Fri 19th
We were ready early so set off at 1050, it was a nice, sunny day. We had a good run down and were going to stop at a pub we’d used before but couldn’t access it so carried on to Wyn’s. We unhooked the car and went off to find a pub and ended up in Shipton Bellinger, we got a drink and sat outside in the sun, the pub closed so I rang Wyn and told him we were there. Went to their house and waited for Karen to come home from work and went for a pub meal with Sid & Wendy at the local George Inn.
154 miles
Fuel £77
Sat 20th
After breakfast we went to Southampton to Jean’s, Shirley, Jen, Jean and I went to Gunwarf Quays, a shopping centre in Portsmouth, and Rich & Derek went to the Spitfire museum. We met Wyn & Karen at “The Bear & Ragged Staff” at Timsbury for a meal, it was a super meal. Back to Wyn’s, Jen stayed the night.
Sun 21st
It was a grey, rainy morning so the walk we were going to take was out, we just sat and chatted till it brightened up then went to find a pub, we ended up at the “Mayfly” in Lechford for another super meal. We took Jen into Salisbury to catch her bus and then had a short walk round before meeting Sid & Wendy for a drink again, didn’t think we’d want to eat but had a snack.
Mon 22nd
We left Wyn’s at 10.15 and went to Southampton, we went to Morrisons, got a snack then some groceries. Jean took us to a local centre for Shirley to change some money at the Post Office. Jean cooked us a meal and then we left for Portsmouth fuelling up on the way, we arrived at the port in good time but it took a very long time to load and we were late sailing. The reclining seats were not very comfortable but we managed to get some sleep.
31 miles
Fuel £47
Tue 23rd
We left Le Havre at 0830 and had a very difficult journey, Gertie seemed to be all over the place, taking us on toll roads and as it was not a route we’d used before it was very confusing and we got lost around Caen, Shirley & I got in the back and had naps, we stopped for lunch at an Aire in Soulange and arrived at Vivonne at 5.50. it was a nice Aire in a tree lined square, we all walked round the small town, (separately) and we watched flocks of starlings coming to roost in the trees we were parked under. I cooked us some ready meals and we made the beds up and we had an early night. It had been a warm sunny day with the odd light shower.
303 miles
Fuel €72
Tolls €18.80
Wed 24th
It rained overnight and was an overcast morning, we were up at 0530, had a quick breakfast and set off at 0700, although it was wet and miserable we had a better journey getting a good run , stopping for lunch at a motorway aire, whe we got to St Jean de Luz the Aire was on a very busy roundabout and impossible for us to get into, we went on to Hendaye, arriving at 2.30, and got on the Aire there, it was by the railway station and got very full as the evening wore on. We had a quick drive round the town but it was very busy and impossible to park, there was a vast marina and it looked like an expensive place to be. The evening turned dry and warm and after another ready meal we had another early night.
We were all impressed by the very imaginative roundabouts in France, beautiful flowers and themes very well kept.
265 miles
Fuel € 65
Thurs 25th
Up early again and on the road by 0730, we took the toll road across the border, it was a warm, sunny day. Going over the Pyrenees there was mist and low cloud hanging in the valleys and it all looked very green but as we got into Spain everywhere was parched and the main crop we saw was sunflowers (there had also been lots of them in France as well) We stopped for fuel and lunch just before Valladolid and from then on we saw dozens of intensive animal breeding sheds scattered across the otherwise barren land, although at one point there was a vast pine forest, it was a lovely, sunny day, Shirley dozed but I managed to stay awake even though I’d not slept much last night. We arrived at Segovia at 2.00, booked in and set up, S&D’s bungalow was very basic – a glorified shed - but easier than all the bed making in the van and at least they could use their own bedding. It was lovely and sunny and we were all very sticky and grubby feeling, Shirl and I had a short swim then we all had showers before tea (the last of our ready meals) sat in the shade and nattered a bit then an early night again.
