South of France, 26 March

I woke up this morning to hear a cuckoo!  Well, I suppose it is nearly April, and they must be here before they arrive in the UK, but one very seldom hears them there any more (not that one ever did in London).  The Swan Whisperer went for a run while I got up and got breakfast, and then we made use of the services and topped up again with water, although we didn't really need it. Then we drove to Marseille via Aix-en-Provence.

We didn't stop in Aix, largely because time was getting on, as we had arranged to meet an Old School Friend of mine for tea this afternoon. OSF is married to a Frenchman and has lived in Marseille for many years. She kindly took us to a place where we could get our headlight repaired - the bulb had gone, and it is not an easy job without the right tools. However before that we stopped in the centre of Marseille and had lunch and a walk round, which was lovely. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, sunny and warm and bright blue skies.

About 5, we said au revoir to the OSF and headed east towards the Camargue, and are parked up for the night in a place called Carro, right on the sea front. It is very windy - I think we are in for a noisy night!

South of France, 25 March

The kind people at the lavender distillery offered us a tankful of water, which we accepted with great pleasure. We were not exactly early this morning, as the loss of an hour for European summer time means we are two hours later than we were this time last week. Not too bad, as we have had several days to get used to being an hour ahead, and anyway, we had an early night last night.  But eventually we set off, heading first of all to a supermarket - more and more French supermarkets are open on Sunday mornings now - and then the Swan Whisperer said he wanted to visit Digne-les-Bains.

I do wish he hadn't - the most awful mountain road up over the Col de Cabe, 11.800m, and hairpin bends to match!  Thank heavens for seabands!  We stopped for lunch once we had come down a little, in a random lay-by, and then headed on. I slept a lot of the way. Nothing much to see in D-les-B, and we couldn't find the aire (although we did find diesel and a cash point, both of which we needed), so we came away and followed the tourist route (more hairpin bends, and a rather bumpy road, which the SW hates) down to Gréoux-les-bains, where we had planned to spend the night. I think we have been slightly ripped off, though, because it is (I think) €10 for the night, including electricity and services (we had to move to get to the electricity), but there are other services on the way in and plenty of free parking in the town, so am not very impressed!

After a cup of tea we went for a short walk to see what the was to be seen (not much, aside from the spa), and I cleverly found a short cut back to the aire!  It is very much milder here, although we are still at 316m.  Apart from the hairpin bends, it has been a lovely drive, lots of olive trees and lavender, and different kinds of fruit trees, some of which are beginning to be in blossom, but many look absolutely dead!  It is amazing how varied France is!  One of the reasons we enjoy our trips so much, I think.

South of France, 24 March

We are a day ahead of ourselves today, as we realised that the place I had chosen for us to spend the night was on the horrible road between Valence and Le-Puy-en-Velay that we drove over once and never again!  And really, it was not far between the two places I had chosen for last night and tonight, so we thought we'd push on, and then have a day in hand.

We had a bit of a fight with the Satnav, which wanted us to go over the Plateau de Vercors, but those awful hairpins down to Die?  In a motorhome? I don't think so!  So we came mostly down the N7, which was lovely, a lot of it along the banks of the Rhône.  Stopped for lunch somewhere in a random car park, but warm enough to have the skylight open, and it is definitely Spring here in the south!  The birds are shouting their heads off, and we are parked up in a lavender distillery which has a donkey and dwarf rabbits and Guinea-pigs. At least, I think they are dwarf rabbits, not rabbits and dwarves, which I thought for a mad moment, but the lack of a comma in "lapins nains et cobayes" reassured me!

South of France, 23 March

Our first port of call this morning was the Cora in Marsonnay-La-Côte for groceries, diesel and gas, and then we went to Nuits-St-Georges, where there was what three Swan Whisperer thought was a vineyard but turned out to be a seller of local eau-de-vie, etc. So he bottled that, but we went to a winery for a dégustation and ended up buying a bottle of not-very-nice wine, but still!  Then we went to find the aire which was the main reason for calling into the town, as we thought the services were probably open all year round as, indeed, they proved to be. So we used them, and with the van full and empty in all the relevant places, we drove down to Taizé, where we had lunch in the Community car park. We didn't go in; the place was full of young people, mostly German, and we think we are too old to sit in the floor, queue for hours for a meal and certainly to sleep in a hostel!

It was a lovely drive today, through the vineyards of Burgundy. We've done it several times before, of course, but it was nice today not to be in a hurry and not to have a deadline to meet, or any place we really had to be!

After lunch we drove down to Cluny to visit the Abbey there. Our tickets provided for entry into a museum, too, but we were not very impressed by the exhibits which all seemed to be bits of stone. So we went into the Abbey proper - a film about the old church destroyed in 1789, which I regret to say didn't hold my interest, and then a look round where it had been. To be honest, I preferred the cloisters and the huge garden!

Then I went back to the van and made a cup of tea while the Swan Whisperer climbed a tower, and he came down with some lovely pictures of the view from the top.

After he had drunk his tea, it was time to move on and we had a lovely drive across country to this little village of Marlieux, which is a France Passion goat farm. They let one get far closer to the goats than the place in Alsace where we sometimes go!  Lovely!  And I bought some cheese and some honey, and soon it will be supper time.

South of France, 22 March

Well, the snail farm was very slow!  I suppose it was too muddy to show us round, and there was nobody around in the morning to ask. So we drove the couple of kilometres to the Parc des Félins, which was super, even though we only managed to see about half of it. Because they try to keep the cats in environments as like their natural ones as possible, many of the enclosures are huge and took a lot of walking round, especially if you had seen all three of, say, the cheetahs at the first corner! 

There was some splendid roaring from some of the lions - I didn't get my act together in time to record it, but it was amazing!  By this time we were right at the other side of the park, and I was getting tired, so we caught the little train back to the entrance. We decided we'd both had enough, even though we hadn't seen any of the American cats, so called it a zoo and moved on.

