Monthly Archives: October 2023

Read this blog: The one where we really wanted to take a dip Friday 6th to Sunday 8th October 2023 The following day we drove to Reims, parked up in the aire by the football pitch and strolled into the city where we found Pub L’escale which would be showing the France vs Italy game. Locals were keen to befriend us as we had taken poll position at a table with a good view of the TV. Rugby fans are [almost] always good-natured but Matilda was unimpressed when a Frenchman challenged her for applauding some good play by the Italians. Where was his sense of fair play? It was clear quite early on in the match that France would win, and one try would not have had much of an impact. We had originally planned to leave earlier in the evening but after a certain amount of beer the munchies kicked in and Robert ordered a little something extra at the bar. Matilda suggested we create a “Snack of the day” category in which case this would be the first entry. It may not become a regular feature. The following day we drove to Roubaix, near Lille, and sought advice […]

Read this blog: The one where we slowly begin to remember Monday 2nd to Thursday 5th October 2023 Having decided to postpone our visit to Dijon for another trip, Robert booked an extra night at the campsite in Lyon so that we could relax and have extended time in one place to see some sights and do our laundry. Sad but true. When we arrived we were told that the swimming pool would be closing that night for the season. Since it was sunny and hot, we felt we would stay on site and make use of the pool as it would be our only opportunity to do so. As we chilled in the pool we also planned to spread our culture and sightseeing over two half days. Late the following morning we travelled into the centre to retrace our footsteps and reacquaint ourselves with the old city. Arriving on the metro at Vieux Lyon, we took the FI funicular [which was already waiting in the station] up to Minimes (Théâtres Romains) to see the amphitheatre. Robert said we had taken this route before although Matilda definitely recalls Robert making her walk up the hill in the heat last time […]

Read this blog: The one where we sample the spa waters of Vichy Saturday 30th September 2023 In the morning we drove to the lovely spa town of Vichy. As with many natural springs, the Romans set the precedent and established a settlement here in the first century AD, known as Vicus Calidus or Aquæ Calidæ [hot water]. We set up our own encampment at Parc Camping les Acacias in Bellerive-sur-Allier, across the river from Vichy itself. The campsite is quiet now and many of the facilities are closed for the end of the season but it has swimming pools and a water slide which would be great for families in the summer. However, since our pitch is right next to the water slide, we appreciate the comparative peace and quiet at the end of the season. There is a gate leading straight out onto the embankment and we took a pleasant riverside stroll into Vichy itself. The city became a fashionable destination in the late eighteenth century when the French aristocracy began visiting to take the waters for therapeutic reasons and the Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte I himself originally ordered the creation of the Parcs des Sources, an oasis where […]

Read this blog: The one where we revisit Reims Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th September 2023 We set off early in Al the Motorhome to travel through the Channel Tunnel to Calais. The last time we took a motorhome to Europe in 2018 it was the original [larger] version of Alan and before any additional restrictions resulting from Brexit or Covid. On that journey we took our dog Ralf and whilst we were more or less waived through, he had to have been vaccinated against rabies; have his own pet passport; be seen for a health check by a vet before leaving the UK and be seen again by a vet within 24 hours of leaving Europe to return. We were so grateful to our friends Richard and Mandie for their hospitality and their support on this previous visit and for making an appointment for Ralf with their vet. This time there were border controls and stamps in our passports before we could board Le Shuttle. From Calais it was almost a straight motorway down to Reims – our first stopping off point on our way to watch New Zealand play Italy in Lyon – and we were struck by how little […]