306 miles
Fuel €59.5
Toll €10.34
Fri 26th
Woke up to grey skies and rain, mountains hidden in cloud. Had a cooked breakfast and at about 11 o’clock decided to go out anyway, before very long it brightened up and became a nice sunny day. We went to Salamanca and had a good day looking at all the magnificent architecture, huge wonderfully carved buildings, the university and cathedral, there was a fantastic great square – Plaza Mayor, as well as smaller plazas, there seemed to be great buildings round every corner. We had a snack and then went to see the old city wall and Roman bridge, this was huge with at least a dozen vast arches, we went back into the city and had a meal then back to the car to find the site of the battle of Salamanca which is actually a few miles out of town at a village called Aropile, there were some really ancient houses which must have been there in 1812, we saw the spot where Wellington ate his lunch then the hill where the battle was commanded from, Derek and I climbed it, then we made our way back to the site We saw a lot more farms with huge animal sheds, it seems to be an intensive farming area with miles of fields that have been harvested of grain We saw an eagle, a few buzzards, a peregrine falcon, quite a few horses and mules, cattle and sheep all seemed in good condition.
Sat 27th
Woke to a clear blue sky but it had been cold in the night, after breakfast we went to Avila an old walled town, it was not as impressive as Salamanca, within the walls it was just shops and cathedrals, we had a stop for coffee and Derek and I went to the tourist office for some information, we decided to go on the tourist train which took us round all the sights, mostly cathedrals, the town was mostly famous for St Teresa. After we got off the train we had lunch then Rich, Derek and I went up the walls and walked along the battlements. We filled up with fuel then went to Lidl and got some groceries then back to site, on the way back I spotted a deer grazing quite near the road, we’d also seen lots of buzzards and an eagle, back at site we had a BBQ.
Sun 28th
Another bright morning, after breakfast we caught the bus into Segovia. Segovia is a fantastic town, with many ancient buildings with red tiled rooves, also lots of churches. We made our way to the Plaza Major (Main Square) and as we entered saw that there was a film crew setting up, all Indians as we stood and watched one of the crew asked us, and a few other people, to walk across when she gave a signal, so Shirley and I are now officially Bollywood film stars, the men wouldn’t do it. We sat at a café and watched them filming for a while then wandered round all the streets and squares to the Roman aqueduct, which is truly magnificent and on a grand scale, has to be seen to be believed. We stopped for lunch and ended up with the wrong food due to language difficulties but it was nice all the same, a good job as it was expensive. We set off back to the bus stop but managed to get lost and had quite a long walk, Shirley managed to trip on a broken paving stone and really hurt her toe, we finally found the bus stop and there was a bus in so we got on it gratefully, all very tired. Back at the site I had a swim and sunbathed while Shirley had a rest and the men chatted, we sat around for the rest of the afternoon, and had beans on toast for tea as we’d all had a good lunch.
Mon 29th
Up early and away from site by 0830, unfortunately we had caught the van on a tree, but very little damage thankfully, it was a nice, sunny morning. We drove via Avila and Plancensia to Caceres, just after Avila we crossed a mountain range over very twisty, steep roads, on the other side the terrain changed and we went through miles and miles of cherry trees, in terraces on either side of the road. We saw quite a lot of cattle, horses and donkies, one donkey we saw was laden with panniers in the old fashioned way, also birds of prey, buzzard, and kestrel. There was also water in some of the rivers and it was quite green.
When we got to Caceres Gertie took us into the city, we went round at least 3 times and into the old historical part with very narrow, cobbled streets, it was a bit hairy and at one point we thought that we’d have to unhook the car to get through, but Rich managed it, we eventually found the site outside the city. A very nice site with bathrooms on each pitch with super showers, also a big pool. S&D had a nice room with air con, TV and bathroom, I had a swim and Derek joined me and jumped in with his hearing aids in! had to get a man to fish them out. Went for chips to terrace bar, had to wait till 8.30 for them to open.
188 miles
Fuel €44
Tue 30th
Up and away by 0830, another bright, sunny morning. Drove to El Roccio, a good journey on the whole except that we went through a small town with very narrow streets and because of parked cars had to unhitch the car, unfortunately we drove the rest of the way with the engine running! No harm done. Arrived at 12.30 and booked in to the site, nice big pitches with a shade, S&D’s bungalow was nice again. As we booked in Rich was waiting at the barrier and a car drove up followed by the police who arrested the driver at gun point and his family were left stranded. We set up and got the washing machine out and started the washing, great at first then it kept tripping the electric and we had to go to the office each time, hung out what had been done then gave up and got tea . Another early (hot) night!!
