Tour of France 2018
This year we are going to spend more time in France rather than pass through it, and making it longer than our first trip across the water. We will be exploring this country for 9+ weeks, travelling down the eastern side to the Mediterranean, across toward the west coast and making our way back up to 'Calais'.
Mid to end of April we expected a bit of rain and chilly temperatures and were not disappointed, but reaching 'Annecy' by early may it improved to a comfortable 18 degrees. As we made our way toward the south of France taking in 'Valence' and 'Avignon' the weather improved to what we were expecting but with the odd thunderstorm. Mosquitoes were in abundance at the campsite in 'Avignon' with hot sunshine but shaded by trees, and were such a pest that everyone with us included were illuminated in the evening by the giant Citronella candles being burnt to help keep them at bay, and it was a cause of us leaving earlier than intended with our onward journey.
'Montpellier', 'Beziers' and 'Carcasonne' held our interest for 3 weeks at three differing sites with cycling, walking and many sights to see.
Then it was to a campsite on the outskirts of southern 'Toulouse', but with the constant bird scare cannon every 2 minutes in a field just over the hedge we moved on the next day to another site on the northern edge of 'Toulouse', it was better in all respects with walking, cycling and a great canal towpath into the centre.
From 'Toulouse' we made our way toward 'Bordeaux' and from site visited the 'Dune du Pilat', Europes tallest sand dune. Another day we took in a short visit to 'Bordeaux' itself.
It was at this site that the electric tripped on our pitch and I went to the bollard and reset it, thinking nothing of it. Later we noticed water on the floor under the fridge and on further investigation the fridge/charger MCB was off at the caravans mains unit and would not reset. I separated the fridge and the charger wires and got the fridge going again, but the charger was the culprit along with the knackered battery which meant no motormover, no lights, no water pump and no toilet flush, happy days :)
We made do for a few days after purchasing a cheap battery charger from the local supermarket, enough to keep the 12v system working while 'Red Pennant' our caravan club insurer sourced a new charging unit and sent it out to the site we were staying at. I installed it along with a new battery I bought locally and we were back in business.
Whilst we were waiting for the arrival of the new caravan charging unit we took the opportunity to visit 'Oradour-sur-Glane', where the village has remained in its destroyed state from the 1944 Nazi massacre of the 642 inhabitants, men women and children. Very sad and incomprehensible that human beings could do such a thing.
We were a little behind schedule now so travelled further the next day than usual to a site at 'Loches', wow what a nice old town with Chateau's, museums, fantastic architecture and quaint streets. Leaving 'Loches' we had a couple of nights on another site before spending four days on a pitch on the banks of the Seine at 'Les Andelys' before our final site at 'Wimereaux' where we stayed for 3 days before the 40 minute trip to the tunnel at 'Calais'.
PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTO FOR A LARGER PICTURE AND LOCATION
This year we are going to spend more time in France rather than pass through it, and making it longer than our first trip across the water. We will be exploring this country for 9+ weeks, travelling down the eastern side to the Mediterranean, across toward the west coast and making our way back up to 'Calais'.
Mid to end of April we expected a bit of rain and chilly temperatures and were not disappointed, but reaching 'Annecy' by early may it improved to a comfortable 18 degrees. As we made our way toward the south of France taking in 'Valence' and 'Avignon' the weather improved to what we were expecting but with the odd thunderstorm. Mosquitoes were in abundance at the campsite in 'Avignon' with hot sunshine but shaded by trees, and were such a pest that everyone with us included were illuminated in the evening by the giant Citronella candles being burnt to help keep them at bay, and it was a cause of us leaving earlier than intended with our onward journey.
'Montpellier', 'Beziers' and 'Carcasonne' held our interest for 3 weeks at three differing sites with cycling, walking and many sights to see.
Then it was to a campsite on the outskirts of southern 'Toulouse', but with the constant bird scare cannon every 2 minutes in a field just over the hedge we moved on the next day to another site on the northern edge of 'Toulouse', it was better in all respects with walking, cycling and a great canal towpath into the centre.
From 'Toulouse' we made our way toward 'Bordeaux' and from site visited the 'Dune du Pilat', Europes tallest sand dune. Another day we took in a short visit to 'Bordeaux' itself.
It was at this site that the electric tripped on our pitch and I went to the bollard and reset it, thinking nothing of it. Later we noticed water on the floor under the fridge and on further investigation the fridge/charger MCB was off at the caravans mains unit and would not reset. I separated the fridge and the charger wires and got the fridge going again, but the charger was the culprit along with the knackered battery which meant no motormover, no lights, no water pump and no toilet flush, happy days :)
We made do for a few days after purchasing a cheap battery charger from the local supermarket, enough to keep the 12v system working while 'Red Pennant' our caravan club insurer sourced a new charging unit and sent it out to the site we were staying at. I installed it along with a new battery I bought locally and we were back in business.
Whilst we were waiting for the arrival of the new caravan charging unit we took the opportunity to visit 'Oradour-sur-Glane', where the village has remained in its destroyed state from the 1944 Nazi massacre of the 642 inhabitants, men women and children. Very sad and incomprehensible that human beings could do such a thing.
We were a little behind schedule now so travelled further the next day than usual to a site at 'Loches', wow what a nice old town with Chateau's, museums, fantastic architecture and quaint streets. Leaving 'Loches' we had a couple of nights on another site before spending four days on a pitch on the banks of the Seine at 'Les Andelys' before our final site at 'Wimereaux' where we stayed for 3 days before the 40 minute trip to the tunnel at 'Calais'.
PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTO FOR A LARGER PICTURE AND LOCATION
