We're off on our travels (1 Viewer)

[Baileysbus]

So fellow funsters. Today we've done a big loop in the limousin. Passed round Lac de Vassiviers and there wasn't a heck of a lot doing and not even a cafe open........ probably out of season I guess.
We moved swiftly on and decided to hit a hypermarché around limoges. Found one on the nav and headed in . Bit stressful but I did get filled up with diesel at €1.17 a litre which is as cheap as I've seen so far. Topped up with beers and nibbles too
Headed off out of town and decided to go to Oradour Sur Glane which many of you recommended and you're right, it's a totally moving place . Mans inhumanity to man for all to see. RIP.
Anyone heading east into Limoges beware the N141. There are major roadworks and it's totally snarled up.
We've now headed. Bit further west to ConfoIens set the sat nag for the aire but have ended up on the ACSI site next door with this view by the van . Cracking site No idea where we are headed tomorrow. I'll worry about that in the morning

 

[scousebird]

You can get fish & chips in Confolens

 

[DBK]

View attachment 161477 So we made it to Cognac and had a look round. We parked up in the official aire or actually, in the nearby car park. It didnt seem a problem as it was a free car park anyway. Explored the town and it was ok. Purchased the obligatory to take back. Chose one from a more obscure place after a wee degust
Then we went on an off piste route through some cracking villages and ended up in Brantome. You're right @FIDGET its a cracking place. We're here for 2 nights on the aire. Easy walk along the river into town and €6.50 a night which can't be bad!
Only problem I'm having is filling the gaslow. We e tried it twice now and each time it only seems to fill the second (reserve) tank and then blows before the first tank fills. I guess I'm doing something wrong but can't figure out what. We're getting by with what we have but it's becoming a pain. Any suggestions gratefully received.
Today's pic is from Brantome

I'm sure the brandy maker was glad of the sale. Typical supermarket shelves in France seem to stock 95 types of whisky to 5 types of brandy.

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[Baileysbus]

You can get fish & chips in Confolens

Funnily enough I spotted the shop on the way up to the site. Just on the corner on the road we turned up from. Ferme at the time of passing but ....... may take a wander later

 

[scousebird]

They do Pukka pies as well

The restaurant on the diagonal opposite corner is very good too

 

[Baileysbus]

Well as they say, we've moved on from Confolens and done about 3 hours or so on the road heading north. We stopped off in the aire at Montmorilon and explored the town and L'Ecrit

Worth a visit if you're through this way as the L'Ecrit bit is a wee book town with a few antique shops thrown in.
After a wee coffee in the town square I thought it would be a plan to head north so we could start to hit our chateau run down the Loire. I looked at Campercontact and with vague recollections of Blois being nice (that was 30 years ago though ) I set the nav for the aire in the centre of Blois. I could tell Mrs Baileysbus wasn't particularly convinced and then when hit the er ...... city, I was getting a bit worried too.
Anyhoo, we're here now having negotiated roadworks and routes barrée and are here on the site with a few others

Only €8 a night with water, bourne and loos on site Think we'll make the most of it tomorrow and head into the city for a look around and some shopping Still looking for the elusive man bag ....... or rather, I've been told to look for one
Cheers for now

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[Baileysbus]

Here in Blois

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Re your gaslow, just for info have you an external or internal locker filler?

 

[Baileysbus]

Hi @Jimbohorlicks Its an external fitting underneath the locker door in the cill area. Think we've concluded earlier that it's likely the gauge on the left cylinder is duff and that I in fact have gas in both tanks as the regulator is still showing green. So for now, I'm just going with the flow and seeing what happens. Fingers crossed

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[Baileysbus]

So today we did a spot of shopping in Blois and yours truly invested in the aforementioned man bag . Think it's going to take a bit of getting used to but hey ho it had to be done...... so I was told!
There was beaucoup de pleut pretty much all day in fact the rain only stopped half an hour ago ......
After shopping we decided to get the flock out of town and head for our first chateau ..,... we chose Chambord.

It's certainly not understated on the outside but to be honest, it was a bit disappointing inside as there was hardly any authentic stuff inside.
Technically the parking site is available for an overnight at €11 a pop. We intended staying bit the rain never let up so walking the dog round the gardens was less of an option.
So we moved on to a wee aire in Ange which is kind of handy for Chenonceau and Amboise so we have options tomorrow
It's a free aire and is on the edge of the village. There's a wee bar tabac ...... tested already. A boulangerie open at 7am and for the hardy, 2 vignobles doing dégustations.
We're parked up with a few others including it seems a Brit in a tag axle Hobby.

