Great tune from the film Rock'N'Rolla from Guy Richie

Friday8th July Time to go home

We left the site around 1030 and headed back to the Motorway for Caen and stopped for an early lunch at an ‘Aire’ where there was a man with a van selling frits and burgers alike and on the van he had a T-shirt with the McDonalds man over was printed McSHITE!!! Quite appropriate we thought.

We arrived early at the ferry port after going through some more very heavy rain and after a short wait were checked in and ready to go. We had to wait about three hours and then we were loaded and found out cabin where we had a good afternoon kip and a walk around the ship and an had a very enjoyable meal on board of really excellent quality. Brittany Ferries are brilliant compared to LD Lines. The ship is nice and clean, the staff were happy and very helpful and all in uniform unlike LD whose staff where there normal clothes so you don’t know who is staff and who is a guest.

The ferry arrived at Portsmouth andf then back via the A3 to Wey Road where we had a slight problem getting the caravan in the drive as the neighbour across the road continues to leave his car apposite our drive which makes it difficult to move the van around but in the end we managed it.

A lovely cup of tea and then to our own bed again, great.

We have had a great holiday only marred by the KOI event but hope this is a one off.

Next travels are to Frasnce and Spain and Portugal in late August and September although we may come back via Switzerland and Germany, anyway let’s see what happens

Thursday 7th July- Woke up before the 0645 alarm-but it got worse

You know what its like when you have planned an early start that you always wake up early, well we do. So at 06.50 we were drinking our cup of  tea and then followed by a swift breakfast and by 0730 were manoeuvring the caravan from the site with the movers, thank god for movers as it would have been impossible to position the caravan on the site and move it around.

At 0750 wee drove down through the site to the wash block to empty the loo and have a quick shower and by 0810 we leaving the site as the heavens opened and the rain just chucked it down, thank heavens we had started earlier than planned.

Wer headed North up the Motorway via Brive and then on to Le Mans where we went round the East of the City to then on to Beaumont sur Sarthe where we arrived at the outskirts of the town at about 1630, not bad really considering we a a couple of Loo stops and almost an hour for lunch.

Jen had also put on the Sat Nav to give extra help and as we headed in to the town we had to look for a D road on the right to the campsite, the Sat Nav was going bananas saying turn right and Jennifer was saying I am not sure if this is correct and after taking the D road it turned to be the wrong one and so we went round in a big loop and started again but took a different road and the Sat Nav lady seemed very happy only the road it took us down was designed for small cars and not 13 metres of car and caravan and the roads got smaller and smaller, over and old Roman brick bridge, and there is no way to turn around as the roads were only about six metres wide and we finally arrived at a junction with no chance whatsoever of getting us to turn right and the road ahead said NO ENTRY, Bl**dy hell what to do when suddenly out of the blue and old guy appeared and understood our serious problem and took over traffic control and told cars to turn around or go back and then waved us quickly up the one way road the wrong way which thankfully rejoined the D road we were looking for, boy that was close as we could have been there for years otherwise.

The Municipal site we had booked in advance and in the email it confirmed that a twin axle caravan was acceptable but when we arrived there was this big sign saying NO twin axle caravans and units weighing over 3.5 tons and we were a twin axle and weighed 4 tons. Could it get worse but anyway I went to reception and said we had a booking and they let us in phew. Nice site and the wash block was the best so far although perhaps not enough shower cubicle’s if it was busy.

In the evening we drove back in to town to a nice restaurant in the Hotel where a few minutes later loads of motorbikes and cars tuned up as they were part of the Tour de  France but thank heavens they were not sue to go through where we were.When we had walked through the Hotel bar suddenly Jennifer spotted the guy that had helped us earlier and so we thanked him and he gave Jennifer a big kiss. 

An excellent meal and we went back to a hopefully good night’s sleep as we don’t need an early start tomorrow.

Wednesday 6th July- Last day at Chateau Lecomte

We had a slow morning doing odd jobs Noel checked the tyre pressures of the car and caravan also the nuts which old the wheels on using and using a Newton wrench but they were all fine. We closed down the on board water system and then went in to Gramat for some last minute shopping, Gasoil for the car and a lunch in the Leclerc restaurant which turned out to be very good indeed.

Upon return to the site we did some last minute emails and also paid the bill for our stay. On the way back we met a couple who we had previously met on site some two years ago and they were from Edinburgh and had stopped over for a couple of nights. As per usual when your neighbours see you are leaving their inevitable long discussions on routes and where to stay and just to visit the shower block can take almost one hour what with all the stopping and talking en route, caravan people are a friendly bunch.

We wrapped up the last bits and pieces as we plan an early departure at around 0800 so that we can reach our next stop North of Le Mans around 4.30 ish. And so to bed.

