Back in the UK

Tuesday 28th June.

We arrived back in England this morning, made our way to the Robin Hood & Little John pub in Hertfordshire for an overnight stop and, predictably, it's raining. We stopped here a couple of years ago but when I phoned this morning to check it would be OK to stop again they said they have had problems with "travellers" and now only accepted motorhomers who had joined the Britstop scheme. I explained that we weren't "travellers" (although we do travel), that we had stopped before and would be eating at the pub. Eventually they somewhat reluctantly deigned to let us stay, after checking six times during two telephone conversations that we would definitely be eating. So very different from Greece where taverna owners are never bothered if you park up outside whether you buy a meal or not. Welcome home.

Since we left Beines in the Chablis region last week we've stopped at a few places on our way to Calais. First stop was at Maeuil-sur-Ay in the champagne region near Epernay. It's a pretty spot, right alongside the Canal Lateral a la Marne. The half dozen allocated spots for motorhomes were all taken by folk who looked like they were spending their summer holidays there despite the 48 hour stopping restriction but we parked a little further up the road with a few other vans and nobody seemed too bothered (49.04552 4.03340). The next day we stopped at Banteux this time next to the Canal de Saint-Quentin (50.06296 3.20091). Again a pretty spot with nice walks on the canal and for €5/24hrs including electricity we weren't complaining. The following day we made our way to Arques, just outside St Omer, where we parked behind the large municipal campsite, between two lakes, for €3.50. (50.74665 2.30131). The following morning, in fact yesterday, we called at the massive retail park, filled up with diesel and a few bits and pieces from the biggest Auchan supermarket I've ever seen and then headed towards Calais.

For the last few years we've always stopped at Wissant prior to taking the tunnel home. The motorhome stop is shared with the local buses, it tends to get very busy, there's nowhere to empty the WC, no water and no WiFi so this year we elected to stop on the campsite on the other side of town, Camping Municipal De La Source (50.88366 1.65782). The young girl on reception said that I would only pick up the WiFi if I parked immediately behind the office and when I explained that I needed it to watch the football she said "No need, there's a bar 100 metres away, we all watch the football there and best of all - it has beer!" So at 8.45 last night we set off for the bar which we would recognise by all the French flags hanging outside. We found the bar - which was closed on Mondays! Back to the van, back to the WiFi and despite a ridiculous amount of buffering watched the shambles and our second exit from Europe in a week. I have no more to say on either exit.

We left home last September and by the time we get back at the end of the week we'll have been away for nine months. We've visited France (three times), Spain (twice), Portugal, Italy (twice) and Greece. We've travelled over 7,000 miles and stopped at 84 different locations 48 of which were free. Our van, Lulu, never missed a beat and the only repairs we've needed were to the brakes. An initial faulty diagnosis (and repair) in Spain was expensive and missed the fault completely but finally in Greece the problem was solved. We had a new kitchen tap fitted in Spain and I fitted a new water pump. We also had a new awning fitted in Spain as the original was on its last legs. We don't keep a note of costs or how many miles we get to the gallon as we're not on an accounting exercise but our children's inheritance hasn't run out yet!

We've enjoyed every minute of the journey, apart from Phil tripping on the ferry to Greece and cracking a couple of ribs and me falling off my bike in Spain and gashing my foot - drink had only been taken on one of these occasions and I'll let you guess which. We've met up with old friends and made new ones. We've seen some wonderful scenery, enjoyed some delicious food and wine and we've been welcomed just about everywhere we've been, especially in that special country, Greece. I also managed to spend Fathers Day with my eldest daughter in France for the first time in 25 years - thanks for a lovely day, Catherine. Tomorrow and Thursday we are having the van reupholstered in Ilkeston and then we'll head home, sort out our house, visit friends and relatives and plan our next trip.

If you've followed the blog or just dipped in and out I hope you've been entertained and amused, thanks for reading. If anybody would like details of the trip, with all our stops and details thereof which you can open with Maps.me or Google Earth then leave a note in the comments section with your email address and I'll send the info off in the next day or so.

Thanks to all the people who've posted comments on the blog, it means a lot. That's it for this trip, back in late summer.

