Cherburg Then On To The West Coast (1 Viewer)

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Just checked and 05 are the correct first two digits for the region of SW France and French telephone numbers are always ten digits, when I have rung French numbers on my mobile when in France the international code is not necessary,so other than an incorrect number on the website I have no explanation

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autoswan

autoswan

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They answered my e mail saying my booking has`nt gone through i explained i could`nt contact them by phone so asked should i either re try booking on line or as there are still a couple of places free to keep us one for when we turn up on their doorstep later today ! no reply i did give them my number too but maybe to late for their office hours.
When we went there 2 years ago they were full but let us stay in their orchard next door for 10 euro a night and it was great there were a group of irish professional musicians next to us and we had a great time in the evenings with them, so that may still be an option if full.
We will see later:unsure:
 
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autoswan

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Just had phone call from the site they are holding the last pitch for us :) a very very very nice man :D
 
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snowdrops

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Got in to la Rochelle around 4pm the park n ride is still only 10 euros a night same as it was 2 years ago including the free bus return to town. I met 1 other Brit here lent him hose fitting for water point. Bit late so had a ride around area on bikes and walked the dogs before having lasagne for tea and watched black sails pirate thing and the new mad max film. We will do the town and stuff tomorrow and plan a site on the island for day after, Thursday i think ?
Ile de Re is amazing, we loved Les Varennes campsite, really cheap with ACSI card, tho prob not this time of year. Lovely beach within walking distance of it. We did try the 2 aires but sardine-like spacing on one and a zillion mozzies on the other. So jealous !

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autoswan

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Yes its great and we have got here well ahead of schedule so will spend best part of a week here to see parts we missed 2 years ago here, only prob now is bloody water pumps stopped pumping but ive put an sos thread in general chat where i hope some of the many experienced knowledgeable funsters can advise me how to get it working without a big hammer being involved ? (y)
 
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autoswan

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Pumps fixed so all is right in the world again :D
Great here on the island not much to tell just great weather, beaches, pool, bike rides n walks, BBQ markets etc. and people are friendly too.
 

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autoswan

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We are sat in a resteraunt at moment in st martin lovely moules and fish dish on the go. Some serious moneys worth of boats in harbour next to us too. Oh to win the lotto ! Haahaha
 

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Follow the cycle paths west from the harbour and you will find the oyster bars by the sea......the place is pure heaven lol. I was there a few weeks ago and think I will be back next year. Have a great holiday.
 
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autoswan

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Thanks but we're not so keen on oysters strange coz I like most sea food and go picking cockles, mussels, Perry winkles and lava bread plus a lot more but oysters never did it for me. But a nice bit of sea bass or bream and I'm in heaven :)

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After St Martins we took a spin around the island there are great beaches all around, after stopping for some provisions near Ars- en- re we went to a car park near beach at top end of the island near Port-en-re, nice spot
We only have the MH so didnt risk going into built up areas in it incase we got stuck but the bikes are worth their weight in gold here for getting around.
Back to site for BBQ and more Merlot to some old brit rock background music , Wonderful :)
 
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autoswan

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Well we left the island today after an open air market stop in coured sur mer .
Change of plan again head in land couple of hours and presently parked up in the aire of futurescope ready for a full on day there tomorrow so better have 4 weetabix for breakfast ! :whistle:

Probability after group meeting is that we will pay another visit to puy du fou as we will be passing that way after here Yippee !:)

I did drop a clanger tho coz les sables d'olonne was on the list to revisit and is only up the road a bit on the map from Larochelle :mad:
So may double back to coast a bit after puy du fou ? Boss liked street artists drawing of our girl last time there so wants another but I recon she loves the shops there too, it's like a mini Benidorm on the sea front and it has a good aire with hook up.

Eventually planning to make it up to planet Sauvage a zoo with dolphinarium before our girls 11th birthday, we went to one in Belgium last years trip and she went in water with them and loved it.

Schedule is subject to change without notice by the management :mask:

Weather been off n on cloudy with the odd light shower but mostly
hot n sunny . Bonsior monamees :france:
 
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autoswan

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Had a nice day in futuroscope yesterday but I forgot how much I hate crowds and queuing , I've had a pain in left knee for a little while and shifting the weight off n on it in the half hour ques have started it off a bit so decided against puy du fou coz they do mega queuing there !
So as we left futuroscope in Poitiers we came to big roundabout with what we thought was a tractor with big trailer broken down across the exit we needed . But it was a mass of tractors all around there with old bill everywhere so seems their striking for some reason and causing chaos !
I drove on with sat nav moaning away "route recalculation " every few mins but I just headed away from farmers meeting and tried to get North but no joy, so pulled into a lidl carpark and picked an aire west of them out of the book and went.
Eventually I was far enough away to stop satnav nagging u turn back! And set it to Les Sables D O'Lonne and got her by about 4 pm.
The aire is good but just like last time there's only about 4 ehu points scattered around the aire all used up by the French that look like their here for a month, so where it says inc hook up in the book don't count on it though it's included in the 10 or 12 ( not checked yet ) euros a night.
Will do the les sables thing tomorrow after a chilled out evening here. Jack :)

