Spring weather

Tuesday 25th April 2017   Lapalisse, (N46.250225 E3.635375) I'm sure, would be lovely if the sun were shining. It was when we arrived so we set off for the C12th Chateau. The description suggested that there were still many of the original details and a tour was only a few euros including the large gardens. But it was a Tuesday. Closed! In fact everything was closed except a kebab shop with a sad looking streak of lamb on a silent spit. Oh well, back to the van and........the heavens opened. It rained for 12 hours without a break. When we arrived there were a couple of motorhomes parked up and by early evening there were 20 plus but no chance of conversation with our neighbours as we were all sheltering from the rain with the heating on full blast.  We've been lucky with the weather since we left Spain, we had one night of rain in Vic but apart from that it's been sunny, although a little chilly in the mornings, so nothing to complain about really. Unfortunately the lights and heating, coupled with the WiFi booster and charging of IPads/phones etc took its toll on the leisure battery and by mid evening the monitor was suggesting that it was getting a bit distressed (as were we). We have a 100w solar panel on the roof and usually we have some sunshine to top up the battery and, coupled with the charge from the alternator when we are driving, we don't usually see the battery running low. But short journeys and cloudy days don't help.   Wednesday 26th April 2017.   We set off this morning heading to Beaune where we've stopped a couple of times before(N47.01754 E4.83669). It's a lovely town and the motorhome parking area has a supermarket next door and WiFi courtesy of the Mercure hotel opposite. It also has an electric hook up point where we got 4 hours of electricity to top up the battery for €4. It pretty much rained all day so we didn't revisit the town, the old infirmary or the mustard factory although they are all highly recommended. The drive from Lapalisse was mostly scenic, especially when we drove alongside the Canal du Centre after stopping at Ecuisses for water. Ah, water. We have a tank that gives us about three days of water if we each shower every day and wash dishes etc..., despite this I like to top up every day if possible but I don't like paying for water. Many of the motorhome service areas now have a service point which accepts jettons which are purchased from the Marie/boulangerie/cafe or local tabac. This is not unreasonable, I guess if the machine took euros it would pretty soon be robbed and vandalised but it is a nuisance. But, the toilet cassette rinsing points supply water free although it says it is NOT DRINKING WATER! Now, I can't believe they have two water supplies to the same facility and we drink bottled water anyway, so it's out with the antiseptic wipes, clean the tap and eh voila! Fresh water! This we did at Ecuisses.    Thursday 27th April 2017   Nearly twenty years ago our eldest daughter gave birth to her first son whilst living in Tavernay, just outside Autun. Phil came out a couple of weeks after the birth and then a few months later we both came out with our son and one of his school pals. During that visit we came into Autun one day and had lunch at La Tete Noire where our son had Duck breast in black currant sauce which he still talks about today. So, although they say you should never go back, this morning we set off from Beaune for the short drive to Autun. We parked up with a view across the lake to the hills (N46.95099 E4.31152) put on our finest and set off to the restaurant. We both had the Pike soufflé to start (isn't Pike out of season now, in April?), delicious! We're in Bourgogne so Phil had to have Coq au Vin and, just to make our son jealous I had the Duck.  Cheese, a pudding, good wine, coffee and Armagnac, what's not to like? Twenty years ago I remember the service as being a little formal but today it was relaxed but I swear it was the same Maitre'd from two decades ago. Before we went into the restaurant it was windy and chilly, when we came out it was snowing! When we got back to the van - after a short cut through the cemetery - the sun was shining. April weather eh?    A couple of days ago there were twenty plus vans in Lapalisse, there were twenty seven last night in Beaune; there are a half dozen here this afternoon in Autun and by tonight it will probably be twenty plus again. But where are the Brits? We haven't seen a British motorhome since Port Vendre three weeks ago!    6.30pm now and..............hailstones!!!!!!     Pat

Banon, Bagnols sur Seze, Aveze, Aumessas, Campagnac and Perignat-les-Sarlieve.