We've taken hundreds of photos and posted many of them but I'll leave you with this one which is one of our favourites:

And here's a snapshot of the places we've stayed:

 

Pat & Phil

 

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Chablis and Brexit

Thursday 23rd June.

We are parked up this evening in a vineyard at Beines, (47.82127 3.71748) between the towns of Chablis and Auxerre. Another France Passion site but this is one of the best so far. The parking area has all the facilities for water and waste and includes free electricity but best of all the Domaine Alain Geoffrey as well as producing some fabulous Chablis has a corkscrew and vineyard museum. Over seven rooms the museum holds tools and artefacts dating back to the eighteenth century, including over 3,000 corkscrews. Everything associated with the tending of vines and wine production is displayed and I mean everything.Its an amazing collection and quite unique. It's been scorching hot again today (now at 7pm it's still 100degF in the van) and it was a pleasure to go into the cool cave and taste the wines. We all know Chablis as a dry white wine but we tasted three different styles from this vineyard, all with their own characteristics. There are now four AOCs for Chablis, produced exclusively from the Chardonnay grape - Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. The seven Grand Cru are grown on just one square kilometre of land on the outskirts of town. We tasted all but the Grand Cru, which was a bit beyond our budget and, once again, increased the van's payload.

Some photos from the museum:

Tomorrow we move on to Champagne country but I think we'll have to give the France Passion sites a miss, the van can't carry much more!

Friday 24th June.

The last two days have been hot and sunny but this morning we looked out of the van windows and it was overcast. But not as overcast as our mood after reading the result of the Brexit referendum. Whilst leaving the EU may be uncomfortable for us, as folk travelling around in a Motorhome, in a few years time, it's not just selfish reasons that have depressed us. I've thought for some time now that England was becoming more insular, less charitable, more racist, less welcoming. A petty, spiteful country always looking backwards and never trying to improve the future but always looking to revive past glories (whatever they were). Years and years of a sour political atmosphere with propaganda and lies stamping all over truth and reality have been the build up to where we are now. It's not just about the Remain's campaign being more to do with the nightmare scenario if we leave rather than the positive aspects of staying within the EU. It's much, much more than that. It's about constantly tampering with an education system which puts league tables and targets before everything else and dictating curriculums. The cream still rise to the top but the rest end up disillusioned on zero hour contracts if they're lucky. It's about the state abrogating it's responsibilities to the nation in favour of increasing the wealth of the wealthiest. It's about cutting services in the name of austerity and comparing managing the finances of a nation to those of a household. It's about MPs fiddling their expenses while other folk queue at food banks. It's about creating unrealistic aspirations whilst meritocracy has never been such a laughable concept. And whilst the nation has never been more divided that creates the breeding ground for the evil rhetoric of the racists. The affluent, well to do racists. And instead of those folk who have been disadvantaged by these neo liberal economic policies seeing through the bullshit of the elites they buy into the anti-foreigner propaganda as being the cause of all their woes. We've gained far more economically, socially, culturally and politically by being part of the EU. Why didn't anybody forcibly put this argument forward? Most folk accept the European Commission needs an overhaul, why didn't our MEPs state they would push for this? Why weren't the fears of a European Army and a Turkish invasion more vigorously refuted? Why didn't the Labour Party identify and explain the real cause of low wages, poor public services, shortage of homes and the other concerns of the disadvantaged living in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet?

Talk about cultural hegemony.

We travel to Greece and see people with nothing helping other people with nothing because of the sympathy and empathy they feel and then we compare that to the response to Syrian refugees by the majority of English people. People escaping a life we can't even imagine being used as scapegoats to further political careers. People who have nothing, who have fled their homes, who have lost family members and friends through war and atrocities. These are the people who take our jobs? Our houses? Who put a strain on our underfunded NHS and education system?

I've not been too elequent in this post, I'm so angry but this article conveys my feelings entirely and I hope you find the time to read it: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/24/eu-vote-uk-diminished-politics-poisoned-racism

Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas.

If anyone's interested we're parked up at Mareuil-sur-Ay (49.04550 4.03344).

Pat

 

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Burgundy

Tuesday 21st June.