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autoswan

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Well we did les sables it was great again had moules lunch on sea front resteraunt area and got our girls portrait done by the same street artist that did one 2 years ago there, he remembered us and her name , cool old artist :)
Eventually got back to the van after I got us lost like last time but my bad French must be getting better coz I asked a mechanic guy where the camping car park was and he said behind you ! :confused:
Still no hook up free and I saw its 14 euro a night so decided to be frugal :D and move on sharpish before our 24 hrs was up.
Drove 28 miles up the coast to Hillaire De Riez. It said a kiss me quick resort in the aires book so got my interest , it was gone 5 when we got here so a bit worried it be full with max 20 vans but chuffed there were still about 5 spaces left at 6 euros a nice little aire with shops, food n pub, funfair and circus and lots of other proper touristy resort stuff plus the beach was nice.
On walk back to van we got a whole chicken off a spit roast and large tub of frites for 12 euros for supper to save the boss cooking :winky:.
 
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autoswan

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Left Hillaire de Riez early this morning 30 mile spin to planets Sauvage a great zoo 2 hour round safari trail with great selection of wild animals and bag of plain popcorn to feed ostriches, emus, lamas and a variety of antelope type beasties that stuck their heads in our open windows for a munch.
Dolphin show was good very warm sat in the open spectator area. Then a look around other areas highly recommend it if you have kids with you. 2 adults & 1 child 75 euros.
Left there around 5 pm we saw the red arrows doing their thing as we drove past Pornic, headed back up over the impressive bridge at St Nazaire hoping to get into 1 of 3 aires at la T ( can't remember rest of name, will check later ) first aire 3 spaces but barrier broke next was full so shot up to la piriac sumere.
Nice aire by the sea we stopped here 2 years ago. Need a campsite soon around Carnac area any suggestions ?
We keep a travel diary in the van but so busy sometimes we forget to update it so my ramblings here may help fill in the blanks ? Nos Da all. Jack.
 
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autoswan

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As it's nice here in Piriac sur mer and Sunday's quiet we are staying another night. Beach is good we picked cockles like the locals earlier and enjoyed eating them outside the van this evening . My girls found a nice French girl to play with in the aire so they are learning each other's language using huge arm and hand gestures hahaha !

I tried booking a municipal and other campsite for a couple of nights earlier using the net ones I saved and camper checks book . Nightmare ! Either no translation for the bits I couldn't work out or when I did manage to book where they had room I got e mail back couple hours later saying full ! I'm waiting for e mail confirmation for another I booked earlier too. If no joy il just head for an aire around Carnac and stop in some sites we see on way and hope we get in.

No good phoning them coz every combination I use of their telephone number gets nowhere on my 3 mobile just like last time I tried to ring a French number here Grrrr !

They started charging 6 euros since last time we were here when it was free but well worth it, they have barriers that rise out of floor on entry and exit but no probs. I noticed there are a lot less free aires here now most of the free ones are in land but still great value .

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May 7, 2011
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Hi Autoswan , is that the aire opposite the beach at Brambells
upload_2015-8-3_7-55-38.jpeg


upload_2015-8-3_7-56-5.jpeg
upload_2015-8-3_7-55-38.jpeg
 
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autoswan

autoswan

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It doesnt look like piriac sur mer aire were on at parking de lerat ?
Weve had e mail confirmation now of a couple of nights stay at camping les menhirs at carnac so heading off up the coast to it :)
 
May 7, 2011
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Hi, we stayed at Brambells aire (as in pic's) Baie de Toulport just north of you.

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autoswan

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Hi me again :)
Well a couple of nights on site at Carnac was a bit pricey 148 euros but had great pool and all the bells n whistles for kids etc so not to bad and Carnac was lovely , called in a huge outdoor market on way out Wednesday.
Had e mail back for room at a cheap 22 euro municipal site up coast at Ploudu for Wednesday night, nice place good beaches.
Moved on to concarnau today got here early about midday but aire was packed already ! But I had a scout about and found a few vans tucked in up far end behind a building with room for me to do a bit of fancy manouvering in for the night (y)
Walked down road 10 mins to a great town with large antiques fair in main square good shops for boss then across moat into citadel with loads more shops for me to sit outside people watching while the girls had their shopping therapy overdose ! :confused:
Nice harbour and historical parts too.
A night here then off back up to mates place in Plogoff for party time again over the weekend just in time for the footy season to kick off on his sat tv (y)
 
