On y va en France demain! (1 Viewer)

[Abacist]

Currently on the Canterbury Park & Ride motorhome stop and they now have an overflow area so there is no realistic limit to the number of vans per night.

My thanks to Sargent to whom I sent my EM50 unit on the Friday of the first May bank holiday weekend. They got it on Wednesday and shipped it Back to me on Monday this week having fitted a new circuit board and it arrived at home at 6:30pm Tuesday evening, ready to fit, test and leave Devon to travel up here today. Brilliant service when they are so busy.

We catch the train tomorrow at 9:50am ready for 3 weeks in France - Yippee!

 

[FIDGET]

Hi @Abacist , you will be coming back ,, just as we go over for 4 weeks , don't use up all the good weather.

 

[yodeli]

Super!!!! Bonnes vacances!!

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[scousebird]

Have a great trip

 

[Ninovan]

. Sorry, didn't mean to post. Cant delete!

 

[maison]

@Abacist
Hope you have good weather.

We actually came home to Wales just over a week ago as the weather in Burgundy was very poor. Since returning to U.K. our area of Burgundy has suffered flooding from heavy rain and parts of the Ardeche have had a foot of snow!

Elsewhere in France the weather is better, thank goodness.

Burgundy weather is forecast to be changeable for the next week. Hopefully it will have improved by the time we go back at the beginning of June.

Enjoy your trip!

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[Rob and Val]

 

[carolyn]

So we blame you for bring the cold and rain today bah humbug. We are at Amboise and the forecast was glorious but has suddenly changed!

 

[Abacist]

Leisurely drive south on the eastern side of Paris and have ended up at Coucy Le Chateau, just north of Soissons which is to the north east of Paris. Got a bit cross twice on the way down as we turned off left into a Cora hyper market only to find the place impenetrable with 2.1 meter height barriers and had to do a U turn and exit via the inbound one way road! Gave up on that and then tried a Leclerc later on and that was also surrounded by height barriers so we parked elsewhere and walked to it. Not Organised for photos yet but had a coffee religieuse each to start the holiday off for tea! Lovely aire here with the old fort overlooking us from the hillside. 5 € per night including water etc. Credit card style machine with 2 receipts, one for the windscreen and one with a code number to get your water, use the loos etc. It's just off the D1. Free electric on a few pitches but we didn't arrive soon enough not that we need it anyway.

Evidently various local councils are responding to Germans, Brits, Dutch etc overstaying our welcome and leaving our rubbish behind. Motor homes are evidently becoming too popular in France and a few are spoiling it for everyone by being both selfish and being litter bugs!

Step now working like a dream so well done again Sargent for excellent service!

Weather started overcast and gradually improved over the day to be almost all blue sky and sun. Nice scenery on the way down with lots of variety and trees not like west of Paris which can seem flat and uninteresting.

Many thanks for all the kind wishes!

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[Abacist]

For those who use the Canterbury park & ride overnight stop, they have changed the pricing. Last September it was £4 per night. Now it's £3.50 from midnight to midnight so £3.50 from evening arrival to midnight and then another £3.50 from midnight to when you leave in the morning so £7.00 in total for an overnight stop but it's still good value.

 

[trophychap]

It's an interesting uphill walk to the chateau, but it's quite interesting architecture and a very friendly café/bar where the owner speaks good English and told us quite a lot of things you wouldn't find out about usually LOL

 

[Abacist]

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[Abacist]

I think this chateau is a bit far gone even for Dick Strawbridge to rescue!

 

[FIDGET]

Hi @Abacist , there's a nice walk with a small pond /lake down behind you , down past where the school buses park ,also when we were there last year there was walnut trees where the buses park.
Terry

 

[Abacist]

A few more pictures from this morning with a walk up to the castle which is, in fact, a walled town, built in the 12th and 13th centuries and destroyed by the Germans in WW1, now rebuilt inside what's left of the castle walls which are immense and cover a huge area given their age.

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[Abacist]

 

[Abacist]

Beautiful blossom on some of the trees!

 

[Abacist]

Heading south and a picnic lunch stop with coffee and chocolate eclair a filled with the same coffee and chocolate Creme patisserie - Yum! We started with ham for Margaret and pate for me on a rustic French stick. Our friends also have a Savannah but a year younger than ours but a 2.3 litre which seems very pedestrian compared to my 3 litre.

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[Abacist]

Whilst having our lunch there were sounds of V8's in the field behind some bushes. Turned out to be some special rufty tufty quad cars doing a rough track. Pics attached and a view of the other side of the road - yawn!

 

[Abacist]

Fell short of our planned stop tonight which was Bourges and are at Briare on the River Loire. Arrived at 6pm and had a chilled evening in and around the vans with sirloin steak, baked potatoes, assorted salads, followed by strawberries, followed by cheese. Cheddar for the other three but Iwas on Vieux Pane on the remainder of the French stick from lunch and a few glasses of French Merllot, now finishing up with an expensive Glenfiddich brought from home. Going to do the town tomorrow morning and after lunch continue south towards the Dordogne.

 

[Abacist]

A few pics from Briare which is on both a canal and the river Loire. You can hire motor boats or have a boat trip. There are 4 Aires at Briare. We stayed on a free one with charges of 2€ for water and loo empty and would take 30 vans. Conscious of our weight and diet we just have a photo of the lovely cake shop today.

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[Abacist]

Found a gem of a place to stay tonight just north of Limoges with a lake, beach, swimming pool, restaurant and plenty of activities for kids.

 

[Abacist]

 

[Abacist]

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[spitfire]

Fell short of our planned stop tonight which was Bourges and are at Briare on the River Loire. Arrived at 6pm and had a chilled evening in and around the vans with sirloin steak, baked potatoes, assorted salads, followed by strawberries, followed by cheese. Cheddar for the other three but Iwas on Vieux Pane on the remainder of the French stick from lunch and a few glasses of French Merllot, now finishing up with an expensive Glenfiddich brought from home. Going to do the town tomorrow morning and after lunch continue south towards the Dordogne.

Now you are in France it’s cheese before dessert lol

 

[klaatu]

Lac de Saint-Pardoux is a fabulous place, and fortunately for us, not far from where we now live.

 

[Treeeev]

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We stayed on a site beside Lac de Saint-Pardoux in October last year. Unfortunately, it didn't look like that as someone had pulled the plug out

Cheers

Trevor​

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[klaatu]

Yes, it was a bit dry last autumn from the decennial draining, but it’s nicely full again now.

 

[FIDGET]

Hi @Abacist , was that an aire at the lake.

 

[FIDGET]

Just checked it out on campercontact , we will visit in June on our bimble that way ,Thanks

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