First stop was an E Leclerc in nearby Provins for milk and bread, and we had lunch in their car park. Then we drove south and east (I slept a lot of the way, and we had a break while the Swan Whisperer also had a nap) to Velars sur Ouche where we hoped there would be services - there were, but we don't really need them and you needed a jeton to use them, and it wasn't really meant to be an overnight place, so we drove another ten minutes down to Marsannay-la-Cote, where we used to spend the night on our way home from the Mountain Cup. The services here are out of use for the winter, but we are comfortably parked up and I'm about to get supper. We will get services in Nuits St Georges tomorrow. 

Meanwhile it is raining. I love the sound of the rain on the roof.

South of France, 20 and 21 March

We are not, of course, in the south of France yet, but that is where we are headed! 

Yesterday I should have been on grandparent duty, but woke up with a sick headache and had to ask the Swan Whisperer to go instead, which he kindly did. I felt better in the afternoon and got up and started packing the motor home ready for departure.  It was a late crossing as the SW had a Circuit meeting, so we set off at about 10:45 pm, with me dressed warmly in pyjamas, bed-jacket, dressing-gown, warm socks and slippers, wrapped in a shawl and with a rug over my knees!  We had a good run to the terminal, and about 20 minutes to wait before we were called, during which I got rather cold. We were surprised how many vehicles were crossing at that hour of the morning; at least 7 or 8 coaches, and the high vehicle section of the train was nearly full.  But we were off at last and it was not long before we were arriving at the Aire in Cité Europe, having had a snack and then washed during the crossing. I had filled hot-water bottles before we left, so we had a lovely warm bed to snuggle into.

This morning we didn't really stir until about 09:00 local time, and there was still a bit of sorting out to do, so I did some shopping and we headed on, first to the caravan shop to buy a new bin (but, alas, it was broken so will have to go back), then diesel, and finally a long, long drive on motorways to this place east  of Paris (and very slow along the Francilienne as it was rush hour) which is allegedly a snail farm, but they haven't tried to sell us anything, just let us park in the farmyard as the normal field set aside for us is waterlogged. 

We have discovered that there is a feline conservation centre very near here, so plan to visit it tomorrow before heading over towards Dijon.

Off again!

I suppose we are quite sane, heading off to France again this time of year?  But the thaw has come, and it is much warmer than it has been.  And we are hoping that maybe, in the South of France, we will have the sun on our backs for a day or so.

This post, as always, is to goose Network Blogs into checking daily for new posts - will update from my phone, and add photos when I get home again - Wednesday 5 April, unless things go desperately pear-shaped between now and then.

Brittany and Normandy, 27 February

I woke up in the night and ominously discovered there was no water in the loo. Put the heating on for a quick blast, which sorted that one out (although didn't do very much for my sleep!), but in the morning we found the outlet pipes were frozen, and when they thawed, water from the bathroom basin was leaking all over the rear tyre. So we sadly decided to call it a holiday. We needed diesel, so asked the satnav to take us to a nearby Super-U, which not only had petrol but had a decent mobile signal, so I was able to change the booking to today - incredibly easy, and there seem to be few restrictions on changes for Frequent Traveller accounts. I did have to pay an extra £20 as we were going to be crossing in peak time (although given how few vehicles were on our crossing, I'm not sure they ought to have charged me!), but again, that was easily sorted out. We would probably have spent the day driving up to Calais on non-motorway routes, but because we only had a couple of hours, we went on the motorway and stopped at the Baie de Somme for lunch. Then we headed on and arrived in Calais in time to fill up with diesel - although it was the same price as here, if not slightly dearer - and got a crossing half an hour earlier than scheduled, which was good. And a very easy journey home - we seem to have brought the clear skies with us, even though it is very cold here. But still, it won't be draughty in bed! I'm now going to go through and add photographs to past posts in this series.

Brittany and Normandy, 26 February

Well, I don't know why the Swan Whisperer was unimpressed by Villedieu-les-Poêles; it is a lovely little town!  True, the bell foundry and the other museum were closed - as, indeed, were most of the shops, it being Monday - but we still had a lovely walk round, and visited the church which, judging from the extra seats set out, is doing a roaring trade this Lent!  We were amused by an old-fashioned confessional box with two comfortable-looking armchairs placed tête-à-tête in front of it, presumably so one could discuss one's sins with the priest. 

Even the public loos - which were closed, but whether for good or just for the winter wasn't clear - were built in what was obviously an old water-mill.

Anyway, once we had had a walk, we drove up to Grandcamp-Maisy, where we parked in front of the harbour and had lunch, and then the SW said he wanted to go to some of the Normandy beaches.  I have been brought up to be totally uninterested in them - my father, although proud of his Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, hates talking about his experiences and we have learnt not to ask!  So I am never really interested, and had a nap while he walked round Point du Hoc, and then dozed while he drove to other places and pottered round. 

By the time he had finished doing that, and I was properly awake again, it was 16:00, and still a 2-hour drive to our overnight stopping place. Rather a dull drive, and probably rather expensive, although I always like the Pont de Normandie. And it was dark by the time we arrived here - somewhere in the middle of nowhere that I chose mostly because it was half way between Villedieu-les-Poêles and Calais!

The weather, which has been absolutely glorious almost since we arrived (although bitterly cold), has taken a turn for the worse, and we are hoping the snow they tell us has hit London will not reach us until we are safely home. Meanwhile we are pretty snug in the van, although it can be draughty!

Brittany and Normandy, 25 February

The Swan Whisperer went off for his run this morning, and I got up, washed, dressed and got everything ready for breakfast, and was just about to set off on my walk when he returned. So I went off on my walk - not many walkers, except with dogs, but hordes of joggers and a fair few cyclists - and when I got back, breakfast was almost ready!

