK, but we needed it, and as most of our journey in the UK is on motorways, definitely cheaper than there!  After which we made our way to the checkin for the Shuttle,

to be offered a crossing an hour earlier than we'd booked. Which was good, especially as our letter had just been called, so we could go straight through - and then the train we were loaded on turned out to be half an hour earlier even than the designated one! So instead of stopping at Clacket Lane services to eat our lunch, and arriving at no 6 at about 14:30, we actually arrived at 12:30 and shared our lunch with my mother and sister!

After lunch, of course, it was a matter of packing up and checking stuff, and the Swan Whisperer cleaned the WoMo inside and out, and put it away, and we left for London at about 17:00, getting here about 18:45.  Then it was a matter of unloading the car, putting away the cold stuff and the contents of the crates, and the bare minimum of the rest of the stuff (I finished off this morning). doing a load of washing, eating a Chinese (thank you, Just Eat) and flaking out in front of University Challenge! And, as I said, I fell fast asleep on the sofa!

Next trip in the WoMo will be to Oberstdorf in May. Not sure whether there will be anything between now and then, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Early spring holiday 2024, 10 March

Marck, Pas-de-Calais. 

I woke up in the wee small hours worrying about that wretched Intermarché card, and thinking I should perhaps have used it so that it was up and running and wouldn't expire or anything and make me have to go through the whole rigmarole again. And, of course, I then couldn't go back to sleep until the Swan Whisperer woke in his turn and was able to reassure me that we could stop at an Intermarché on our way here.

Which we did, and I have done almost all of my take-home shopping, although I hope we will have time to call in at Lidl tomorrow morning as I have some rather nice coupons, and it would be a pity to waste them. Mind you, I don't suppose for one minute that the shop will have what I want, but I still have to look!

Anyway, after I'd been to the Intermarché - which took a long time and it was beginning to close by the time I left (French supermarkets close at noon on Sundays), we drove up as far as the Aire de la Baie du Somme where we stopped for lunch, and then we stopped again at another aire en route for the Swan Whisperer to make himself a cup of coffee and get a breath of air as he was feeling a bit sleepy.

Then we came straight here to Marck, a few kilometres north of Calais, to a very nice aire, with everything you could want, including electricity. It's supposed to cost €8, but nobody has come round to collect it, although the money is sitting out for if and when they do. We will come back, I expect, although I imagine it gets full quite early.

The Swan Whisperer went for a walk, which he says was a bust as he couldn't get where he wanted, and he forgot to record it. Then it was time for our Zoom Lent worship, and now he is getting a quick supper. Home tomorrow! 

I haven't taken any photos today, so here is one from a few days ago:

Early spring holiday 2024, 9 March

Mesnières-en-Bray, Normandy. 

We hadn't intended to be here tonight, but we decided that Marck would be a better place to spend the last night of our holiday than Merlimont, where I had originally suggested we stop, not least because the latter was full last night and we didn't want to risk it (okay, we could have checked), but mainly because it is a good hour from there to the Eurotunnel, and I will need to do a Last Shop and buy things for people. I already put our crossing back an hour.

If Marck is full, we can go to Calais, which is dull and expensive. So, anyway, I checked on What's Halfway, and it seemed to be around Neufchatel-en-Bray, and this aire is free and quiet. The only thing wrong with it is that the services are "mises hors gel" and haven't been brought back into use yet.

So anyway, the Swan Whisperer went and picked up the baguette and croissants I'd reserved last night, and after breakfast we set off. Our first port of call was an Intermarché, and I decided that as we had been to so many this holidays, it was silly not to get a loyalty card. The only problem was, I couldn't register it, because it demanded an identity card number and, obviously, not being French, I don't have one of those. Hold that thought!

The Swan Whisperer wanted to go over the Pont de Normandie and then along the coast as far as Dieppe, then south to Mesnières-en-Bray, since we had plenty of time and it wasn't very far. So with a judicious tweaking of the satnav, we had a simply wonderful drive round much of the port of Le Havre, quite fascinating. When we got to Fecamp we stopped for lunch, and then in Dieppe I saw another Intermarché, so we stopped there, and I went to talk to customer services.

 Who really went above and beyond for me. Turns out you really need an address in France to register, and as I'd told her I'd got an Auchan and a Carrefour card with no problem, she decided to see what she could do! Did I have any friends in France whose address I could use? Alas, no - I do have friends in France, of course, loads of them, but not their postal addresses! I was about to give her my address in Paris from 50 years ago, but she decided to try using the address of the store. And eventually she got through all the red tape and my card now works. Which will be very useful next holiday, I hope - especially in those supermarkets that do scan'n'shop!