Monday 24th April 2017   So, we've been to a few places since we left Gordes a couple of weeks ago. First stop was Banon (N44.03966 E5.62962) in the eastern edge of Provence; a beautiful small town with a steep walk to the Church offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It's the place to come in summer when the lavender fields are in flower. However we don't come for the view, we come for the restaurant "Les Vins Au Vert" ( www.lesvinsauvert.fr ). We discovered the restaurant 4 years ago and its a delight every time we visit. The walls are covered in wine racks offering wine from every region in France and beyond, the food is a selection of charcuterie, salad, cheese with a small pot of soup. Doesn't sound like much but every mouthful is delicious.   From Banon we headed west to a vineyard at Bagnols-sur-Ceze (N44.18519 E4.62158) a little way from Orange. Of course we had to buy some Cote du Rhone and the next day set off for Aveze (N43.97552 E3.59860) just outside Le Vigan, a great stopover by a river with beautiful walks.    The following day, Saturday, we set off for Aumessas (N43.98997 E3.50429),a tiny village in the Cevenne. Our eldest daughter lives in St Etienne with her husband and 3 children but her parents in law have owned property in Aumessas for many years and they take every opportunity to spend time there. It is a beautiful area and we've visited many times. Part of the village is a jumble of houses all joined together, perched on the hillside occasionally separated by a courtyard or narrow alleyway. Many years ago this was a prosperous village with terraced mulberry trees supporting silk worms and the resulting silk was sent to Le Vigan by rail to the factories there. Chestnuts also were harvested in the area. The railway line is long gone although the station remains and is now the village bar and social centre. The permanent population would be measured in the low hundreds I guess although there are many more folk here during the summer. Despite this there is a lively social scene and a wonderful atmosphere. The downside is that its a 20 minute drive to the shops but with a bit of planning this isn't really a problem.    We spent a week there during which time Phil celebrated a birthday, we enjoyed a couple of walks in the mountains and met up with friends we have made over the years (Hi Patrick!). But all good things come to an end and on Sunday we bade farewell and set off for the even sleepier village of Campagnac, (N44.41955 E3.08866) 70 miles to the north. We didn't really have a plan once we left Aumessas other than to arrive in Zeebrugge on the 5th May for our ferry back to England but we knew that the A75 is a scenic toll free motorway (apart from the bridge at Millau and I don't mind paying the €12 for the privilege of crossing) and we could get some miles under our belt. So today we are parked up in Perignat-les-Sarlieve (N45.73707 E3.13847) a few miles south of Clermont-Ferrand. It's an official motorhome stop over but whereas some of the aires we stop at supply water free,some charge and a Jetton for the machine has to be purchased from the Marie or the local bar or suchlike. Here they want €2 for water but we had a lucky moment. Shortly after we arrived a workman from the Town Hall arrived with several steel sheets with posters attached showing the candidates for yesterday's first round of elections. He turned on an outside tap and proceeded to wash the posters off the sheets (we cheered when Marie Le Pen was washed away hoping it was some kind of sign for the final round of elections in a fortnight) and when he had finished I asked if I could fill up a couple of water containers from his tap - pas de problem! I swapped the water for a can of cold beer and everyone was happy.    And now, after lunch and a look at the maps, we have a plan; we've decided to have a nosey around Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg having never explored that part of France, stopping off on the way at Macon and Dijon. Of course we all know what happens to plans but another good reason to explore these places is to do with the weather. We've had glorious weather for the last few weeks but all the forecasts indicate a sharp drop in temperature and some rain over the next few days so towns/cities with galleries and museums seem like a good idea.     Pat

Hopefully some Pics

Monday 11th April 2017 The view to Montserrat.  

 

 

The altar in the Church at Sant Joan de les Abadesses    

Besalu:  

 

 

  Dali (these images don't really do the great man or the museum justice):  

 

   

 

Gordes:  

   

