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September 2010

Usually around this time of year, when all the kids are back at school, we like to get away for a couple of weeks.  Since we got the van it has been mainly in the UK, or a cheep flight to somewhere warm but this year, we did something we hadn't done.   We had plenty of Tesco Supermarket holiday vouchers left, that could be used for campsites pitches with Siblu holidays (see previous write-ups) or, hire a Mobile Home from them and what with the price of diesel, using the car seemed like a good option.  The vouchers, together with a £36 retune crossing to France with Norfolk Line (now DFDS), we booked our first Mobile Home holiday and all we would be paying for, would be fuel for the car.

We also had spare rooms in the Mobile Home so our friends Dave and Claire agree to meet us over there for the second week on the holiday.  As it turned out through circumstances they where only with us for three days in the end.

Day one 4th Sep

We had to be in Dover for 11:00 to catch the 12:00 ferry, so we checked the route with AutoRoute and it reckoned that the 322 miles would take 4 hours, 42 minutes.  Well we don't trust AutoRoute it usually takes a lot longer than predicted, so instead of setting off at 06:00 to get there just in time, we set off at 03:00.  It took us about 4 hours, 42 minutes to get there and we had slowed down for the last 50 miles, we arrived as the 08:00 ferry was leaving and luckily where allowed on the 10:00 sailing.  The new (since last time we used them in 2006) ferry was quite nice although most of the toilets where out of order.

As it was 12:00 by the time we arrived in Dunkerque, we decided to stop at the first convenient Aire for our lunch but it was miles before we found one we were starving and guess what, the toilets were unusable.  We had borrowed Nicole's SatNav and it worked pretty well until I noticed we hadn't turned off the A26 onto the A1 and ended up on minor roads for the last 35 miles, not really something you want when you have been up since 02:00. 

We had filled the fuel tank the day before we set of, so we had the full 60 litres and I reckoned that was just enough for the 480 miles or so to the site.  In the end we had enough for another week of short trips and in eventually got over 600 miles on the one tank.

BERNY RIVIERE La Croix Du Vieux Pont Rue de la Fabrique - 02290 Berny-Rivière Web Site

Checked in, the Mobile Home seemed to be nice, we unpacked the car and got changed into warm weather gear, it was then I noticed, that part of the main bedroom floor was wet.  I reported it to Siblu reception and found the reason for the wet floor was, that a new shower tray had just been fitted to replace a broken one, we got a fan heater in the room to dry out the carpet.  I also got the satellite working, we take it in the van, it is a portable system, so why not and there was an England match on again.

As we were tired after a long day and it was about 16:30 all we did was head to the bar for a drink.  It looked like we were in luck and that there was a better selection of beers than there had been last time we visited in 2008.  We knew it was going to be expensive but if the beer was good that was fine, Dot got a Edelweiss and I ordered a Affligem, not just halves either, pints. We sat out in the sun to drink them, I tasted mine and it was not good, I thought it was half beer and half cider and set off back to the bar.

"This doesn't taste like Affligem" I said,

"yes it is" said the barman,

"it taste wrong" I said,

"it is ok" says the barman

"it doesn't taste like Affligem should" I say

"it taste like Affligem Red should" says the barman, I then reread the beer list.

"sorry I didn't look properly" I sort of apologise.

It was strawberry flavoured and not to my taste at all, mercifully Dot agreed to swap half of her beer with me, we didn't have another.  We where supposed to be having lasagne we had brought with us for tea but we just went to the takeaway for pizza.  We also got a couple of beers there for less than half the price in the bar, it was also stronger and more drinkable.

After the pizza and beer we just went back to the van watched a bit of TV and had a relatively early night.

Day Two 5th Sep

Bit of a rest day, a bit like having a holiday, if fact we spent the morning sat in the sun reading and decided to check with reception to see if there were any seats left on the bus for the next days trip to Paris.

After complaining that the carpet was still wet, we went for a walk around he campsite.  I was amazed by how many frogs there were round the lakes and how many people were fishing, a lot more that on our last visit.  We also found some part of the site we didn't know about, another large field in the trees by the river, also a lot of mosquitoes and we got some nasty bites down there.  We also booked the Paris trip €20 each.

