Sunday 16th December

Friday 1st Dec

Today there was a guided cycle ride to Alcazares on the western side of the Mar Menor, a round trip of about 25 miles we were told. Fortunately the cold wind we had been experiencing dropped overnight and about twenty of us set of mid morning for the trip. Sue stayed on site and caught up with chores as she felt the distance was too much for her.

We arrived at Alcazares in time for lunch which I had sitting on the beach enjoying the sunshine, it was lovely looking out at the smooth blue sea. About an hour after arriving we turned back and the group gradually dwindled as some took different routes back. I decided to tag along with a couple who were heading back close to the shore although I didn't realise at the time it was all off road. A good distance into the route my bike decided to go in its own direction with me going in another one. It could have been worse, at least the fall was into nice soft, squidgy mud, the cause of the fall in the first place. No harm done (except to my pride) we continued on with all of us falling in turn although one was simply because the water he was going through was far deeper than he thought.

Not a bad spot for lunch on Alcazares beach

Sea monster at Los Nietos, beware if you are swimming !

A good ride though that turned out to be about 27 miles in total.

Saturday 2nd December

A quiet day for us simply doing some shopping after a coffee morning at the rally where we learned what was to take place over the following week. This is an average week and consists of :-

Monday.  Craft lessons at 10.30, Spanish lessons at 11.00, boules at 14.00 also line dancing at 14.00 and whist at 20.00

Tuesday a walk or cycle ride to Los Bellones the local village and market plus Bodega, boules at 14.00, quiz at 20.00

Wednesday  normally a good walk somewhere with boules at 14.00 for anyone not on the walk and a quiz at 20.00

Thursday  Spanish lessons at 11.00, boules at 14.00 and crib at 20.00

Friday  normally a long cycle ride somewhere plus boules at 14.00 and often a meal in the evening.

Saturday  a coffee morning at 11.00 followed by a street bbq at lunchtime that tends to extend until late afternoon.

Sunday   Day Off for all.

In addition to the above we have options of various things put on by the site and the site bar/restaurant so never a lack of things to do.

On a walk along the Med coast in the Calblanque Regional park a short walk from our site.

Sunday 2nd Dec

A lazy day just going for a walk in the sunshine followed by paella cooked by me followed later in the day with a bbq. It's a hard life !

Monday 3rd

Sue went off to craft lessons where they were to make pigs (plant containers) out of empty water containers, I went to Spanish lessons where Sue met up later. After a quick lunch Sue went line dancing while I went to boules. Back to the van for some grub then off to play whist in the evening. For Spanish we were able to hold it in the sunshine next to the pool bar, something that hopefully we can repeat for some time to come. We also bought a poinsettia plant to go in the pig and very nice it looks too.

We are now on the 16th December.

I know that is quite a spell since the last post but our internet access has been rubbish but we have now sourced another supplier and have our own little aerial hanging up in a nearby tree to get the signal from an aerial about two miles away. It seems to work well, even good enough to use Skype for video calls.

Since the third of December we have settled into a routine around the above activities although we have had walks and other things to do also. On one day a cycled 42 miles (I miscalculated the distance) as I needed to get a new hinge for a cupboard on board then had to go to San Javier airport to sort car hire) Although my route looked OK on a map in reality what was shown as a road soon expired in a field of artichokes and after riding through a drainage culvert to get to another road I ended up on a dry river bed for a mile to get to the road.

A sore bum by the end of the day.

Our weather has been mixed with warm sunny days interspersed with windy cooler days, on the whole though not bad so far. 

Sue texting at the beach near our site (on a dull day).

Thursday 29th November

We have now arrived at La Manga having left the site at Almafra on the 27th. We had a lovely trip down via Murcia with sunshine the whole way. This morning we have woken to quite a breeze but still a blue sky and sun. A whole lot better than the UK has been having if the news we have picked up on the TV is right with the SW of England suffering again from flooding etc.

Wednesday, we are off on a walk headed up 'Mar Menor beaches and the Mediterranean' so should be quite interesting. A quiz this evening means we need to raise a few other people to form a team.

A breezy day on the Mar Menor beach

We had a lovely walk in the sunshine but the breeze kept the edge off the temperature. we got together with some other people for the quiz and managed to come third out of eleven teams so no disgrace there for us.

Thursday saw us have our first Spanish lesson followed by a game or two of Boules. Thirty or so people turned up so all six pitches were in use. It's funny how much we have missed the spirit that everyone has around the boules area and a good enjoyment for the game. Perhaps with practise we may even get better at it, who knows.

Thursday 22nd November

Well, the good weather is still with us and today we have had sunshine from when we got up until it got dark a short while ago. I went off on a led cycle ride to Altea along the coast a little way, returning via Albir where we walked to visit a market on Sunday. Tonight we have a quiz on site so we are to go to that and see how we get on. As we are spending more time at this site it is growing on us so I am sure we will return to the area at some time, who knows when.