After breakfast we decided to drive through Rennes as it was Sunday and we assumed - correctly - that there wouldn't be much traffic. Rather an attractive town, we thought, but driving over cobbled streets is noisy in the van!

Then we came out of town and found somewhere to stop to have coffee - the SW had bought pains au chocolate when he got a baguette for lunch - and then round St-Malo, which we remembered from last time. Then we drive to our halt for today, the town with the glorious name of Villedieu-les-Poêles. The SW had been for a walk but says he wasn't very impressed. I was at a complicated bit of my knitting, so stayed in to do that, but we will have a walk tomorrow morning, and see.

Brittany and Normandy, 24 February

I bottled out of visiting the submarine this morning, as I was afraid it would be claustrophobic, although the Swan Whisperer, who did go, said it wasn't at all, once you were in there. All the same....

So after that we decided to go down to the nearest beach to have our lunch, stopping at a supermarket en route. We were a bit annoyed as we parked up totally in nobody's way and some officious man - not an official, or anything, but probably a local who gets tired of motor homes all over the place - politely suggested we go and park in the aire round the corner, so we did. It has services, so we emptied the loo and the grey water, but it didn't have any fresh water. 

We decided to take the main road across Brittany to Cesson-Sévigné, outside Rennes. We did debate driving through Rennes itself, but I think we had done that last time and hadn't been very impressed. So we ended up here by the lakes, where there is a running/walking course all laid out. I walked round the bottom lake, which takes about 17 minutes at my speed, and feel refreshed for it!  

There are services here, and we think the water is running; it wasn't when we got diesel in the town earlier. The man at the kiosk, who had only just come on duty, said his predecessor knew very well that it wasn't working, and shouldn't have sold us a jeton, and he refunded us!  Only €1.50, but still....  Water here is €2.60, but it looks as though it's working.

Brittany and Normandy, 23 February

This morning was cold and fine again - really lovely, but bitterly cold. We woke up at 6:30, but the SW said the gas had finished in the night and he couldn't change the cylinder until it was daylight, so we went back to sleep again and it wasn't exactly early by the time we'd had breakfast and so on. I went out to Lidl to get one or two things, and then we drove on, first to see the standing stones - field upon field of them, incredibly impressive. 

Then we drove to Lorient to see the submarine pens and so on there. We had hoped to drive across country - and we did, indeed, we did drive round the coast for a bit, and stopped at a Super U for another gas cylinder. I was cross as Lidl had had no fresh milk so I'd had to buy incredibly expensive bio stuff from a little shop at the corner of the car park, and if I'd known we'd be stopping at a Super U, I'd not have bothered!

Anyway, half way there we came to road works and found we were too tall for whatever was blocking the route, so we ended up on the main road, after all. Not that we minded, as we really had had a beautiful drive.

Sadly, when we got to Lorient, I found I had completely run out of energy. I do seem to be very much better these holidays, far more energy, but there it wasn't, this afternoon. So I spent most of it lying on my bed, reading and watching seagulls out of the window, while the SW explored. We decided to stay at Lorient for the night in the hope that I'll feel up to exploring the submarine base in the morning.

So as there was one very near, we ate at a creperie this evening (and very good it was, too!) and are now in bed, even though it's only just gone 9. Our books await!

Brittany and Normandy, 22 February

We had a lazy start to the day, and it was 11:30 before we "composted" our tram tickets to go into the centre of Nantes, which the Swan Whisperer had walked around the previous evening. We saw the Chateau that originally belonged to the Dukes of Brittany, and which now houses the local museum, telling, among other things, the history of the town's involvement with the slave trade.  I should have liked to have seen that, but there wasn't really time. 

So we walked on and went into the Cathedral, which has been rebuilt many times over the centuries, and is still  lovely.  And then slowly back to the tram stop, where we needed to buy fresh tickets, as ours had expired, and then we  were soon back at the campsite. 

The restaurant there turned us away as they were full, so we went to one next door which did take-aways and got a sandwich (me) and some pasta (him), and ate them in the van. 

Then we had to organise ourselves to move on, including using the services and remembering to switch off gas and electricity, etc, and headed on to Carnac. We decided to go slightly all round the houses, as the SW wanted to go over the Pont St-Nazaire, which was well worth the detour, we both felt. There was a lovely bridge over the Loire just outside Nantes, too, but the St Nazaire one has a reduced speed limit so there was plectrum of time to look around. We saw a huge modern cruise ship - I quite thought it was a block of flats at first - which was either still being built or was in for a refit.  Super!

And so on to Carnac. Last time we were here, it was full of road works, and we were so turned around by the various diversions that we didn't realise we were here until we no longer were!  Not so this time. We did have trouble finding the Aire, but now we are here, quite near the town centre and also the fields full of menhirs (Obélix's discards?) That surround the town. The SW, needless to say, has gone out for a walk, and I am about to start supper, which would have been pasta, had the SW not had it for lunch, but will now be mince with potatoes!

Brittany and Normandy, 21 February

Today we finally reached Brittany, driving from Le Mans to Angers and then on to Nantes.

Or first port of call was an enormous Auchan on the outskirts of Le Mans; I don't believe I've ever seen such a huge hypermarket!  It took several minutes to walk the length of the associated mall before you got there, too!  The SW, meanwhile, got diesel and made himself coffee while I was doing that, and then we set off properly. 

We took the motorway to Angers, but asked the Sat-nav to take us to the town centre, just because, which it duly did. Then we drove cross-country to Nantes, with the sun shining and generally lovely. We stopped in a picnic area for lunch - I had bought some rillettes du Mans (well, you have to, don't you!), and some strawberry tartlets as a treat.  And some French lime juice squash, which is incredibly tart by UK standards, but refreshing if you don't make it too strong.

Our first port of call in Nantes was to a mechanical museum where there was a large elephant the SW wanted to see. We might have gone into the museum but there was a massive queue, and to be honest, it's not really the sort of thing I find interesting!  So we walked around until we found the elephant, who was just loading up for his next trip, but he was a bit of a fraud, as he moved on wheels and, although his legs moved, they were not used for locomotion.  He was huge though!