Later on the afternoon we went to the pool complex, the outdoor pools had been modernised since our last visit and they where very good.  Went inside to use the Jacuzzi but we preferred it outside in the new part and when I had had enough water I sat and read my book while Dot soaked in the pool.

For tea we had the lasagne we had brought, with a baguette.

Day Three 6th Sep

We had to be up early to catch the coach to Paris and even though we were relatively early we were lucky to get a seat together.  The traffic in Paris is that bad and some road works on the N2  meant it took us about two hours to do the 60 mile to the drop off point, the Palais des Congrès de Paris.  

We continued along the Champs-Élysées, thinking we may walk all the way to the Louvre, on to Notre Dame, then over the river and back to the Eiffel Tower, before heading back to the bus.  We didn't know it but that would have been about 8 miles, anyway towards the bottom end of the Champs-Élysées, we changed the plan and headed to the river. 

We arrived at the river, at Pont Alexandre III, a very nice ornate bridge, it was funny there watching a group of tourists on segways waiting at a pedestrian crossing, and then even funnier as the all crossed over and moved off in a line, looking like ducks following each other.  We took the steps down to the lower level by the river and found a place where shuttle boats (the batoboat) left every 10 mins and made several stops and a anticlockwise route along the river.  At €13 for a one-day pass, it looked like a good option for getting to the various tourist attraction along the river and photo opportunities of the many, many, bridges for me.  

So we bought a a one-day pass, and hopped on the next boat, there was an open platform on the back, perfect for taking photos of the bridges, unfortunately the light and weather were not good for photos and it even rained for a while. 

From where we got on at the Champs-Élysées stop, the boat headed along the right bank to the the Eiffel Tower where the boat turned and made its first stop at the tower on the left bank. 

We decided to stop on he boat and go back along the river's left bank to Notre Dame, where we would get off and have our sandwiches before looking around the cathedral.  So from the Tour Eiffel, the boat continued along the left bank stopping at Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Nôtre-Dame (we didn't get off on this side of the river) and Jardin des Plantes.  It then turned round and headed back along the right bank where we got off at Hôtel de Ville.

It was raining quite heavily as we got off the boat, I got the umbrellas and waterproofs out of the bag and Dot carried the bags, unfortunately Dot slipped and could not stop herself as her hand were full.  I wondered why Dot had asked if white trousers were ok for the day, I understood now that they were mucky.  We sat on a bench and cleaned them as best we could with wet wipes, then had our sandwiches watching the river traffic going past.  When we got up to leave, Dot had also got something on the back of her trousers from the bench, it had stopped raining so Dot tied her waterproof round her waist to hide her bum. 

Instead of crossing to the island and heading straight to the cathedral, we had a look in some of the shops to see if the was anything for Dot to change into, we didn't find anything suitable.  We did however have a look at the Centre Pompidou, or as it was called last time we where there Beaubourg Centre.  We only looked round the outside we had been in before but there seemed to be quite a few beggars about so we moved on.

We headed back to the river and crossed over via Pont d'Arcole, to Île de la Cité, to have a look at Nôtre-Dame Cathedral.  I wasn't sure about having a look inside but we did anyway and it is quite impressive, not good for photos though, as you are not allowed to use the camera's flash, although it didn't seen to stop most people in there from using theirs.  This is a very crowded part of Paris, very popular with sightseers.  After a relatively short visit to Nôtre-Dame we headed back to the right bank and the Louvre, this was also where the next river stop for the Batobus is.

I am glad we didn't walk the whole way as originally planned, as my feet were already hurting (I really need to get the doctor to sort this out when we get back), we crossed back to the right bank via Pont Notre-Dame.

Even the short walk along the river to the Louvre was further than I thought it was, especially with these feet.  We came across a pedestrian bridge over the river, the Pont des Arts, that has thousands of padlocks locked to the railings.  They are known as "love padlocks", lovers attach a padlock to the bridge with the names on and then, throw the key into the Seine,  In May 2010, the town hall decided to remove them, as of September they are still there.

At the Louvre we only had time to look around the outside, there were queues to get in and we didn't have that much time in Paris to visit somewhere that big, you would need to be in Paris for a week or so to do all of the attractions properly.  There is another Arc there, the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel and if you look through the centre of the arch you can see the Arc de Triomphe, with Cleopatra's needle in between (the Luxor Obelisk), a very nice view.  From there we headed back to the river to get the Batobus to the Eiffel Tower.