We came joint second at the quiz and won 3 Euros which, split between the six in the team didn't cover the beer but helped a little.

Thursday saw us on a walk to the Faro (lighthouse) at Albir. Situated on a headland overlooking the bay at 112m above the sea it gives commanding views across the water which was a lovely turquoise colour in the sunshine that we experienced. Although we had been told beforehand that the walk was about three miles each way someone had a GPS on their phone which told them we had covered four and a half miles when we reached the Faros so probably about ten miles by the time we returned via a meandering route. A lovely walk though. 

Walking to the Faros D'Albir (at summit)

View across the bay at Albir

Dave resting part way on the walk

Sue celebrating arriving at the Faros

Thursday night has a whist drive on site that we intend to go on and try our luck. Hopefully there won't be too many serious players there otherwise we may just upset them with our play.

Sunday 18th November

From Brockenhurst we had a very easy journey to board our ferry at Portsmouth. We left the site just after 18.00 and were at Portsmouth about an hour later, having put some fuel in at a Morrisons on the way. Despite being told that we were being boarded straight away on our arrival it was some two and a half hours later that we embarked and the ferry left port nearly an hour late.

We woke to a bright sunny morning for our arrival at Roscoff where we docked for about an hour to allow the change of crew, fuelling and restocking with food etc. Off we went on yet another flat calm crossing of the Bay of Biscay. After a second night on board we arrived at Santander as the sun came up and were quickly unloaded. We headed to Zaragoza for our first night in Spain as it almost exactly split our journey to the Mediterranean coast in half. We had lovely weather and the autumn colours of the vines as we crossed both the Rioja and Navarra wine regions we emphasised by the glorious blue sky.

Caravan in Zaragoza whose owner was taking no chances with their awning in any winds

A night at Zaragoza brought us to Sunday morning and more sunshine. This was not to last however and as we headed south on the road to Valencia it clouded over and started to rain, not what we expected. This was not the main thing on our minds as we had forgotten that most businesses do not open on a Sunday in Spain and that included garages and filling stations. With the needle of the fuel gauge getting ever closer to the red section we were getting concerned to say the least. Eventually we saw a sign for fuel and pulled off the road to find that we had been directed to an automatic fuel pump on a garage forecourt with instructions on how to operate only in Spanish...... As I finally got a message stating 'transaction complete' (at least the Spanish equivalent) a Spanish driver came to use the adjoining pump and asked if I was OK, a shame he hadn't come in five minutes earlier..

We continued on our way and after crossing a most barren and empty part of Spain took a turning that lead to our destination at Benicassim, just North of Valencia. Rain continued on and off for the rest of the day but we managed a walk along the seafront and back through the town, a delightful unspoiled area that retains a lot of old Spain charm.

Monday we had chores to do like shopping, washing, cleaning the van etc but I did manage to cycle along the coast (a Via Verde) for a few miles enjoying the sunshine that has returned and the beautiful turquoise waters of Mediterranean here.

BBQ'd  Tuna steaks with salad washed down with a glass of wine followed by coconut ice cream in a coconut shell while sitting in the sun  reminded us of why we have come to Spain for the winter.

For a couple of days now the weather has been wet with occasional sunshine. It's saving grace is the fact that the temperature is still very comfortable so a T shirt is ample when out and about. Reading, cycling, walking, cooking have been our pastimes and it has been lovely just to chill out and do nothing in particular. We have discovered a delicious pineapple ice cream that comes served in hollowed out half pineapples/ This is an alternative to the coconut ice cream contained in coconut shells we discovered last time we were here. Sometimes it's just too difficult to decide which is the most delicious.

Saturday saw us leaving Benicassim and what a day to pack up and travel. Rain was coming down in copious quantities and I eventually gave up trying to keep dry and just came to the decision that I would change all my clothes once we were all packed up. Water was flowing down the roads on the site and if you chose to cross it was at your own risk as crocks disappeared beneath the torrent called a road.

We left site and headed towards Alicante and within ten minutes the sun had come out. You just can't win 'em all.  After taking one wrong turning we arrived at our next site called Almafra at the back of Benidorm but far enough away not to be tarred with that towns reputation. Where we are is actually quite nice, situated between the sea and the mountains. Sue is quite happy today as we also have a satellite tv link that allows BBC1 so she can catch up on the Strictly Come Dancing results. Weather today has been much better, mid 20s and sun with clear blue skies.

It can't last of course.

More Time on her pitch near Benidorm with mountains in background

Wednesday 7th November

Since my last entry on here we have been quite busy. While staying on the farm at Rockbeare I had my Flu jab before moving the MH on to Cofton Park site at Dawlish. Unfortunately the farm was full on several days that we had intended staying so we booked into the Dawlish site as a plan B. While here I had my final hospital appointment before heading off to Spain and my blood levels were all OK so the consultant was quite happy for the extended period to the next appointment in May 2013. In the evening after the hospital we visited Teignmouth to meet up with friends who were having an evening bbq before watching the firework display at the local Rugby club. It was too cold for us so we left before the fireworks started after saying farewell to our mates.