Spain to France

Monday 11th April 2017 After leaving Peniscola last Tuesday we headed toward a Cava vineyard about 12k north of Sitges with views across to the mountains of Montserrat (N41.36851 E1.77221). We were given a tour of the cave in the vineyard and our guide was very effusive about Montserrat, suggesting the mountains defined Catalunya. After the tour comes the tasting and we always feel obliged to buy a few bottles. We reckon we've had a free nights parking in peaceful and scenic surroundings and its a way of showing our appreciation. Unlike the other 8 people on the tour who didn't buy a bottle between them.   The next day we headed off for Vic, a bustling University town with an interesting Old Quarter (N41.93475 E2.24044). First stop the Tourist Office where it was suggested we follow the tourist route marked in brass signs on the pavement. This we did and after a pleasant hour or so ended up where we started. Time for a beer. We've been used to paying a euro for a small beer so it was a bit of a shock to be charged €5 for two in a bar by the market square, I felt like asking for a doggy bag for the complementary peanuts. It's a shame we couldn't have stayed in Vic until the weekend where there were lots of celebrations and unusual markets to celebrate Palm Sunday but there wasn't really enough there to keep us occupied for another four days. And they were setting up a fun fair about 100m from our parking spot.   Our guide book suggested a route to Figueres through the lower slopes of the Pyrenees would yield some interesting sights so we set off the next day stopping first at Rippol, we were running low on water, the tap at Vic wasn't working and neither was the one at the motorhome parking in Rippol. Onwards to S.Joan de les Abadesses. Not only did we find water but a beautiful town with a superb monastery and museum. We find that it's often the smallest towns and villages that have the best places of interest and S J de les A was no exception. The monastery began life as a nunnery however the nuns were expelled in 1017 for alleged licentious conduct!   Next stop, Besalu which we entered by foot over the 11th-century fortified bridge with two tower gates and portcullis leading to a remarkably well preserved medieval town albeit with the usual collection of tourist tat shops and overpriced restaurants. Well worth a visit and a leisurely stroll around though. Finally on Thursday we arrived at Figueres, one of our motorhome guides suggested there was a supermarket with dedicated motorhome parking for 5 vans(N42.26047 E2.95108). When we arrived there were already 12 parked up so we joined them and nobody seemed bothered.    Now, I had it in my head that there was a Gaudi museum in Figueres so we trotted off to town to find it and check out what time we should arrive the following morning to avoid the queues. The museum was only a fifteen minute walk away and the guy in the ticket office suggested it was a quiet time of year and if we arrived soon after they opened at 9.30 we shouldn't have to queue. We set the alarm for the morning which was completely unnecessary as a guy fired up his petrol driven leaf blower right outside our door at 7.30am - thanks! So we arrived at the museum a little after opening time and sure enough there weren't many folk there and we could view the exhibits at leisure. After five minutes or so I remarked to Phil that there were a lot of Dali exhibits to which she replied "That's because it's a Dali museum".  Hmm, "So it's not a Gaudi museum then?".  Once that was settled and I had my Dali head on rather than my Gaudi head a great time was had by all. Whilst I had always understood him to be the master of surrealism I had never appreciated how varied his work was from paintings to sculptures to installations and much more. Just about every exhibit brought a smile to our faces. It's the second most visited museum in Spain and its worth every euro.   Not wishing to spend another night in a supermarket car park we set off after lunch for France. No more "Hola", "Que tal?"or "Hasta luego". Now it's "Bonjour", "Ca va?" and "Au revoir". We took the scenic route to Port Vendres where we've stopped a couple of times before and had a peaceful night's sleep with no leaf blowers in the morning (N42.51776 E3.11395).   Saturday we set off for a vineyard in the village of Mirepeisset (N43.28496 E2.90327),about 30k north of Narbonne and a twenty minute walk along the river La Cesse to the Canal du Midi. We were shown where to park and I asked if we could use the electric socket I saw nearby - "Yes, of course. The electricity is free if you spend €20 or more on our wine, otherwise we charge you €5." Not a difficult decision for us really.   Sunday we set off for the Camargue and a camperstop just outside Aigues-Mortes. There is a restaurant on site and the intention was to enjoy Sunday lunch there but when we arrived the restaurant was packed and there was no chance of a table - "Why not come back this evening at 7.30 for dinner?" This we did although the food wasn't as delicious as we remembered from our visit here exactly a year ago. Over the last week I've had to make a few running repairs to the van - fix a bad connection on one of the internal lights, repair a catch on one of the external lockers and repair a sagging shelf in one of the kitchen cupboards (twice!). None of these tasks cost me anything but time. Unfortunately on Monday morning disaster struck. We prepared to move off and when I turned the key in the ignition rather than the usual vroom all I got was a click! Flat battery. Had I left the lights on, the radio, anything? No, nothing had drained the battery. Opened the bonnet to check connections, where's the battery? Handbook out and discovered the battery is under a panel and two carpets in the cab, checked connections, all good. Fortunately we have European breakdown cover included with our vehicle insurance so after a lengthy phone call a mechanic was on his way although it might take him 2/3 hours to get to us as it was a very busy time. No problem, sit in the sun and read a book. Four hours later I phoned again, received profuse apologies and was advised he would be with me very shortly. Sure enough ten minutes later he arrived and told me I had a flat battery! "C'est Kaput!) Bravo! Jump started and engine running I asked, via the bi-lingual campsite owner, if he had a battery at his garage and was told to call there, about a twenty minute drive away, at 5pm. Now, if I was in the UK I would have plenty of options to find the best deal on the battery but I was a bit stuck here. It's a big battery, 95ah and they fitted it for me but I suspect I wouldn't have ended up paying €183 in the UK. Still, the duff one was the original supplied with the vehicle so it had lasted 9 years, weve had four years out of it so I can't really complain. Well, I can but I won't.   So we stayed another night at the camperstop location and set off on Tuesday morning heading toward Provence, specifically the town of Gordes which the guide books say is a must see. We're in a car park with mixed parking and after a bit of shuffling managed to find a spot (N43.91569 E5.19775), many of the car parks that accept motorhomes have dedicated parking but here its every man or woman for themselves. A tiered village sitting on the white rock face of the Vaucluse plateau, it certainly looks dramatic as you approach. We're waiting now for the setting sun to turn the stone buildings to gold. Whilst the village is pretty it pretty much relies on tourism so every second building is either a restaurant (expensive), an art gallery (expensive) or a tourist tat shop. So as you walk down the cobbled streets and alleyways you see the same T shirts, aprons and dresses, flowerpots and door knockers as you saw in the last pretty village and you'll see them again in the next one. Nevertheless, if you ignore that and squint a little you can see the village as it once was and I don't blame the folk who live here one little bit for trying to get their share of the tourist euro or dollar.   I'm not going to include any photos with this post because I'm having difficulties so doing but I will try to do a separate post and include a few pics.   Pat