209 miles
Fuel €57.5
Wed 31st
Awake very early and up at 0600, a lovely pink sky, I took the rest of the washing to the wash room and got it done, tried to plug machine in there but wrong size socket for our adaptor.
After breakfast we went in the car to El Roccio, we were amazed that the lake had dried up and about a hundred horses were grazing where it had been, apparently it dries up every summer, had a drink and walked round for a while then went to Almonte to find a supermarket. Almonte is a pretty town with white painted houses and narrow cobbled streets, got our shopping and sat at a café for a while before going back to the site, it was an overcast, but warm day, and there were a couple of very light showers, it was not pleasant to sit outside as there were so many flies.
We have been surprised at how empty the sites are a lot less people than in the winter months, half of this site is closed off.
Thurs 1st Sept
Overcast again this morning and a very sharp, short shower after breakfast. We went to Acebron Palace, built in 1965 as a hunting lodge, on the long drive to the palace we saw about a dozen hoopoo and some larks, we had a look round the exhibition inside, very interesting about the lives of people in the area in the past, free entrance as well, as we left it started raining so we decided to go to Matalascanas, a seaside town nearby, it rained so heavily that we could hardly see at one point. When we got there we looked for the sea front but didn’t find it so looked for a café, we found one and went in but couldn’t make ourselves understood, we wanted a snack and coffee and they were advertising food but, the girl sent us to another café across the road that only did cakes so we had a drink then had a cake in the car that we’d taken with us, it was still raining heavily so we went back to site. When we got back it was a disaster area, all the stuff we’d left outside was soaked, tables and chairs, barbeque, washing etc, not only wet but all splashed up with gritty sand – a right mess! even worse inside was flooded as well as we’d left the roof light open and the floor and seat were soaked as well, after a mopping up session we had a drink and played Triominoes till tea time, it continued raining all evening.
Fri 2nd
It rained very heavily almost all night but had stopped by the time we got up. We went to Huelva, the road in went through what seemed like miles of industrial area, gas and fuel refineries mostly. We found the football stadium where there is a Wok restaurant we’d been to before then looked for the market, after driving round for a while we saw a large car park and decided that must be it. We walked to the market which was a big, new indoor one, all fruit, veg, meat and fish, it was very busy and very clean, the produce all looked superb, lots of fresh fish, tuna, squid, prawns etc and lovely cuts of meat, it made us wonder how all the stalls could make a living there were so many of them, we just bought some fruit. We then walked to the restaurant which was just opening up so we were the only customers; it was as good as we’d remembered, all the food cooked fresh for us. After lunch we went to La Rabida where there are replicas of Christopher Columbus’s ships, Pint, Nina & Santa Maria, as he sailed from there in 1492. It was interesting to see how small the ships were and how few comforts they had.
It was warm and sunny but very dark clouds threatening rain most os the day but luckily we didn’t see any.
Sat 3rd
A clear morning, quite misty, but it soon burned off. We drove into Almonte and managed to find the car park under Mercadona, went into a cheap shop and got a few things, bucket & broom, then we stopped and had a drink on a corner café watching roadmen wash and sweep the road, then into supermarket for supplies. After lunch Rich and I walked into El Rocio, there seemed to be quite a few people about in the houses, we had a drink and back to site. The site has become very busy with locals, a lot of the chalets and pitches occupied. Cooked fish on BBQ. There seemed to be a wedding party on the site and there was music and explosions going on for a long time.
Sun 4th
A clear, sunny morning, after a lazy breakfast we went into El Rocio, we watched a couple of parades going into the church, they were not as elaborate as last time we’d seen them and a lot less people, we then we had a coffee and lunch, we ordered Tapas, one item of which appeared to be ox tail, it was quite nice though. Looking over the dried up lake amongst the dozens of horses grazing we could see flamingos in the distance in the small amount of water there was. We drove around some back roads trying to get nearer to the lake and flamingos but just ended up in a dead end, we were driving through lots of fenced enclosures with dozens of horses and mules. Back to Van and I had as swim which was very pleasant, then I got a curry for tea and we played cards for a while.