After that, we drove more-or-less straight here, and then had a cup of tea. The SW went out for a walk, to see if there was anywhere he could run in the morning, which there isn't, as it's too muddy, and now he is getting our Saturday sausages and mash ready.... 

Early spring holiday 2024, 8 March

Courtonne-La-Meudrac, Pays d'Auge.

Although I like Le Mans, I was feeling really tired this morning - and we have been there before - so decided to pass on having another look round it. There was a boulangerie a couple of hundred metres away, so the Swan Whisperer got a demi-baguette and some croissants, which were nice. We then emptied our grey and the loo (using the contents of our hot-water bottles to rinse the loo, as it really wasn't worth spending €8 just for that and a top-up of water! Our route out of town did take us up the hill and past the cathedral, but though, as which was a bonus.

I really couldn't think of anything I wanted to buy today, other than perhaps begin to collect stuff to take home, so passed on that, too, and basically drowsed off for awhile. The Swan Whisperer decided that we were going to visit a chateau en route, at Saint-Germain-de-Livet, but when we got there - down tiny roads we were thankful not to have et another car on - it was closed until 1 April, so we came away.

We arrived here at Courtonne-La-Meudrac at about 15:00, and were not best pleased to find most of the aire taken up with parked cars, when it specifically said Camping-cars only. However there was a space, so we grabbed it, wondering whether nobody could read, but it turns out there was a funeral at the church and so the church car park was closed, so those who wanted to attend the funeral didn't really have much choice.

The Swan Whisperer went for a walk, and I read and watched a couple of YouTube videos, and tried not to doze off.

Later, I went to investigate the local restaurant, but found that they only serve food at midday, and are just a bar in the evening. So I have had to cook (courgette and mushroom risotto, which is smelling lush just now!).

However, the restaurant gets bread delivered in the morning, and I have ordered a baguette and two croissants to be picked up after 08:00 tomorrow. Meanwhile, the funeral party has gone, and the two remaining places have filled up! This seems a very pretty hamlet - I don't think it's more than that. 

Early spring holiday 2024, 7 March

Le Mans, Sarthe.

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, and after breakfast we both walked round the lake, which was a shorter distance than it felt! A lot of the path was very wet, and my navy boots are now rather muddy.

When we got back to the WoMo, I had a second cup of coffee while the SW had his, and after using the services we set off for Le Mans. It was just as quick to go cross country than to use the toll motorways, so we did, stopping for lunch and then for the SW to cope with an emergency in one of the Circuit's manses that has been let out, although what they thought he could do from France I don't know. Anyway, I think they've sorted it for now. 

This is the third time we have been to Le Mans; the first time was on our very first motorhome trip and the aire was on the other side of the river; then that aire closed, and we had to use the car park where we now are, but there were no dedicated places for motorhomes, and no services provide. Now there is a small area dedicated to motor homes, and there are services, although they are quite expensive so we will probably only use them to empty our grey water. We could empty the loo, but not rinse it. 

The Swan Whisperer went for a short walk, and I hope to join him in the morning, although it is very steep up to the old city. Still, there is a free shuttle bus that runs all over it, so once we are there, it shouldn't be a problem.

Meanwhile, today I saw daisies growing in various patches of grass, for the first time this year, and there are some lovely flowers just outside our habitation door. Spring is coming, even if it isn't here yet! 

Early spring holiday 2024, 6 March

La Celle Saint Avant, Indre et Loire

I don't seem to have got out of the WoMo all day, which is very wrong of me, I suppose, but I appear to need a rest day. I had been going to go over to the supermarket just up the road from last night's campsite, but we didn't need milk, and I forgot that I should have quite liked to have looked for one of the delicious salads they make here - chickpeas, perhaps, or peas.

Now, if I had been thinking clearly, I would have suggested that, instead of coming here tonight, we checked What's Halfway to find a place more directly in line with tomorrow night's planned stopover, as we had gone so far out of our way yesterday. But I didn't think of it, which meant we had a very long drive today. Having said that, much of it was scenic and enjoyable.

We stopped after about an hour for the Swan Whisperer to have coffee (I have mine with my breakfast) and then found a car-park somewhere for lunch. I made a large bowl of salad, including both chickpeas and sweetcorn, which was delicious!

Then it was another three hours or so of driving until we got here, which is actually a very nice place indeed. There is a lake, which I think the Swan Whisperer has gone to explore, and I shall do so, too, in the morning. 

Early spring holiday 2024, 5 March

Donzenac`

We were actually supposed to be in Niort tonight, but I gather from Park4Night that much of the aire there is closed due to flooding. So the Swan Whisperer took over planning, and decided that we would go a little back on ourselves and drive down the Dordogne to this village, not far from Brive-la-Gaillarde.

