Lenny's 1st Trip South 2018

[Lenny HB]

Heading for warmer climes again, plan is to start in Spain at Benicassim meeting up with some of our dancing friends who are putting on Rock'n'Roll dances at the site so we can get a bit of dancing in before heading on.
Now you lot keep quiet aready loosing all my street cred by staying on a site that's bad enough without you lot taking the pee.

First 50 miles from Dieppe was horrible, lashing it down & strong cross winds.
Pleased to say by the time we arrived at the Nonancourt Aire a 100 miles south it was dry and the sun shining & notaceably warmer than the south of England. As we drove into the Aire had that Déjà vu feeling, yep been here before.
Nice little Aire, tight spaces but by a nice park & river fine for a travelling stopover.

 

[JonP]

Enjoy the trip South and hope you enjoy the cycle trip along the old railway line at Benicassim

 

[Taran_Las]

You think that old wreck of a van will get that far Lenny?​

 

[Lenny HB]

You think that old wreck of a van will get that far Lenny?​

It will slowly, Euro 6 don't go as well as last one that was Euro 5+ hopefully will get better with more miles on it.
Would give you a funny Phil but you don't deserve it.

 

[Taran_Las]

It will slowly, Euro 6 don't go as well as last one that was Euro 5+ hopefully will get better with more miles on it.
Would give you a funny Phil but you don't deserve it.

Have a great trip​

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[Just smiffy]

Looking forward to hear about your coming trip.... have a great time...

 

[scousebird]

Have a great trip

 

[Clarky]

Have a good trip Lenny.

Richard.

 

[Speve]

It will slowly, Euro 6 don't go as well as last one that was Euro 5+ hopefully will get better with more miles on it.

What size engine and gearbox do you have Lenny? We’ve gone for 180 bop and automatic. Hope that pulls ok as we have 150 on our Exsis and that tows trailer well but a bit sluggish on steeper climbs.

 

[CazPaul]

How long is this trip for Lenny, a nice cool 4 to 5 weeks is it, the same as I get in holidays every YEAR from work.
Jealous as hell but I still have my health.

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[Northernraider]

Nice and warm down here

 

[Lenny HB]

What size engine and gearbox do you have Lenny? We’ve gone for 180 bop and automatic. Hope that pulls ok as we have 150 on our Exsis and that tows trailer well but a bit sluggish on steeper climbs.

150 Comformatic, same as we had on the Exsis. It was very sluggish at first better now but not as good as the last one but only done 4k this trip should put another 3k on it so hopefully will improve. Worse on long hills changes up too soon, I am pulling an extra 300kg compared to the Exsis.

 

[PORKSTER]

Have a great trip

 

[Lenny HB]

How long is this trip for Lenny, a nice cool 4 to 5 weeks is it, the same as I get in holidays every YEAR from work.
Jealous as hell but I still have my health.

Only 6 weeks the boss won't let me have 8 weeks due to 1st grandchild arrived last September. Have managed to get another 4 weeks in June then another 6 weeks in mid September.

 

[gus-lopez]

Have a good trip.

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[ianthebuilder]

Enjoy,,, nice to get away from the rain !!! X

 

[Abacist]

Quite envious really as we are on standby for the arrival of our latest granddaughter and fed up with all this cold and rain. We like Benicassim as well! Have fun!

 

[Northernraider]

I hope benicassim has woken up now.
When I was there last month I thought I'd stepped on to a wild West set.
I cycled through it and expected to hear the pocketwatch tune from "The good the bad and the English"

Sorry typo
Of course I meant *ugly

 

[PhilandMena]

Have a good trip, at the least the weather is better here than at back home.

 

[Robert Clark]

Enjoy your trip Lenny
Hopefully it will get warm enough to test your fridge fans

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[DavidG58]

enjoy your trip, like your aire updates, you cant beat real life experiences

 

[Speve]

Enjoy your trip hopefully weather improving all the time now we are just about to start for home

 

[Lenny HB]

I hope benicassim has woken up now.
When I was there last month I thought I'd stepped on to a wild West set.
I cycled through it and expected to hear the pocketwatch tune from "The good the bad and the English"

Sorry typo
Of course I meant *ugly

Good the bad & the ugly, use that for incoming text on my phone, it does a great job of annoying the boss.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thank you everyone for all your good wishes.

Oh why, oh why, did I go down the N10, hated that road last time we went down it seems even worse this year.

Now at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire for the night, nice free Aire & services only 4 spaces. Local mini market is a real local one price labels on everything no barcoding, Portuguese wine & beer on the shelves owner looked more Portuguese than French.

 

[Lenny HB]

enjoy your trip, like your aire updates, you cant beat real life experiences

Likewise with yours David, often find some real gems but rarely go back to them as we tend to just find the nearest one to where we are when we decide to stop.

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[DavidG58]

Now at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire for the night, nice free Aire & services only 4 spaces. Local mini market is a real local one price labels on everything no barcoding, Portuguese wine & beer on the shelves owner looked more Portuguese than French.

As we drove back up the N10 last month, we both noticed that place name and thought it was a stop we had made a couple of years back, but your photo now confirms it definitely wasn't, it was near Angouleme though, south of it like you are in a town centre, room for three alongside a Champion supermarket which didn't open till 10 it was also the first time we saw outdoor washing machines

still cant think of the town name though, same as we cant a lovely little village we discovered north of there, but I will make it my mission to rediscover both place names when I can find time

 

[Lenny HB]

it was also the first time we saw outdoor washing machines

You must drive around France blind they have been about for at least 10 years.

 

[DavidG58]

You must drive around France blind they have been about for at least 10 years.

it's more that we still work, only used to go away for 2 weeks, rarely three and took enough clothes to not need to wash while away before

 

[Clarky]

The N10 must win the award for the most boring road in France.
Good quality dual carriageway, almost motorway standard, but with a daft speed limit and no overtaking for over 3.5 tonne vehicles.
Must be more crashes due to drivers dozing off that there were before.

Richard.

 

[peterc10]

Thank you everyone for all your good wishes.

Oh why, oh why, did I go down the N10, hated that road last time we went down it seems even worse this year.

Now at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire for the night, nice free Aire & services only 4 spaces. Local mini market is a real local one price labels on everything no barcoding, Portuguese wine & beer on the shelves owner looked more Portuguese than French.

View attachment 218747

We hate the N10 between Tours and Poitiers. Always pay for the tolls on the parallel A10.

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