Mon 5th
Another clear, bright morning, quite fresh first thing but soon warmed up. Derek Rich & I went to the Acebon Palace and walked round the lake, it was a nice walk, we saw and heard a few small birds and also some buzzards overhead, in the muddy water we saw a couple of crayfish and in the lake we saw fish jumping and turtles swimming as well as many dragonflies and martins swooping down for a drink, Shirl stopped at the van as the walk was difficult for her.
I had a swim then after a rest we went into El Rocio to get a meal, the place we wanted to eat at was closed and most others were as well, we stopped at the only one that was open that we’d eaten at yesterday and had a nice meal, we didn’t know what we were ordering but it was ok – ox tail and pork something! As we were sitting there half a dozen wagons and riders came by, they were pulled by mules and horses and had brass and bells and bright colours, one man riding a mule with bright red & Yellow ornamentation stopped and posed for a a photo.
Tue 6th
Bad night’s sleep, dogs barking all night so up about 5.30, got packed and ready for away at 0805. We drove past Seville, a huge city, and over a mountain range into La Herradura arriving at 12.30, it was very hot, we set up, managed to take aerial off van with a rope that was holding up a shade cloth, very tight pitches, it was either that or a tree! Took S & D to their hotel which was very nice, had a bit of a sort out of van and changed sheets and washed old ones, washing machine did not work again, very disappointed in it, will get on to the firm when we get back. Although we thought we’d tipped the electric it was actually general, S&D had a short break where they were.
We met up again and looked for food, again nowhere seemed to be open so we went to the only one that was, it was on the beach and very pleasant but expensive for a very ordinary meal. Dropped S&D at hotel and parked car on beach by site as they wanted €5.68 to park it on site.
221 miles
Fuel €49
Wed 7th
Went to look for a hospital for Derek to have a blood test, found one in Almunecar but after quite a wait were told they would not do it. We had a walk round the sea front and had a drink then we drove on to Motril to see if we could find one there, we eventually located it and drove into what we thought was the car park only to have an electronic gate shut behind us, we discovered we were in the sewage works!! Managed to find someone to open the gate and let us out and he showed us the hospital car park, underground. After a bit of interrogation it was decided they could do his blood test so we sat for about an hour and a half while he had it done and waited for result, quite interesting watching the comings and goings, at least a dozen ambulances came and went, they looked more like ice cream vans than ambulances! It was a good job Derek got it done though as they told him he needed to adjust his warfarin a bit. We decided to go on to Castillo de Banos to show them where we’d stayed before, it turned out to be further than we remembered but the site looked very nice in the sunshine and dried out, also cheaper than where we are although the bungalows were very expensive, which is why we’d not booked there. Back to van and bacon & eggs for tea, as we sat outside a vehicle raced by us towing a caravan and we heard a loud crunch! It was wrapped round a wall. Derek took car as they had a space in hotel car park.
Thurs 8th
S&D came after their breakfast and we set off for Gibraltar, a long and tiring trip, about 130 miles, from Malaga onwards there were banks of misty fog coming and going, never enough to reduce visibility but quite eerie looking over the coast, horrible road through Malaga, Marbella and Torremolinos, heavily populated with miles of high rise buildings etc, otherwise the country was rural and mountainous. When we arrived at La Linea it took an hour to get to the Gibraltar border through police controlled queuing area, we made our way to a beach and had a snack at a café, they wanted English money and of course we hadn’t taken any. We made our way to Morrisons and S&D went to look around while we stopped in car in shade for Rich to have a rest, we walked along a park and watched the shipping for a while then had a drink in Morrison’s café. When S&D returned we had a good stock up on groceries and snaked our way back of the rock, there was one road for cars and another for bikes/scooters etc, I have never seen so many motorbikes at once, the whole place was awash with them, the traffic was manic and Morrisons was heaving, apparently it is Gibraltar day in a couple of days, it was quite a hectic day. We drove back on the toll road which was a lot quicker but cost about €12. Unpacked shopping had a bit of tea and bed.