Tuesday saw us on the move again and we are now at a Caravan Club site at Brockenhurst in the New Forest. We had a walk into the village this morning across the heathland surrounding the site, very pleasant. In the village we bought supplies for a couple of days meals. In the butchers we could have had (besides the usual) pheasant, pigeon, partridge, quail, rabbit and many others. we decided on venison and now have the slow cooker on with dinner in it.

New Forest ponies just a few steps from our pitch

Tempting invite at a thatched restaurant in Brockenhurst

Tomorrow (Thursday) we are staying on the site until early evening before heading off to Portsmouth for the ferrys 22.00 departure. Fingers crossed for a smooth crossing.

Wednesday 31st October 2012

After leaving Knighthayes Court at Tiverton we headed for Bristol where we had booked two nights at the Caravan Club site at Baltic Wharf. From the site a gate lead straight onto the quayside and then after a short walk to the many attractions of the Bristol Harbour, one of which was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's SS Great Britain.

Propellor (replica of original design) and rudder of SS Great Britain

Stern above the waterline showing the glazed panels that keep the rain from the rest of the lower hull

Detail of stern port quarter showing decoration details

Interior of hull towards the bow showing some of the many rust holes in the wrought iron hull.

We visited this vessel on the Thursday and were fascinated by the story that unfolded about it and its long life. A lot of work had gone into reconstructing the interior to what it looked like before the ship was scuttled in the Falkland Islands in the 1930s and it was very graphic the way that the story was told.

After touring the ship we had a walk into Bristol along the dockside then returned to the van before going to a nearby pub on the quayside by the site for an evening meal.

On the next day we returned to Whimple where we went to a site on a farm about one and a half miles from where our home used to be and we had a peaceful night there before exchanging our motorhome for our car.

We took More Time back to the compound and got into the car before driving to Eastbourne to visit my Mum as it was the last chance we had to see her before going to Spain. She is 96 at the end of November so any visits mean a lot to her and we spent several days with her before driving to visit Sues sister in London. 

After a night in a Travel Lodge in Basingstoke we came back to the farm after collecting the motorhome so we have both vehicles for a while which makes visiting people a bit easier without moving the MH.

One thing we have noticed while travelling around the country recently is the changing nature of the trees. When driving from Stafford to Shrewsbury we were amazed at the brilliance of the Autumn colours on the trees. In Sussex they were very dull and quite bare in places yet heading over Salisbury Plain the colours were back and brightened up a rather dull day nicely.

Colours of Autumn

When next Wednesday arrives ( I try to update the Blog once a week on a Wednesday) we will be just one day before leaving for Spain. It is currently 7degrees here and 26 degrees where we are heading to on the Mediterranean coast.

Wednesday 24th October

Weather at Slimbridge was kind to us and we spent a couple of pleasant days there exploring the Sharpness to Gloucester Canal and the next village of Frampton on Severn, a delightful village that has the longest village green in England. It certainly seemed it as we walked from one end to the other and back. Fortunately it had a pub at the far end and we sat in the autumn sunshine and enjoyed a leisurely drink while there.

Ready for Winter at Frampton on Severn

Tithe Barn at Frampton on Severn with unusual wooden, woven wall at far end

Swing Bridge over the Sharpness to Gloucester Canal, still operated by hand

Sunset at Slimbridge

After   a couple of days we moved on to Dulverton on Exmoor driving there via Dunster then across the moor. Not a route I would drive again in the motorhome but pleasant scenery, what we could see through the mist. Our friends Dave and Louise joined us at Dulverton and we spent most of our two days together chatting and catching up. We did manage to fit in a lovely circular walk from the town, arriving back by walking along the side of the River Barle, lovely. We enjoyed a meal out at the local Thai restaurant also. 

Altogether a really enjoyable couple of days in their company which we concluded by stopping off at the National Trust Knightshayes Court at Tiverton for a final coffee and cake.

Dave, Louise and Sue with our two Motorhomes at Knighthayes Court, Tiverton

Wednesday 17th October

From Leek we headed off to Shrewsbury where we had booked a site for two nights. As the site was right by the Park and Ride into town we took advantage of its reasonable price and headed into the city to explore a little and see how it had changed. We had lived in Shropshire back in the 1980s so had visited Shrewsbury frequently then, it was good to see how little the city centre had changed in the intervening years. We also said hello to some friends (Hi Mark and Misako) from Wellington who had opened a shop selling Japanese food and culinary items back then and still trading in what used to be the Shrewsbury Infirmary, since converted to apartments and shops. Setonaikai is the name if you are ever in area. Mark loves Lotus cars and is proud owner of a 1968 Lotus Elan and a 2006 Lotus Europa, not that I am envious at all.

