Summer Trip, August 2015 : Week 3

Monday 24/08/2015

Raining again when we woke up today so we got up and packed up and got on the road towards Champagne. We drove via St. Dizier and Chalons en Champagne and stopped at Decathlon there to look around. We then drove on to a very nice Aire by the river Marne at Mareille sur Ay, just south of Epernay. We could not get on this Aire last year. We settled and rode the bikes along the river to Epernay. We explored the town for a couple of hours and wandered down the Rue de Champagne which is home to all the big and famous champagne names. Our cycle back took us through a village called Ay which flowed into Mareu which is twinned with Newton Abbot. Two more different places you could not imagine. Chilled evening in the van playing cards.

Miles 140

Overnight 0 euro

Tuesday 25/08/2015

Went for a nice run along the river and via the boulongere and we bought the best ever not for Amelia Almond Croissants we had them for breakfast with coffee sat on the bench by the river. Then of for another bike ride in the other direction.

We got back to the van and packed and made the short journey to one of last years favourite Aires at Chevigny. This is a small champagne producers property. We bought Champagne last year and wanted some more mainly for Jacks 21^st. We spent the afternoon in the garden ,cycled to get meat for supper. We went into owners house to buy champagne.

Miles 10

Overnight cot 0 euro ( but 243 euro on fizz)

Wednesday 26/08/2015

Bit of a mixed day. Went for a run in the morning and then headed north East towards Verdun.

Verdun was a lovely and interesting town with loads of WW1 history. Spent a couple of hours exploring and had a drink in a café on the river in the sunshine. Then headed North to find an Aire for the night. We ended up at a very strange and weird town called Stinay. Aire was ok .we decided to only say one night.

Miles 97

Overnight 8 euro.

Thursday 27/08/2015

Weather horrendous decided to have a long driving day ,our first big one all holiday. We headed for Dieppe and Le Touquet.

Tried a few Aires Fort Mahon Plage, Treport, Qttend Plage all horrible. All low rent seaside towns. Tiered we headed for what we knew from last year Dieppe . We like the town and it has a busy atmosphere.

Miles 271

Overnight 7 Euro

Friday 28/08/2015

Woke up to the sound of the bread van on the busy beach/harbour side Aire at Dieppe. It was foggy but the time we were ready for a run along the front the sun was shinning. We had a lovely run along and then another run along.

Spent the rest of the morning wandering around the busy time and had coffee in the main square. On return to the van we took chairs and our lunch onto the beach and chilled with our books.

Later in the afternoon we went back into town to explore the two brocantes we had discovered last year. They were not as exciting as the one we stumbled across on the 16^th. We had a nice day in Dieppe.

Miles 0

Overnight 7 Euro

Saturday 29/08/2015

Decided to day we would split the drive to Dunkirk in half stopping at some point near L Touquet. We chose an Aire at Eimbry in the middle of nowhere. On the way there we came across a brocante shop at Martainneville on the D928 between Rouen and Abbeiville. In there we found a cabinet for our hall at home,we had been looking at them on E bay at home for about £100 we paid 40 euro £29,well chuffed.

Pottered along through the beautiful countryside to the best Aire of the holiday. A tiny village no shop or bakery. But lots of noisy farm animals.

Miles 101

Overnight cost 7 euro

Sunday 30/08/2015

Home. A welcome home sign and home baked biscuits and a very tidy house. Thanks Jack.

Summer Trip, August 2015 : Week 2

Monday 17/08/2015

Decided to stay a full day at St.Pont Lac and explore by bike. We went for a nice run followed by breakfast of disappointing croissaints from the  fromagerie. The   only shop in the village.

Our cycle circumnavigated the lake about 15 miles and Mark bought a beautiful poster with a cyclist pictured by the lake 1920s style.

Relaxed by the van in the afternoon as the sun came out well and truly. Miles 0

Overnight stay 9 euro + 3 for services.

Tuesday 18/08/2015 and Wednesday 19/08/2015

Still heading west. Destination today is an Aire at Lac de Villerest an artificial lake created by a hydro electric dam across the loire just south of Roanne. We arrived mid afternoon after another longish drive ,but  the weather is getting better and better.

Another nice aire with views across the lake. Trouble is we have been jumping from Lake to lake but non can touch the blue water and skies of Lac de Sainte croix. We do not want to swim in these. The fisherman are not clean in their lakeside habits and bird watchers are weird. But these lakes are pretty in there   own way. Quite hilly round here and a nice town. Decided to stop another day to explore on bikes. More disappointing croissants. We are becoming croissant experts and we know what we like. Buttery ,Crispy outside soft inside and fresh. We do not have them every day.

Got chatting to a chap from Holland next to us, very friendly

,him being the first person we have spoken to. We have encountered no English and seen very few British vans. We love being of the tourist route.

Miles 228 Tuesday. 0 Wednesday

Overnight cost 5.90 euro Tuesday 0 Euro Wednesday.

Thursday 20/08/2015

Todays plan was to follow the Loire North West not too far and just pick somewhere along the way.

It was a good plan as we pottered along slowly, stopped regularly to admire the views and generally had a chilled day.

We stopped at an Aire alongside the canal Lateral a la Loire near a town called Beaulon. What a beautiful spot. Lovely and flat so went for a nice cycle after lunch before settling down outside the van in the evening sun shine. Watching the boats go through the lock and playing cards. Bliss.

Miles 82

Overnight cost 0 Euro

Friday 21/08/2015

Enjoying our stop at Beaulon so decided to stay for a second day and night.

Got up early and sat outside having a cup of tea in the early morning sunshine and quiet. We followed this with a run along the canal. We then had good croissaints for breakfast which we had cycled into town to buy.

Spent the most part of that day on the bikes,cycled first to Bourbon Lancy which is a lovely town. Jo found a Brocante and bought a lovely old table cloth for the garden table (bargain 5 euro) and we had coffee at a café watching the world go by. We then picked up the Voire Verte cycle route and did a triangular route back to the van about 25 miles.

Spent rest of afternoon at van planning the next day. Voted one of the best Aires of the holiday.

Miles 0

Overnight cost 0

Saturday 22/08/2015

Continued North West along the Loire towards Neves. Needed a food shop today found a supermarket and then as by magic stumbled across the racing circuit Magney Cours.We got out to have a quick look and take some pictures. We discovered there was a Porche race meeting and they would just let us walk in. Wandered up into the main grandstand and watched a race. Jo enjoyed the atmosphere and obviously Mark was in his element.

Continued North from Neves with no plan but possibly a stop at Clamecy. Arriving at the Aire we were unsure, but it grew on us and we decided to stay. A slightly strange town, jousting on the river to watch. But we could barbeque our fresh prawns under the trees and had a peaceful night.

Miles 107

Overnight cost 0 euro

Sunday 23/08/2015

Yesterday at the tourist office at Magney cours, Jo found a leaflet of all the Brocantes in the area. So we set out to find a French car boot sale and French bargains for our English cottage. We found the village of Courcelles. We found the very small sale which had a certain country charm. We bought one of the bottles we collect for 4 euro. An identical one yesterday in a Brocante shop in Clamecy was 20 euro.

We headed cross country to Auxerre planning to explore but rain came down. We carried on to Troyes and then at a Aire at the Lac Du Der. The Aire is ok a gravel car park with no views. The lake is good if you are a twitcher we are not. However we cyled around the edge for a couple of hours. Got back in time as the rain came down.

Miles 147

Overnight 0 euro