Tuesday 5th July- Awning down to today

We had originally planned to rake the awning down late afternoon and pack up all associated equipment but as the temperature is promised to be at least 31 degrees Centigrade today we made the decison over breakfast to start pretty much straight away.

It takes about three hours to pack all the awning and equipment away as it is necessity to clean it first as it will not be used again this year and needs to be in good nick when packed.

Following a light lunch we spent the rest of the day at the pool and sunbathing and were pleased that we had did the clear up in the morning as now it is very hot, where’s the beer mother!!

Sunday 3rd July and Monday 4th July- Not much really

Following the BBQ we had a quiet day just sitting around reading and then spent some time at the pool enjoying the sun and the swimming.

Our new by fold up bikes have really proved their worth on this holiday and it gave us good exercise and makes it considerably quicker to get to the wash block or the pool .

The weather the last two days has been fine but we do iunderstand that later in the week it may change a little and so we have to plan when to take the awning down. Watched over two nights the last couple of episodes of ‘Spooks’ really very good and may now buy series 6.

Saturday 2nd July- Neighbours for a BBQ

Earlier in the week a Spanish registered car turned up and placed on the site next to us and we though that’s nice and will make a pleasant change from all the English here. This couple had a tent and as they started talking about where to put the tent it became clear that Spanish they weren’t but Yorkshire they were.

So over the past week we have got to know each other and so we invited them around for a BBQ tonight which went very well and they supplied the wine and we supplied the food. It would appear they moved from Halifax to a town just South of Alicante some six years ago and have enjoyed it there every since. They have used their tent all over Europe and at home with family visits they stay in a caravan they own as they don’t like the hassle of kids and family life to much and prefer their own accommodation.

Anyway we had a good evening food and chat and ended up going to bed around midnight which is late for us old folks. Tomorrow will be a much quieter day and Noel will catch up the Blog and do a few emails and clean the Barbie whilst Jen has a rest from her cooking efforts making salads etc from yesterday.

Just before went to bed we stood outside and looked at the amazing amount of stars in the skies and as there is very little light pollution here as we are quite some way from any large town  it was a lovely show.

Friday 1st July- Pretty boring day really

The sun was shining down and the sky was a perfect blue and we did a quick trip in to Gramat for some shopping as we planned a fish dinner tonight.

The rest of the day was spent by the tent relaxing and then swimming for a while and then this even larger American Style RV turned and it dwarfed to other one as this one is 38 feet long and towing a Toyota Yaris small car. How the devil he got it around the road bends to the site is a mystery but it far too large for a conventional site placement and so it sits alongside the large mobile homes and even dwarfs then. Stuart the site owner thinks they cost around a quarter of a million quid, wow!!

Otherwise it was a lovely clear evening and so we sat outside for a while before heading in for a quiet read

Thursday 30th June- A day in camp people watching

Spent some time at the pool as the weather had improved and although there is a BBQ on at the bar tonight we decided to stay away as Noel is convinced he picked up a stomach bug at McDonalds-Bah Humbug.

During the day a rather large BUS type RV arrived and towing a smart car  as  the RV had arrived before the Midday entry embargo as the road for a while is single track and so as it did arrive prior to this time just as two cars towing caravan’s went the other way and it caused havoc we understand. Some people don’t read.

Ah well we had a quiet day reading and listening to music before an even quieter evening and off to bed.

Wednesday 29th June, Don’t like McDonalds

Following the failure of the Wifi on site yesterday evening and as it was a grey and potentially wett’ish day we thought lets go to Cahors where Jen can look at getting a new Bikini and then we can go via McDonalds and use there free Wifi. The big mac shop was very busy and the internet connection was rubbish as it kept failing every minute or so and then we gave up trying. We ordered a Fish in a bap with freis and it was absolute rubbish, never again particularly after their rotten internet connection.

The shops in Cahors were quite busy and we tried about six shops and Jen tried on a few bikinis but nothing to taste and so we gave that up as well. Oh well back to the site for a quiet evening.

Friday 24th June till Tuesday 28th June-Now it’s getting Hot

Over the last few days we have lived pretty much the same as before with shopping trips to Gramat and by Friday evening the temperature had got much warmer still and more is promised. On Saturday we went to the Bar to watch qualifying for the F1 GP in Valencia only to find that the TV and satellite had been messed up by somebody pressing too many buttons. However after about an hour they got it started just in time for the final qualifying sector 3 and so we could see the starting grid for tomorrow.

On Saturday afternoon after watching we then jumped in to the swimming pool which was reasonably busy and spent a good couple of hours enjoying our selves before heading back for a great steak and salad. Gosh it was hot standing by the BBQ.

On Sunday we watched the race and again the TV and Satellite box had been messed up and as there was nobody available to fix it Noel had a go and remembered what the man did yesterday and finally eight minutes before the race after almost thirty minutes of messing around he succeeded.