After that, we came away and drove through the city to the camp site, which is very nice, and the SW went for a walk while I knitted and got rather chilled, and then he went out for pizza, which we have just finished, and very good it was, too.

Brittany and Normandy, 20 February

The Swan Whisperer went out for a run this morning, while I got up, and then we had breakfast, but what with one thing and another it was almost 10:00 am before we got away. We had hoped to cross the Seine on a ferry, but the operator said we were too long, so we had to reverse sadly up the ramp. But it was nice, as we had to go to the Pont de Brotonne, and to get back to the motorway meant a lovely drive through rural Normandy. Not at its prettiest this time of year, of course, but there were primroses!

We stopped twice en route to Le Mans - the first a planned stop for coffee and a leg-stretch for the SW, and then again because I noticed that motorhome services were advertised at the Dentelles d'Alençon service area. These turned out to be working, clean and free, so we made good use of them!  I was very glad we had, as when we arrived in Le Mans, we discovered the service area we'd stayed at before was now closed. There is a very nice free car park, though, where we have stopped, but no services.

Lunch was the first order of the day, and then I stupidly went to sleep, which meant is was after 4:00 before we got out. We walked up the hill to the Cathedral, and then down toward the Cité Plantagenet.  We saw the the Queen Berengaria museum, which had been closed last time we were here, was now open, so we went in and oh, the disappointment. Nothing to do wth her, or the crusades, or Richard the Lionheart, but an exhibition of local paintings and pottery from the 18th and 19th centuries, depicting local life then, mostly mediocre. So to be avoided!

Then we called in at a supermarket to get stuff for supper and breakfast, and then a very pleasant walk back between the river and the city walls to our car park.

Brittany and Normandy, 19 February

The weather, which had been so lovely all weekend, broke overnight and we woke up to a wet day.  However, we have macs, so we drove over to Arques, and to the former boat lift at Fontinettes. The visitor centre was closed, as we knew it would be, but we were still able to have a good walk all round, and to see the former line of the canal before the modern lock was installed in the 1970s. 

Sadly, we couldn't see the modern lock, as the footpath came to and end and it said No Admittance, so we had to come away. But it was a most enjoyable walk, despite the rain!

After this, we went to a supermarket so I could stock up on this and that, and a pair of slippers, as the pair I keep in the van have unaccountably disappeared. Then we drove as far as the Aire du Baie de la Somme, where we had lunch, and then on down here, to Jumièges, on the banks of the Seine. The journey was very wet and foggy, and one of our windscreen wipers decided to part company from its moorings - luckily it stuck in the ventilation trough - don't know what else to call it - on the bonnet, and we were just by an emergency pull-off, so we stopped and the Swan Whisperer fixed it.  It behaved itself all the rest of the way!

Now the SW has gone out for a walk, and I am knitting and reading.

Brittany and Normandy, 18 February

So we are parked up in Saint-Omer for the night, having had a rather slow journey to the coast, but then we were able to go straight through to the holding pens, and it wasn't long before boarding commenced.  The Satnav was slightly playing sillybuggers, but that turned out to be because it hadn't really found the satellites - I'd used my phone on the way down - and it brought us here with no problems.

The only thing was, why St-Omer?  I knew there was something we wanted to see, but couldn't remember what. Some detective work ensued, and we realised we wanted to look at the old boat lift at Fontinettes. The museum won't be open, alas, but we think we'll be able to see it.

Then it was time to make a sausage hash for supper, and soon I shall go to bed, at least 4 hours earlier than I ever go at home!

A day at the races!

Today, 21 January, is my mother's 90th birthday, and to celebrate my brother organised a family party at Fontwell races.  Originally the plan had been to take a hospitality suite, with lunch and drinks, and to enjoy the racing from the balcony.  However, a few days ago one of the principal sponsors pulled out, and my brother was offered the opportunity to sponsor a race at half price, which he chose to do, so the 3rd race of the day was designated "Marigold Somerset at 90".

It was an early start for us all, and London early on a Sunday morning has little traffic, so we arrived at Clapham Junction in good time, and joined my nephew and his partner - who had caught the train at Victoria by the skin of their teeth - on the train.  Soon the Daughter and the Boys arrived - they, too, had only just caught the train, and had based themselves a couple of carriages further up, so there was much visiting. The Boys were resplendent in new ties - Boy Two had never worn one before, and was very proud of it.

We eventually arrived at Barnham and had to wait about 15 minutes - and a long, chilly 15 minutes it was, too - for the shuttle bus to the racecourse.  The rest of the family had already arrived, and waved vigorously from the hospitality suite on the 2nd floor.  We joined them in time for a cup of coffee before lunch, and gave my mother her presents - just oddments; I've ordered flowers but no point in having them delivered before tomorrow. 

Lunch was good - paté, followed by rather wonderful fish with new potatoes and (undercooked, but not as badly as at Christmas) carrots.  Then there was poached pears with white chocolate cheesecake, but I was able to swap mine for Boy Two's brownie, as he likes white chocolate and I don't.

Then the racing began.  I don't bet, but it was fun picking the winners, and seeing whether they matched the tipster's selections - mostly, they didn't!  The Boy is obviously too young to bet himself, but his father placed bets for him, and he was delighted to win in the first race - but, alas, lost all his winnings during the rest of the afternoon!  The Daughter, with her usual luck, ended the day £3 ahead!

The third race, of course, was the main event so far as we were concerned, and we went down to the paddock as my mother had to pick the best turned-out horse (with helpful hints from the niece who is in the business and told her what to look for), and then we went to the grandstand to watch the race.  I watched it from the railings, which was rather fun.