After two nights at Shrewsbury we headed to Malvern and returned to the site there, well, actually the one next door as the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravan Club sites back onto each other. With a visit into Worcester by bus and some walking around the area our four nights here passed quickly and we are off to Slimbridge in Gloucestershire tomorrow for two nights before heading to deepest Exmoor to meet a couple of friends at the Dulverton Caravan Club site. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us there.

Hanley Swan village centre with duck pond and pub beyond

It's remarkable how quickly this month is going. Although we are only passing the time until we head off to Spain on 8th November we can't believe that we have already been away for nearly three weeks and although we haven't done anything particularly exciting we have enjoyed our time immensely. 

Thursday 11th October

Four nights at Stoke Gabriel saw us ready to move on and we headed to a site just outside Malvern in Worcestershire in a village called Hanley Swan. Not a very big village but a lovely situation just a couple of miles from the Malvern Hills. Unfortunately the weather didn't co-operate so we were unable to explore much but a walk into the village found a good butchers, pub and Post Office cum stores, all you need really.

From here we went to Bury where we had arranged for our daughter Carly to meet up with us. She came and we had a few good days together culminating in a visit into Manchester where we all went to the Manchester City Museum and Art Gallery. I was most surprised in the museum as it is the only one I have ever visited with live exhibits such a Iguanas, Lizards and Tree Frogs, all alongside Fossils, stuffed animals and many other exhibits. Worth visiting though.

Properly named now so easily recognisable

Home for the next 7 months, here in sunshine at Bury

From Bury we have now come to Leek in Staffordshire for two nights as we have arranged to meet some friends we met in Spain. They came today and we had a lovely meal in the local pub (The Three Horseshoes) followed by a walk round Rudyard Lake, a large reservoir not far away that was created to supply water to a local canal. It was visited by a couple in the 1800's that were enchanted by it. So much so that they names their son after it......Rudyard Kipling. Unfortunately the narrow gauge railway that runs along the lakeside was not in steam at the time of our visit.

Rudyard Lake near Leek in Staffordshire

Tuesday 2nd October

Tuesday 2nd October

We are now officially homeless.

We moved out of our home at The Paddock on Saturday morning after spending our last night there in More Time parked outside the front door. No real regrets at leaving the home, possibly because we know we will be returning there next year, it is only a temporary departure. We handed the keys over to the agent and drove down to Dartmouth to spend the evening with our friends who had gone there on a sailing rally. With six boats afloat and More Time ashore  we had a good evening eating and chatting at the Floating Bridge, just by the Higher Ferry. We retired to More Time as the others left for their boats and had a good nights sleep on the side of the road (and free).

After a quick visit to M&S (Dine in for a tenner) we headed to Stoke Gabriel to the site we have visited before. We quickly got the awning up and sat waiting for the expected rain to make it's appearance. It never arrived but today (Tuesday) we woke to fairly heavy rain and the ground now squelches as you walk across the grass.

However, the sun as just come out so things are looking up !

Winter Plans go live !

Well, that's it.

We have got tenants for the house who are moving in on the 1st October when we move into the motorhome. As soon as I have had my hospital checkup on 5th November we will head off to Portsmouth to catch a ferry to Santander on the 7th.

On arrival in Spain we will drive to Haro (in the Rioja region) for our first night then on to Zaragoza for the second. From there we go to Bennicassim on the Mediterranean coast for a week then on to Almafra, outside Benidorm for a couple of weeks.

We then head South to La Manga del Mar Menor for three months before heading North again in early March to Alcossebre and finally to Vilanova i la Geltru, just South of Barcelona for a month before driving back to Santander for the ferry home in early May 2013.

I can't wait to get on that ferry now.

Monday 30th July

We have now been home  while since returning from France but have managed to fit in a short trip West Devon, staying at a campsite just West of Okehampton on the edge of Dartmoor.

Although there is road noise from the nearby A30 we like this site as it gives easy access (via a gate in the fence) onto The Granite Way a cycle path running along the edge of the moor. One way takes you via the Meldon Viaduct that used to carry railway trains to Okehampton while the opposite direction takes you towards Tavistock but much of this is on roads.

Sometimes the loveliest places are on your doorstep, Meldon Reservoir in the sun.

Looking the opposite way from the dam with Meldon Viaduct in the distance

We made the most of the excellent weather and got on our bikes each day to explore the area and even getting to the Meldon Reservoir to look at a wild camping possibility.

On leaving rtghe site finally we headed to Plymouth to visit out grand daughter then headed to Wembury just east of the city for a night at a lovely quiet site before visiting the National Trust property at Saltram House before heading home to do some serious garden tidying up and hard landscaping in preparation for hopefully renting our house for the winter. We also needed to be home for a check up for me at the hospital which was today and all was looking OK.