The boat left from close to the Pont du Carrousel, we didn't have to wait long before the next one arrived and we were on our way to the Eiffel Tower.

We got off the boat at the Eiffel Tower, I never though of it as being on the river but it is.  It is also a lot bigger than you would imagine if you haven't been up close, it's massive.  Again we didn't have time to queue to go up the tower and to tell the truth, I didn't want to, I am a bit dodgy with heights lately, must be my age.  There was quite a lot of security around the base, army with machineguns (later in the month the tower was closed after a terrorist threat).  There were also many Africans selling souvenirs, illegally from blankets on the ground, there are that many of them they get in the way and in my opinion, spoil the experience.  

With plenty of time to spare we set off from the Eiffel Tower to find our way back to the the bus station.  From the tower the route across the river on the Pont d'Iéna and through the Jardins du Trocadéro, up the steps to the Place du Trocadéro, is all littered with these aforementioned souvenirs sellers.

As we had plenty of time we had to stop for a drink and surprisingly, it didn't seem to be any more expensive than the campsite or anywhere else in France for that mater.  We also had another drink (or two) closer to the pick up point. 

The journey back to the campsite was a lot quicker, it took about half the time as going.  On arrival at the site, we were quick off the bus and straight to the takeaway for pizza, beating others that had the same idea and so not having to queue.

Day Four 7th Sep

A day for having a drive, no plans just set off and see where we end up.  After a meandering drive, taking the odd photo along the way, we ended up in Noyon and pulled in at the train station to use the facilities but it was locked up, we later discovered there was a strike on.  We moved on and parked closer to the centre and had just missed the market, they were all packing up as we arrived.  We walked round the cathedral and then back to the car to find somewhere to have our picnic lunch.

We didn't find anywhere to stop and ended up in a car park in Chauny, so we had our sandwiches there before going for a walk.  After a short walk, the shops where just starting to reopen and we had a quick look round, although we didn't buy anything.  On the way back to the site we stopped at Coucy-le-Château, we had been before and just had short walk and a beer sat in the hot sun and anyway, we planned to be back there later in the holiday.  The bar where we intended to have the beer was closed, it looked like it was closed for good, but a sign in the window, said it was open again tomorrow.  The other bar there at the hotel was good for a beer anyway and off the road. 

Day Five 8th Sep

It was overcast, so we thought we would have a drive out again and as yesterday, no real plans as to where.  Armed with a picnic we headed west on the north side of the river Ainse towards Compiègne stopping at every river crossing for photos.  We found a small campsite on a lake in Attichy, that looked promising for any future visit, I had a quick look round but it started to rain and I had to quickly run back to the car.

We eventually got to the edge of the Compiègne forest and stopped in a small car park overlooking a lake for lunch, it was raining fairly heavily as we ate.  Close to where we had our food, was the armistice clearing (the armistice between the Allies and Germany was signed in a railway carriage in a clearing in the Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918).  We we drove the to the official car park and walked the short distance to the clearing.  There is a replica of the carriage in a very small museum there but you have to pay to see it, the original railway carriage was destroyed by the SS in Germany in 1945.

After that, as it was still wet, we drove through the forest to Crépy-en-Valois and then into Soissons to stock up from a supermarket, we got stuff for a barbie tomorrow.  We also filled up with fuel (600 miles on one 60 litre tank), pretty miserable day so not many photos.  Dot was woken during the night by noisy neighbours, although I didn't really notice but this is very unusual for a campsite. 

Day Six 9th Sep

Dave and Claire due in today, we worked out the best way to meet them, would be for them to get a taxi from the airport to a town or village along the N2 and we would be waiting for them there.  They were not due in until the afternoon and as it was back to being sunny today, we spent the morning sat in the sun reading.  After lunch we set off early to the meeting place, outside the church at Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, about 30 miles from the campsite.

As usual we stopped for photos along the way (a windmill this time), even so we did arrive very early, only to get a text to say the plane was delayed by about an hour.  Now if you have been to Nanteuil-le-Haudouin you will know that once you have had a short walk, unless you go to a bar, there isn't much else you can do.  So after a walk, we got back in the car and headed off to a near by Abbaye, Abbaye Royale de Chaalis.