My mother then presented the trophy to the winning owners, and then we all went into the winners' room to watch a rerun of the race and drink complimentary champagne.  And then we went up to the hospitality suite again and it was time to cut the cake, which my sister had made:

There were still four more races, although I watched most of them on the screen, from the comfort of the hospitality suite!  It was definitely an unpleasant day.  I did go out to watch the last race on the balcony, though - it was very nearly dark by then. 





Then back to the shuttle bus, and a wait for the train (there was a waiting-room, so we were not too cold.  And the train back to London, and for us, a quick bus home from Clapham Junction - noticeably more traffic than there had been 10 hours earlier!


Thanks particularly to my brother for a lovely day!

Dulwich Park.

New Year's Day, after lunch.  "Would you," asked the Swan Whisperer, "like to go for a walk?"  Now, had he been speaking Latin, he would undoubtedly have prefaced his question with the particle "Num", which "notoriously expects the answer 'No'", but I had just been thinking that I wanted a walk, so I said "Yes please," slightly to his horror.....

So we went to Dulwich Park, as the SW runs in Brockwell Park at least twice a week and is tired of it.  I hadn't been there for many years - probably at least 30 - and have little or no memory of it except that it's a nice place.  It's one of the Victorian parks laid out by the Metropolitan Board of Works, like Battersea Park and Southwark Park.  I vaguely remember, when I was last there, that there was an aviary that still had birds in it, but that, of course, has long gone.  There is the obligatory lake

which had tufted duck, moorhen and coot as well as the inevitable mallard; boards said there were shoveler duck, but we saw none.  There was a children's playground - rammed, of course - and a café, ditto.  We thought about stopping for a coffee, but decided not to. 

Right from when I was a child I have loved these benches built around growing trees.  I think there must have been one in Abingdon Park when I was very small!  There were at least two in Dulwich Park, although really, I imagine they are pretty anti-social.  Fine if you want to eat your lunch without watching your neighbour's every bite, though....

Next to the café was what was called a "Dry Garden"; we didn't know what made it dry, as the beds looked as though they had recently been mulched, and some of the plants obviously longed for a drink.  But there was a lovely mosaic in the middle of it:

We still weren't quite sure what the point was, so made our way back to the car.  I'm sure the SW would have liked to have walked for twice as long and at twice the speed, but as it was probably the furthest I've managed to walk since July, and the first time in a very long time I've really wanted a walk, I was very pleased!  And now home and a well-deserved cup of tea.  Happy New Year to you all!

Christmas on the River

For the first time for many years, we had found ourselves with no plans for Christmas.  I am sure my sister would have invited us, but we didn't want her to feel she had to, so we were pro-active and booked a lunch-time cruise on the Thames, leaving from Westminster Pier. 

On Christmas Day, of course, there is no public transport in London, but one can park, so we drove up to Westminster and found a parking-space behind Westminster Central Hall, about ten minutes' walk from the pier.  Boarding was supposed to start at 11:30, but when we arrived, about ten minutes earlier, they had already begun - and we were glad we had not been much later, since the queue behind us swelled to alarming proportions!  In fact, there were three boats making the cruise.

We had booked a window table, and, once our ticket had been checked, were escorted to it with a glass of sparkling wine.

  As soon as we sat down, our first course - a salmon mousse wrapped in smoked salmon and served with salad - was brought to us, but the boat did not leave its moorings until the scheduled time of noon.

The boat headed down river, under the bridges, past all the sights.  There was a singer-cum-commentator who did a fantastic job telling us where we were.  Many of the other people on the boat were tourists, from the United States and elsewhere.  We were able to spend time up on the deck, but it was too cold and dank to linger for long.  The next course was soup:

and once we had got past Tower Bridge

the main course of roast pork and all the trimmings (there was a vegetarian option, but we hadn't ordered it) was served, and then the pudding, which was some kind of straciatella cheesecake with a very nice fruit compote on the top. 

By this time, we were at Greenwich.  The boat paused at one of their piers, presumably to take on fuel, and went down the river nearly as far as the Thames Barrier.  Then it turned round and came back past the O2

 the Cutty Sark,

 the Shard

 Shakespeare's Globe,

 the Millennium Bridge

 Tate Britain,

 the Oxo Tower

 and, finally, the Houses of Parliament. 

Then the boat docked back at Westminster to end a most enjoyable cruise.  And then, because we could, we drove around part of Central London where one normally can't because of the Congestion Charge, and  saw the lights in Regent Street (we thought they were wasps at first, but it turned out to be angels!) and the big department stores.  And so home, and a much-needed nap!

France, 20 December

I dashed into the Carrefour this morning to get a baguette for lunch and some yoghurts for supper, and thought, suddenly, while I was in there that all was not quite well inside.  Sadly, I was in for a tummy-upset, and by the time we got home (which we did, very quickly and easily), all I wanted was the loo and my bed, in that order!  So no Christmas concert for me, and probably no Christmas meal with the Daughter, either.  Ah well.  At the time of writing (21 December, evening) it is passing, but not the end to the holiday one would have hoped for!

France (was Belgium), 19 December

So the big question was, what to do today?  We decided to pay a return visit to Cambrai, a town we had liked very much on a visit some years ago.

The Satnav took us straight there, although it was horribly foggy most of the way, and we were able to park just outside the Hotel de Ville, in a square where there was a Christmas market. This, however, was not open, but we saw from posters around the town that it would open at noon.  So we went for a walk, and found the Cathedral and the Porte de Paris, the big fortified gate that is all that remains of the city walls.

Then we walked back, stopping at a bakery to get bread and patisseries for lunch, and I bought some of the eponymous "bétises" (humbugs) for The Boy, who has just discovered Astérix and they are mentioned in Astérix and the Banquet.  I was robbed, actually, as they were half the price in Carrefour, but never mind that now!

Although it was well past noon, the Christmas market showed no signs of opening, so we went on.  We had hoped to park up by a canal to eat lunch, but when we got there, it was Authorised Vehicles Only, but we found an empty car park not far away.