July 18th update

Our time at Dinan passed all too quickly. We walked into town along the towpath and explored on one day then spent another cycling around the area, both along the R. Rance and on cycle tracks away from it. All surrounded by lovely countryside and old traditional buildings.

On the cycle path alongside the R. Rance

Thursday 5th July

Stopped on a municipal site just north of Meyenne. A basic site but located at the side of a park with eated swimming pool (free access for campers) a boules pitch and crazy golf etc. Although only basic facilities we were only stopping one night so this wasn't a problem.

Friday 6th July

We headed off to Orleans where I had identified an Aire on the banks of the R Loire. When we arrived access was via a barrier that needed 5 euros paying to operate it. We thought, OK €5 won't break the bank for a nights stop so imagine our surprise when we discovered that it included electric hookup as well. Nicely landscaped and maintained it was an example that some campsites could look at and benefit from.

Saturday 7th July

One of a few 'black Saturdays' on French roads when half the country goes on holiday. Fortunately it all seemed to going in the opposite direction to us and we had an uneventful journey until our speedometer stopped working about half way to our destination near Romilly sur Seine. We arrived at the campsite then after booking in and finding a pitch (not easy) I phoned our breakdown cover which is part of our motorhome insurance. When they returned my call (much cheaper on a mobile) , although they could not get a breakdown van out as the MH was still driveable they contacted a garage not far away who said they could take a look at it on Monday for us. A full address was texted to me and a call back to check I had received it OK. Our site was OK but nothing special and if we had not have had sunshine I think we might have been disappointed as it was the most expensive site to date at €23.50 but it was handy.

Sunday 8th July

We woke to grey skies and light drizzle so decided that we would look for a different site in the area. My Autoroute program showed me a municipal site about the same distance beyond where the garage was so we upped sticks and moved on, what a contrast. A lovely little village (Mery sur Seine) on the banks of the R Seine and a very welcoming lady in reception. For €9.70 we got exactly the same as we had had on the previous site but much nicer surroundings. If any parts we may need for the MH repair take time to be delivered we would be quite content to remain here for a while I think.

Mery sur Seine just by the campsite

After finding the garage (they had moved 3km) it turned out to be a Renault agency who could not help with a problem on a Fiat chassis based motorhome. As we were already on the road we continued on to Epernay where we were heading to next anyway. On the way there Sues arm and ankles began really swelling up from insect bites  so on arrival we stopped at a pharmacy to see what could ease it. She came out with a carrier bag of goodies that although extreme seemed to work after a day or two. Because of this we did not stay more than one night there as it was not comfortable for Sue to walk at that stage. We could have stayed until Sue felt better but the site was quite noisy so we did not linger.

Tuesday 10th July

We drove on to Pierrefonds which is the setting of the castle used to film BBC TVs Merlin series. We hoped that it as spectacular as the TV series suggested it was........we were not disappointed. As we drove along the road to Pierrefonds we came over the brow of a hill about two miles out and there was the castle infront of us - spectacular. We found the site in town easily and after setting up the MH we walked into the village to explore. As we walked towards the castle we got glimpses of it between buildings then in the main square we saw it in all it's glory. We walked on and went round the castle which was really quite interesting and very different to a normal grand house or castle as there was virtually no furniture at all in it. It was very impressive though all the same.

Pierrefonds chateau

Wednesday saw light rain when we woke so we decided to head on to our next planned destination at Peronne in the Somme valley. Out campsite there was right on the edge of the Canal de la Somme which carries a very large number (or so it seems ) of large commercial barges, probably 200ft long and some pushing another of the same size. Manouvering those must be rather interesting. Peronne itself is quite a pleasant town despite being 90% destroyed in WW1. Wherever you look anywhere in this area there are memorials or cemeteries to do with this period of history. We had two nights here and could have stayed longer but the weather had turned by now to rain, rain and more rain so we moved on, this time to Ypres in Belgium.

Don't fancy manoeuvring one of these - barges at Peronne on the Canal de la Somme

Friday 13th July

Travelling on this day was not as relaxing as it had been up to then as we were coming up to a French Bank Holiday weekend (Bastille Day) so the roads were rather busy, especially around Lille that we had to navigate around. We managed though and drove in to Ypres and found our campsite. Once access was gained to it (it had an automatic barrier that would only operate once you had the card issued when you complete the automatic checkin, all very high tech but it worked. We set up the van, had a coffee then went exploring. About a ten minute walk found us in the centre of Ypres in the main square, very picturesque with building very much Dutch in style rather than the French style we had been used to. Sue found a chocolate shop (we were in Belgium after all) but resisted all temptations to buy and left empty handed. With the Menin Gate * at the end of the road we realised how compact the centre of this town was. We walked back to the van for dinner before coming back to the gate for the 20.00 Last Post Ceremony. This is carried out every night of the year at 20.00 in memory of those who lost their lives in the fighting of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. On the Friday night with several hundred other people watching besides us, as well as the four buglers sounding the last post  there was in attendance the Reading Bach Choir who sang three items, culminating in the British National Anthem. I don't mind admitting that my eyes were moist at the end of the ceremony, very, very moving.