There was a cafe so we ordered two teas, a pot of hot water and two cups and saucers were brought to our table but no tea.  Dot told me to be patient, but tea never arrived and I had to go back into the cafe an ask for some, the waiter was very apologetic and latter we did get a free top up.  It started to rain (even though it was still sunny) so we had to move inside and by the time we finished it was time to head back to the meeting place.

We were still early, so in the end we did have a small beer opposite the church, as soon as Dave and Claire arrived though we headed straight back to the site.   

As soon as Dave and Claire got settled in we had a walk round the site and a drink in the bar, before an indoor BBQ back in the van.

Again there was noise from the next van that woke everyone but me. 

Day Seven 10th Sep

Dave was up early and down to the campsite shop for bread and croissants and had been to the lake to talk to the fishermen, in fact all the others were up before me. 

As soon as everyone was ready we got on the car and headed for Merlin's Castle, Château de Pierrefonds.  Dot and I had been in 2008 and were looking forward to visiting again.  As I suspected it was busier than our last visit but not as bad as I feared with two series of Merlin having been on the BBC, my photos of the Château are my most viewed of all.  Parking was harder than last time but we got a spot close to the market place and set off up the hill to the entrance. 

A change from last time is, that it is no longer free to get in, it is now €7.00 each but restrictions on photographing the camera crew and sets is no longer in force.  The filming also means that entry to some parts of the Château are restricted.

As soon as we walked in through the main entrance to the castle, the camera crews were already filming in the central courtyard, there were crew and extras everywhere.  We sat and a wall and waited for something to happen but it is all very slow, so we continued with out tour of the rest of the castle.

In the great hall Dave wanted to cross the red tape and have his photo took sat on the throne, but he was dissuaded from doing so.  Although he did jump out into a passage way in front of us, dressed in a medieval cloak (it was actually a flag he found in a box in a side room), it seemed to make him very happy.  

After doing the full tour we again sat and watched some filming until we got board and hungry.  So as we had, had some reasonable food last time we were in Pierrefonds we went to the same place.  It was still nice there, sat in the sun but my burger wasn't cooked.  Dot's wasn't much better but Dave and Claire's meal looked good.

By now it was hot, so we headed back and went to the campsite pool to cool off and sunbathe.  We had food back at the the van and a nice night in with a film. 

Then at about 1am when everyone else on the campsite was asleep the neighbours started again and this time they were that loud they woke me as well, it was the third night in a row, we had had enough.  

Over the next quarter of an hour we watched service and police vehicles passing and got cameras ready until the breakaway group of three came passed (see photo for more information), closely followed by a lone rider.  It was another 30 seconds before the main group (the peloton) came round the corner and up the hill towards us, I though as they were going uphill it would be easy to get photos, wrong, I should have had the camera set on continuous shoot.  Even though it looked very calm and organised in the peloton there was some shoving taking place and I have no idea how they manage to get though the gates.  Within seconds it was all over but it did take another minuet or two for all the support vehicles to pass.  Then it was back to our walk, by the way, we later discovered it was the 90th running of the Paris- Bruxelles, cycle race (it actually goes from Soissons to Bruxelles).

It only took us another 25 mins to walk to porte de Soissons (the Soissons gate) and the church of Eglise St Sauveur, after the church we looked for somewhere for our picnic.  The porte de Soissons has been rebuilt since the last time we did the walk in  2008.  First thing we noticed was something going on at the cenotaph, quite a few people in the finery and medals and carrying flags.  We never did find out what they were commemorating, we even asked at the bar next to where this was happening and they didn't know.  We did however have a beer, it was the bar that was closed earlier in the week and it was the one were we had a beer with Mick and Bren in 2008.

It was while we were having a beer we all realised that with all the bother reporting things to reception and trying to arrange a different van, I had not had any breakfast and it was now about half twelve.  So we had another beer each, it was while we where having these I received a phone call to inform us that we had a new van, well away form the horrible people.  In a good mood (we were never that down) we went to look for somewhere to sit for the picnic.  We sat on a stairway on the walls close to the church and after lunch we finished the last section of the wall back to la porte de Laon where we had started.  Here, at the hotel Dot and I had beers at earlier in the week, the people from the ceremony at the cenotaph were having a very boisterous meal in the hotel reastraunt.