Then it was quite a long drive back to Cité Europe, and after a cup of tea we did a huge shop, mostly Christmas shopping, and by the time that was put away, it was time to go and eat at the local Buffalo Grill. After which we drove round to see the Christmas lights in Calais, which are lovely - leave Oxford Street standing, never mind the ghastly eyeballs they have in Brixton. We got a bit lost on the way back, but the Satnav got us back ok!  And, such is the way of things, it is at least 10° milder now that the heating is working!

Belgium (now France), 18 December

What a difference a day makes!  This time yesterday, we were shivering in bed, clad in our warmest pyjamas, bedsocks, jerseys or bed-jackets and hot-water bottles, and taking what felt like forever to warm up (although once we had, we were very warm and snug!). Now we are sitting round the table in our day clothes, vaguely thinking of heading off to bed.  Yes, the heating has been fixed. It was, as we suspected, the thermostat, and the man showed us how to do a temporary fix should it happen again!

However, the place (recommended to us by the farmer's wife where we had spent the night) didn't open until 2, so we went into Sedan and did a bit of shopping and had lunch, and the SW went to have a quick look at the castle there - I found just walking round the supermarket reminded me too vividly of yesterday's fall - and we then had to think what to do next.

We could have resumed our itinerary and gone to Mons, as planned, but it would have been dark by the time we got there, so no point, really. So we came to the aire in Landrecies, where we have stayed before (the place where the fishermen talked all night, and where we stopped for lunch and found we'd forgotten the picnic table), and parked up for the night. Tomorrow we will revisit Cambrai before heading to Calais and a massive Christmas shop!

Belgium, 17 December

Not a good day!  We realised last night that the heating is kaput, and it is very, very cold here!  The hot water, thankfully, is still working - had it not been, we would have had to go to a hotel - but we were also low on water and seem to have spent much of the day searching for some.  Including one campsite which may or may not have been open, but it was the lunch hour so reception would have been been closed anyway.  I walked down a slope to see if I could see them, slipped on my way back up, and fell heavily. No real damage but it hurt and I was very shaken.  Grazed left palm and bruised right knee.

We have ended up back in France wrapped in rugs and hot-water bottles, at a France Passion place which was able to give us water, and now that we have eaten, we'll be getting into bed very soon. The trouble is, I want to knit, but my hands get just too cold!  I hope tomorrow we can find a service place and then can enjoy the last 48 hours of this holiday - I'd really rather be in a hotel right now. 

Belgium (and Luxembourg), 16 December

We were very late indeed this morning, not helped by the Swan Whisperer's going for a run, so it was not far off lunch time by the time we set off. First stop was a small supermarket for the day's groceries, and then the SW wanted to visit a lake formed by a dammed river at Esch sur Sûre, so we went there first, and then came back to Martelange through a beautifully snowy landscape.

We got diesel at the Aral station at the Luxembourg price of €1.04 a litre. In fact, the whole of the Luxembourg side of the road was lined with petrol stations - at least 10 - all the same price, and many of them with off-licences attached (I assume booze is cheaper there, too).

We then decided to visit the abbey at Orval, which was lovely - you could only visit the ruined abbey, not the modern one, of course, but it was still well worth visiting.  There was a film about the life of the monks, but sadly I fell asleep and missed most of it!  Then we were getting cold - and, to be honest, one muddy green space surrounded by stone walls looks very much like another, even if one was meant to be the refectory and the next the chapter house.

One could buy both beer and cheese, but not taste them first, and from the video we saw of it being made, it looked a little "hoppy" for our taste, so we didn't.

Then a drive cross-country in the dusk to our parking place for tonight, where again there are two other motor homes. I thought there were services, but only a loo emptying place, no water or waste water. We have plenty for tomorrow, though.

Belgium, 15 December

The Swan Whisperer's 67th birthday. We had a very leisurely breakfast, and didn't set off until about 11:00.  We told the Satnav not to use motorways, a decision I, at any rate, soon regretted as it took us up over the hills on very twisty roads and a few hairpin bends. We changed our minds, and told it to take us on the most economical route, which does tend to avoid motorways.

The Swan Whisperer said he didn't think Belgian villages were as nice as French ones, but I thought we went through some very nice ones. We stopped in Aywailles to shop (me), including a couple of delicious mini buches de Noël to serve as birthday cake,

and have coffee (him), and then drive on over the hills to a little town called La Roche-en-Ardennes which the SW wanted to see. En route, we noticed the snow line was about 450 metres, but the weather was quite nice - until, that is, we parked up in La Roche-en-Ardennes for lunch, at which point it started to rain!

The SW, undaunted, went out for a walk while I had a nap, and then we drive on to Bastogne, at which point it started to snow. The last 20k were a bit of a nightmare, as the snow was settling fast and it was getting dark. We didn't quite dare to park up where we first thought, as it was down quite a steep slope, and how would we get up if it froze overnight?  But there was another one nearer the town which has no prohibitive notices, and does have a Christmas crib, so we have parked up there.

This meant we could walk into the town to eat, in a rather expensive restaurant on the Luxembourg side of the road, but very good. We had fizzy wine to start with, then he had salmon followed by chocolate mousse and I had petit salé aux lentilles followed by a sort of ice-cream sundae, with walnuts!  Very good.  And so, as Pepys would say, to bed, as it is far too cold to sit up although it has stopped snowing and I don't think it's freezing just now.

Belgium, 14 December

I did set the alarm for 7:30 am, but by the time we sat down to breakfast it was after 09:00. This was partly because we thought the visitor centre didn't open until 10:30, but in fact it opened at 09:30. Not that it mattered.  We were able to get reduced tickets as we are over 60, which was useful.

