... Yes, I know covid hasn't finished with us yet... But it's the 1st time I've felt safe enough to venture this far.
I left Belfast c.11am Thu, had a great run down to Dublin and left port at 4pm for Cherbourg. They looked only at my passport before boarding, didn't ask for booking ref. Didn't have to surrender vehicle keys, went straight to cabin. Captain recommended mask-wearing and social distancing but said, in French waters, that was mandatory (tho plenty in the comfy recliner lounge thsi morning were paying no heed to that - elsewhere, and throughout the journey, compliance was good.)
Getting off - passport was checked, and stamped (oh, the feeling of horror!) and vaccine certification was asked for. I showed the page on the French AntiCovid app and he gave it a cursory glance. No request for the Sworn statement and no enquiries as to what might be in the fridge (I'd declined to ask for an EHU this time as they might have wondered why I needed it! However, the cent that sits on top of ice in an upturned bottle top had not sunk below the surface when I checked later on so I assume everything in there is still good to eat!)
I'd an easy ride down to raynipper's, in the sunshine! He was just back from a gruelling morning under the scanner so I took myself off to St Lô d'Ourville round the back lanes. Online had promised an ATM at the café-bar but they lied! I went to the pâtisserie and discovered I had only a £10 note (and N.Irish at that!) She said Oh take it, and pay me tomorrow! How lovely! I then went to the bar to see if I could blag a coffee there with the same deal. Nix. So walked to Portbail - where the Credit Agricole wanted €5 to give me my own money!! With both Starling debit and Halifax credit cards. No way!
I walked nearly 19,000 steps!! Had a great yarn with Ray n Prue over a cuppa n a glass of wine - what a lovely way to start the trip!
Pic 4 is Ray's parking area beside the house n the view is great this year cos there's no maize being grown in the field.
Hahaha! I'm meeting up briefly with Sally n Don (erstwhile MyGalSal from MHF) in Vierzon in a few days, then on to another visit to Guédelon - 3yrs since I last saw the medieval castle in construction, using only medieval methods, so looking forward to seeing the progress.
After that, who knows! I do have a book with me - 24+1 villages of Périgord...
I watched some of that and was fascinated, but have not visited (shame on me I hear you all cry), it’s about a 7h drive from us, so must try at some stage while we are wandering…….
Perigord has some superb villages well worth visiting, impossible to choose a favourite IMO.
Just wondering if there is any chance of us meeting up, how long will you be around for ?
If you do go to Guédelon Dave you might consider a guided tour. First time I went I just wandered around for the day, talking to various artisans n volunteers. 2nd time I added a guided tour (in English) and learned a whole lot more. It was, of course, a tour of just some of the sites within the Château area. I'm hoping a 2nd tour will have an alternative selection.
I can't remember exactly where you are Dave except you're South of Bordeaux! but I think if I head for the Périgord then I'm going in the right direction? So I hope that would be possible - it would be great to see you n Lesley again (and the dog, of course!) I really enjoyed catching up with Ray n Prue - it's people as well as places make a trip.
I came down to Falaise (birthplace of William the Conqueror) - parked under the ramparts. I was glad to take advantage of the European Heritage weekend and get in for free. There wasn't a great deal to see in the keep but there was a talk which I missed - haven't got my 'ear in' sufficiently yet.
It's a nice wee town. And I managed to get money from the ATM with no fee from the service bank (Société Générale).
Had the customary conversation while getting milk - Are you English? (must be my execrable French accent!) No, I'm Scottish but I live in Northern Ireland. Ahh, Ireland! No, Northern Ireland, it's a different country....
I didn't used to be surprised before Brexit but I am now, after all the hoo-ha. But nobody seems to know about it except us!!
I enjoyed a cidre, tho not in a cup - I wonder at what latitude that custom changes?
Falaise might have been busier because of the European Heritage weekend where entry is free!
It was quite a long drive for me down to Château Renault (no motorway), our fav place from family caravan holidays in France; its almost like a pilgrimage! I'd set the satnav to go to Rue du Vachevrier-what I didn't know was that Rue de Vauchevrier starts near the N10 as a TINY road, coming down a steep hill with a switchback 😂😂 - the opposite of my normal approach. The municipal campsite has been taken over by a Camping Car Parks that fits a barrier n presumably comes to clean facilities n empty bins etc but there's no presence onsite so no chat with La Gardienne - think she probably retired anyway. The town is looking very derelict and the roadworks don't seem to have progressed in a couple of years!
I scattered some of my husband's ashes at his favourite willow tree, and in the river.
They still have their horse butcher tho whether it still opens or not I don't know.
I heard a bit of singing in the grounds of the tannery museum but unfortunately she reckoned there was rain coming and moved inside.
Hopefully I've had my episode for this trip - I tried to drive thro the barrier at Château Renault campsite! Well, not really. I drove up thinking it would open automatically. It didn't. Then I noticed it required me to put my Pass d'Etape card to the key pad. I was just looking for that and looked up to see a vertical pole beside me - 'Oh, it HAS raised automatically' I thought n drove forward. Oops!
No Guardien at home, spoke to a local n Marie etc all closed. Tried the CC Park phone number - went nowhere. Sent them an email but eventually got thro to them by phone. THINK the only damage to the MH is plastic paint from the barrier. It may just buff off, or it may have broken the gel shell (if indeed it has one). Will just have to wait n see what they come back with but I'm expecting it to be expensive. The barrier DID go up but then collapsed to horizontal, tho not across the gate TG.
Apart from that I'd a nice drive down to Vierzon. I wandered to the town n thought I might just be in the wrong place....
