Friday 27th June Gourney-en-Bray to Mametz via Beauvais and St Quentin

Today is the day we get to our campsite and set up HQ for plotting ‘ventures and sploring’ into the unknown east. We stop at Beauvais to see the incredible church and cathedral there, but unfortunately it’s scorching weather and the dogs prevent play so we only get an exterior snatch at a view.

We would recommend the aire there though, despite what appears to be it’s out of the way location. It’s actually quite close to everything and masses of park adjacent if you’ve got hounds.

On we go towards St Quentin and the campsite Serracourt le Grand. We have phoned and reserved in advance and are assured that a pitch (and on site carp fishing) will both be available. We arrive and all goes well at first and then we are directed to our pitch. Unfortunately neither of us had the presence of mind to take a photo of this, but picture your standard aire drive over drain, hard core standing, tarmac/gravel, unshaded car park and you get the idea. Despite having no back up plans we immediately leave. I mean… really????? Plus it was full of oiks. Sucks boo to you we say. Except it’s sucks boo to us really as we’ve got no where to go that readily springs to mind, or indeed that we can find online, or via the acsi book, that meets our needs. We have one last card left to play, although it means a HUGE zoom. Again. Our old friend Frederic Lecat and his campsite ‘Camping de Moulin’ in Mametz. Erm. Near Calais. We stayed with him on our first trip and it was a perfect place to hole up, recover, plot and scheme and relax. We can’t get hold of him on the phone and it’s miles away, but we decide to risk it. The comforts that hopefully await us outweigh the miles and the risk, plus it puts us in a position to continue east either via Belgium or Luxembourg.

Jon does yet another heroic zoom, this man needs a medal for endurance driving and upon our arrival we are greeted by Frederic himself who, incredibly, recognises us. Bearing in mind we stayed with him two years ago, for three nights, this is pretty amazing, especially as he may or may not have been three sheets to the wind for the duration of our stay! In short order he has ensconced on a beautiful grassy, sunny pitch with dappled shade, hook up, internet and all the facilities you could ever want (including an entire meadow for the dogs and fishing for us!) for the princely sum of €15 a night. We love you Mr Lecat. As an aside to all motorhomers out there, this man has five pitches and you basically need to stay here. There’s a beautiful carp lake (or three) down the road, the famous and beautiful river Lys runs through the town, the campsite has an excellent bar and the pitches are beautiful and well kept, there is a children’s play area, dogs are welcome and they get a huge field to tank about in. Everything is clean and well maintained while managing to have a warm family feel. The family themselves are completely charming and the whole set up will ease the nerves of the most hard pushed traveller. Do check them out online: Le Moulin de Mametz.

We decide to stay for a week, perhaps we’ll stay longer - especially because Jonboy has apparently inspired some major fishing activities with the locals having hauled out a specimen brown trout and a really big bream!

Thursday 26th June - Deauville to Gourney–en-bray

We are heading into Germany after Deauville, but we are not sure which way we are going to go in… via Belgium, via Luxembourg, via Italy, via where???! So we’ve decided to head a bit closer and bail into a campsite from where we can plot our next moves. After all the miles we’ve covered we aren’t that keen to do any huge amounts of driving (see tomorrow where the plan goes very wrong!) so we’ve decided to get past the notoriously difficult Rouen and spend the night in Gourney-en-Bray. This, remarkably, actualy goes completely according to plan and we arrive at our chosen destination with only one wrong turn. The downside is that due to EPIC crap driving on the part of every single road user we work out that we have averaged 7mph for most of the journey. Yes, you did read that correctly. What is wrong with people? What specifically was wrong with you mr double-artic-over-loaded-with-unsecured-logs-underpowered-swaying-swerving-IDIOT?? 

Anyway, breathe… we did manage to make it around Rouen without incident despite the bridge we needed being closed due to the fact that a new middle section of the bridge was actually being tugged/craned into place as we went past. Well, went around. Slowly.

We arrive at Gourney and the aire turns out to be charming and well equipped (as does the town) with everything you need, and is also free. Happy days. It’s market day tomorrow morning, which we decide to celebrate for no good reason by getting blad on local hooch. Sometimes you just gotta. 