Definitely worth a visit!  It is quite difficult not to know at least a little about the Battle of Waterloo, but the museum explained it all with a variety of different displays, including one of the various soldiers in uniform, which I am sorry to say made me want to sing my grandmother's regrettable lyrics to "The British Grenadiers":

"There was a jolly Scotsman
At the Battle of Waterloo;
The wind blew up his trousers
And froze his doodle-doo!"

(I do hope I shall have taught my grandsons things like that and be remembered by them for it when they are in their 60s!). Be that as it may, we thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and the Panorama, although the lifts were out of action - I took the stairs slowly, and my lungs coped very well. Sadly, we missed out way to the to of the Lion Monument,

but it was so wet and cold that I'm not that sorry!

Our next port of call was the nearest supermarket for bread for lunch, and then we set off towards Liège, which we drove through but didn't stop in (we did see the Christmas market, though, and so to this little town called Blegny, where I gathered there was an aire in the car park of the mining museum. Which, indeed, there is - with services that work, and electricity!  And two other motor homes, so we are not the only people mad enough to tour in December!

We did have the heating on a bit this evening, as it really is cold. It is difficult to get it just right, between too hot and not warm enough!  Turned it off when I began cooking supper, though, and the van has stayed warm, and now I am snuggled down in bed with a hot water bottle and bedsocks, and if the last two nights are anything to go by, I shall sleep very warm and snug.

Belgium, 13 December

The Eurotunnel website had been saying, ominously, that there was a 6-hour delay for high vehicles. We decided to go, anyway - after all, it didn't actually matter which side of the Channel we slept on, and we could always sleep in the car park until it was time for our crossing. However, the delay was down to 2 hours when we left London, and when we checked in at Folkestone our crossing said "Please Proceed".  So we were pleased to proceed, and got through security quickly, and boarding started only a few minutes later. But then they did that thing of holding us at the top of the ramp for ages, getting colder and colder, and when we were allowed on, or was a long time before we set off. By the time we were parked in Cité Europe, with the gas on and the shutters closed, it was nearly 4:00 am, French time! 

So we didn't exactly wake up early, and by the time we had showered and dressed, and the Swan Whisperer had got a baguette, we decided it was lunch time!  Even if we did eat scrambled eggs and bread and jam.  I then went for a walk round Carrefour, making notes of what to buy people for Christmas, and buying one or two things for us, including ready meals so I don't have to cook.

It was about 2:30 when we headed off for our first stop on the tour, Waterloo.  It was not a pleasant journey, Belgian motorways are always busy and it was as wet as wet can be!  Snowy, in some places.  And then when we got here, we couldn't find the car park, not helped by it's being pitch dark!  Turns out the Satnav had sent us the wrong side, but a bit of work with Park4Night and Google navigation got us there at last. It is a horrible night!  I shall go to bed early and hope this blows past before tomorrow!

Heading off to Belgium

We are on our way to Belgium for a few days, as we haven't been away in the motor home for over two months!  It feels like a very long time.  The Swan Whisperer had a meeting tonight, so we are booked on the 01:23 crossing; however, the status is warning us that there is a 3 hour delay.  We have decided it doesn't actually matter on which side of the channel we sleep - as long as we know when we are due to cross, and can set an alarm to wake ourselves up 40 minutes earlier....  I'm going to go and get into pyjamas and cross in comfort, wrapped in rugs and soft slippers! 

A Railtour to Durham

So we decided we would do the Northern Belle Christmas special trip, as his Christmas present to me.  Mine to him will be reviewed after Christmas!  Anyway, this trip was to Durham and back, with brunch on the way there and a massive dinner on the way back.  While in Durham, we had the opportunity to visit the various Christmas and everyday markets, and to attend a carol service a the Cathedral.

The train left at 08:18 from King's Cross, which meant that for the second time this week we had to get up at sparrowfart (the first time was to blag a free breakfast from Pret à Manger, to celebrate the opening of its Brixton branch) to get there in time.  In fact, we had time to grab a coffee from the local Prets, before boarding the train.  We hadn't booked a private table, but when we sat down, the Swan Whisperer said to the woman opposite, "I know you, don't I?" and she turned out to be an old friend from Ice Dance Club, who hasn't actually been to our club since the old rink closed, and has since had two hip replacements, so she isn't quite sure when or whether she will skate again.  It was lovely to see her, and to meet her son, who had treated her to the trip.

The brunch, I have to say, was slightly spoilt by the fact that the scrambled egg with smoked salmon was rather cold - it was very nice, but would have been nicer had it been hotter!  The coffee, too, was not nearly as nice as Prets, although later when I had another cup it had got nicer (since I no longer had the taste of Pret coffee in my mouth!).  But that was the only disappointment.  There was fresh fruit salad to start with, and various pastries to finish.

We arrived in Durham on time, and there were coaches arranged to drop us nearer the cathedral.  We hadn't been to Durham before, and found it quite a long pull up the hill to get there, but once we were there, it was lovely.  There was a craft market in a marquee, and the entry fee was covered by our train fares, so we went in, and, incidentally, found the perfect Christmas present for my father!  That was the only thing we bought, though.  Then it was time to go into the Cathedral for the "Carols for All" service, which was excellent, although some people complained about the quality of the community choirs who were singing.  Nothing wrong with them, only a little uncertain, not helped by the organist having failed to read his service sheet....  An excellent talk by one of the Canons, and an offer of a free copy of St Luke's Gospel (I declined, on the grounds that after 25 years as a preacher, I really thought I might just be familiar with it!).  We then had a look round the Cathedral (I'm sorry I didn't take photographs, but my phone's battery only just held out as it was, and I knew it wouldn't if I tried), and then it was time to queue for the farmers' Christmas market in the Cloisters, which was lovely.  We didn't buy anything, although I'd have liked some of the cheese, as going home in a hot train.... not a plan!  I also tasted - was it there, or in the craft market? - some non-alcoholic ginger wine, which would have been lovely but was far, far too sweet for my taste!