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autoswan

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:france:Bonsior.
We left Concarneau last Friday after another market and nose round the town. Drove to mates place in Plogoff again had great weekend big family of welshies and frenchies , kids there to keep our girl busy and women took th Mrs shops and markets etc, leaving me and the men to do a bit of work burning trees n stuff, sort BBQ and bar stock , also watched my swans show Chelsea how to play magic footy and only draw !
The beaches are good around there and had great weather, Sunday was a huge fete of the gors / heather in French ? The whole area paraded in traditional costumes and in horse drawn carriages with pipes and drums etc it was very nice, later all congregated in a huge field area with big stage for folk dancing and French modern music n dance etc... Plenty of food n drink stalls and we won a raffle a mini deep fat frier that you could just fit 1 donut in ! :confused:

So after lots of other enjoyable things we left there Monday it was a fantastic weekend :)
We headed north to an aire we stayed in 2 years ago at the side of abig lake in lafaines.
This morning low on gazol we Made it to an intermarche .
Found a vet for the dogs ferry trip home in Dinan expensive at 60 euros but glad it's out of the way now. Dinan looks nice but the road to the aire was blocked and it's not a good place for parking in high season so we drove through then back out again .

Headed to Saint mont michel, stopped for food just before in a nice old oak beamed resteraunt, got to the aire here around 7.30 pm ready for another look around the Isle and shops for the Mrs tomoz before heading closer to Cherbourg tomorrow afternoon.:cool:
 

DBK

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Useful to know not all the Aires are totally jam packed at this time of year. Thanks.

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autoswan

autoswan

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If we're headed to a popular place we try to get to the aire by around midday, but apart from a few we've had no problem getting a space even when getting to some quite late that I thought would probably be full by then.
There's always a few more up the road if full.
 
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autoswan

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Well our return to mont Saint michel was an experience ! I think everyone in France decided to visit today !
The aire is 20.80 euro for 24 hours includes return shuttle bus to the mount . It was very hot today and we did the shops resteraunt and abbey through the crowds then around the battlements for a quicker exit, so I thought !
There's only one way in and out with a bottle neck arch way which on looking down from the battlements we saw hundreds of people grid locked either side trying to push through the small arch way !

The police arrived sirens wailing to try to get some order but no sooner had they walked through the crowds sorting left out right in then they just closed back to chaos behind them ! A few shots in the air may have moved them or more likely started a stampede mwhahaha.
We went for it after a while with the girls behind my not so petite frame following close behind , I was tempted to scrum down and push through but eventually we got to the exit gate .

The next bit of fun was where to get the bus back . They have very little idea of organization or queuing over here most of the French seem to have Everyman for him, herself mentality ! Not all though I'm sure ? So we followed the herd up to where the bus stop and got in what looked like a que where a French woman muttered something about get to back of the line I think, which was impossible to know where it started and ended ! So I answered in Welsh " do you come here often ? "and she shrugged while loads passed us on the outside then pushed in by the busses !

So in a nut shell if we ever go there again in say 10 years time it will be out of season coz the place though picturesque is bloody crazy mun !

After a chill out we headed north again half way up to Cherbourg and found a good aire Gouville sur mer, max 75 vans 5 euro a night, just up from Agon Coutaineville where we stopped first night over here. Here were right by a nice beach which we took the dogs for a walk along watching lots of black headed gulls dive bombing for fish in the shallows. Then we got some frites just off the beach and settled down just as the biggest thunder and lightning storm I've seen for quite some time started above us it's still raging away now after 4 hours non stop. We're heading to Cherbourg tomorrow for evening ferry back to uk I hope the storms worn itself out by then !
i wrote this around 2am this morning but it had`nt posted . Storms eased just drizzling now, still concerned about weather for ferry crossing this evening though ? :worried: Jack.
 
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DBK

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Your account of Mont St Michael echoes what I have read - a tourist trap to be avoided when busy.
If you are crossing from Cherbourg I think the Wight shipping forecast is the one: (which I think says things are getting a little calmer, although the forecasts for further west are not so good - threat of sea state "rough" off Plymouth later today)

Wight
Shipping Forecast - Issued: 0405 UTC Thu 13 Aug
Wind
Northeasterly 5 to 7, becoming cyclonic then southwesterly later, 4 or 5.
Sea state
Slight or moderate.
Weather
Thundery rain and fog patches.
Visibility
Moderate or good, occasionally very poor.

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autoswan

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Thanks for that it has calmed the girls nerves a bit , they`ve been lucky so far with only calm crossings, ive been in rough seas but as long as the captains happy to sail then should be fine. I found as long as i can see the sea in rough crossings its easier on the guts ! :sick:
 
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autoswan

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Headed home yesterday after a restaurant in Cherbourg to kill some time before the ferry and a long walk for the dogs. stocked up in lidl and intermarche and a full tank and can of diesel we set off on ferry 6.50pm the sea was like a mill pond all the way over so no worries about the predicted thunder storms after all !
I think it all happened Wednesday night at the Gouville sur mer aire instead :)
The security checks were not as thorough as on the way out unless they use x ray scanners ? we could have had anything on board as everyone went strait through after passport checks were done ! Anyway we arrived home around 3am after a great 4 weeks, feeling knackered after the long drives so will have a slow weekend to get back up to speed before re entering the rat race here.

The End.



For now :D
 

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