Do you remember years ago we used to joke about the holiday jet? Wherever we went in the caravan, at some point a jet fighter would come screaming over at very low level. Well time has moved on and the pilot has had to retire from flying. But we've discovered that he's got a new job on the ground. His task is to come round roundabouts just as we are about to enter them! We must have gone round over a hundred roundabouts this last 3 days in France. We can be in a line of 6 or more vehicles and all those in front get straight onto the roundabout because all the cars already on it turn down the road we are on, but as soon as we get to the front the next car comes round so we have to wait. I blame Brexit; the French are getting their own back by deliberately thwarting the progress of British cars. When they see one coming this guy jumps in the nearest car and drives round to stop us. He's got us over 40 times now. But today I discovered his weakness; as is the custom he has a 2 to 3 hour lunch break, so I now go across all roundabouts while he's having his lunch. It's working well so far.
Today we were going to visit Royan but decided it was too far away. So we went to La Rochelle but so did everyone else in France so we just went round a hypermarche, got some petrol and kept going. We went to La Tranche sur Mer where we once had a nice holiday in the caravan. It was where the site owner was cantankerous and pretended he didn't speak English to any lazy Brits who just assumed he did. But when I spoke French but eventually got tongue tied it turned out he spoke very good English! I've told you the tale! Anyway what I forgot is that there's nowhere to park in the place as it's so popular so we didn't stay!
This evening we had a wander round the site where we are staying. All the people in caravans at the moment are British (and mainly northerners at that!) but we are the only ones in the B&B; all our fellow guests are French.
Thursday, 4 August 2016
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Flan!😀
We then drove to La Roche sure Yon. There's a central square with animated sculptures in water that you walk through, although I don't remember those being there when we originally visited, or we'd still have been waiting for Tom to tire of playing with them! I do remember Faye being desperate for the toilet and the only one was this self contained super toilet on a street corner that you put some money in and the door slid open to let you in. It was like something out of Doctor Who and we pretended to be time travellers when we stepped back out. Does that ring a bell with anyone?
We had lunch while there and went in a really nice confectioners type shop. We eventually had a sandwich, cake and drink "meal deal" and a latte to finish with, after having bother with our mangled French. But thanks to one of the assistants who spoke some English we both had what we thought we'd ordered!
Mum then took several photographs using her new technical knowledge gained on her course last Sunday; you will no doubt be seeing the results in due course!
Went to Les Sables d'Olonne next; it's a lovely seaside town but the strange part is that all the streets leading to the beach are uphill. How can the town be lower than the beach? They are in big trouble if there's a high tide!
We then went to Saint Jean de Monts, another town inland with a large central square which acts as a car park with shops all round it.
The value of French car parks is that we parked, centrally in all 3 towns in very nice, clean car parks. Total cost 2 euros, ie less than £2. If only good old brexit Britain gave such good value, all your lives could have been so different! Instead of having driven through so many interesting towns and places, you would have actually stopped and seen them! Also you wouldn't all walk so fast (the Lancaster walk) as you would never have had to quickly walk the 2 miles, look round and walk the 2 miles back to avoid the wardens catching us in the 20 minute free parking spaces😉
Hello, we're back by popular demand (well, George missed us!); another week, another country!
Our mission this week was to explore the possibility of siting the caravan in the vendee area and assess the possibility of all the family using it for holidays. And I still maintain the idea was a good one! But the practicality is that by the time you've driven down here you've almost lost the will to live (you certainly will have if you're travelled with children!
Left home at lunchtime on Monday to drive to Folkestone; that in itself was nearly 240 miles and took four and a half hours when the traffic was reasonable with no standing traffic queues. That alone is not a pleasant prospect with children asking if we're nearly there yet before we reach the M62!
Stayed at a Premier Inn which was fine and did full breakfasts but we had no time for it as we rose at 6-15 in order to arrive at the Eurotunnel check in by 7-15; check in itself was easy as it's done electronically at a booth at the entrance; it recognises your car registration from the booking and you only need to confirm details. There is some ferry-type queuing in lanes but you are soon on the train. It's a bit weird driving onto a train and then driving through the carriages but much quicker and more civilised than ferries. The weather in the south of England and northern France was atrocious; full on dark sky and torrential rain. Overtaking big trucks at 80 was literally driving blind because the spray was like a wall of water; not nice!
The journey from Calais was 410 miles and took 7 hours. The traffic is much lighter than England but that length of time driving isn't fun! We took full use of modern technology so you just drive over the bridge at the Dartford crossing and it clocks your registration number and bills your bank account so long as you registered beforehand like I did. Then I have a computer chip stuck inside the car windscreen for the Peage so you can drive up to the barrier; it recognises your chip and beeps and the barrier opens. And, again it automatically bills your bank account.
So we arrived at La Baudonniere, which is a beautiful old chateau in the countryside. The place is gorgeous, the Irish owners are typical, friendly and can talk all day, and very accommodating but the sheer length of time it takes to get here seems pretty much to rule it out for frequent visits.
Breakfast is all about brioche and croissants as you'd expect; it's lovely but doesn't fill you up for the day like a full Scottish, I think it's the lack of haggis; wonder if there's a marketing opportunity here for croissants stuffed with haggis?
Our mission this week was to explore the possibility of siting the caravan in the vendee area and assess the possibility of all the family using it for holidays. And I still maintain the idea was a good one! But the practicality is that by the time you've driven down here you've almost lost the will to live (you certainly will have if you're travelled with children!
Left home at lunchtime on Monday to drive to Folkestone; that in itself was nearly 240 miles and took four and a half hours when the traffic was reasonable with no standing traffic queues. That alone is not a pleasant prospect with children asking if we're nearly there yet before we reach the M62!
Stayed at a Premier Inn which was fine and did full breakfasts but we had no time for it as we rose at 6-15 in order to arrive at the Eurotunnel check in by 7-15; check in itself was easy as it's done electronically at a booth at the entrance; it recognises your car registration from the booking and you only need to confirm details. There is some ferry-type queuing in lanes but you are soon on the train. It's a bit weird driving onto a train and then driving through the carriages but much quicker and more civilised than ferries. The weather in the south of England and northern France was atrocious; full on dark sky and torrential rain. Overtaking big trucks at 80 was literally driving blind because the spray was like a wall of water; not nice!
The journey from Calais was 410 miles and took 7 hours. The traffic is much lighter than England but that length of time driving isn't fun! We took full use of modern technology so you just drive over the bridge at the Dartford crossing and it clocks your registration number and bills your bank account so long as you registered beforehand like I did. Then I have a computer chip stuck inside the car windscreen for the Peage so you can drive up to the barrier; it recognises your chip and beeps and the barrier opens. And, again it automatically bills your bank account.
So we arrived at La Baudonniere, which is a beautiful old chateau in the countryside. The place is gorgeous, the Irish owners are typical, friendly and can talk all day, and very accommodating but the sheer length of time it takes to get here seems pretty much to rule it out for frequent visits.
Breakfast is all about brioche and croissants as you'd expect; it's lovely but doesn't fill you up for the day like a full Scottish, I think it's the lack of haggis; wonder if there's a marketing opportunity here for croissants stuffed with haggis?
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