Lou and Si go East (of Paris)

[Van Si]

A brief intro, relatively new to the forum, did France (for the first time) for 9 days in the van last April fully intending to blog it and didn't, but loved every minute of it. I enjoy reading other people's stories and make a note of recommended sites and aires which helps in our planning, so I should do the same in return.

Last time we went as far south as Saumur, across the top of Nantes and worked our way back along the West and North coast to Calais again. We have 'the boys' Alf the Springer and Oz the Cocker, two 9 year old Spaniels that think they are still 2 years old most of the time.

This road trip is for 2 weeks and we're staying East of Paris and that's all that's planned so far.

 

[Van Si]

Day 1 - left Lincolnshire at 8.30am and got to Folkestone in sufficient time to let the boys check their pee-mail in the doggy compound at the terminal before boarding the 12.50 Chunnel, half hour earlier than booked.

When in Calais headed SE on the A26 towards Reims (€13) coming off at Bethune and we're at Aire du Parc d'Olhain (camper contact #53293) which is a cracking Aire, all tree lined with only 2 other vans here, 1x Belgium and 1 French. It's barrier controlled has EHU, toilet and shower block and costs €9 for 24 hours.

The boys have been for a nice walk along some signposted 'Nordic walking' trails, a beer in the sunshine before tea in the van. Now it's chilling out with a glass of red and have a look at the map to see where tomorrow may take us, which I guess will be somewhere around Reims. I can taste the Champagne already!

 

[Van Si]

After a bacon sarnie and another walk in the woods for the boys, headed SE down the A26 towards Reims, stopping off at Arras for supplies and diesel. Found a site to the SW of Reims in champagne land that is on both camper contact (#28796) and France-passion, Champagne Jacques Copin in Verneuil.

A champagne vineyard and winery that is free overnight if you buy a bottle of fizz or €10 if you don't. EHU in a grass field next to the winery and shop, with sanitary block and all the other wet services.

It was a beautiful afternoon so after a cheese and bread lunch we cracked open a bottle of their 'traditional' champagne which they also gave us glasses and a cooler for and soaked up the sunshine.

BBQ (charcoal not gas) for tea and another bottle of fizz, at €17.60 seemed very reasonable, watching the sun set. The boys had a walk round the village when it had cooled down and we sussed out where the bakery is for morning bread.

 

[Jo662]

Nice write up,look forward to reading more.Keep the photos coming!

 

[highwayman]

Can heartily recommend the canalside aire at reims

Cheers nige

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[Grianan]

I’m going to enjoy this.

 

[Van Si]

Day 3 - a relatively easy day today. Up and a coffee outside the van and walked the boys to the village bakery before it got too warm. More coffe, French bread and a croissant later, packed the van up, serviced it and left Jacques Copin a hundred and so euros lighter after Lou had finished buying champagne, glasses and other bubbly related stuff.

Took the N and D roads through the vineyards and little villages which was amazing and headed for Troyes. Elected to stay on a campsite and pay a bit extra as a) we had a lot more time and b) the aires are much further out the town centre. Got a lovely shaded spot in the campsite de Troyes, Pont St Marie.

Lazy afternoon, 32 degrees, however the outdoor pool soon set that straight as it must've been filled with water direct from the artic. It measured 5 f's on the f-f-f-f-f-**k that's cold scale.

When it cooled down and the boys had had a good walk, we stuck them in their cooling coats cranked the fans up and let them have a nap while we cycled into Troyes for a look around and a bite to eat.

In summary, bar-cycle-bar-cycle-restaurant-food-Pinot Noir-cycle-home.

Another walk for the boys and it's still 20 odd degrees. Need to plan tomorrow.

Oh, by the way. The site (#5602) is pleasant enough, a bit tired in places but the pitches are great and of course the public ice bath is available to any one!

