After our visit to Oradour Sur Glane from Parc verger, the next day we just chilled. I don’t mean we got cold but just chilled out for the day. Some of you will understand others may not understand what to chill out means.  The other couple which were on site( French ) left, leaving us the only ones on site. Then another van turns up with UK plates. The next morning we are getting ready to head out on the highway, aiming to leave site about 10am as we have a target of Soustons which is our  favourite aire and only an hour from the Spanish border. By the way we got chatting to the other couple and they were from Tiverton about an hour away from our home, small world. 

We leave site and head for Soustons. Apart froma shower soon after leaving the sun shone like a good one and the miles ticked by or should I say kilometres ticked by. Now Soustons, like I have said is our faverite aire. You park in amongst the pine trees looking out over a salt water lakewhich takes an hour to walk around, and walk 5 minutes the other way to a great beach. The kilometres were counting down and after stopping for lunch and a fuel stop we arrived five hours later.

You pull up to a barrier and there’s a sign on the money machine in French. Nikki try’s to feed the info in, how long we are stayin, credit card etc, machine says NO. PANIC I want to stay here. I wander over to a van allready in the aire, a French couple and in my best English say Hi and explain our situation. She speaks a bit of English and comes over with her phone and calls a number, and then tells us what they said. They said machine has a problem and can only take French or Dutch cards, no English cards. The guy will be there in the morning to fix it. There is another aire down the road but I want to stay here. So I ask the lady if she can use her card and we give her the cash. Result, merci madam we are in. We find a nice sunny spot and get set up. By set up I mean we park up and get a beer and a glass of wine out. Again other peaple set up in different ways. 

Today, Friday morning we go for a walk round the lake to the bread and cake shop. The aire is quiet at the moment, a couple of big ol lorry conversions with travellers in, you know the sort dreadlocks, kids dogs, but really nice folk. They get some strange looks from others but I think peaple should just live and let live. I commented on the guys lorry camper and he smiled. After our walk we sit in the sun for lunch, then I decide to go off to the beach. Last time we were here the sea was huge and out of control, today its flat, just a tiny wave braking on the shore. As I stare out to sea I can’t believe my eyes as a pod of about thirty to forty dolphins swim by, jumping out the water etc. WOW, made my day. I return to the our van and tell Nikki and sit in the sun again saying how nice it is here. The travelling guy is sat outside his hippy wagon smoking some funny smelling stuff and then starts playing didgeridoo, and he is good. The hippy kids are running around playing, not sat indoors on computer games and are laughing and as happy as can be. Life’s good here at Soustons. Us well we are just chilling again, as in got a beer and wine. 

This was one of our to do things on this trip. A visit to Oradour Sur Glane. We are on a campsite less than an hour away so went out for the day. 

The site is a memorial to the massacre of a French village on the 10th June 1944. A massacre and war crime during world war 2. On the 10th June 1944 at about 2pm men from Der Fuhrer regiment of the 2nd waffen SS panzer division ads reich drove into Oradour sur Glane and killed everyone they could find. A total of 642 men/women and children. The village was then looted and every building set on fire.

The village was left as a memorial and another village was built. To find out more about it go to the website but be prepared to shed a tear. We were going to go there last year but didn’t make it. I have read a lot about it and a lot of comments on forums from people that have been and they range from getting there and not being able to go in, to people saying everyone should go just to pay their respects. When you enter the village there is a spooky feeling about the place, all very quiet but all the time you’re thinking of what went on all those years ago. I think the day being overcast added to the atmosphere, and the fact no one else was around. Would not have been the same in summer with hundreds of tourists around. We are glad we went and would say to people. Go and give yourself plenty of time. Will let the pictures say the rest. 

Here at Parcverger campsite the sun is shining, there is a breeze but it’s not cold. Good nights sleep last night. We decoded today we will walk down to the local village, not much there but gets us out in the fresh air. Nikki done all the washing and put it out on the line to dry. 

So of we go for our walk. Everywhere you go in France there are some beautiful old buildings. As I like to take photos my camera is never too far away so I see an old building, church etc out comes the camera and snap away. In the village I spot a old house I like the look of with shutters etc and snap a shot, then the church. A old women appears from a window and starts shouting, no one else about apart from us. I joke with Nikki she is shouting at us or just mad as we walk on. We get round the corner and there’s a car parked there, and yes you got it sat in the car is the old lady who was shouting at us. We walk on by down the road and the car follows us drives past. We laugh to ourselves and I say to Nikki we are being stalked. The road we were on went nowhere really so we doubled back and past the stalker and up a side street round the back of the church. And guess what should come up the side street behind us, that little blue car with the stalker driving again. Onward we walk and once again she drives past us. We are laughing so much now as we head back to the campsite joking we are getting hounded out of town by a ninety year old granny. Don’t worry about the hoodies in this town just watch out for a little blue car with a mad woman driving. 

