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