Sunday 22nd June Arromanches to Deauville

The next day dawns fair and we attempt to zoom to Deauville. Unfortunately Noush has an epic fail on directions and we end up on the coast road, despite all attempts to avoid it. Eventually we limp into Deauville and begin the process of finding somewhere to park. This is not made easy for two very good reasons: firstly tempers are somewhat frayed, secondly the aire in Deauville is rubbish. Neither of us are hopeful, but our one salvation lies in some wild camping that we might have espied and the assurance of the tourist office over the phone that campers are allowed to park anywhere. Thankfully almost immediately upon our arrival we find a string of campers parked up in the port. We slide in with no trouble and evaluate our situation. We are parked about ten minutes from either Deuaville town or Trouville, about ten minutes from Noush’s father’s hotel, ten minutes from the beach and we’ve got a big grassy park next to us for the dogs, there’s a sliver of shade and it’s all free. We have landed on our feet, especially considering we are in Deauville where prices are – in the main - wildly inflated.

Jon gets his head down after hideous journey and Noush goes in search of refreshment and her father.  We all convene at Father’s hotel and a grand reunion takes place. This has been a long time coming and to say that has been worth the journey and the wait is to grossly under-exaggerated.

We spend four days in Deauville, enjoying the weather, the beach, the sites, the markets, Trouville, but most of all the company of Noush’s father and his wife. It’s a perfect few days and completely priceless. Dad and Lesley, thank you so very very much xxxxxxxxxx

View from the Van, sort of..

Still, not even for Noush’s father can we stay in a layby forever, so our departure and the next phase of our journey beckons... 

Saturday 21st June Raguenez to Arromanches

As a result of our extended stay at Raguenez we are somewhat behind schedule and need to get a shift on to make it to the north coast so we undertake the epic leap and groove on towards Arromanches. We have chosen Arromanches because we have been there already on this trip and we know there are several options for parking.. there’s an aire, some other wild-ish parking and a campsite. We are also aware that it is the Fete de Musique this weekend, which is a national French celebration of music and we are nervous that all towns everywhere are going to be full to bursting. Sure enough, after miles and miles of zoom, bypassing the delights of St Brieuc, St Malo, Mont St Michel and more, we arrive in the outskirts of Arromanches. This is very nearly as far as we get. As dreaded Arromanches is completely full, the aire is packed full like sardines and there are more fish trying to get in and out and everywhere. It’s mayhem. We make the instant decision to try the campsite sharpish – you can see it from the aire and it looks alarmingly full, but we reckon it’s our only option…as long as beat the rest of the world who are looking like they’re thinking the same!

We arrive at the campsite entrance and sure enough there is a campervan parked outside and one looking like they are working out how to get in (really??) Jon drives around and we’re in!! 20 tortuous minutes later mr lovely campsite man has checked us and we are ensconced. We remain smug for all of two minutes until we work out that the electricity point doesn’t work and Norm has scarpered. Sigh. Thankfully our blissfully chilled out dutch neighbours assist on both counts. Sparked up and Norm intact we breathe our first truly relaxed breath in about 250 miles and 6 hours! Mr campsite man has recommended a restaurant to us and unbelievably it turns out to be the very restaurant in which mr lovely barman charged our laptop for us last time. He recognises us and treats us to lovely service and we pass an extremely relaxing evening thank you very much. 

The dogs seem to recognise the beach and cause merry hell, everyone is chilled. Considering the music festival there is little going on, perhaps they are all worn out after the amazing (and heartbreaking) D-Day remembrance anniversary fireworks and commemorative ceremonies that they put on last month. We are treated to a guy in drag, with a fabulously raddled voice, singing in a burlesque costume just up the road from the restaurant tho, very brave! We knew Boy Gerorge was on hard times but really!

Upon our return to the campsite Norm escapes once again and Jon is treated to a very “Laurel and Hardy” esque interlude of Norm zooming one way up the rows of campers and Noush zooming the other way down a parallel row, both trying to outfox the other – all that is missing is the comedy music, stills of startled faces and the occasional black and white caption! Order is eventually restored, Norm thoroughly outfoxed and exhausted, Noush collapsed in a chair with a glass of wine and otherwise peace and quiet. Bed beckons before night has a chance to fall. 

Wednesday 18th Guidels plage to Raguenez via Pont Aven, Port de Manech

The next day we decide to do a bit of exploring of the artisty Pont Aven and then hole up for the night in Port Manech. Upon arrival at Pont Aven it seems that not only is every tour coach in the country here, but it’s impossible to move around town due to a large scale renovation work of a giant hotel that seems to be going on. Nonetheless we persevere and stop for a coffee and watch the incredibly arty world go by. There is an obvious split of locals vs tourists: every single tourist is carrying loot of some description. They congregate outside the galleries in flocks, clutching they’re expensive goodies while waiting to board the seemingly endless carousel of coaches. We hide with the locals and sip our local coffee and try to spot an opening through which we can make our escape. While the town is beautiful and charming and actually probably very lovely and fun when quiet, it is currently horrendous. We scarper after availing ourselves of the poo tank emptying facilities. Art and poo shouldn’t really go hand in hand, but every now and then I suppose it can be quite apt. Just ask Damien Hurst.

