I know I say it every time, "No plans just follow my nose", but I can't!!! I suppose being laid up for three weeks with a UTI, on antibiotics, three different types over 20 days, my mind turned to places to go, things to do... and of course the Autumn trip to France and Spain.
With the summer holiday binned we have done a few shorter trips out:
We have three nights to get down to Moux. So we arrive in the day before the party. With Le Shuttle departing sometime around noon on day one it means we have half a day to get down the road. I hate the route that Google suggests that takes in the outer periphique around Paris. I find it tedious and the traffic too heavy all times of the day. Arriving around home time won't be that clever.
So it looks as though I will break one of my rules and use a toll motorway! I have been looking at a first overnight down the A26 towards Laon/Reims. Either a CCP aire or a campsite.
I had a play with ChatGPT to work out a route, and was amazed that although it can't show you on Google Maps it's easy to let it work one out! I'll play a bit more later on.
Before Moux we have another place to visit, another friend that lives near St Etienne. The ChatGPT thing was quite good at planning a route to Moux via St Etienne and offering sites and aires to stop over.
Post Moux we have one night before we have a few nights at Camping La Gaviota near Roses and another couple of nights at Camping Alegria del Mar. The former we saw was dog friendly from a couple of different vlogs, and the latter, we stayed there before in 2022 after a previous visit to Alcossebre.
I have reserved at both. Alegria has some long termers as well as the usual touring vans. It's right near the beach, although it's not the golden sand you might hope for. It's an easy walk into Benicarló along the beach.
Before then though :
* This site had metered ehu. Create an account with meter-macs.com and load it with some dosh. Then activate with your pitch number on arrival after plugging in. Great. The problem is when you leave. Disconnecting the ehu from the bollard kills it. When you go back on the website you can see how much used. Hours later the tenner you put on is now £7.60 in credit. That's two days/nights with basically just the fridge and a low power kettle used a few times. Click refund. Balance goes to £0.00. Then for the next four days get an email timed at 3am telling you your balance is in debit.... it's pennies. Report to meter-macs and Caravan Club. Former no help. Latter? Still not heard back!
** What luck. As long as games aren't too altered for TV I will only miss two home games and I have a buddy that will take the games on the ticket transfer scheme. Job done!
With the summer holiday binned we have done a few shorter trips out:
- The National League Promotion Final at Wembley. We stayed at the Caravan Club site at Wyatts Covert* near Denham. It means I could use the train one stop to the Stadium Station!
- Campers & Coffee vanlife event at Hellingly in Sussex. In the Cathargo Malibu we were one of the few non-VW based campervans on site. There were a couple of big MAN pop-tops and an imported from Canada GMC RV to ward off the VW hordes.
- Three nights at the East Fleet Farm Touring Park near Weymouth. All the facilities, EHU and water on the pitch and £37 a night! Yes, I know it is expensive.
We have three nights to get down to Moux. So we arrive in the day before the party. With Le Shuttle departing sometime around noon on day one it means we have half a day to get down the road. I hate the route that Google suggests that takes in the outer periphique around Paris. I find it tedious and the traffic too heavy all times of the day. Arriving around home time won't be that clever.
So it looks as though I will break one of my rules and use a toll motorway! I have been looking at a first overnight down the A26 towards Laon/Reims. Either a CCP aire or a campsite.
I had a play with ChatGPT to work out a route, and was amazed that although it can't show you on Google Maps it's easy to let it work one out! I'll play a bit more later on.
Before Moux we have another place to visit, another friend that lives near St Etienne. The ChatGPT thing was quite good at planning a route to Moux via St Etienne and offering sites and aires to stop over.
Post Moux we have one night before we have a few nights at Camping La Gaviota near Roses and another couple of nights at Camping Alegria del Mar. The former we saw was dog friendly from a couple of different vlogs, and the latter, we stayed there before in 2022 after a previous visit to Alcossebre.
I have reserved at both. Alegria has some long termers as well as the usual touring vans. It's right near the beach, although it's not the golden sand you might hope for. It's an easy walk into Benicarló along the beach.
Before then though :
- Vanlove Fest at Elvington in July
- The start of the Premier League** where I have a season ticket.
- The great re-entry into the EFL of Oldham Athletic.
- The Warners' Show at Malvern in August.
* This site had metered ehu. Create an account with meter-macs.com and load it with some dosh. Then activate with your pitch number on arrival after plugging in. Great. The problem is when you leave. Disconnecting the ehu from the bollard kills it. When you go back on the website you can see how much used. Hours later the tenner you put on is now £7.60 in credit. That's two days/nights with basically just the fridge and a low power kettle used a few times. Click refund. Balance goes to £0.00. Then for the next four days get an email timed at 3am telling you your balance is in debit.... it's pennies. Report to meter-macs and Caravan Club. Former no help. Latter? Still not heard back!
** What luck. As long as games aren't too altered for TV I will only miss two home games and I have a buddy that will take the games on the ticket transfer scheme. Job done!