Here we go again

Monday 3rd April 2017 Well, it would appear that I'm having problems with the blog - again!!!! The last blog I have just posted has failed to upload some of the photos, some of the font was altered halfway through the process but I won't be defeated! When I have some decent WiFi I'll try and sort it out, meanwhile..........sorry if my "operator error" is making you scratch your heads.   Pat

Back on the road again

 

Monday 3rd April 2017

We left Bolnuevo on Saturday after a very enjoyable 5 months or so. Well, there were a couple of months when it wasn't so enjoyable for Phil as she dislocated her ankle on Christmas Eve. A few weeks in a wheelchair, a bit longer on crutches, lots of physiotherapy and no dancing! The patient made a full recovery although she's still not quite ready for long walks in the mountains. We had great support from our friends in Bolnuevo; someone lent us a wheelchair - two actually as we managed to break one of them. Then they lent us some crutches and we had a rota of folk to drive us to and from the clinic 5 days a week for Phil's physio. I don't know what we would have done without their help and kindness. 

The closest Phil got to dancing for a few weeks:

 

 

Some weeks later:

When Phil was able to get out and about without my help I managed a couple of walks in the Espuna National Park, one of which was a seven hour hike up to the 4th highest peak at 1500m. Pretty gruelling but worth it for the views:

 

One of the highlights during our stay at the campsite at Bolnuevo is the Sardine and Sangria day that the staff provide for us, in fact they provide 2 and I don't know how many sardines they cook but here they are carrying one of the trays from the fire pit:

But eventually we decided we needed to start moving again slowly toward the Cevenne where we will spend Easter with our daughter and her family and then slowly head up to Zeebrugge for a ferry home on the 5th May. Saturday night we stopped at Ibi for no reason other than it wasn't too long a drive for our first day's traveling. Not much happening in Ibi. Yesterday we stopped at Riba-Roja de-Turia which was a delightful town with lovely river walks and a pretty old town. I've had no WiFi for a couple of days and was desperate for the football score yesterday and as we weren't far from Valencia, who were playing Deportivo I reckoned I could find a bar with the match on and hopefully blag some WiFi and sure enough I was successful, which is more than could be said for my team. Today we are at a campsite in Peniscola which we have christened Colditz as it is nigh on impossible to escape here without the appropriate key. We only stopped here as Phil is still not up to walking long distances and this was the nearest place to the Old Town which we wanted to visit.  Peniscola Old Town and a nearly completed last supper sand sculpture:

Tomorrow we set off for a Cava vineyard or museum (I'm not sure which!) Pat