Category: Tour

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Day 7, Vinya Els Vilars, Arbec

Left the free aire, full and empty.  The EHU went off at some point in the evening and did not come back on disappointing.

We decided to head off via the Simpler tunnel having googled D934 France to check the suggested route, 2nd result was dangerousroads.org apparently it is a famous overhang road and not for the faint hearted so we have given it a miss.

Somport tunnel is a great route easy and fast with little hassle Spanish side is much better than French.

We stopped for a coffee and discovered the temp had risen to 22c.  Filled with some petrol and decided to head for the next Aire.  This was a carpark with some facilities outside a police station, but was in a poor state of repair and a bit too close to a main road.

Onto the next, which was a free vineyard near Arbrec, Vinya Els Vilars, free everything, toilet, wash basins etc…

And they sell wine not cheap wine so 2 red, 1 white and and oil 59€.

Lovely tea, cooked and eaten outside whilst our bread cooked inside.

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Day 6, Rebenacq

59 today ☹️, bit flat and a long drive ahead. Jacqui used the inverter to do her hair, which worked well so that was nice. Decided to crack on had tea and left.  We emptied but decided not to fill up saving to 2€.

Stopped around midday for coffee and a cheese toasty using the grill.

Lunch stop

Looked for petrol finding it eventually, also did a shop for a few fresh bits. Temperature is rising and hit 20c.

We drove round Mont de Marsan and the onto Pau and on through, did consider the cave at Gan but couldn’t find it. Instead headed to Aire at Rebenacq, a small village in the D934 which if you are very brave will take you to Spain.

Nice Bastide built in 1347, with a bar and a pizza van, coffee and beer in one ordered 2 pizzas at the other. One pizza had potatoes ??, actually not bad.

Slept very well after watching Liverpool beat Arsenal and partaking of the 30 year old whisky I bought myself for my birthday.

Site has ehu, water waste etc.. although ehu has gone off????

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Day 5, Pont a Brac

Left camping car park after emptying and filling, site facilities very good.

Had the weather been better we would have stayed awhile longer for a walk or bike ride.  Decided to crack on to Espana.

Journey was grey, wet and overcast.  Stopped for coffee and a biscuit or 2.  The stop was at a farm cave outlet with a cafe restaurant, provided great parking and an Aire with free ehu.  Nothing else there.

Have stopped for the night at a free Aire Pont a Brac, free emptying ehu and water 2€.

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Day 4, Bazouges Cré sur Loir, France

Anniversary today 29 years married, felt right.

Set off Giverny nice and early 10:30, intending to gave a late breakfast so as to encourage Jacqui not to overeat early on as she did yesterday.

Stopped for fuel at an Intermarche 3.2m height we did fit easily. Then carried on to Saint-Langis-lès-Mortagne Aire very nice little stop free with waste, wc, 2€ for water or ehu. Had a lunch of scrambled egg toast and a pain at chocolate hmmmm.

We then decided to crack on to the coast and slightly better weather today has been dry but windy and chilly. Chose La Fleche camping car-park, nice 2 hours trip and ended up at Bazouges Cré sur Loir, camping car-park. Some issues gettingnin as the email address I used was already registered but couldn’t be useful as I had no card for it so created new account. But it us a great stop if weather tomorrow good then we may well stop a couple if nights ? ? ?

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Day 3, Giverny

Left Long aire early sadly reception still closed and no signs if life so free stop, about what it is worth.

Stopped to purchase a couple of croissants, then stopped at a Autoroute Aire for breakfast. Decided to head to Neufchatel en Bray supermarket as virtually on the way, French social distancing non existent not impressed at all. Lelcerc and Lidl.

Cracked onto Giverny arrived about 13:35 had a quick snack and then headed to the Giverny Impressionist Musee, they had an exhibition of American Impressionism the Hudson River school. Educational and interesting but some crap amongst some great art.

Decided to stop the night and move on tomorrow, the aire is free, behind the coach park, no facilities.

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Day 2, tunnel and France

Left Oxford about 10:30, had a great journey down to the M20, when we encountered Operation Stack.

It added a good 45 minutes to the journey from J7 to J8. When you are directed off at J8 you are met by 3 lanes going to 2 lanes then some police holding up laminated sheets waving madly at lorry drivers, whilst taking the 2 lanes to one lane for 99% of the traffic on a roundabout. Absolutely bloody useless idiots who thought it up.

Caught the 15:50 train which we were booked onto. Virtually empty but still left late. No questions or passport check by the French, just waved through.

Arrived a little late, but set off for Long Aire (expensive choice 10€ for nothing).

First issue was that our phones and the mifi did not connect properly to internet they worked fine, but no data. So turned on an old phone with a EE PAYG SIM and googled APN settings. Changed for Lebara and Superdrug and hey presto they worked brilliantly.

Whilst we stopped on the A16 Aire the heavens opened but it gave us the time to sort out the APN settings.

Arrived at Long 20:20, chosen as we had not been before at the moment at 10.20€ to park we won’t both returning. Mind not paid yet! Tried but reception closed and although they saw me they did not come out so I obeyed the sign to not knock.

Lasagne, wine and Gangs of London and a glass of ice….bliss.

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Day 1, Bladon Chains

CMC 23.01 used a voucher. Lots of rain in the way down, but no hold ups.

Stopped at Bicester, filled up with petrol, lots of new building and changes. Looking prosperous.