Again we hit the pool as it was even hotter today and with the temperature hitting 37 degrees Centigrade it’s was to hot anywhere except if you were in the pool.

A few days earlier some new arrivals parked about fifty yards down the road from us started chatting across a thirty yard gap and one guy was a Welshman (and perhaps used his loud voice for chasing sheep or whatever) but for the last few nights they have a shouted across the road rather than walk across the small gap and have a chat and this had gone on for several hours per night and bloody annoying and so on Sunday night Noel had enough and went down and told them to very kindly stop which was not greeted well. However they did stop and mission accomplished but it is supposed to be a quiet camp site and not for 50 year old kids to shout across the road.

Monday was also too hot to do anything and so we hit the pool and then the shade and by the time we went to bed the temperature in the caravan was about 32 degrees Centigrade and rather warm for sleeping, Oh well that’s life.

On Tuesday we did a little shopping in Labastide Murat and followed by a coffee or two overlooking the town square and watching the traffic go by, well I say traffic more a couple of tractors and two cars after about forty minutes.

The afternoon we got some good news that the window should be repaired tomorrow and so now we had to dash around to find cover at the house which hopefully should work and then back to the pool for some more sun and swimming although the weather over the next couple of days looks a bit iffy.

Maybe a trip out tomorrow if the weather is not good.

Thursday 23rd June- Is the sun coming out or not

We planned to have a quiet day in camp mostly reading as we like to have a long day out and then a couple of days relaxing and hopefully using the pool. Unfortunately around lunchtime Jennifer pulled a muscle in her back which was very uncomfortable for most of the day which meant that swimming was out for the afternoon.

We chatted to our neighbours, the ones who had hosted The Masons Caravan Club rally and they were also very tired and a bit hung-over as they had invited all the members, around 12, to a pre-dinner drink at around 6pm thinking they would all go about 7.30 back to their own vans to have dinner but it would appear that they had all had their evening meal before they arrived and so gaily drank the evening through until about 10.30 by which time mine hosts were hungry and had drunk too much and were now recovering from hangovers.

They also mentioned that one of the members was frightened of travelling with his caravan in France and had to follow a fellow member all the way from Calais to ensure he did not get lost. He even crossed red lights several times to avoid losing his leader and did some nasty things at roundabouts as well. Interestingly Noel is reading the latest Dan Brown book which is also about The Masons but has not yet come across a chapter dealing with a Caravan Club rally yet.

In the afternoon we checked email and had confirmation from the site in a place called Beaulieu-Sur-Sarthe which is a town about 20 miles North of Le Mans confirming our overnight stay for the 7^th July prior to our arrival in Caen where our ferry leaves around 4pm. We will have about 325 miles to cover from Carlucet to the Sarthe site and this will require an early start as we are restricted to around 56 mph, give or take a little.

This evening there was another BBQ at the Chateau which was attended by about 40 inmates and the music being provided by a very good modern Jazz band although the drummer was the same who played for the ‘Old School’ group last time. We met another couple who has just arrived and joined them for the evening but it was getting cool around 9.30 ish and Jennifer’s back was aching and so we left a little earlier than planned. Let’s hope this sun gets going soon as they are promising ,as from Friday, much hotter weather, hot enough o fry an egg on a car, but let’s wait and see.

Wednesday 22nd June- Wrong summers not here yet

Bloomin hell it’s raining and grey and miserable so let’s get outa here.

Our Northern Ireland friends Jerry and Mura recently visited this area and recommended that we visit a couple of towns they went to and so we headed off on a big day trip to see what they saw. We left via Rocamadour and then on to Autoir, where we watched the local fire brigade abseiling down the cliffs, whoa not for us as all the ropes were connected to one tree which did not look to well.

From there we went to and then on via Gagnac St Cere to Loubressac where Jerry and Mura had recommended and they were lovely little towns. It had started rain again as we arrived in a town called Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne which is also great except that it was very damp and pretty much closed for lunch. There were two places to eat close by, one expensive and the other not and this is what we chose as it appeared to be the workers choice. There was a very limited menu but cheap but still good and it was still raining as we left town and no use to take photos, perhaps another time.

We then went to Goudon to the hairdressers so that Jennifer could have her locks shorn as it it had been growing very well over the past six weeks and so with deft hand language and lots of hope she ended up with it rather short, not quite a Yul Bryner , but not far off either and it cost 38 Euros which seems quite expensive to me who pays only £ 10.00 in Baker Street.

We must have covered about 100 miles on slightly bumpy and very twisting roads and so we were both a little tired

The rain had now stopped and it was looking a little brighter than before so let’s hope the improved weather predicted by Meteo ( the French Weather Organisation ) arrives soon.

A quiet time this evening apart from a quick drink in the bar whilst checking email and finishing up some leftovers as we did not need much after a lunch out.