 

[Van Si]

Didn't say last night but Troyes is a beautiful city, old building, a huge cathedral and lots of churches. Glad we had the bikes to be able to get into the city centre.

It was bloody hot last night, still high 20s at 11.30pm. Tossed and turned in the heat until 3am, the boys were OK as the back of the van was cooler, whereas the above cab bed just didn't get any air circulation, despite 2 fans. Almost went and slept with the boys at one point, but did finally drift off.

In the morning, after coffee, a quick walk up and down the river bank before the heat of the day and Lou decided we were going to another campsite. We headed south towards Chaumont, stopping en route to stock up on supplies, having been caught out on our first trip to France where everywhere is shut on a Sunday. Not far from Chaumont is Langres and Lac de la Liez. The campsite, Camping de la Liez, overlooks the huge lakes.

We bagged a nice shady spot in the trees, although sacrificed the lake view and set up camp. Later in the afternoon we took the boys down to the lake for a 'swim' ....

Swim for Alfi, the Springer, like a canine torpedo. Straight in there and swam out to me, neck high in water and back to the shore several times. Loved it.

Swim for Ozzi, the cocker. Paw deep all OK and after that, being the prima donna he is, didn't want to know. Picked up and carried out to slightly deeper water, he did swim back to the shore but then was up the bank on dry land and staying there. Just to emphasise the point, when we got back to the van he was dragging himself and rubbing himself across the rug trying to dry himself off as much as possible. It cooled them both down.

Cooler day forecast tomorrow and we're making the most of no lorry Sunday and probably driving to or at least towards the mountains.

 

[trophychap]

When we had the Bessacar van with overcab bed, in the heat we would open the overcab window with the flyscreen over it, and put the pillows down that end of the bed. By 1am it had usually cooled down a bit (even round lac Salagou where it was 30 degrees at midnight!) and because any cooler air came directly onto our heads/faces we slept OK.

 

[DBK]

I don't know how much longer you have left but if you head southeast from Chaumont you could get to Basel then head down the Rhine which is the border there. Somewhere after Strasbourg turn west and then through Metz not forgetting Verdun and the huge French WW1 cemetery. Metz is on the Moselle (before it becomes the Mosel in Germany ) so instead of going to Verdun you could follow that north for a little while before turning for home.

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[Van Si]

DBK I did toy with the idea of Switzerland but think I am going to press on a bit further South to the Rhone, probably Syssel, then if it isn't too much of a stretch Millau. We're away for 14 days and don't reach halfway until next Wednesday. Perhaps I could go home that way? Assuming there are no strict border controls for dogs crossing from France to Switzerland?

 

[DBK]

DBK I did toy with the idea of Switzerland but think I am going to press on a bit further South to the Rhone, probably Syssel, then if it isn't too much of a stretch Millau. We're away for 14 days and don't reach halfway until next Wednesday. Perhaps I could go home that way? Assuming there are no strict border controls for dogs crossing from France to Switzerland?

I wasn't suggesting Switzerland though it's a beautiful country. It is expensive, €40+ a night on campsites now I suspect and wild camping is illegal. You would also need to purchase a vignette if over 3.5t. Under that you only need one for the motorways.

My suggestion was exploring more of Alsace Lorraine which is where you are now I think.

But go south by all means!

 

[Van Si]

So, long(ish) drive Sunday. Shops shut no lorries on the road, packed up at the campsite in Langres by 9.30am and peage'd it to near Annecy, 190 miles. Some of the sights were truly breathtaking, on the viaducts over the gorges and long slow climbs up through the woods.

We plumped for Seyssel, Rhone-Alps region where we're off grid and motorhome parking is literally on the banks of the Rhone just outside the town. Fortunately the end spot was free so we have a smashing view of the river, with only a neighbour one side.

On the way in, Lou spotted that there was some sort of table sale going on in the town, all the locals pitching up tables of junk everywhere. Being a Yorkshire lass she's a sucker for a bit of tat and we had to park up and have a walk around. She bought a teapot.