Over the last few years we've stopped in plenty of what can only be described as one horse towns. This evening we are parked up in La Chapelle-de-Guinchay (46.21013 4.76749) and I reckon the horse has left for pastures new. If there ever was a horse here at all. Sleepy does not begin to describe this little village which is in the heart of Beaujolais country, a little south of Macon. There's a car park here with facilities for motorhomes and we have a tourist information office and a shop attached selling regional produce. We strolled in this afternoon and the lady behind the counter studiously ignored us, we browsed a couple of leaflets and then went into the shop, picked up a couple of bottles of wine and some pate and with a sigh she took my money, gave me my change and if I had not said "Merci madam", not a word would have been exchanged.

We've spent the last few days with our daughter and her family in St Etienne, which was lovely, and our plan this morning was to drive to Beaune and spend the night there but we didn't realise how far it was. The Sat Navs said about four hours so when we stopped for coffee after an hour or so we had another look at our options and decided this little village was ideal. Still, it's quiet enough, apart from the main Paris to Lyon railway which is about 100 metres away.

Two Euro 2016 matches were hosted in St Etienne while we were there - Czech Republic vs Croatia and Slovakia vs England. Our daughter's house is only about a mile from the stadium and the fan zone is even closer. All the bars in the centre of town had been instructed to close their terraces, take all furniture off the streets and only serve alcohol in plastic glasses on the day of the England match. On reflection this wasn't necessary as the English fans behaved impeccably and we heard of no trouble at all. I was tempted to watch the match in the fan zone but was persuaded to watch it on TV at home. ITV on the iPad for the build up and then French commentary during the match. Maybe we'll do better in the knock out stage when teams have to attack rather than attempt a damage limitation strategy as Slovakia did last night, we'll see. I'll be seeking a stop over with WiFi on the 25th!

Wednesday 22nd June.

Beautiful drive today through Cluny, Buxy, Givry and on to Beaune where we are parked up in the spaces reserved for motorhomes (47.01754 4.83673). Whilst yesterday was overcast and very warm today is sunny and scorching. It's 6.45pm, the temperature is still in the low thirties and there's no shade at all in the car park. The fridge is working overtime but I doubt the beer which I'm looking forward to will be particularly cold. Beaune is a beautiful town, it's the second time we've stopped here and we've also stopped on a couple of nearby vineyards where the wine is considerably cheaper than in the posh shops here in town. Last time we visited the old hospital and the mustard museum/factory but contented ourselves with a walk around town on the shady side of the streets this afternoon.

Tomorrow a little further north near Auxerre where we will be in Chablis and Crement de Bourgogne country and we plan to stop in a vineyard there and, no doubt, add to the payload before we leave.

No photos today as the WiFi, which I'm "borrowing" from the hotel next door, is not too good and I doubt it would cope with having to upload images.

Pat

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Following in the footsteps of elephants and a tranquil vineyard.

Monday 13th June.

What a great drive today! Yesterday in Susa we met another English couple who were planning the same route as us into France, basically avoiding the Frejus tunnel and the associated €47. Also it's not a lot of fun driving for 15 kilometres through a tube. We were going to call at the tourist information office this morning to check the road was open but they beat us to it and reported back that the office was closed (Monday) but they would set off and text us the outcome. We set off for some last minute Italian shopping and received a text to say they were in France and the road was open.

We set off and climbed to over 2,000 metres through some spectacular scenery with the snow covered Alps all around us and stopped for coffee at the top of the pass, the massif is over 3,500m! This alpine pass has been used since the Middle Ages by pilgrims travelling from France to Turin and onwards to Rome. The first ever Fell mountain railway system was built here alongside the road in the late C19th, designed and built by an Englishman and operated by English drivers. Unfortunately it was closed three years later when the Frejus rail tunnel was opened - bad timing eh? The road over the pass was built in the early C19th by Napoleon and formed the border between France and Italy until 1947. The border is now located a few kilometres back toward Susa and we were waved through the customs post with a cheery wave as we drove by this morning. This pass was the principal route for crossing the Alps between France and Italy until the late nineteenth century and a series of forts, of which one remains and is being renovated, testify to the strategic importance of the district. But forget all this modern history with mules and wagons and engineers, roads and railways. Close your eyes and think back 2,000 years and whose coming over the top? Why it's Hannibal, of course, taking the war to the Romans. Many of Hannibal's marches are subject to debate but the folk round here reckon he came through this pass, they celebrate it accordingly and I'm not going to argue with them.