Back at the site we got the key for the new van and rushed to move all of our belongings, we didn't have to rush but we did and in the heat it made me feel sick.  After a short rest and a cold beer, I felt better and we had a walk into town.  The girls stopped on the way down to look in a shop but Dave and I just carried on the the tabac, not for cigarettes but for beers. 

I thought Dave and Claire would like to go to the reastraunt for their last evening meal but they were quite happy for me to make meatballs in tomato sauce back at the van.  So we moved down to the port area for another beer before heading back.  I had wanted to look down there since last time we were here, the bar we chose was a bit rough and I do not think the girl behind the bar knew what she was doing.  Claire got the smallest glass of wine I had ever seen and Dot got a bottle of beer with the top on and I had to ask for the bottle opener but we did have a laugh.  We had a look at he river and the was a Pétanque competition going on we could have entered if we had been a bit earlier.  On the way back up to the town we notice memorial plaques on walls from WW2, presumably people shot by the Germans, well that's all we could think it was.

Then it was back to the van for my cooking and a film all went well and the rest all fell asleep during the film.  Then a enormous explosion woke them al and frightened the shit out of me.  It was followed by more bangs, we all immediately knew what it was and rushed outside for a fantastic firework display.  I am not sure where is was coming from but it was close and it was a full 20 min professional display, very nice indeed, we never did find out what it was for. 

We told Dave and Claire that the firework display was all arranged by us for them, if fact the whole holiday was, that we knew the BBC were filming at Pierrefonds and we knew the Paris - Bruxelles was coming through Chateau de Coucy, they didn't believe us. 

Day Nine 12th Sep

Dave and Claire had to get the train from Soissons back to Paris for the flight home, so we thought we could spend some time in Soissons centre before the train.  We parked at the station Dave and Claire got their tickets, the train times weren't very good so they would have to leave for Paris earlier than intended. 

We walked into town heading for the cathedral, as we had been in 2008, we knew it was in the centre of town, unfortunately, it wasn't the cathedral.  We had walked to the ruins of the Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes, didn't notice that last time we were here.  This was only a short detour we had to backtrack slightly to get into the centre, just as we were having a good look round it started to rain and we had to take shelter in a bar (yes a bar we had been to in 2008).  All to soon though we had to get back the the station, with the timing of the trains, Dave and Claire would have a couple of hours in Paris before heading to the airport.  The train arrived spot on time and Dave and Claire were gone.

We had a slow drive back to the site and enquired as to places on the next days trip to Paris, there was space if we wanted to go.  We had a walk on the site, a beer in the lakeside bar, wandered back to reception and booked the Paris trip.  The lakeside bar had been improved since our last visit and looked very nice.

Early night for an early start.

Day ten 13th Sep

Same routine as last week, about two hours coach ride to the drop off point, the Palais des Congrès de Paris.  This time though we knew where we where and even gave directions to others getting off the bus, we headed straight towards the Eiffel Tower where we planned to have our lunch.  As we passed a small supermarket we stopped and went in, Dot had seen something in there the last time and wanted another look,  We ended up with a small bottle of wine each to have with the picnic, one each, as Dot got a bottle white and I got one of red. 

We then walked down the Avenue du Maréchal Gallieni back to the river Seine at Pont Alexandre III and made our way along the south bank back in he direction of the tower.  By now we had already walked about five miles, so we decided to have a seat and a beer.  We crossed over the river via Passerelle Debilly, a pedestrian bridge and went into the firs bar we came to, very expensive and very poor beer, only had the one though. 

 You know how I said, that the many Africans selling souvenirs, spoil the experience all around the Eiffel Tower, well they also sell the cheapest souvenir towers, so we set off from the bar in their direction to get some.  

These guys are pestering people all day and usually getting nowhere, you should have seen this ones face when we replied, go no then lets have 20 of those key rings. 

Then it was back to the pickup point but not before a Leffe or two, at the same friendly bar we had used on our last visit.

Day eleven 14th Sep

Well we had now been in the area twice and not visited Compiègne, we had driven round it but been into the centre.  So that is where we went, we drove along the main road to see if it was clear for the trip home, there were diversion signs dotted about and I though part of the road may be closed.  It wasn't there were just some road works and it was lorries that were being diverted to cut down on traffic congestion. 

We parked up near the Parc Du Chateau and walked into town.  After a quick look around the centre we made our way down to the river and crossed over to look at the train station.  Then we went back into the centre to look in the shops

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