Actually I was thinking last night it's maybe not as bad as I thought cos the barrier didn't collapse completely it just went down into a horizontal position parallel to the roadway. So maybe it's programmed to park itself out of the way if there's a problem?
Not on polarsteps Alan. I tried it one trip n couldn't get on with it.
Met up with MyGalSal - Sally and Don - n had a great catch-up. Then came over to St Fargeau which is a lovely wee village with a nice aire (tho on quite a sideways slope!)
It's quite cold early n late - I had the heating on this evening for a bit n have set it to come on automatically in the mornings. Maybe time to head south?!
Pic 1 - the aire at Vierzon
Pic 2 - town gate at St Fargeau
I did the Château tour last time Alan - really enjoyed it n you get right up into the roofspace! They also had a free open-air concert with an orchestra n choir, lots of young folk involved.
I did my other Château - Guédelon - today. They've progressed the 2 gate towers and I think put the roof on another. It's an amazing place. It's not enough to say it's hand-built. It's built by SOMEONE's hands, someone I've spoken to, or watched working, and their predecessors. A young lad who's doing metalwork at college is on a 3-week placement. Admittedly he was only making nails but nails are an absolutely vital part of the build. A master blacksmith could probably knock out a few dozen in the time he took to make one but he was learning skills, and in charge of the bellows furnace. Another guy was fashioning a new handle for his axe from a lump of tree. I said You'll certainly take care of it when you have to make it yourself!
I feel a great affinity with the place. It's like motorhoming - I have a much closer relationship with the resources I use and the waste I produce.
A couple of pics of the Château and a couple of where I am tonight, in Toucy. No pics, internet too poor.
From Toucy I went on to Sancerre - home of the only wine I've ever sent back as being off! The parking is overlooking vineyards and I could watch most of them being harvested with machinery but also some by hand.
By jove, walking in Sancerre is a workout for the thighs! They've a great series of old photos on the walls by Hans Silvester. And a painted line on the ground for following a TO town walk with interesting facts. They're famous, of course, for their wines but also for their goat's cheeses and I made sure to sample both!
The parking area attracted a few youngish folk in a couple of MHs and they erected a few tents by the graveyard wall. There was some VERY loud and VERY beaty music (??) but the vans (and music) left before 11. They repeated the next night and it went on later.... But that's why I travel with earplugs so it didn't really bother me. It may just be a weekend thing.
Pics
1. I would love to have sat down with this woman n heard her story! My sister thought she was probably in her 40s after a hard life. I'm inclined to say late 50s,early 60s?
2. The parking area
3. The vista from the TO
4. The Scots get everywhere!
I came on to Bourges. I'd seen that they were having a concert by some youngsters (for free!) - it was a baroque quartet with the teacher playing the harpsichord, with a low-toned flute, a violin and a lute. They were amazingly talented and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I've been here before but the parking is different, but grand. In a huge parking area with trees for shade, or none if you prefer. I met à lovely lady in the Archbishop's Garden when I was smelling the roses (literally). We had a great conversation, I think because she spoke more slowly - Bourges is twinned with Brampton n she's experience of trying to help people understand. She asked me to join her for coffee - tho I didn't realise she meant at her apartment. But she explained she had a balcony so that was grand. We really got on very well tho I suspect her daughter (coming for lunch) would give her a row for inviting a perfect stranger into the house!
Another 1st today was another British van! On their way home from Aquitaine.
There's some lovely architecture here and tomorrow I'm visiting the museum for the resistance. And also going to the only shop that sells croquantes amandier (?) - absolutely gorgeous flat, fluffy, crispy biscuits that Françoise served with coffee!
I walked to the Résistance museum - before 9, when I'm not normally out of the van, and discovered it's time to look out the gloves!!
I had thought the Vichy Govt co-operated with the Nazis reluctantly. Apparently they were very proactive in following the racist agenda.
Bourges was close to the demarcation line between occupied North and so-called free France so there was a lot of resistance activity both helping get people out of the occupied North and harassing both the Nazis and the Vichy Govt. It must take a very special type of person to be able to work surreptitiously while appearing normal in everyday life. I wouldn't have the mental capacity for that.
Unfortunately my croquants were not available. I did buy the nearest equivalent but they're not the same....
I left Bourges sometime after 4 and came over to La Chatre, seemingly almost the only person on the road. I'm sure I've been here before but so far it's not ringing any bells.
Got both the grey and black emptied (much needed. For some reason the grey had jumped from 25% to 100% overnight - both of which are false I think.) I'll take on water when it's free! I'm so mean I'm still on the water from Belfast!
Isn't that just the way of it Alan? I don't usually an in advance but leaving Brouges I had the next 3 nights sorted and that's going SW rather than SE!
Rained quite heavily during the night n a few heavy lorries passing nearby and also parking alongside so not the quietest place! Came on to Bénévent l'Abbaye which will prove to be very quiet I suspect! Filled up with water in anticipation of a shower. Was just coming round the back of the van when an alsation jumped out of the van next door n ran at me, barking. I like dogs but that was a bit scary! As I said to the dreadlocked young man who followed the dog. He didn't even apologise. No idea what nationality he was but I think I'd recognise sorry in any language.
It's a lovely aire with a great view, all services, including 3 electric points, free. It's on the Santiago de Compostela route - or one of them! I hope to get in a walk tomorrow. I've booked for the Scenovision tomorrow afternoon so def staying another night (apparently about daily life of a mason's family - not that kind of Mason, I don't think!)
Had a look at the roof - I'd been behind a VERY tall load of hay that from time to time got hit by branches n shed a whole lot of hay. Thought I might have grown a wig on the roof!
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