There's a wall overlooking the man made lake with a history of the area depicted in type, engravings and castings. This is the beginning of the story:

Views from the pass including the tourist office/church (closed Monday!)

Surrounding the impressive information centre and church are gardens of wild alpine flowers many of which are growing in meadows by the road. Our resident flaura expert spotted Gentian, Alpine Pansies, Eidelweiss, Primroses, Forget-me-nots, Marguerites and many more that she couldn't identify

From Mont Cenis we dropped down through Ski resorts to Mondane and joined the Route des Grand Alps and after an hour or so ended up here (45.27954 6.34666) at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. We haven't really explored the town because we spent the afternoon in the Opinel museum. Everybody knows Opinel, they make the penknives with the wooden handle and locking steel bands. Old Mr Opinel started off making nails not too far from here but being an ambitious kind of chap branched out into farm tools and knives. Over a hundred years later his descendants have dropped the nails and farm tools and get through 300 tons of steel a year making penknives and cutlery. Old man Opinel and his sons were at the cutting edge (sorry) of knife design and manufacture and had a few marketing skills up their sleeves as well and despite setbacks - one factory burnt down, they were using waste wood chippings to heat it - they probably sell more penknives today than anyone except Vitrinox. The museum houses some of the old machinery, there's a guide in English and an excellent short film with English subtitles. Best of all, it's open on Mondays!!

The view from our parking spot tonight:

Last evening and this morning in Susa it was pretty windy. This morning as we were getting ready to leave an Italian guy came up and started talking to me, my blank expression told him I wasn't a fellow countryman. "Where are you from, France, Germany, England?" I told him I was English. "Ah, this wind it doesn't know when to stop and summer doesn't know when to start. Shitty weather. How's my English?" I told him it was very good. Whilst it was gloriously sunny if a little cool up in the mountains today now, down to 600 metres in the valley, it's been overcast and it's been raining now for a couple of hours. But we're a long way from Greece and I guess we'd better get used to this "shitty" weather for a few weeks or months now.

Tuesday 14th June.

Before we set off this morning a man on the bench next to where we were parked said to Phil "No sun today." We seem to be attracting random weather forecasters. He was true to his word as we drove between the Alps in a big loop down to Grenoble and then up and round following the river L'Isere and on toward Valence. Not the most spectacular journey but pleasant enough. We avoided the toll roads and a little way after Grenoble pulled into a parking area for a bite to eat and a coffee. As we parked a young lady at the end of the car park rose from her plastic chair and glared at us. She was dressed all in yellow, apart from her white stilettos, wearing an extremely short skirt. Ahh, we're in her place of business! We reversed back as far as we could so potential punters could get a good look at her. Within a few minutes a car screamed into the car park, she jumped in, the car screamed off and that's as far as I want to speculate. Folk have to earn a living how they can eh?

We haven't stopped on a vineyard for a while and thought we would rectify that today. Last night we had a look in our France Passion book and saw that Domaine du Chateau Vieux was on our way to our daughter's house. As usual the last mile or so involves narrow single track roads but we finally arrived. The guide said the owners spoke English but we've been caught out with that one before. But we arrived, parked up and I set off in search of an English speaking wine maker. There he was and he spoke English and informed me that they were no longer part of the France Passion scheme! We haven't bought this year's book because nobody has ever asked us to produce the appropriate documents on any of the vineyards we've stopped on so we were unaware that he wasn't in the 2016 edition. But, no problem if you'd like to stop the night he said. Excellent, we parked up in a lovely area looking over the vineyard, had a cup of tea and then went to the cave to see "My woman" who let us sample the wines they produce. Ten minutes later and a few euros lighter we lugged half a dozen bottles of AOC Saint-Joseph "Les Rivoires" 2014 back to the van. It wasn't cheap but it was delicious and probably would be fifty percent dearer in a supermarket here and at least double or treble the price in England. We've decided that we can always buy acceptable cheap wine in supermarkets here but if we're on a vineyard it's worth pushing the boat out for something that little bit better.