Our next spot for exploration is Port Manech, the aire looks lovely and the port sounds nice too. Upon arrival it indeed proves to be the case. The beach is lovely, the aire is nice and shady and there’s nobody else here, it’s all perfect. Something doesn’t ‘feel’ right though, so against all our better judgements we forsake this lovely spot and carry on. We pass two more completely idyllic aires and yet still we are unsatisfied. Have we become spoilt? Noush has a couple of back up ideas up her sleeve, but like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re going to get and it is with apprehension that we set off down a very narrow country lane…single track… no visible turning points.. to explore one of these back up ideas. Fortunately it’s a major win. We arrive just shy of the most stunning peninsula, designated grassy parking, free, nobody else here, breathtaking scenery, sunshine, paradise. Yay! The risk was worth it… Jonoush rules win again: “ if you don’t like it then carry on until you find something you do like”…We love…

We like it so much that we actually can’t bear to tear ourselves away. With crystal clear sea water, endless sands, fabulous fishing, deserted coves and midnight swims everybody is in heaven.

We have to do a small raid on the local campsite shop… (somebody open a shop around here please??!) but this is accomplished with no great drama and everyone is lovely. Oddly Jon came to this very beach as a youngster and stayed on the very campsite just mentioned.. how strange when life comes full circle… All in all we leave extremely refreshed indeed and ready to undertake the couple of giant hops we need in order to make it to Deauville to see Noush’s dad. 

Tuesday 17th June Piriac to Guidels plage via Locmaraquer, Quiberon and Lorient

We leave Piriac and get a zoom on, whilst we have made up some time we are still very far from our ultimate destination and we need to get some miles under our belt. We have a master plan, but as ever the fates intervene and our master plan goes out of the window. The aire at Locmariquer is packed (awnings down selfish people, down!!), Quiberon is not viable, the weather has closed in and it’s blowing a gale – not a time to be stuck on a tiny sliver of a peninsula – on and on we drive. We come up with a few back up plans, but it’s basically drive until you’re happy to stop. We pass place after place, god bless autoroute and our last (again!) option turns out to be the best. We arrive at Guidels plage at an aire behind the sailing school and there is not only a space, but the aire is PERFECT!! Miles of blinding sand (tide’s out), bar, shops, wifi and loos all just there. It’s ideal and it totally beats all the places we had earmarked.

We zoom the dogs, Noush gets in the sea in her underwear, breasts flying and no one to see or care, Valerie is nestled cosy and safe in the dunes and we lack for nothing. Why isn’t anyone else here?

There is a small incident involving van rage which sums up the attitude of some weird campers; there’s a late arrival and an aire mayor turfs someone off their pitch to make way for a bigger van, the police turn up and it looks like it could get ugly, why? If everyone just shunted down a bit you could fit loads more, but no, people have to make a scene. Fortunately it all ends happily – but as a note to other campers, get here early afternoon to avoid the fuss. 

Monday 16th June Jard sur mer to Piriac sur mer via St Marc sur mer

We do an early zoom and our intentions are to head to St Marc sur mer and hole up for the evening and perhaps go and have a look around the naval museum and submarines in St Nazaire (next door) the following morning. We arrive at St Marc and the aire is wonderful, plenty of space, no snotty welcoming committee and the beach is just over the road and utterly utterly beautiful. We do a quick recce and decide that this will do thank you very much!!

The dogs are being oddly very well behaved and we spend a wonderful afternoon on the beach – despite our favourite spot being nicked from under our noses!! As the tide goes out, more and more pristine sand is revealed, it’s very Cornish around here and reminiscent of the north coast. As you know we are very law abiding people, so we obviously paid extremely close attention to the fact that no dogs were allowed on the beach. Again. Happily this results in no dogs being on the beach and Norm and Moo, in absentia of course, had a fabulous time off the lead and generally tearing about. All ten of us on this glorious plage had an empty and sunny time of it. However, we’re out of booze and low on food, the dogs have been cooped up all day (ahem) so we decide to forsake the charms of the beach and the lure of the subs and make a move. We earmark a place that looks like a mere hop and a skip down the road, but that might offer up a bit more in the way of supplies. Hop and a skip it is not. We get caught in rush hour and have a total ‘mare extricating ourselves from the area surrounding St Nazaire. Our final destination is Piriac sur Mer, we cruise through some impossibly pretty and historic places en route, but they’re not pretty or historic enough to tempt us. Piriac centre is a disaster, the aires here are packed full (selfish camper van types, put your awning down and move over!!); our magic aire book has left us with one option and the blurb reads “always busy”… our hearts sinking we press on to our final option. Upon arrival we find plenty of space, a very apathetic welcoming committee (selfish camper van types, move your bicycles out of the way of the entrance please) and we park up in record time and collapse.