Rest of the day has been a walk around and a swim in the lake with the boys. Cold beer, red wine, BBQ and chilling. See what tomorrow brings, as I currently don't have a clue.

 

[DBK]

You can't really go wrong in France.

 

[Van Si]

Day 6 and a slight change to routine. Up for coffee and wee walk for the boys and then we decided to stay by the Rhone for a while and travel later today.

We walked into Seyssel had a mooch around the market and found a Boulangerie / Pattisserie for breakfast and cafe au lait. Still stunned by the sheer beauty of the place.

Back to the van and the next few hours consisted of sun bathing, swimming in the lake and chilling. After a bread & cheese lunch we packed up and hit the road around 2:30pm.

Probably the most tiring drive to date, we headed towards Lyon, skirted the South of the city before heading to and past St Etienne, to tonight's destination of Le Puye. The traffic around Lyon was dense and pretty much non-stop until we were thru St Etienne. Junction after junction and traffic everywhere.

The stopover in Le Puye is nothing more than that, it's one of those Etape card places, which when you first use it, it's easier to get into Wormwood Scrubs, but then you get the gist and second time round swipe the card and you're in. We can see St Mick perched high up on the mount, but have no intention of climbing the 800 steps to see him.

The boys aren't too impressed either as they only have concrete, lampposts and benches to sniff and wee on, not like the vast expanse of Rhone flood plains they're now used to. I was bent down picking up Oz's poo outside Le Puye train station this evening ..... on that note, I'll leave it there.

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[Van Si]

A 2 hour trip South West to Millau our furthest point South before we head back North again. Spectacular views of the Pyrenees and the Millau viaduct until we arrived on the banks of the river Tarn and then the cloud set in and we had an afternoon of thundery showers.

Alf and I braved the rain and went for a wander while Oz stayed indoors with his Mum. It did make a change being cooler today, but can't wait for the sunshine again.

The first half of our trip has been amazing and now contemplating which route to take back. Reading some of the other threads on this forum I think we're going to head towards the Dordogne to start with.

 

[Van Si]

Day 8 and made it as far as the River Lot.

Yesterday morning we took the boys for some beautiful walks around the River Tarn and Doubre. The low cloud hanging around from the day before had cleared and the sun was out again.

We packed the van up and decided on a short hop NW through Rodez to the river Lot. The first place we stopped at was really picturesque, right on the river but we were worried about how warm it was and not having electric to run the fans for the boys. We drove a further 5k until we got to Capendac where there's a lovely enclosed Aire off the main road, next to the river Lot (#42675)

The afternoon consisted of sun, beer to cool down, dog walks by the river, pop into Intermarche over the road for supplies, BBQ and Rose wine.

Did our good deed for the day as well. There was a little Shitzu wandering around the river and Aire, which as the day wore on, was obviously either lost or dumped. In conjunction with another Brit on the Aire we managed to catch it and read the name tag, which also had a telephone number on it so called the owner. She didn't speak any English so in my broken French - chien, blanc, shitzu, perdu, Doofie (that was his name) I quickly discovered he was missing, he had run out the door, she lived twenty minutes away and she would come to the Aire toute de suite to get him. Sure enough 20 minutes later Doofie's owner turned up and after much gesticulating and 'merci beaucoups' she left with him tucked under her arm. Must admit Doofie's face wasn't that of joy, he had that sheepish 'I think I'm in for a bollocking' sort of look about him.

 

[DBK]

You can get 12 volt fans, which are very good for dog cooling. The Endless Breeze is generally considered the best but they are very hard to find now and expensive when you do find one. But there are other models around, you need a large diameter, say 10" or so. Smaller ones tend to be noisier.

Be careful letting the dogs swim in water if it looks a bit murky or stagnant. There is a danger from toxic algae and it isn't uncommon in France for dogs to die from this. There were several cases last year I think after dogs swam in the Loire.

