Early autumn holiday, 30 September 2023

Saint-Firmin

I haven't really done much today. We set off at about 10, having used the services and so on, and first port of call was a supermarket for the weekend shopping. Then we drove straight here, to Saint-Firmin, and that's about it, really!

The Swan Whisperer did go for a longish walk this afternoon, but we are in the middle of nowhere. The pitches are horrendously sloping, half the electric points don't work, the WiFi doesn't work, and there is very little phone signal. I am not a happy bunny, but you do get a few duff places everywhere. And there were some spectacular views on the drive here!

Early autumn holiday, 29 September 2023

Crots

The Swan Whisperer actually went for a run this morning, first time since he fell ill! Less than 4 km, but it's a start. He says he's very unfit still, but that's only to be expected. Later in the morning, he went for a walk, as did I a little later (photos on Facebook, as per usual). It was a bit confusing, as there is a vast campsite just near us (now closed for the winter), but then great signs saying it's a hunting preserve.

I don't think they hunt campers....

We didn't do much the rest of the day; it was always going to be a rest day. We basically sat in the shade of the WoMo and read, or watched videos, or dozed, until the mosquitos started biting, whereupon we came in and had supper! 

Early autumn holiday, 28 September 2023

Crots

It is roughly the midpoint of our holiday, and we are having a couple of very relaxed days in the Alps. For some reason I have been very tired today, and apart from wandering into the town to visit the supermarket, I've done very little. 

The Swan Whisperer walked up to investigate this clock tower

while I was shopping, and then we did very little until after lunch, when we finally got our act together. 

Unfortunately, when we were using the services, the cassette stuck, and the lever broke off! We thought for a few minutes we'd have to come straight home, but the SW has managed to work out how to get it out with the help of a screwdriver (that sounds like some awful schoolboy joke), and it should be fine until we get home.

We only had about 50 km to drive today, if that. This Camping-Car Park is a lot busier than last night's, but by no means full! Its big disadvantage is that there is no shade other than that provided by the motor homes themselves, but we put our chairs and table out and sat out to drink our tea. The SW went for an explore, but I stayed in and drowsed a bit.

We are planning to stay here tomorrow night, too, and I hope and expect to feel up for a walk as we are near a lake, almost a sort of beach resort! I want to explore at least a bit. 

Early autumn holiday, 27 September 2023

L'Argentière-La-Bessée

We are approximarely half way through our holiday, so we changed our sheets, towels, etc, which took up the first part of the morning and it was not until 11:00 that we set out for our walk. Not my favourite walk of these holidays, I must admit, as it was quite steep in places, and much of it on a footpath through woods.

It was the sort of walk I enjoy having done, but don't specially enjoy doing!

Our first port of call was a local Intermarché for a bit of shopping and the SW to have coffee, and then we drove down here to L'Argentière-La-Bessée, stopping on the Col de Lauteret to have a rather late lunch.

It is not the most beautiful Camping-Car Park, as it is surrounded by hydro-electric works, but it is not far from the town, which looks worth seeing. And there is a mirabelle tree which has shed its load, so we picked up a bowlful of windfalls and stewed them to have with yoghurt or fromage blanc tomorrow! 

Early autumn holiday, 26 September 2023

Notre-Dame-de-Mesage, Auvergne

The weather has - tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon - been being absolutely glorious, warm and sunny. But it is autumn, and early mornings and late evenings are chilly, if not cold. This, of course, means that there is a heavy dew overnight, and my feet got soaked when I went out for an early-morning dash round the playing-fields before breakfast! I was delighted to find some field mushrooms, which made a wonderful addition to the meal! 

After breakfast, our first port of call was a supermarket, and we were delighted to find, while we were there, that it had a launderette in the car park.

We are just under half-way through our holiday, so decided to profit from the occasion to do a load of laundry. I shopped and the SW got diesel and then his coffee while this was happening. Unfortunately, though, the dryer wasn't working, and although it did take the worst off, our clothes were by no means dry. However, Park4Night is very good at telling you where there are public laundry facilities, and I discovered there was one within a few minutes of where we are staying tonight, so we had lunch and then spent most of the afternoon driving down here. 

We drove down past Grenoble, and the turnoff to Villard-de-Lans, wishing that we were going there for the Mountain Cup again - so many wonderful memories, so many friends made, so much fun had.... I do realise it's uneconomic to hold it now, and the rink is not particularly helpful, but I know I'm not the only one to miss it badly. Not that I skate any more, and it's only a dream...but we did have such fun! 