The blue car can be seen in the pic above, watch out for it. 

We left the loverly aire by the river on Tuesday and headed towards Brest( still makes me laugh) where you going mate. Brest, got a good feeling for it. LOL. To be honest the campsite was just outside Brest. A typical open in the winter campsite, everything closed up but still open if you know what I mean. Greeted by a loverly French lady and shown to our pitch, no one else on that part of the site so a whole shower block to ourselves. We needed a good shower and to recharge, it’s hard work all this travelling you know. Chilled out the next day (Wednesday ) as it was raining. In fact it’s rained a lot since we been away this time, and I ain’t happy about that, but I don’t know who to complain to. 

Moving on a day we head along the southern coast of Brittany. We really need to come back to Brittany in may / June or September and spend a good three months going round the coast, because we have not seen it as we we really wanted to, but that’s another trip. Spent the night in a aire all on our own but in amongst the trees and really peaceful. 

When we left the aire to go to another campsite the route planned meant that we would go over a great bridge that we went over last year. The photo is not that good as Nikki took it with her phone quickly but gives you idea how nice it was. 

Got to the campsite and the pitch they offered us was sloping and on grass. DOH. Five ton and thirty feet of motorhome on sloping wet grass….I don’t think so madam, goodbye. It’s now getting late so find a aire quickly, twenty minutes down the road into La Roche sur yon which is a city, bloody cars and buses everywhere. Parked up in the aire. My thoughts, it’s Friday night, drunk yobs about a aire full of motorhomes. Luckily the night passed without incident. Up bright and early and head out on the highway to our next campsite. Park verger, at Champagnac la rivière  Owned by a English couple, small site, loverly sunny day. Looking out across fields, have allready seen, green woodpeckers, jays, a fox. Good showers etc, small bar/ restaurant down the road, may have to check it out tomorrow. Happy days. Going to chill here for a couple of days.

We stayed two nights on our first aire in Normandy, why I don’t really know but it was forcast to rain much of the next day and we could not decide where to go next. Before we left the UK I wanted to go around Brittany, before heading south, but being so close to England it is often the same weather as UK. We want sunshine. So the day was spent looking at a map, and then another map, and even a third map. Don’t know how that affects the weather but it passes the day, especially the folding up of the map. One nearly went in the bin until Nikki came to the rescue and folded it. We did manage to get out for a nice walk along the seafront in between showers and Marvell at the loverly houses along the front. Who lives in a house like that we thought. Rich French, that’s who. 

Sunday morning the sun was out so it was time to move on and the decision was made to do Brittany. We needed fuel, I never like to lt it get to less than half a tank, that’s my rules as you never know when your likely to be able to get fuel. Same with filling our water tank, allways get water when you can. 

This aire we were staying on had a water point so I pulled round to that and proceeded to plug the conector in and got soaked. Yes it had good pressure. Luckily the sun was out so I could dry out on the journey. Sorry I mentioned that sun word gain. Never mind you will get used to it. We head out on the highway looking for fuel on the way. First one we see in a closed supermarket car park and very tight for us but we pull up to the pump and it’s card only payment. First card…declined, second card…..declined, third card,….declined, no fuel here then. Back out on the road. Fuel leval dropping , another garage, closed. By now I really want fuel but no I can get to the next aire. Aha a garage, great a another card machine. Nikki has a brain wave, she’s not blonde all the time. She try’s here card and YES it works, we have fuel. 

The aire we were aiming for then throws up a problem, as in the roads closed and the diversion is down a narrow little road, ok if your in a car but we are in a 30 ft motorhome. We mange to pull over and re think. Off to another aire about half hour away, but not before we go down some cobbled streets and have three shunts to get round a mini roundabout. We eventually get out the small town and on the open road. 

We get to our aire in a town called Treguier. The aire is right next to a tidal river, the sun is out so we decide on a walk into the town. Only a small town but some of the buildings date back to Tudor period and are so nice and all dominated by a huge big church in the main square, all very nice looking. 

The aire from the river bridge.

The beautiful buildings.

Today we had a walk around the town again and decided to stay another night as it’s so nice. We head out on the highway tomorrow to a place called Brest, just because it makes me laugh. 

Arrived in Cherbourg at 1.45pm or the boat parked at 1.45 as Nikki said. I did point out to her that boats don’t park they dock. No hassles getting off ferry and straight out onto the open French roads. Drove for an hour and half to the first aire called Coudville plage. Parked up and had a stroll to the sea which was only five minutes away. A lot of peaple about being a bank holiday in France for armistice day. The sun is shining but rain is forcast for tomorrow so not happy about that. We may stay here again tomorrow or we may move on into Brittany. It feels great to be out on the road again. 