Anyway, after a long look round, we found some loos, and then wandered back through the Cathedral and out into the main drag, deciding to go the other side past the marquee, which was a mistake as it meant we missed the mulled wine stall!  The main market didn't seem very Christmassy, and I'm not sure whether or not it was meant to be a Christmas market.  There were some Christmas-market type stalls, but not all.  And the indoor market is obviously there all year round.  There was a super wool shop, and I was really rather tempted....  but resisted!

We then decided to wander back towards where the buses would pick us up, as it was getting dark and we were tired, but it was awkward as we knew that if we went into a café we would want something to eat, but we didn't want to eat as we knew we were getting a huge dinner.  Ended up in a pub - a bit early to drink, but half a pint of what proved to be a simply delicious lager for me, and of cider for the Swan Whisperer, and we were able to sit out, although the SW felt a bit cold.  I was toasty warm - had been rather too hot all day!

So then we got back on to the coach and had to wait awhile at the station for our train.  The waiting area was all very well, but the automatic doors didn't shut properly, and opened every time a car moved they would open, so the poor Swan Whisperer got very cold indeed, and even I was glad to move and get on the train.

Going home, I got to sit by the window - big deal, as there was nothing to see by then - and we were heading forwards, which I do marginally prefer.  The meal was lovely - first there was a glass of champagne and nibbles, and then the starter, which was a trio of fish.  I chose not to have that, as really it didn't sound very nice, so I got offered, and accepted, ham hock terrine, which was lovely.  Then there was celeriac soup, but I declined that, too, and, having tasted the Swan Whisperer's, was rather glad I had as it didn't taste of anything much at all except a vague hint of cooked celery.  The main course was a 3-bird roast with a bit of partridge on the top (I wouldn't have known that was what it was, to be honest!), brussels sprout purée, red cabbage, roast parsnip and fondant potato.  It was very good, but I was so sleepy by then (I had fallen asleep between courses) that I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have done had I been wide awake.  Then there was a cheeseboard, and then pudding - an individual Christmas pudding with brandy custard, which was OK, but not the nicest (I gave half of mine to the SW), but also a bit of chocolate mousse cake, which was lush, and a scoop of cherry sorbet, ditto!  Then tea or coffee, if you wanted it, which I didn't, and a mince pie (I gave mine to the SW).  Our fare apparently included £24 worth of drinks, so we each ordered a glass of wine - red for him, rosé for me - some fizzy water and a fruit drink for him.  This was possibly a mistake, as we then didn't have a bill at the end, and those who did were taking the opportunity to tip the stewards quite heavily. 

By the time all this had happened, we were nearly at King's Cross, and after a lovely day, I was very tired indeed!  We were home just before 10:45 pm, after a lovely and memorable day!

Beyond Vienna, 3 and 4 October 2017

Since we were parked up just opposite a McDonald's, we decided to treat ourselves to a McDonald's breakfast.  In Germany, they don't force feed you hash browns with your sausage and egg McMuffin, I was glad to find!  I do love them (sausage and egg McMuffins) but try not to eat them too often.

After that, it was a long and dreary drive to Calais.  Originally we had planned to break our journey somewhere in Belgium, but of course the extra day in Hungary put paid to that, and the long drive isn't impossible, just boring.  There had been a couple of bad crashes on the border - the only crashes we saw all holiday, thankfully - which held us up for a bit, but not too badly.  We stopped a couple of times for breaks and lunch, and arrived at Cité Europe at about 5:30.  After a cup of tea, I went shopping in the Carrefour there, and the SW went for a walk, and then we decided to visit one of the restaurants in the Cité Europe instead of going to the Buffalo Grill like we usually do.  Big mistake - the meal was foul.  The snails were okay, but one of them was so tightly stuck in its shell that I had to break it to get it out.  The duck was edible, I suppose, but its sauce was way, way too salty for my taste, and the potatoes that came with it were undercooked.  Plus the helping was too large.  Then I ordered crepes with jam for pudding - they were tepid, tough, and he'd sprinkled them with sugar and THEN expected me to put jam on them.  I did eat one, but really.... not good.  Won't be going to that restaurant again.

Sad to wake up this morning amid those motorhomes that were heading off on holiday as well as the ones coming home.  Wishing we were going in the other direction, we presented ourselves to Eurotunnel hoping for an earlier crossing.  Oh dear, disruptions, and a two hour delay.... but fortunately it caught up with itself and we crossed at our booked time of 11:20 - home in time for lunch, although then there were hassles with the builders who fill our car park each day and make it so impossible to come in and out.... sigh... how soon can we go away again?

Beyond Vienna, 2 October 2017

Another wet day, alas. We set out from wherever it was we had spent the night, just outside Kitzbühel.  Our first port of call was Landau, a large ReWe where we did a Last Shop in Germany, and then we headed cross country, in the rain, towards Trier. We missed one services, where we had planned to stop briefly to put on jerseys, etc, but finally found one to do for lunch. We are parked up in the big park and ride car park - not 100% sure we are supposed to spend the night here, but people seem to. Certainly they did last year....

Beyond Vienna, 1 October 2017

It had stopped raining by the time we were ready to go out this morning. As it was Sunday, we assumed we'd be able to park in the street, and indeed, that turned out to be the case, and we could probably have parked even nearer to the town centre than we actually did.

We had a pleasant walk round the centre of Augsburg, and in the main square we came across a mass balloon-release - we have no idea what it was in aid of, and were rather surprised that Germany allows such a thing (so bad for the environment), but it was pretty!

After a cup of coffee, we found a bakery that was open and bought rolls for lunch, and then headed back to the motor home to head on north up the A8, only this turned out to be blocked, so the Satnav took us the pretty way, with such an attractive lay-by to park in for lunch!  Only an oxbow where they had straightened the road, but still!

Then on, and I fell asleep and didn't weaken until we arrived at the Aire here just north of Kitzbühel, I believe. Not where I had intended for us to stay, but the SW decided it was less off our route.