Menin Gate at Ypres, very moving

* The Menin Gate is a War Memorial, constructed after the First World War in memory of approximately 75000 personnel who had died in the hostilities for whom there were no identifiable remains to be buried. Their names appear on plaques on virtually every surface of the gate which got its name from the fact that it bridges the Menin Road out of the town.

Saturday was a lazy day and we did a bit of shopping (yes the chocolates won) and a bit more exploring. We returned again to the Menin Gate for the evening ceremony surprised to see even more people than the previous evening, but then it was Saturday night.

Sunday 15th July

As the weather had turned wet and the forecast for the next week was awful we had decided to change our ferry booking and head home earlier. We drove to Dunkerque and boarded the 12.00 ferry to Dover. On arrival in Dover after a flat calm crossing again we headed to Eastbourne for a night at my mothers before heading on home arriving mid afternoon.

Leaving Dunkerque - the blue skies did not last

Wednesday 18th July

We have now been home a couple of nights and are already thinking about where we can go next........time will tell !

July 2nd - In Dinan

July 2nd - Dinan

We have been away now for just over a fortnight and in that time have not had internet access often and when we have it has been poor connections so I am writing an update to bring the blog up to date.

We left home on Sunday 17th June with a view to touring Belgium and Holland. Our first night was spent at a small campsite on the edge of Chichester harbour. A footpath led from the site to the edge of the water and we had a lovely walk along the sea wall for a few miles in sunshine but a cool breeze. From this site we headed to Dover from where we were due to depart to France in a couple of days. In the meantime we toured Kent by bus visiting Canterbury (very disappointing) then Dover. At Dover we visited Dover Castle overlooking the town and were fascinated by the varying history contained within its boundary walls from a Roman faro (lighthouse) to secret 2nd World War tunnels running for four miles under the castle. We spent the afternoon going from one exhibition area to another enjoying every minute. We then caught a bus to Folkestone then another to get back to the site. We were so glad that the driver of our first bus suggested a Family Explorer ticket which saved us a fortune that day.

Thursday 21st saw us boarding our ferry to take us to Dunkerque. This took us towards Belgium with the additional benefit of being one of the cheapest cross channel routes. Whilst on the ferry we decided that in view of the appalling weather forecast we had seen we would not go to Belgium and Holland as planned because they would probably get the same weather as the UK. Instead we would turn right and head towards Brittany and see what the weather brought. So off the ferry, turn right and head towards Rouen we did. We stopped at a site at Neutchatel-en-Bray about 15 miles short of Rouen and just off our route. Two nights here were lovely and with a cycle route passing right by the entrance on an old railway line we took advantage of it and cycled along the a village a few miles along the route. We covered seven miles that day and Sue was quite pleased with herself as it was the furthest she had cycled up to then. It was also a thoroughly enjoyable route. Before we left the next day we bought some of the local cheese and a bottle of Pommeau which is a blend of apple juice and Calvados, very tasty too. Our site here was lovely and I am sure we will revisit at some time in the future.

Chateau at Mesnieres en Bray on our cycle ride

Saturday 23 rd saw us arriving at Merville Franceville Plage to the East of Caen. From its description the site sounded superb being only yards from a white sand beach. In reality it was sited as described but overcrowded, very tightly packed and noisy. We explored the area a bit but were not sorry to leave after our second night there.

Monday 25th saw us on our way again, this time to Bayeux to view the world famous tapestry. Although this is really a work of embroidery  it was a really impressive piece and made in England but for the Bishop of Bayeux it was used to tell the story of King Harold and Williams invasion of England to a population that were fairly illiterate. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. We continued on our way to a site not far from Mont St Michel. It was situated out in the country in grounds behind a Restaurant (La Couesnon) and we enjoyed a couple of days here exploring the area by foot and by bike. Although we had intended to visit Mont St Michel by bike from the site I had tried the route on my bike the day we arrived and at nearly 14 miles there and back we judged it as too far for Sue to cycle comfortably and did not want to discourage her at this stage. We had bought a new bike for her the day before leaving the UK and she is still getting used to it.

Bayeux cathedral

Wednesday 27th June Travelled from La Couesnon site to St Cast de Guildo just East of St Malo. We had visited here a couple of times by boat and like the area very much so stayed at a campsite on the outskirts of the town overlooking a bay nearby with extensive mussel beds. Coastal paths led from the site into town and we were just minutes from our pitch to a sandy cove that overlooked  Fort La Latte.  We thoroughhly enjoyed our time there, especially the ice creams in the town centre - delicious.