We take the dogs for a walk on the beach; dogs off the lead are of course allowed (ahem) and we meet two sprightly locals. Everywhere we stop we find seems better than the last, how much better can it get??! The locals we meet are totally unfazed by the dogs and we are regaled with stories of how Monsiuer learned to swim on this very beach and how he has kayaked pretty much around the world! They are 70ish years old and don’t look a day over 50. With baited breath we await a demonstration of sprightliness and sea prowess, fortunately the dogs take it upon themselves to create a distraction.

When we return to the aire we are greeted with british voices, perhaps an unconventional greeting of: “are you good??”.. what to say… “never if we can help it?”.. mrs mischievous brit lets us off the hook and we retreat to the van to fall asleep to the sounds of the sea and a peaceful, beautiful aire, little piece of paradise again, we consider ourselves very fortunate. 

Sunday 15th June Chez Gendron to Jard sur Mer

With regret we leave Chez Gendron, it’s been a much needed recuperative stop after hammering the roads, but there is more hammering yet to be done. We’ve been in this neck of the woods before so we decide to just zoom on Northwards and try and find some coastal action again. We arrive in Jard sur mer, which at 6€ a night we think is a bit steep, but we settle in (and pay) nonetheless. 

The aire is right beside the beach, but as has been a bit of a theme recently the ‘welcoming committee’ are out in force and there is much staring and looks of disapproval for no apparent reason. Signs say that you can’t get your table and chairs out and you’re not allowed on the beach, we  - being exemplary citizens – of course obey them to the letter. 

The Beach is much like the Jurassic coast, very unique in the rock formations and the weird flat, shelving stone that is revealed when the tide goes out. We wander down the road to the harbour area and have a really good mess about on the beach with the dogs (they’re allowed on that bit) we get a bit of an audience to their antics and decide to retreat to the anonymity of a bar. Quick glass of wine overlooking the boats and watching the world go by and then we wind our way to the van, not via the beach, and we certainly don’t’ sit down in our chairs when we get back. The dogs love it ;)

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th June Toulouse to Chez Gendron

Today dawns and another scorcher is on the way, despite being gone by about 7.30am the air is already hot and laden with the promise of extreme heat to come. Zoom! As is sometimes the way the aires we had picked out were rubbish so we sail on past and just keep on trucking. It’s no great shakes as the more miles today means hopefully more time to doss around on the Brittany coast with a bit of time in hand. 

We resort to scouting out some French passions but it’s one of those days when life just doesn’t want you to stop. Everyone seems to be enjoying national rude day and we decide to head back to somewhere we’ve been before. It is against our rules in that it’s a campsite, but when we stayed here last time it was so beautiful and so cheap that we decide to treat ourselves. After the journey we’ve had today the thought of jumping in a pool and supping a few in the campsite bar is just too tempting. Hello Chez Gendron.

Alexander and Aletta, the wonderful young Dutch couple who run this place are still here and still doing a fabulous job. We park up and get set up in record time, despite interference from a couple of the geese who wander over to say hello. We take the dogs for a good stretch in the woods and Norm sees his first ponies and horses up close and personal for the first time (cue MAJOR barking), but after a long tramp through some vineyards everyone has calmed down. They collapse and we reward ourselves with a few beers and an early night.

We decide to allow ourselves another night here, the weather is still too fabulous and we are in urgent need of being in the pool… a lot. It’s impossibly quiet here, the only disturbances being the incredulous woops of delight as the Netherlands paste the opposition in the footie and the occasional bit of Radio Le Mans, we couldn’t’ really be more relaxed, once again thank you Chez Gendron, we hope Helios gets better soon, best of luck J

Thursday 12th June Marseillan Plage to Toulouse and French Passion

We manage to extricate ourselves from Beziers, no easy feat believe us!