But first, he went for a walk and I pottered around the church (it was locked, so I couldn't go in) and the enormous cemetery attached to it. I thought of going into the village, but it didn't look particularly special, so I didn't bother. 

We thought at first we had made a terrible mistake, as really as far as lunchtime the road just went through industrial estate after commercial centre after industrial estate, with roundabouts every 500 metres or so. Horrible, and very dull.

After we had stopped at one of the many supermarkets we passed, for me to shop and the Swan Whisperer to have his coffee, it began to rain. And it rained. Threw it down! Really nasty.

But when we stopped for lunch in a village called Lilande, the rain stopped, the sun came out again, and the place where we had stopped was absolutely lovely!

As, indeed, was the afternoon drive, although I did fall asleep and woke up again before the last 35 km which ended up being on the motorway! Once we got here, it was raining again (there had been some very splendid rainbows en route), to the point that it got really dark and we had to turn the lights on. 

It did clear up a bit later, and the Swan Whisperer went for a walk into the village, which has a mediaeval centre which I should love to see, but, alas, it is up a very steep hill, and well over a kilometer away from here, so it won't be possible. We will drive through in the morning and see if there is anywhere to stop while we are there, but unlikely. I think I shall get my exercise walking to the nearest supermarket, which is about as close as Tesco's to home! 

Early spring holiday 2024, 4 March

Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, Gironde. 

If you are ever planning to visit Moissac, don't do so on a Monday. Everything, but everything is closed! Bakeries, cafés, the markets, you name it, it's closed on a Monday! 

Moissac is, however, a lovely little town. I spent a very happy fortnight there at Easter 1970, which is a very long time ago.

It was a lovely morning, though - thick fog first thing when the Swan Whisperer went for a run, but then that burned off, and we had a far more pleasant walk than yesterday - the wind had dropped and we were warmly wrapped up. We walked around the town, looking at the house where I had spent my holiday, and at the school that my hostess attended at the time, and I spent two very dull days at! We also looked at the Abbey Church, where I think - I wouldn't swear to it, but I think - I attended an Easter Vigil that year. 

i simply can't make it not rotate my photos! 

Our first port of call after that was a hypermarket just out of town - these are open seven days a week, of course, although limited hours on a Sunday - where I shopped although I forgot to buy eggs, fizzy water and mixed herbs! Actually, I did remember the mixed herbs, but was tired by then and didn't really want to go looking for them. Anyway, they are on the list for tomorrow. 

By the time I'd done my shopping, it was lunchtime, so we had that and then we drove towards Bordeaux, quite a lot of it on the motorway. I remember us going on to the motorway, and I remember the Swan Whisperer saying he was going to stop to make himself a coffee, but I don't remember leaving the services, nor do I remember coming off the motorway!

I woke up with about 50 kilometres still to go to this little village, where we are parked up outside a cemetery. It is free, and there is no electricity, but there are services that we need to pay for if we decide to use them. It is raining. Again. 

Early spring holiday 2024, 3 March

Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Occitanie

It rained. All night. And it was very windy in parts, too. In fact, it may even have snowed a bit - certainly the tops of the hills were covered in a thin layer of fresh snow. I do hope that it rained at Mas Alart, too!

The Swan Whisperer went and bought croissants and Sunday patisseries (really, one between us was enough, so the other can live to fight another day) and we didn't hurry over our breakfast, so it was nearly 11 by the time we had used the services and headed on.

 Whereupon I discovered the hard way that one of the skylights leaks, and sent a gush of water nearly over my person (quite over it until I moved!) and all over the floor. We have treated the skylight with masking tape (it is the one at the front that doesn't open) and hope it will hold until we can get a proper repair job done back in the UK.

We had a long drive today - the Swan Whisperer decided we wouldn't go on the motorway, and I'm glad he did, as apart from a long and boring stretch on the outskirts of Toulouse when it was roundabout after roundabout after commercial centre after commercial centre, it was really a lovely drive.

We are still in Occitanie, but now in Moissac, where I spent a wonderful fortnight on a French exchange in (I think) 1970. We have been back since, but not for some years. 

We both needed a walk, so went into town along the canal and back along the river, but we should have worn hats and I wish I'd had a warmer coat on, as it was bitterly cold, especially going, with the wind in our faces. The Swan Whisperer said he didn't want a long walk today - I'm really not surprised!

Now we are back in the WoMo and waiting for the Lent Zoom service to start now that we actually have the details (we couldn't find them last week!). It is raining again, so I hope it won't be so heavy as to drown out the minister. There is, paradoxically, also a beautiful sunset! 

Early spring holiday 2024, 2 March

Quillan, Occitanie. 