Fri 9th
This morning Rich took us into Almunecar to the market, very busy and noisy, we stopped fro a drink then walked round the old quarter which was not very interesting – maybe we missed the main bit! We found out that the bus was not till 4.30 so texted Rich who came to fetch us. We had Morrison’s ready meals for tea, very easy.
Sat 10th
Quiet morning at van then walked to S&D’s hotel where there was free wifi. Very hot morning again.; they came for beans on toast ands a game of Triominoes.
Sun 11th
Quiet day again. Walked up the town a bit into the old part, very steep. Rich watched GrandePrix in bar then ready meals for tea. Chatted outside for a while, in the cool, it had been a very hot day.
Mon 12th
Up quite early and went to the Alhambra Palace, it was very busy with bus loads of people but a wonderful experience again. The gardens were much more colourful, being summer and the wonderful carved arches and tiled walls awe inspiring. It had been a very hot day.
Site fee €190 €27.15 per night; not a brilliant site, facilities adequate, clean but very tired, pitches shaded with trees with branches quite a hazard.
Tue 13th
D&S came for breakfast and said hotel had not been paid, I went back with Derek to sort it out, he had to pay but if I find out it’s been taken twice they will refund it (don’t think it has) they had been charged for parking car which we thought a bit of a cheek, could have parked free on beach. Managed to rip the fire vent off the van getting off the pitch! Finally got away at 0900 and drove to San Javier we decided to use toll roads to save time and make an easier journey, we arrived at 1.45 and set up, after a bit of lunch we drove into Los Alcazares, we showed S&D where Doug and Bren used to live and had a look round big new Chinese shop, all the old ones seemed closed, did some shopping at Mercadona and walked along front and had a coffee then went to Chinese for a meal, good food and good value as always.
Back to van and made beds up as we were all sleeping in it, it was a very hot night but we didn’t sleep too badly.
224 miles
Fuel €63.51
Toll €13
Site fee €32.19, site ok not upgraded at all, charged for € 3.7car and €7.41 for
S&D.
Wed 14th
Up and away by 0815, again used toll roads for speed, arrived at Moncofa at about 12.30, set up and had lunch then had a swim in the pool, last of Morrisons ready meals for tea, another hot night all sharing van as it was €60 for a bungalow but only €16 for S&D in van
193 miles
Fuel €62
Toll €12.75
Site fee €34 a good site, facilities very good, near beach (pebbly) and a lovely pool.
Thurs 15th
Away by 0835 and again used toll roads, we passed through an area where there were a lot of castles and towers on hilltops, then into quite a green area with orange groves and vines, there were a lot of roads being built or abandoned half finished. We arrived at Mataro at about 1245, set up and had a sandwich then I got all the bedding out for an airing and clean sheets. S&D’s bungalow was not bad with more facilities than the others they’d had, but in poor repair. The site was the busiest one we’ve been on, quite full. We had a swim and sunbathe in the afternoon then BBQd steak.
220 miles
Fuel €73
Site fee €97.75 = €33.25 a night
Fri 16th
S< D & I caught free bus into Barcelona, when we got off we looked for a bank and ended up at a money changer for Derek to get some euros. We then walked all down the Rambla, the main tourist, pedestrianised area, lots of souvenir shops, flower stalls and cafes, also quite a few “living statues” some of them very inventive. We then caught the open topped, tourist bus which went all round the city, this took almost 2 hours because of the traffic, it was manic and very congested but it gave us chance to have a good look at the sights, we wanted to see the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s “cathedral” but realised that we were on the wrong bus route, we got off once we’d been all round the red route and got on the blue route, we got off at the Sagrada Familia. Derek and I went in and it is astounding, although very modern it still feels like a cathedral with huge coloured glass windows casting rainbow coloured light throughout and a fantastic centrepiece seemingly floating of the crucifixion, the pillars are fantastic based on the form of tree trunks, in places it looks quite gothic, although it has been under construction since 1882 it is still incomplete relying on donations and visitor revenue to continue building. When we finished in the cathedral we caught the underground back to the Plaza Cataluna, quite an interesting experience getting tickets, there were at least half a dozen armed guards with muzzled dogs around the station barriers. We got something to eat at a Tapas bar, from a not very helpful waiter, but what we ended up with was very nice, then waited for bus back at 7.45, a long, hot and tiring but interesting day. When we got back the site was a lot busier, lots of locals in for the weekend.