 

[Van Si]

DBK Thanks, I did look for an Endless Breeze before we came away as I had read about them on this forum, I think I could've bought three lots of rocking horse poo before I found an EB. We have one 12v fan but it's noisy as anything.

Thanks for the warning about the algae!

 

[Van Si]

Made it to the Dordogne today, quickly came to realise that this is the inland version of the French seaside resort, busiest it has been since we came away. A couple of aires / sites we had our eye on didn't work out, either full, packed or no shade at all, so after a bit of huffing and puffing and 3 point turns we finally ended up on the municipal site at Domme. Busy, but space to breathe and lovely walks along the river.

All sorts here, the pitch next but one are a French couple with a pokey caravan and have brought their 2 dogs and pet rabbit with them. Oz went bonkers when he knew what it was! There's every conceivable arrangement of tent, trailer tent, camper van tent possible. An old fella opposite turned up on his own, on a bike. Unpacked his tent and other bits and bobs from his panniers and got set-up. I was knackered driving up some of the hills we drove up, sod cycling up them.

Note to self, must head North tomorrow. We've been doing a bit too much West and not enough North. Finally, need to buy a new chair, the new Go Oudoors ones we have only used once before ..... one had me Go Outflat on the floor, fortunately no one saw. Might be a sign I have been enjoying too much bread, cheese, meat, wine and beer?

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[DBK]

On the subject of wine have a look at the cheap rosé Lidl are selling in France at the moment. It's called Méditerranée and is about €8 for a 3 litre box. We bought a couple last week just before getting the ferry and I'm kicking myself for not buying more. It's very drinkable.

 

[Van Si]

The benefits of a forum like this, to share 'best practice' .... I'm on it

 

[Van Si]

So, new chair ... 'tick' bought from a random chair and other stuff sort of DIY / garden place. Rose wine from Lidl ... 'cross' haven't stumbled across one yet!

Having had a meal out last night in Domme which was both very nice and reasonably priced it was good to get away from there as it was busy.

We noticed that Oz, the cocker, was licking his paw last night, so he had one of Lou's socks gaffa taped on to try and stop it. There was a red welt there which didn't look good.

We finally travelled in a relatively straight line due North and chalked off 140 miles in a homeward direction and also 1,000 miles on French soil, this trip. Ending up in Challiac somewhere North of Limoges.

The aire here is superb, but somehow only rated 5.3 on Campercontact. Lovely little place next to a lake. (#57186) with barrier control and ehu. Only us and 2 other Van's here!

On the way in we called into the vet to get Oz's paw looked at and as suspected he thought it was a grass seed. Long story short, left him there and asked to pick him up at 6pm, which we did. Sedated, grass seed removed and antibiotics for 5 days, all for €130, which given the level of service and what we have paid at our own vets, was very good. Both of them are now booked in tomorrow morning for tapeworm treatment, so we'll see what that sets us back!

Next to the aire in the public space by the lake there's a bit of a doo going on. A few stores of local produce, a barbie and a beer truck (the beer is good but a touch expensive), the disco started up around 9pm. Lovely atmosphere and great to see so many families and children out enjoying themselves, we had a wander over and had a go on the raffle. Only concern is, it's now 5 past midnight and it's still going on! Not sure if this is a regular thing or just because its Bastille Day tomorrow. If I'd known I would've brought my disco gear. Hmmmm is that why there are only 2 others here??
I'll let you know tomorrow (later today) what time I get to bed!!

 

[Van Si]

It was gone 2am. In the spirit of 'if you can't beat them join them' and the empty wine bottles outside, I feel a bit shabby!

 

[Van Si]

So last night, it seemed like most of Challiac had one hell of a party, it was great to see good-spirited fun adults, kids and teenagers all enjoying themselves. Somewhere between 2.30am and when I staggered out the van door at 8am everything was normal, not a sign of any party the night before. Marquees gone, stalls gone, no litter at all ..... did it really happen?