We have earmarked a French passion or two just north of Toulouse and make excellent time zooming up there, we are trying to get a wriggle on as it seems the weather is set for an absolute scorcher. We try our first French passion and nearly run over the family cat in the drive way and then are greeted by Lola the Labrador, much barking (on our side) ensues. Although the lady seems lovely there is no shade and we’re not convinced the barking will ever stop and Lola shows no signs of any inclination to move. Carefully avoiding the cat we make our apologies and leave. French passion number two turns out to be perfect. Lovely old rambling farm house with scattered antiquities and masses of shady trees to park under around the back. This turns out to be a very good thing indeed as it just gets hotter and hotter and the wind drops completely. The sun seems to be stuck in the sky at noon o’clock and at 8pm in the evening it’s still gotta be over 30 degrees. At one point we contemplate sleeping outside under the van, but reluctantly think this might be a bit extreme. We do our best to turn in early – difficult when 10pm looks and feels like early afternoon. Still, we get some shut eye in the end and set ourselves a major early start for tomorrow to avoid the heat and get some serious miles under our belt. 

Wednesday 5th June – Thursday 12th June Marseillan Plage

We zoom all the way to Marseillan Plage and arrive back with a feeling of familiarity, sometimes it’s nice to know what to expect. The campsite is busier than expected and the pitch that we had mentally reserved from our last visit was unavailable. This turns out to be a blessing in disguise as we find ourselves a far better one and get ourselves installed pronto. We get Valerie all set up, awning out and everything and giver her a proper once over to impress the parents when they arrive tomorrow.  We revisit the beach and everyone has a good old tank about, happy days.

The Parents arrive the next day via Marseillan Ville which apparently is utterly gorgeous. Travellers beware, if you’re trying to get to Marseillan plage from anywhere ever just get a cab. Oh and never ever try to hire a car around here. We won’t bore you with the completely tortuous details, just please take heed and don’t do it.

Jon’s parents treat us to dinner and there are more birthday celebrations, we are joined at the weekend by Jon’s best man and his family and they too lay on a glorious spread for everyone. We pass such a wonderful time here with family and friends, sunshine, beach, pool, restaurant, bar, soirees and candlelit evenings (and more cognac….eek! Lard’s fault!)

It’s been wonderful. We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone, you made Jon’s birthday so very special, but even without a cause for celebration it was just a lovely simple time with people we care about all together in one place. Thanks all J

Our time here flies past and all too soon it’s time to take the folks to the airport and say goodbye. We are excited about getting on the road, but it’s still a wrench to leave everyone after such a great time. Our next mission is to get back to the North of France as we have some family affairs to take care of. Zooom!! Goodbye the med… we’ll be back. 

Monday 26th May – June 4th Collioure

Having made the decision to stay for a week we spend our time wandering the hills and cliffs, exploring the collapsed coast road, attempting more fishing and generally lounging around and enjoying this little slice of heaven. We continue to be welcomed into the bosom of the family even Norm and Moo feel so at home that they have started getting very  territorial. Eek. However, the time passes slowly and gently and we are happy. Angels smile on us too in the form of a lovely family from Amsterdam who, upon leaving, donate all their unconsumed food…. Apricot jam, avocados, baby courgettes, pasta, rice, olive oil, yummies and everything, thank you lovely people J

With it being Jon’s 40^th birthday on the horizon Noush prepares a surprise meal in conjunction with Elie, our kindred soul of the family. As suspected she goes far and above the call of duty and we are plied with a bottle of rose champagne, a chocolate cake of pure devilry and muchos Cognac on the house. Naughty Elie, we love her! Her daughter even makes us friendship bracelets and we have got the champagne cork, inscribed with the date as a memento of the evening. People’s generosity is sometimes just overwhelming, we’re not ashamed to admit to a few tears.

The next morning, somewhat worse for wear (what 40^th Birthday dinner?) we make our way a bit blearily to the bar to say thank you. While nursing our coffee and a multivitamin fruit juice number, Dimitri (Elie’s husband, we think?) appears and offers a medicinal 10.30am Cognac to Jon!! Wethinks he may have needed one himself after the celebrations last night! Tempting, but no…it really was fun tho. Noush remembers that Elie is supposed to be giving her a cookery lesson in the arts of proper Aioli and Moules Gratinee Catalan style. This is postponed until the evening a cause de la maximum shab.

Unfortunately today is our last day here and tomorrow sees us back on the road, back to Marseillan plage to meet with friends and family, so with great reluctance we pay up and a represented with an unfeasibly cheap bill, this really is the best campsite on the planet.

The following morning dawns, Norm and Moo make a complete spectacle of themselves - almost as if they are kicking up a fuss that we are leaving. We go and say goodbye to Elie, there are more tears and we get underway sharpish before Noush decides she’s never leaving! Thank you very much Elie, Les Amandiers and just life generally for letting us “tombee dans” such a refuge.