Sat 17th
Decided to give the washing machine another try, I don’t know what Rich did but he managed to fix it so that it didn’t trip the electric, he also connected it to a spare point, not the one we were using! Managed to get all the washing done, sheets and towels included, we seemed to provide quite a side show with it.
After lunch we took the courtesy bus into Mataro, we were looking for a supermarket but they must all be on the outskirts. Wandered up the main street and had a drink in a café in a small square then back on bus. All washing dry, got a curry for tea and played Triominoes till midges started biting.
Sun 18th
Up and had breakfast, packed up and away by 0830, it was a grey, overcast morning and had rained a bit in the night. We had not been going long before Gertie got us lost, we ended up in a small village going up a narrow, twisting road which ended up in a cul-de-sac on a hill, almost in someone’s garage, there was a trailer and a car parked there as well, R&D had to unhook the car and move it down a couple of bends then Rich managed to turn the van in the road that was not much wider than the length of the van, the people living in the house looked on in amazement. The day continued overcast and as we approached Girona it was raining, we seemed to follow abandoned road works for many miles, we saw the usual prostitutes alongside the road on the Spanish side of the border and as we approached France more intensive animal sheds. We arrived at Carcassonne at about 1.15 and the reception was not open, we had a sandwich then booked a pitch. We drove into Carcassonne and after looking round for a while looked for something to eat only to discover that most of the cafes had stopped serving food at 2pm. On our fourth try we found one that did in a busy square full of cafes, we had very nice meals and then made our way back to the site. Showers then read till bed time.
280 miles
Site fees €31.30
Mon 19th
Woke up to a grey, damp morning, no-one slept too well, managed to get away by 0830 but Gertie got us lost looking for a supermarket, found LeClerc eventually and filled up with fuel and food.
A very long, tiring day driving through the Midi Pyrenees, very heavy driving on winding, quite mountainous roads, the weather picked up and we saw a beautiful rainbow at one point then saw quite a bit of sun. Although we were heading for an Aire we found a campsite, Camping Montreal in a village called Saint Germaine Les Belles, it was by a lake and had big, open pitches, S&D got a chalet which was the best they had had and the cheapest at €45.
235 miles
Fuel €74
Site fees €13.90
Tue 20th
Woke up to a very misty cold morning (7°), the lake looked beautiful with the sun shining through the mist. We found a LeClerc and fuelled up and got a couple of things then on the road again by 1015. We saw lots of fruit trees and lots of fields that seemed to have been just left, some had had hay cut on them but a lot just weeds and self set from last years crop or there were lots of wildflowers which seemed strange in the autumn.
We arrived at an Aire at Briollay at 12.35, a very big Aire with toilets (functional but not wonderful) We had a walk round along the river, it was a very old town which was on the flood plain of the River Sarthe. We had some ready meals from Le Clerc which were not very nice then made the beds up and had a game of cards before an early night.
194 miles
Fuel €69
Wed 21st
We were up early; it was a bit milder (15°), set off at 0845, called for fuel again and arrived at St Martin Des Besaces at 12.35. It was an overcast day with some sunny spells, we again saw lots of fruit trees and very pastoral scenery, we drove through a lot of villages and towns that were very pretty with lots of flowers and hanging baskets on houses and streets, it seemed like the French version of Britain in Bloom. The site was very nice, in lovely countryside on an old farm; we had an enhanced pitch which was good but miles from toilets. S&D had B&B which they were very satisfied with. After we’d set up, had a shower and a rest we went to find a restaurant, the first one was not open so we went to a Routier (transport café) and had a very substantial meal with excellent service from a very pleasant, friendly staff, very reasonable price as well. It turned into a damp, mizzly evening.
148 miles
fuel €48
Site fees €126 €23 per night (stay for 3 pay for 2)
Thurs 22nd
We woke up to a nice clear morning but after breakfast it started to rain. We went to a town called Quinvelle to a museum about France during the occupation and then D Day landings, it was very interesting with lots of exhibits but there was not a lot of English on the explanations and what there was was badly translated, it was interesting to see D Day from the French perspective and it brought home the enormity of the undertaking. We had lunch at a small hotel then carried on and visited a couple of monuments and Utah beach where the Free French and the Americans landed, there were what seemed like miles of concrete bunkers still in situ, part of the German defence or “Atlantic Wall”. The day had turned warm and sunny.