I would absolutely hate to depend on alcohol - or anything else for that matter - to ensure a good night's sleep, but after that wine-tasting yesterday, I slept very well indeed! Not that I'd had a huge amount, at least, I don't think so, but there were rather a lot of bottles to try... Anyway, I was absolutely fine this morning, but didn't hurry out of bed.

We were in no rush, and the Swan Whisperer went for a run. I did go back into the shop just before we left, to say goodbye and to buy some olive oil, but they had run out of it.The harvest was pretty poor last year because of the drought, and they are longing for rain. 

Our first port of call was Lidl, except that I forgot to buy eggs and the SW had to run back to kindly get some for me. Got various other bits and bobs, though, and a couple of things on their coupons. Still need to buy tea and mixed herbs (which I did look for in Lidl, but to no avail; I got some salad seasoning, though, which is always good). 

After we had driven to St-Cyprien and north along the coast, so pretty, and carefully avoided both the motorway and Perpignan, our drive today was mostly along the very lovely D117, which varies between good, straight, fast road, windy hairpins, and cut into the rockface! Great fun, and you don't get bored. Mind you, I did sleep for some of it after we had stopped in a random layby for lunch. 

We are parked up in a Camping-Car Park in Quillan, our first choice, which was in Limoux, where we have been to before, appears to be closed just now.

 Here is good, not too far from the town, which I expect we shall explore tomorrow, and there is WiFi, although it is rather unreliable. I watched a whole episode of Great British Menu before I realised I was on data! Oh well, I still have plenty left and it renews next Sunday. It is unlimited in the UK, but only 25 Gb when travelling. Still, that seems plenty, unless one wishes to watch television all evening, which I don't. 

Early spring holiday 2024, 1 March

Mas Alart, Pyrenees Catalanes.

Although we both love Carro, it was arguably a mistake going there this time; with hindsight, we should have gone to somewhere in the Camargue, like Aigues-Mortes or Le Grau du Roi (so impossible to pronounce if you have a non-rhotic accent, as I have), as we wanted to drive through the Camargue, but we needed to get here by 4:00 pm as we had booked a gastronomy tour. 

So we got up earlier than usual and were away by 09:00, even after using the services. We asked the sat-nav to take us to the Bac de Baccares, which is the big ferry across the mouth of the Rhone - sadly, we were one of the last machines on and couldn't see anything, but still a pleasant experience.

We drove up through the Camargue, and I cut off a fair chunk of motorway by telling it to go to a supermarket in St-Gillies - not that I wanted much, but we needed diesel and I decided to buy (rather nasty) pre-made sandwiches for lunch to save time.

We reached the motorway around Montpellier, and then it was rather dull from then on - we stopped briefly to eat our sandwiches - until we got to the outskirts of Perpignan, where the motorway was closed in one direction (we are not sure why, but we think road works) and caused a massive traffic jam and the usual very slow traffic and roundabout after roundabout to Mas Alart. M Belmas, the proprietor, says they are talking of building a fast road from Perpignan to the coast, which will improve matters. 

We have been here many times before, but this time we booked a "gastronomy tour", which was fabulous. M Belmas told us about his farm - 15 hectares of mostly vines, but also olives and almonds - which has been organic since 2022. He is the fifth generation to farm here, and hopes his son will eventually take over.

(sideways photo again, sorry; better ones on Facebook) 

He prunes the vines by hand, which he says gives better results, but the harvesting is done by machine. He misses the days when he employed a gang of students and casuals to harvest the grapes, but he says the machine paid for itself in two years.

He showed us round the pressing and storing rooms - only one of the very old storage tanks is still in use, and he and his son are trying to turn some of them into storage cupboards and things. We saw the filtration machine and the bottling machine, waiting to start bottling around the end of the month, and next door we saw the labelling machine, which is new. He had to buy a new one because the old one was beyond repair. It happens!

Then we went into the shop and tasted a great many of the wines - we had already tasted one rosé that he had not yet bottled (last year's, in bottles, was nicer, I thought), and had some snacks which included a tortilla (which he admitted that he had not made himself), local ham on toast, local goats' cheese toasted and drizzled with local honey (this was absolutely delicious), olives and various bits of sausage.

Also some local biscuity things that we haven't tried yet, but he gave us the leftovers of the feast to take away.

We also bought a dozen bottles of wine - three red for the Swan Whisperer, three each of two different whites for us both, and three of his latest offering, a sparkling white (which is scrummy!). I also bought a bottle of their red wine vinegar, which I love, and should probably have bought some olive oil as well, but didn't. 

Sadly, he won't be able to bottle nearly as much wine from last year's harvest as usual, as it has been so dry. They are desperate for rain - I see some is forecast for Sunday, and hope they get it. In other parts of France, as in the UK, they have had too much, but not here.