And the car park bench weather forecaster wasn't entirely correct, from when we parked up here (45.09945 5.11799) at about three o'clock the sun hasn't stopped shining. And it's been hot!

Our view over the vineyard:

 

Wednesday 15th June.

A short drive today with a stop to empty those things that need emptying and here we are now at our daughter's house in St Etienne. We'll probably stay here until next Tuesday, which means I can watch the next England match on the telly. Back on the blog in a week.

Pat

 

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Susa

 

Sunday 12th June.

This morning we were woken at 6.30 by a thunderstorm - quick, close all the roof windows!! The rain lasted a few hours and washed the last of the sand of the roof and the bird s**t off the windscreen. We set off for Asti, which according to the guides didn't have much to recommend it but wasn't too far away but after a coffee stop and then a sandwich stop we decided to push on to Susa, (45.13869 7.05297) which was going to be tomorrow's stop. We like Susa, we stopped here last year on our way back through Italy from Greece and it's a pretty little town with lots of narrow streets and alleyways:

An impressive church tower:

Not too sure what's going on here:

Last year we intended to travel to St Etienne via Grenoble not realising this meant travelling through the Tunnel du Frejus. It's all a bit embarrassing now when we think back but the tunnel is nearly 15 kilometres long through the mountains and the cost was €47. "How Much?" we exclaimed before causing chaos while they opened barriers and gates so we could turn around and go the long way round. This would have been ok apart from the fact that the road on our chosen route was closed and we had to make a massive detour and spent the whole day driving. Tomorrow I've found another route, again avoiding the tunnel, and skirting the Parc National de la Vanoise. It looks like we only get up to about 2,500 metres so I'm hoping the road will be open. I'll check with the tourist office in the morning.

There's been a car rally up in the mountains today and the cars have just returned to the car park here.

A few pics for the petrol heads:

Pat

 

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Castel San Pietro Terme and Piacenza

Saturday 11th June.

We survived the ferry trip with no slips and falls. In fact we slept through most of the crossing as we boarded at 11.30pm and arrived at Ancona yesterday at 2.30pm. Off the ferry, through the town and on to the motorway. We usually avoid motorways but we need to be in St Etienne to see our daughter as soon as we can and the Italian toll roads aren't too expensive and at least the road surface is ok, unlike a lot of Italian A and B roads. Another reason we don't usually use toll roads is the entrance to the toll booths is really narrow, I have but a few inches either side. So far we've had no mishaps, other than clouting the wing mirror a couple of times but yesterday disaster struck, well the van was struck actually, a bump on the plastic just in front of the habitation door, grrr! It's not too bad, nothing a bit of fibreglass repair won't sort out but it's irritating. 125 miles later and we were in Castel San Pietro Terme in a free car park (44.39795 11.59341) with spaces for motorhomes overlooking some tidy allotments. I wonder if ours back in England looks anything like these.

We walked up to the town in the late afternoon and bought a spinach and cheese bake from the bakers for supper, very nice it was too. This morning we walked back up and explored a little more, it really is a lovely little town. We did some food shopping and everybody we met was kind and pleasant and forgave our non existent Italian as we pointed at meat balls and given the advice to add no salt when cooking. Chicken and zucchini burgers? Don't add salt to those either! An exhibition of paintings and sculpture where the artist spoke no English but called a couple of passers by over to translate but they didn't speak English either. No matter, we conveyed our thoughts on the beauty and originality of his work.

The parish church in Castel San Pietro Terme:

This morning we headed off for Piacenza, using the toll roads again but avoiding any further damage to the van. Nice big free car park, (45.05032 9.68613) opposite the police station (we like parking near police stations for the extra security we feel it gives us) and after frying up our meatballs, with no extra salt, we strolled down the pedestrianised streets with the other Saturday strollers. We window shopped, and shopped, and then came to the main square -

• Piazza Cavalli is the main square of the town. It is named ("Cavalli" means "horses") for the two bronze equestrian monuments of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (r. 1586-), nephew and valiant general of Philip II of Spain) and his son Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma, who succeeded him. The statues are masterpieces of Francesco Mochi, a Mannerist sculptor. Here you go:

And here's a not very good panorama of the square:

Pat

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