Fri 23rd
It had been a clear. Cold night and was a very misty, dewy morning, we went to Bayeux; we drove through back lanes and small villages, very pretty. S, D&I went to see the tapestry, it was quite amazing, a lot longer than I imagined and really quite complete still, there was a commentary which explained it all, after a look round the rest of the museum we had a drink in a café and then a look round the cathedral, quite austere but with some nice stained glass windows, very rich red & Blues. We carried on to the coast and Omaha Beach where we had a look at more monuments to D Day. It had been another nice, sunny day, we wanted to go to the Routier but they were closed so did pork chops on the BBQ.
Sat 24th
Another cold night and chilly, misty morning, today we went to see Gold Beach, the main British landing area, at Arromanches there are the remains of the “Mulberry Harbour” that was assembled for the landings. We tootled along the coast looking at Juno beach, where General De Gaulle landed to rally the Free French and called at St Aubin-Sur-Mer for lunch. We then went to Benouville and the Pegasus Memorial museum. This was the most interesting of them all; we had a short talk explaining the situation and a film, then a guided tour, we saw the original bridge, with many bullet holes and a full size replica of a Horsa glider, in the museum itself there were so many items that we really did not have time to see them all, it was a very moving experience, I also had a “spooky” moment, when the girl was giving us her talk my phone went (embarrassing) it was a text from Jan asking had we been to the Pegasus museum! Another lovely, warm, sunny day. Back to van for a bit of tea and a game of cards.
Sun 25th
We decided to do nothing today so just stayed around the site; it was warm and sunny again, after a chilly, misty start, but a bit of a breeze. As it was such a nice day I decided to have a walk round the village – St Martin Des Besances – a very small place and being Sunday all closed. I had a look round the museum which was about the allies coming through the area after the D Day landings, this town had been the centre of a battle and was quite extensively damaged. After tea we played Triominoes for a while, it was a really mild evening.
Mon 26th
Today we went to Mont St Michel, it was a bit more overcast and rain was forecast but it did stay dry and quite mild. Mont St Michel was very interesting, not quite as far from the land as ours and we were able to walk to it, there were notices saying that the car park would be flooded at high tide at 6pm. There were very narrow streets, at first mainly full of souvenir shops and cafes, then up lots of steps up to the cathedral, we didn’t go in as it was €9 but we had a good mooch round, leaving Shirley in a coffee shop. We got some lunch in a small bar, everyone had a bit of a laugh when a couple of Americans stood up to leave and the one was 7ft 2”, he was a basket ball player, one of the locals and the owners wife had to have her photo taken with him, she came up to his waist! As we were walking out of the town we saw an ambulance crew & gendarmes with a stretcher at the ready and as we drove off they shot by with sirens and lights, hope it wasn’t too serious.
We called at Lidl’s on way back then just sat round till time to start a bit of packing and then to Routier for a meal, steak & chips tonight, very good again.
Tue 27th
We finished packing the van and when S&D came hitched up the car and were away by 10am. Another lovely, sunny day and not a bad trip, a detour along pretty, tree lined, narrow roads and then we ended up on a short ferry ride, free, we noticed the trees were changing colours and looked very pretty, the countryside was very green as well. We made our way to the Aire at Le Havre and I cooked bacon & eggs then we went for fuel at a Carrefour, it was very small and awkward to get to but we managed. Back to the dock to wait for boarding time, we set off at 5pm and tried to rest but it was not very comfortable, we got a sandwich and drink. We docked at 10.30, 9.30 local time and took S&D back to Jean’s then we decided to go to Wyn’s and stay there the night.
107 miles
Fuel €64.50
Wed 28th
We set off at 9 0clock and had a good run, not too much traffic and a lovely, sunny day; we stopped at a lay by snack van for a bacon bap and were home by 12.45.
145 miles
Total miles (in van) 3390
Total Fuel (in van) £911
Miles in car 1800 (fuel not noted)
Total site fees £756
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