It's stopped raining for now and the sun is trying to break through. Beer is opened and sausages are on the grill. All is good

 

[Baileysbus]

Well all was good until the data capacity on our 3 SIM card ran out Now I know it's been said many times to take extra ones with you and I didn't ........ schoolboy error ....... couldn't buy more cos like a numpty I hadn't noted the phone number for the SIM card and the one on it didn't work. Never thought I'd use 10Gb in 2 weeks but hey ho.
More anon
So we went off to Chenonceau . Very pretty chateau and gardens and a must see. Judging by the coach parties and squads of ankle biters going round, it is indeed very popular.
After that, shot off into a big Auchan at Tours to stock up and bit aforementioned top up card. Car park was a nightmare as very little wasn't multi storey . In the phone shop I made myself understood .... ish and managed to get a 5GB card. Bit eye watering at €40 and I had to show photo ID for a fecking PAYG card!
Anyhoo, lesson learned we scooted off down to the aire at Villandry which has ....... moved! It's now about 300m west of where it was. Still under construction it will be nice but currently good hard standing for about 20 vans and has no facilities
Off to Chinon tomorrow for the w/e.......Phew!!!

 

[Baileysbus]

Meant to add ....... we did the gardens at Villandry and for anyone considering going they are really well worth it. Dog friendly too

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[Baileysbus]

Well a long awaited update ...... we spent the weekend in Chinon based at the campsite on the south side of the town. Lovely site and very handy for the town and lovely views of the castle. Highly recommend location

We then headed north as we return to the UK on Friday. Stopped over at the campsite at Beaumont sir Sarthe. A random stopover that turned out to be one of those magical evenings. To other Scots Moho's had turned up and we got chatting. They are members of a 60's 70's tribute band What a brilliant night. Guitars out, keyboards, drums, you name it. Totally unexpected but brilliant.
Hangovers sorted we headed off to the vets in Alençon to get Bailey sorted for the trip home then went to St Ceneri de Generi which is a plus beau village in the Sarthe. We're now camped up in the municipal site at St Leonard de Bois. Too damned hot to drive any further!
Heading slowly north aiming for the campsite at Neufchâtel en Bray for Thursday ........ Having a great time

 

[Baileysbus]

St Ceneri for those who haven't been. Really lovely Cafe where this photo was taken from currently run by a young Scots couple.

 

[jumartoo]

Well just so you don't forget us jumar and jumartoo who spoke to you on the campsite not so long ago.

Btw we tried to cycle through St Ceneri just after we'd seen you coming the other way and the road was closed cos they were cutting down a tree!!! They wouldn't let us thro even tho we were wearing hard hats

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[Dizzy Izzy]

Which vet did you use in Alencon,we will be heading that way in a few weeks?
Thanks,
Lesley

 

[Baileysbus]

Well just so you don't forget us jumar and jumartoo who spoke to you on the campsite not so long ago.

Btw we tried to cycle through St Ceneri just after we'd seen you coming the other way and the road was closed cos they were cutting down a tree!!! They wouldn't let us thro even tho we were wearing hard hats

Great to meet up with you both too . We've been victim to random "route barrée" signs throughout the trip. Seems the French like to keep drivers on their toes right at the last minute . Safe travels on your mega trip. We'll be watching your posts to see how you get on

 

[Baileysbus]

Which vet did you use in Alencon,we will be heading that way in a few weeks?
Thanks,
Lesley

We used

Clin Vet Coubertin
Ave de Quakenbruck
02 52 35 00 75
Ample parking
Speaks good English
M-F - 0830-1230/1330-1900
Sat - 0830-1200/1400-1800
€30 for two dogs (2014)
www.clinique-coubertin.fr
Carrefour 850 metres
48.438495,0.102868

Turns out they didn't speak great English but we got by. Took us in within 15 mins with no appt and cost was €18 for one dog with our own tablet.

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[EX51SSS]

Here in Blois
View attachment 162134

Ah, last time at Blois it was a shared coach Park but someone said it was closed but obviously not.

 

[jumartoo]

Have a safe trip back to Bonny Scotland!

 

[Baileysbus]

Ah, last time at Blois it was a shared coach Park but someone said it was closed but obviously not.

Nope still operating and quite secure. Think it's the same folk that operate the P+R at La Rochelle

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[Dizzy Izzy]

We used

Clin Vet Coubertin
Ave de Quakenbruck
02 52 35 00 75
Ample parking
Speaks good English
M-F - 0830-1230/1330-1900
Sat - 0830-1200/1400-1800
€30 for two dogs (2014)
www.clinique-coubertin.fr
Carrefour 850 metres
48.438495,0.102868

Turns out they didn't speak great English but we got by. Took us in within 15 mins with no appt and cost was €18 for one dog with our own tablet.

