Travellingon: Sur le continent

Our house sit ended and we drove to Rosslare to spend the night in another ferry terminal, we paid 5 Euros for the privilege. Unlike Cairnryan the terminal building closed about 9.30 pm till 7 am next day. The four hour journey was fine and we had a good breakfast on board. We docked at Pembroke and drove straight to Bath. The campsite was well situated but pretty ropey –the shower block looked in need of a god clean.

We had chosen the campsite as there was a direct bus into town and a cycle path and we used the former during the day. It was a nice ride mainly along the Avon and then we secured our bikes and sat in the autumn sun having coffee. I then visited the Roman baths, the purpose for our visit and was fascinated by the whole site, well laid out and described and stunning in the sunlight. In the evening we went into town on the bus to catch up with Chris’ mate John, who is studying at Bristol University. He came on the train and we had a few beers and some food in the hotel opposite the station. He is finding the studying taxing but in the end it will be worth it, he sits the final exam next Saturday, Good Luck John.

From Bath we drove to the edge of the New Forest to visit Alan and Linda, Alan and Chris went to school together and have known each other 50 years. They have recently downsized into a lovely bungalow with a private rear garden extending into a wooded area. We went for a drive in the forest, another first for me. When we got back Alan filled the hot tub and we sat drinking Moet, not our usual style and a fabulous treat. Linda cooked a delicious meal of slow cooked lamb. Saturday morning we had a quick trip to Hythe, on the Solent and then it was time to depart.

Saturday 27^th September and we take the short drive to Totton to spend a bit of time with Chris’ sister Tricia and her husband Steve. We meet them at their new house which is having a new kitchen and bathroom installed before they move in, Steve and Tricia are staying with friend till the work is completed. Steve is not in the best of health and would not cope living amongst the work. We visited Chris’ mam, still in the nursing home (it is almost two years now) and she hasn’t been out of bed for about six months. Sadly we have the same circular conversations on each visit about her former house etc and she frequently thinks she is in Newcastle a place she left fifty years ago. Her 91 year old roommate got very confused and agitated and tearful on one of our visits and it makes you think about what you may have to look forward to!!!It also reminds me of how on one hand how I am lucky that I am not responsible for elderly ill parents but the downside has been no parents for half my life and no grandparents for my lovely girls. Chris developed a bit of man flu in Totton but we did manage to have an Indian meal together and Tricia cooked a lovely Sunday meal.

Wednesday 1^st October was a crazy day; I flew from Southampton to Newcastle for my tryout (interview) for a volunteering role at 2015 Rugby World Cup. I got up at 5am and got a taxi to the airport, which was a tale in itself as two companies I rang didn’t start work till 6am!! Fly be were exceptional, lovely staff and everything on time!! Off the plane and the metro to Jarrow to see Vicki, had a nap for an hour, a shower and lunch and she kindly drove me to the Racecourse in Newcastle, the venue for the interview. It was only an hour, the one to one was twenty minutes and I found the questions quite difficult. It is over five years since I retire and when I was working it would have been something I would have done with ease. From there I got the bus and metro into town and met my lovely girls in Jamie’s Italian. The boys were there too; Amy’s husband Carl and Keith who is Imogen’s new beau. It was a very short time together but it was lovely to catch up and Idg is coming to visit soon. I got back at 9.45pm and was ready for bed!!

We said our goodbyes in Totton and drove to Newhaven for the ferry to Dieppe, another night in a ferry terminal!! We drove to a small seaside town near Newhaven but there was no overnight parking so we enjoyed a meal in the van watching the sun set over the sea. We walked into Newhaven into a pretty grotty and rundown pub, and the next day we could see that the marina area has been redeveloped and the town centre is suffering as a result.

Another good crossing, the channel was like a millpond and although the loading and unloading was great, we were the first vehicle off the DFDS service was pretty average. The mainly Spanish crew on our trip to Ireland, and the Polish crew Ireland to Wales were hardworking and friendly and they kept the ship clean. DFDS are French and the crew were not very bothered!! We drove Henry for the first time on the right hand side of the road, he is left-hand drive and it seems so much easier!!

