More motoring northwards means that we’re now on the
Opal Coast near to Boulogne and heading towards England after the Easter
holidays. Due to the need to sort out property we’re signing off this part of
the blog….as we’ll be around and about in the UK for a while (well, we’re
anticipating that anyways….).
From the Brenne we returned to Le Cormier campsite
run by Welsh Mike and Cath. It’s a lovely site and they do look after their
guests well….I think we may become regulars….just like the couple who they were
expecting on their way south and return ….to Lordes….we did wonder if the
“cure” worked…or why do they keep repeating the same trip? No, mustn’t ask!
From there we stopped off at Montoire sur le
Loir…the alternative to La Loire (the bigger well known river)….the aire was at
the old railway museum…the place had links back to the second World War as a
staging post for transportation and a visitation from Hitler himself!
Fascinatingly within a 60 mile shift northwards the
weather changed! Out with the hats and gloves, thermal layers needed. A cold
northerly biting wind and well below freezing at night. We put the heating on
and made more promises to ourselves that avoiding the winter weather is on the
cards for another year!
Then it was on to Pont-de- l’Arche near Rouen…which
was an officially signed Aire, but not listed in the allegedly offical book.
There was a sign up saying maximum four camping cars, and the Council had built
a new feature in the middle of the carpark….It was a lovely spot, literally
overlooking the Seine, near to the old town…..and when we stopped there were
eleven vans….me thinks they had previously been over-run, had themselves
removed from the guidebook and were trying to discourage motorhomers! In the morning
before 9am, there were a couple of official looking men trying to move some of
the vans which were blocking carparking spaces….thankfully we were occupying
the last available of the four official bays…as my French is definitely not up
to explaining that I can’t leave until my husband and dogs return from their
morning walk!
Northwards, ever northwards to the Normandy coast
and Berck. We found an Aire beside the sand dunes and walks along the miles of
sandy beaches. We’re definitely in holiday zone/time, as this time there were
28 vans on the Aire….and it seemed many of them unpacking land yachts. Not the
smartest place we’d stayed and with a unkempt caravan in the corner with a pack
of what looked like feral felines….well, Berck was ok. Brilliant if you like
cold windy beach walks, people cockling in the distance, and then more people
either walking the dog or tacking up horses for a gallop on the sands…..at
least the sun was shining…an unexpected bonus.
Next stop Equihen Plage Aire….bit of a misnomer as
there’s no beach….but there are nice sea views from the van….we’re in a bit of
a Belgian enclave…surrounded by nine Belgian registered motorhomes.
One happy tricolour Toller.....just about sums up her views on this long holiday!