Enjoying the site and sunshine at St Cast

Friday 29th  Travelled from St Cast de Guildo to Binic where we stayed at La Panoramic site, five minutes walk from the sea front. For the princely sum of 12 euros (£10 approx) we had a site with free wifi and a heated indoor pool, each pitch separated by hedging and even 2 boules pitches. Not bad value and we could have stayed longer but we were meeting friends.

Sunday 1st July. We had arranged to meet our friends in Paimpol mid afternoon but from a text had discovered that they had stayed overnight at Lezardriuex not far away so we drove there to meet them for coffee. What they hadn't told us  though was that they were secured to a pontoon in the centre of the river with no access for us to get to them. After a short phone call we drove to Paimpol where we knew there was an aire that we could stay at. If you don't know what an aire is it is an area provided by the town council usually, specifically for motorhomes to park and stay the night. Some have services that are coin operated while others have none. Paimpols is about two minutes walk from the harbour and easily accessed. When we arrived there was plenty of room so we parked up and had lunch, awaiting our friends on their boats who were due to arrive at about 15.15. We met them as they headed up the narrow channel for the lock to the marina and after they had gone through the lock we assisted them in securing in the marina. Plenty to catch up with we helped them empty their beer store while chatting then left to get changed to go out for a meal. They came to More Time on the way to the restaurant as several had not seen the motorhome yet, I think they were impressed. Our restaurant selected by someone who had been there before was unfortunately closed so we took pot luck at the Restaurant du Port and had an excellent meal there before retiring to one of the boats for a nightcap. Sue and I were the ones with the slightly longer walk back to our motorhome but we'd had a lovely evening.

Monday 2nd Travelled to Taden to a campsite close to the River Rance where we had visited in Half Time a couple of times. This is probably our favourite place in France and only a short distance into the medieval town of Dinan. After having lunch when we arrived we had a walk alongside the river to Dinan and explored a little before heading back to the site and typing this update.   Looking forward to the next few days here................

Dinan port

Change of Plan

Well the weather has had it's usual effect and caused us to change our plans.

Today we should have been on board a cross Channel ferry but having seen a forecast that included Force 10 (Storm force) winds likely in the English Channel and strong winds continuing for many days we decided to cancel our sailing trip along the Brittany coast with our friend on his boat and remain at home.

Currently we have rain at a 45degree angle and winds trying their best to blow down the ash tree in our garden.

Right decision!

We just have to hope the weather improves before we head off in 10 days to Belgium and Holland otherwise our plans may change again and we might have to head south for some sunshine.

Queens Jubilee Weekend

Having been home for a couple of weeks I took off cross Channel crewing for a friend on his 33ft yacht. We had a good crossing to St Peter Port in Guernsey and had a couple of days there before crossing to Brittany where we cruised along the coast for a while. I had to return home for various reasons for a few days before heading back cross Channel with Sue for a week on board before returning for a dentists appointment to repair a damaged filling. We are due back on 14th June.

Middle of the following week we are heading cross Channel again (via Dover) in the motorhome to spend some time exploring Belgium and Holland before coming home late July before everywhere gets too busy.

Updates will follow when possible.

Tuesday 1st May

We are now home again for a while after having some appalling weather over the last week or so. We decided to take a meandering route home from Chester and went via Market Drayton (right by the Shropshire Union Canal), Clent Hills (near Halesowen), Warwick (in the middle of the racecourse there) and Huntingdon where we stopped on some National Trust land run as a camp site.

Last weekend we went to Peterborough for what was billed as the best Motorhome Show in the Country......it didn't allow for the weather. Saturday saw us trudging round the show in wellington boots, the only sensible option. Many stall holders were saying that they would not be opening on Sunday at that time. Sunday morning saw us wake to a feeling of deja vue. We were surrounded by water and it was like being on a boat again only we were not rocking. With quite a flow of water visibly going under the van we thought it prudent to leave as soon as we could, having seen a couple of motorhomes being pulled out by tractor.

We thought we were afloat again when we woke to this

We managed to get out without too much problem and stopped about 20 miles down the road for some breakfast. A very wet drive to Woodstock where we stopped the night ensued with flooded roads in several spots. Later in the day once settled in at Woodstock the sun came out but too late to be enjoyed.

From Woodstock we continued home (via Southampton) and got home Monday afternoon having covered just over 1600 miles since leaving and had 45 nights on board.

Wednesday 25th April

Kendal did not make much of an impression. 'The Gateway to  the Lakes' it is called and I can see why people drive straight through on their way to the lakes. We walked into Kendal and back while at the site, part of the walk being alongside the River Kent that passes the site and Kendal, crossing the old Lancaster Canal (no longer used) on the way.

I know there is a drought but......., no longer in use the old Lancaster Canal with bridge but no water.