Thanks for the info,
Lesley

 

[Baileysbus]

So we said cheerio to St Leonard de Bois this morning and the very nice campsite. Bit of a digression but the site manager was really friendly and helpful and indeed gave me 3 wooden spoons dating from 1933 on arrival don't ask, it's a long story.
Anyhoo, as we're back on the Chunnel on Friday we thought we'd head over to Honfleur for a chillax day. Got here about 11:30 and parked up in the aire with about a squillion others. Sun shining and a really lovely lunch in a restaurant round the old harbour ....... well we haven't splashed out much this trip
Returned to Moho about 5:30 and it's now bucketing down Think this is the forecast storm arriving
Neufchâtel en Bray tomorrow with a Depot Vente or two if we can find any
A pic from Honfluer in the sunshine

 

[DBK]

We are following your steps - but in reverse! Left Chinon this morning and plan to visit the château at Chenonceaux tomorrow. However, the weather forecast is grim so it might be a quick glimpse through the windscreen!

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[Baileysbus]

We are following your steps - but in reverse! Left Chinon this morning and plan to visit the château at Chenonceaux tomorrow. However, the weather forecast is grim so it might be a quick glimpse through the windscreen!

Ah timing in life eh! Maybe we'll meet up properly on another trip.
Chenonceaux is definitely worth getting a soaking for as it's quite authentic inside. In fact when we were there they had two log fires on in a couple of the rooms. Really toasty warm despite being a stone chateau!
It's chucking it down here at Honfleur ........ still

 

[Baileysbus]

Well that's our first big Tour de France nearly over and whilst I'm sat here in the campsite at Neufchâtel en Bray ( the aire is rammed) with the rain absolutely bouncing down, it's time for a wee reflect on what's been great and what worked and maybe what didn't
So the best bits
We found the aires we used to be great bar a couple where the advertised water wasn't working. Campercontact was a real useful tool and we used it pretty much constantly. We didn't especially look for free aires. Personally if the wee village/commune can be bothered to put in the infrastructure, I'm more than happy to support them. So 3 thumbs up
Our ACSI card was really useful and on occasion was almost like an ID card that got us into sites when we'd either arrived early or late.
French roads were pretty much a doddle although sat nag had an annoying habit of suggesting daft roads to go down despite having been set up with our details
Funsters have been brilliant ( should have put that first ). Those we've met and those that helped us with suggested places to go and solutions to a few problems we had
Mifi ...... that's just been genius and has worked faultlessly despite yours truly being too tight to organise sufficient SIM cards before we went . A definite good investment that
The wonderful folk we met randomly including two guys who entertained us all night with 60's and 70's revival music. They were great and I have their card for future reference
We were quite frugal on our food spends but did notice things felt more expensive this time out although shopping around for diesel and it's still cheaper. Gaslow gave us grief but will be sorted before we get home on Tuesday
So a couple of hours to the tunnel tomorrow and we are done
Until the next time

 

[Baileysbus]

Technical postscript........ we made it back safely today unlike some guy in a panel van from a cycling team that came hammering past us on the A74 only to suffer a blow out about half a mile past us . Bits of shredded tyre everywhere! ....... I digress
So that was 3155 miles completed and 30.5mpg over the entire trip. The Ducato engine nicely loosening up now and really it never missed a beat all the way round. Oh and the Gaslow ....... the dealer refitted the mounting screws removing the long ones and installed the optional short ones....... which should have been there in the first place and now all's well. Thanks all for your help on our Gaslow issues on our trip ....... frankly that was the only glitch we had.
Now ....... where are we going next

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[Bilbo Baggins]

Hi, As you've stayed on quite a few aires, i keep seeing telephone numbers alongside aire descriptions. Do you have to ring and book to stay on them.

Thanks in advance. BB

 

[Baileysbus]

Hi, As you've stayed on quite a few aires, i keep seeing telephone numbers alongside aire descriptions. Do you have to ring and book to stay on them.

Thanks in advance. BB

Hi BB. Nope we never phoned anywhere in advance, even the campsites we stayed at. Mind you, I guess in July/August campsites book up so maybe calling ahead would be a plan. We just set the co-ords in the sat nag and headed for the aire. Some are more popular than others ....... e.g. st Martin at île de re..... so turn up early and make sure you get a space.

 

[Bilbo Baggins]

Thanks. Thats just what I wanted to hear.

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