Sat here looking out the window thinking this time next week we will be in France. Don’t know where but we will be on the road again and that’s all that matters. Between now and then Nikki will have three more days work, I will proberly polish the camper every day and then get annoyed when it rains and gets dirty. We will be leaving Devon on the Tuesday to head for Dorset to visit a freind to catch up. Then onto south lychett manor campsite for a couple of days. Another good reason to go there is that within walking distance is a great pub where we will meet my dad for a birthday meal. From there it’s only a ten minute drive early on Friday morning to the ferry port and sail to Cherbourg, that’s in France you know. Which is where I started this post because that will be a week away. So that’s it until we get to France and get some Internet  so I can keep you all updated to what we are doing and where we are. Good bye for now. 

It’s been a long time since I posted on here. Why’s that I hear you all cry. Because we have been working. Why have you been working I hear you cry. So we can go away again in the winter so I can keep you all updated to where we are and why we are there and most important of all if the sun is shining, although I promise not to mention that word to much.

So on the 11th of November 2016 we board the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg once again in search of the sun (sorry) and the land of cheap wine and beer. Not that we like them we just have to try them to see if we like them or not. So that’s it for now, will keep you posted nearer the time.

Cheers for now. Mike

The last three nights in France were spent on three different Aires, and no one else turned up which was nice. One rural, one in a small village and one next to a lake. All very different but all nice in there own way. England really should have Aires.  

 
  
We left the last Aire , or went to leave on Monday morning. The camper was reluctant to go, it started but not as normal, was it a sign, should we be staying. I voted yes. The problem I think is the battery because normally we are on hook up with the electric so the battery is always topped up. The last night and most of the day we weren’t. Anyway it started so we went off to the super market to get the last few bits. Wasted some time hanging around in the supermarket carpark eating our lunch etc, not wanting to leave for the port, which was only forty minutes away. 

Get to the port and only one other camper in front of us. We were three hours early. Had a chat with the owners who had been away for two months, swapped story’s etc. Really interesting couple. A Romanian guy walked up to the camper and asked us to take his dog on board as you can’t board as a foot passenger with a dog. Yea right mate do I look like I was born yesterday. No is the answer and that is my final decision goodbye. Dogs have to be chipped and have passports and be checked by vets before leaving Europe and their passports stamped. We saw the guy on board the ferry so I expect someone had been conned into doing it. 

So as the ferry left the port I went up on deck to wave goodbye to France and even our camper was looking back at France. I wonder if he was also thinking the same as me. See you again France. Ours is the one in the middle of the picture, think the roof is quiet clean.  

 
So that’s it the winter trip is over and we have had a great time. I have really enjoyed doing the blog and I hope you have enjoyed reading it and following our trip. Some facts about our trip. We have travelled 3430 miles, spent £525 on diesel  stayed on 16 campsites, two in France, eleven in Spain and two in Portugal and stopped on 10 Aires in France. I have taken 534 photos, don’t worry I won’t make you look at them. Will we go again, you bet, peaple that know us will know we do like to travel. To those that don’t travel, get out there, it’s a big open world and your only here once and there’s so much to see. Thanks again and here’s to the next trip and blog. Cheers. 

We left Soustons yesterday. We we really liked it there, being parked up in amongst the pine trees with the beach just a short walk away, but would not want to be there in the summer because it would get really busy.  

 
  
And so our drive North continues. There are not many campsites open in France this time of year but we managed to find one just south of Poitiers. There are plenty of Aires but most of them do not have electric so we would have to use are gas for heating and the fridge. Not sure how much gas we have left so opted for one last campsite. Didn’t have a lot of choice really as it was the only one open on our route.Its just outside a town called Ruffec. A rural campsite next to a river.Theres a really nice looking restaurant next to the river also, shame we can’t afford to eat in there. I should think in the summer it would be beautiful sat outside with a cold beer and a burger watching the kayakers playing on the weir. 

The temputure has dropped today (Thursday) I even had to put a jumper on to go for a walk to get some pictures and fresh air. Proberly doing us good, getting us ready for when we land back in the UK. Have you noticed I have not mentioned the sun word in this post so I don’t upset you all out there. That’s because it has not come out yet today. And it rained all night.Tomorrow we head out on the highway again heading further North to a aire by a city called Angers.womder what sort of peaple live there. We will spend one night there and then we have two more stops before getting the ferry.(starts to cry). Only four more sleeps in Euope.