After leaving Kendal we headed for a night in Clitheroe, mainly to break our journey then continued on the next day to Delamere Forest just outside Chester. Carly and Matt visited while we were here and we had an enjoyable day which fortunately stayed relatively dry. On the day after they visited we went in to Chester for the day which coincided with St Georges Day being celebrated by several schools from the city.

St Georges Day pageant outside Chester Town Hall.

Apparently the most photographed clock in the world, I couldn't resist.

After leaving this site we headed to Market Drayton in Shropshire and stayed at a delightful site alongside the  Shropshire Union Canal a few miles out of town. We walked into town in the afternoon that we arrived and had a walk round which did not take too long. What surprised us was he high number of shops that had closed down, even in what used to be a bustling market town.

Traffic jam Shropshire style on main A528 south of Mkt Drayton.

We are now on a site at the Clent Hills just outside Halesowen (W. Mids) In better weather it would be a stunning location but with the sunshine and showers it is not quite so desirable. Plenty of flooded roads on the way here today.

Tuesday 17th April

We left Edinburgh on Friday (the 13th) and headed for Whitley Bay for no other reason than curiosity. On the way we visited Jedburgh which is very close to the Border and is a lovely town. While there we visited Mary, Queen of Scots house which was fascinating. We were also told about a local butchers that made award winning Chicken and haggis pies so had to try them, lovely. As the weather was very changeable we did not visit the Castle of Abbey there but may well return at some time. A very welcoming town.

Mary, Queen of Scots house at Jedburgh

Whitley Bay camp site was on low cliffs overlooking the sea and St Mary's island and lighthouse. With a cold wind coming off the sea it was not warm so we only stayed the one night and had a brief drive round the town the next morning, nothing very special.

We did walk along the causeway to St Marys Island, here is the proof.

Our next stop was at Haltwhistle, not far from Carlisle where I wanted to walk some of Hadrians Wall. Our camp site was ideally placed for this but not much else could be said in it's favour. Very expensive, isolated, basic facilities and a warden who always seemed to be watching what you were doing. Hadrians Wall walking was more tiring than I thought. Not so much the distances involved but the up and down nature of the route. I probably walked (and scrambled) about 15 miles (including an incorrect set of instructions causing me to walk the wrong way) and I ended up hitching a lift back to the site. Sue had wisely decided not to walk that day so stayed in the van in the warm. I walked and got hailed on several times along with a bitter wind. Very enjoyable though.

One of the Mile Castle's en route to Housesteads Fort on Hadrians Wall

It must rain a lot here, even the lambs wear macs

We are now on a site just outside Kendal in the Lake District again having completed a full circle. We have visited the local castle today, Sizergh Castle (fascinating) on whose land the site is located.If the weather suits tomorrow we are hoping to walk into Kendal and explore that a little.

Tulips at Sizergh Castle

Thursday 12th April

We have been in Edinburgh for a few days now and been out an about when the weather allowed.

Before this we had been at a site at Fintry (Balgair Castle) for three  nights and had appalling weather and no internet access, the worst combination. It was also the week leading up to Easter so full of children as well, we didn't like it especially as the roads to and from Fintry are like driving over a ploughed field, they were dreadful. It really was a last choice though as we had difficulty finding a site with space for us on it. Perhaps that should have told us something.

En Route from Fintry to Edinburgh we stopped off in the rain to visit The Falkirk Wheel which is the only one of it's kind in the World. It allows boats to be lifted from one canal 35mtrs up to another Canal in one go and in about just four minutes. We experienced this as we took a boat trip on the lift and were  surprised how quick it lifted the boat while lowering another in the balancing trough, fascinating.

The Falkirk Wheel in the rain

Now at Edinburgh, we feel civilised again. A lovely site in easy reach of the city and of the Royal Yacht Britannia at Leith which we visited today. We had intended visiting on Tuesday but could not face the horizontal rain that was coming down. It didn't stop until 3 o clock by which time it was too late to do anything. Wednesday we had a visit from an old work colleague of mine (Hi Irene, good to see you and catch up) and all of a sudden it was our last day in Edinburgh so we blitzed the city starting with the Royal Yacht which was a real pleasure to visit even having a coffee and scone on the top deck of her. From there we went into the city and got off the bus at Princes Street (or as near as we could as it is currently closed for the installation of tram lines). We headed off to Holyrood Palace to see if the Scottish Parliament building looks any better in the flesh. Take my word for it, it doesn't.

Look out, the Captain's on the bridge

Sues bar on Britannia, note he contents of Champagne, Gin and Dubonnet, not only The Queens favourites

After a visit to the Castle we caught the bus back to the site and just got our awning packed away dry before a few drops of rain fell so we were more than happy with that.

Edinburgh Castle

Off to Whitley Bay tomorrow for a night or two depending on how we like it.