Anyway, we got here at last. We are parked up in the car park of a tennis-court/football pitch complex, and there is a constant stream of cars dropping off children for practice! I could be in Walthamstow on a Monday night - the main difference being the adults don't go in with their children to register them, but just turf them out of the car and drive off. 

The SW has gone for a walk which he says looks lovely - I'm hoping to do a shorter version with him in the morning - and I will start supper soon. I had been going to do a chicken casserole, but we are not quite level this evening, and that sort of dish is easier to cook on the level, so we'll have Leberkäse with an egg and chips and a fried tomato, I think. The casserole can wait - and by then I will have bought leeks and mushrooms, which always improves it! Last night's fishcakes, by the way, were delicious, but did fall apart rather.... And I have finished my gooseberry chutney!

Early autumn holiday, 25 September 2023

Saint-André-du-Vieux-Jonc

We did like the campsite we were in last night, mostly because the owner was so nice. He not only took orders for bread last night, he even delivered it! And he let us put off registering, etc, until we were about to leave.

First port of call was a Super U; didn't need much, but got almost everything we did need, except I forgot fizzy water. But then there was a problem with the hab door, which didn't want to lock, and the Swan Whisperer didn't remember that this has happened before or how to fix it. However, he managed in the end, and we drove to Besançon, where we parked up at what we think is the citadel.

We had lunch, and the SW went for a quick  explore, but I was very sleepy and, indeed, ended up dozing most of the way to here, near Bourg-en-Bresse, which is a lovely little aire for 5 motor homes, gravel pitches separated by bushes, in a park (photos on Facebook).

The SW is sat outside reading, but I made fishcakes for tonight's supper and put them in the fridge to firm up (I am very bad at making fishcakes, but they will taste good,whatever!) and then went  for a wander and got soaked testing the taps on the services! So am in my pyjamas, but as another motor home has now joined us, don't quite like to go out to do a tai chi practice! Oh well! 

Early autumn holiday, 24 September 2023

Geneuille, Franche-Comté

Gérardmer, it transpires, is pronounced "Jeremy" (or thereabouts) because the name derives from Gérard d'Alsace, who established a tower or hunting lodge or something on the banks of the Jamagne (local river); the suffix "mer" coming from an old Oil language word meaning the garden. Hence its pronunciation; conversely the nearby villages of Longemer and Retournemer take their name from "mare", the water body in old French, but which explains why their suffix is pronounced "mère". 

So that is where we were this morning. I got up first and went to the bakery for a baguette and pains aux raisins, which threw me by having chocolate in them. No thanks! But the baguette was sourdough and lovely! It was a glorious morning, but very cold and very misty.

The bakery was only across the road, so when I got back the Swan Whisperer was still getting dressed, so I started to get breakfast. 

This was a disaster! There was nothing wrong with the baguette or the scrambled eggs, but first I knocked the aeropress over, spilling all my coffee grounds into the sink (It could have been worse - it could have been on the floor!), and then, when I had ground a new lot, the straining lid fell off the aeropress and into my cup, taking all the grounds with it. The Swan Whisperer rescued it, but the resulting brew was so weak and (by then) a bit cold that I had to have another cup after our walk. Most unlike me - I usually only have one cup a day, and perhaps a small cup after tai chi on Wednesdays. 

Anyway, after breakfast we did go for a walk, which was lovely. We didn't go all round the lake - it is 6 km all the way round, and the SW, who did it yesterday evening, said the path was very uneven and unpleasant to walk on. He also didn't really want to do it again! So we contented ourself with walking to the lake and round a bit of it before heading back to town - about 3 km in total. 

Then it was time for church, which we were able to listen to on livestream from our home church, and when it was finished we headed south towards this village which is, I think, near Besançon. We stopped for lunch en route, so didn't get to this campsite until about 5. Nobody in reception, so I rang the proprietor who said to settle in and he would come and see us in due course.

He's just been - lovely man; we are to register and settle up, etc, in the morning, and have ordered our baguette and croissants for 8:30! It is a pleasant campsite - I've not taken any photos yet - but very basic, but on the banks of the Ognon - the river Onion!!! Photos of Gérardmer on Facebook.