After the slow start we needed to get the van sorted and then off to the vets for the boys tapeworm. Oz's paw is healing nicely and he's back to his usual self.

As we were at the Aire service point an elderly gentleman wandered up, Lou was draining the grey water and I was emptying the dunny (the only job on holiday that is always a blue job and never a pink job), he introduced himself as the Mayor of Chaillac and even shook my hand! He told us how proud he was of his Aire and that it was less than 2 years old and continuing in broken English and mixed with French words how they had issues with condensation on the metal casing, with the heat of the day and the cool of the night causing it to short the electrics. All very interesting, but meanwhile I'm still grappling with the dunny as it's not the traditional hatch in the floor at the base of the service point, it's a bloody hole half way up the column, where you stick the pipe into. This means I'm twisting and rotating the cassette trying to get everything out, which is proving a challenge. By this time Mr Mayor has taken 10 steps back as it was getting a bit whiffy, I was going to give him some 'in the moment' feedback about the design of his service point but thought better of it. He bid us a Bon voyage and went off to do whatever Mayors do on a Saturday morning.

Post vet, the journey for us took us 140 odd miles North West. Lou wanted to go to Saumur, on the Loire river as we were here in April and she really liked it and I wanted to give Sully Sur Loire a go having seen a few funsters mention it on the forums. So, here we are in Saumur ......

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[Van Si]

Oh and en route we saw a Lidl so diverted in and picked up some Méditerranée Rosè wine. Won't be sampling it tonight though as I still have a bottle of Sancerre and some Kronenberg Alsace (that's a nice lager) to drink before there is room in the beverage cooling unit (Lou calls it a fridge and sometimes tries to put food in there!).

 

[DBK]

Not wishing to lead you astray further but "Johnie Foreigner" is drinking some of our beers now. I haven't noticed them before this year but a few breweries make an IPA. This is Pelforth but Grimbergen do one as well. They are very refreshing served well chilled.

 

[Van Si]

Don't worry about leading me astray, I'm as stray as they come I did notice in one bar in Troyes they had a draft Punk IPA which i tried and it was good

 

[Van Si]

Tonight, walked the boys then tucked them up in bed and we cycled into Saumur which was all of 10 minutes. Crossing the bridge over the Loire is lovely.

Soaked up the atmosphere and ate in a fish restaurant as a treat tonight. Even had whelks and winkles which had Lou screwing her face up.

Took a renegade cycle back as we had forgotten that we didn't have any bike lights. Although at 10.45pm on the east horizon of the Loire there was still a sunset visible.

After 8 oysters I certainly won't fall out of bed tonight.

 

[Van Si]

Walked the boys first thing and then left them in the van while it was still cool and cycled into Saumur for breakfast. Croissant for Lou, raisin swirl for me and café au lait. Sat outside the patisserie and watched the world go by for half hour. Lou was gutted that the flea market wasn't there today, when we visited in April we came across it in the square near the river, this time it looked as though they were setting up for Bastille Day celebrations tonight. Lou didn't get her weekly dose of tat.

We packed the van up and headed 75 miles North, getting us just past the NW of Le Mans. After a city / town stopover I like to get back to a quiet spot, so saw a farm in Campercontact that looked OK. Turned out to be a hidden gem!

In a place called Placé, just off the D338 there is Fam Michaud (#30505) set in a grassy gully, the owner has created hard standing pitches, fitted EHU, offers free and decent WIFI and has recently installed shower and washing machine. He stopped by for a chat and explained how he is slowly adding different things to expand the site. A service point is next on the list.

It is peaceful and very quiet, only us and two other vans and at €5.50 or €7.50 for EHU paid into an honesty box, is really good value.

This afternoon I watched the TdF uninterrupted without using any of my data, BBQ'd and drunk wine. Lou even went and washed some clothes.

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