Our first stop was Chartres, am overnight stop in a campsite. It is off season so it was 14 Euros a night but the ladies had 50% squat toilets and the shower block was unisex-both sadly fairly typical in France. We got parked up, had some food and Chris had a couple of beers and we had an early night. Saturday we cycled into Chartres along the river as I wanted to see the cathedral. A few years ago I went with a team of people to Southport and we built a labyrinth on the beach, an early Christian method of prayer walking. I knew there was a famous one on the floor of the cathedral in Chartres. The building is magnificent and is being slowly restored, it is also famous for its stained glass windows and they were stunning. Disappointingly the labyrinth was mainly covered by chairs, a lovely Swiss lady explained that if it is left uncovered the constant walking around, and children playing on it disturb the local worshippers in the church. Mmmmm les francais!

We drove on south and stopped over in Bourges in a free aire, the French have lots of places in towns where you can get clean water, empty your chemical toilet etc. Especially in small towns they are created to encourage people to spend some money and we always either have a meal, or a few drinks or buy something in the local shop. Bourges was just a stepping stone to our next destination Chabanol near Issoire and a visit to Geoff and Christine.

They run a gite and B&B , http://www.hirondelles-chabanol.fr in a beautiful part of the Auvergne. We had a quick cuppa and then set off for a walk with their dog Bounty. Geoff was in the UK and dog walking is not Christine’s favourite occupation. Geoff was due back Sunday evening but Air France needed to bump seven people off his flight so he stayed in Paris and got Euros for his trouble. We ate a beautiful lasagne and some delicious cheese. The French cheese is just so good and they do a nice drop of wine too! Monday we set off again with the dog and followed by the cat Maisie. We did a lovely long walk, enjoying the countryside and the sunshine. Later I helped Christine clean the gite; her Israeli guests had not done a very good job. On Geoff’s return we had lunch in the sunshine, and then pottered about, Chris helped Geoff with the wood and I prepared our evening meal. The cat had still not returned and I was starting to worry we had lost her!! We went to bed with no sign of the cat. But thankfully next morning there she was, very hungry and tired. We had our breakfast and set off with some eggs from the chickens and raspberries from the garden. A lovely interlude and good to catch up again and hear of the plans for the wedding of their daughter Hazel, and if it fits in we may be able to help out and housesit.

We had one more stop planned in France and it was meant to be in Narbonne but I spotted a canal side campsite near Beziers at Villeneuve du Beziers and we headed there. It was an easy drive on a free motorway, a rarity in France. The pitch was very small but fine and we soon got settled in, after travelling so long we have developed a good working relationship, first job is to check how level we are in case we need to use the blocks. Chris does the outside stuff, hooks up the electric, switches on the gas, puts the stabiliser legs down etc meanwhile I sort out the kettle, teapot cups etc, swivel the front seat and put the soap,toothbrushes etc and open the ceiling vents. It takes us no more than ten minutes and we sometimes have a good laugh watching the people with caravans and tents that seem to take an eternity. We walked into town and had few beers in the square and had our evening meal in the sun outside the van.

Wednesday 8^th October we cycled along the canal past the centre of Beziers to the nine locks and watched a boat going up while we drank our coffee. Cycling back to town we planned a visit to the cathedral but our first stop was the market for something tasty for tea. We opted for horse steak, not something you can get in the UK well not knowingly. We hadn’t checked and the cathedral and churches close at 12!! Lunch in a lovely little square was tasty but small and then we headed back. We had our cheval griddle and it was so tasty washed down with some lovely local red wine.

Our original plan was to spend a few nights in Valencia but when we looked at the weather forecast there was heavy rain coming so we opted to drive straight to the house in Casas Nuevas. We drove from Beziers to Aragon, with rain overnight and then on Friday to Murcia.

We have been at the house since then and we have had rain showers most days. They are short lived and there is sun in between and it is about 20 degrees and it is warm enough to wear cropped trousers and tee shirts. Imogen is coming out on Sunday for a week and we will have a car to get around.Life at Spanish pace suits us just fine!!

Take care

Norma x