Two Blogs can be found here. Being blogs the most recent post comes first, so if you are that interested in the trips, you need to use the Archive buttons and trawl back to the beginning.  For the 2008 trip there are monthly summaries to make navigation easier.

The trips are 2009 – 26 day trip France and Switzerland

2008 trip – 3 months – France, Belguim, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway incl Lofoten Islands, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Germany, Czeckoslavakia. Germany. Austria, Switzerland, France (south coast across to Pyrennes) 9000miles.

Sunday 21st June 2009 Back to Reality

Ferry 0815, no snags encountered.  Snags started when the M25 was closed due to an accident.  Trafic chaos, oh its much easier in France.  Took hours to get back to Dorset.

So therefore its the end of the trip, we have a small list of improvements to make to the van and kit list before the next UK trip in abouts a months time.

Saturday 20th June 2009 Back to Calais

Steady drive back to Calais.  Topped up with fuel at Auchan and then over to Cite Europe, a reversal of what we did 3 weeks previous.  No snags parking here and a quiet night was had.  Ferry booked for tomorrow morning at 0815

Overnight at –  Cite Europe N50°55.938 E001° 48.659

Sunday 21^st June 2009

Friday 19th June 2009

Checked out Aire at Le Cateau Cambresis N50° 06.122’ E003° 33.316’ in fact we used the service point and emptied the things lurking inside the cassette toilet.  Late lunch and then a wonder down the hill into the town.  Of note is a Lidls not far from the aire.

Headed back to the over spill parking area by the working canal at Catillon Sur Sambre and as this is just a large open carpark, we parked right down the end next to some mown grass and reed beds.  Its actually very nice and with the van nose in we have no appreciation that there is a rather barren carpark behind with about 10 vans parked up.  Sat out in the sun drinking the obligatory cut of tea and watching a reed warbler that has chattered away constantly since we arrived.  Then to our amazement a kingfisher flew straight by us not more than 3m away and settled inn some undergrowth next to a small stream between the van and the canal bank.  Wow, our first kingfisher for the whole trip

Overnight at – Catillon Sur Sambre  N50° 04.658’ E003° 38.623’

Thursday 18th June 2009

Left at 0915 and drove round the one way system to the service point first.  Watched a Frenchman empty his loo into an already clogged drain and leave ‘stuff’ on the drain grilles which he failed to clean off.  In fact the facilities are not that brilliant anyway as the only fresh water tap is mounted right above the toilet drain point.  Yesterday there was lots of loo paper left over the grill and on the hardstanding…….yeuch.

Once away, it was a steady drive mainly on big (toll free) dual carriageways to the next stop over.  We tried to get some fuel at a Leclerc supermarket, but were beaten by height barriers.  Eventually managed a fill up at an Intermarche and also picked up some essential victuals.

The main road run was particular boring and it was only when we turned off onto a smaller road we actually saw something of interest, a hen harrier gliding low across some fields.  Also there we quite a few walkers along this back road doing some sort of long distance walk as they had quite an entourage of support vehicle and police presence.

Our night stop was to be an Aire, this one is alongside a working canal (sounds familiar) at Mareuil-sur-Ay, we arrived around 2 pm and already 7 of the 10 available parking places are full.   Eight of the 10 places are in between the trees and the 2 remaining places are more in the open by the service point.  There is no charge for parking, only for electricity if you need it.  It’s a pleasant spot though and clearly popular with the British as there are about 5 vans here now and the 10 van limit seems to have grown to 12. Had a cycle along the tow path to the west for about 7 miles before heading back.  Had a look around a small town called Ay, which is right in the heart of the champagne producing region.  Saw a nice bright red squirrel, a couple of rabbits (how often do you see rabbits in France) and a Common Tern.

Weather is starting to get a bit chilly now and we are only 215 miles short of Calais.

Both of us have disgraced ourselves with the chemical toilet.

Overnight at – Mareuil-sur-Ay  N49° 02.721’ E004° 02.062’

Wednesday 17th June 2009 Its Bl**dy Hot!

Wander into town, supermarket within easy walking distance.  Bought wine, prawns and pate.

Lazy day watched occasional boat go by,  Awning out.  Watched puffs of pollen rise off the nettle flowers like smoke rings.

Evening cycle south, 19 miles in all.

Overnight at – Thaon-les-Vosges (free Aire)   N48° 15.005’ E006 25.521’

Tuesday 16th June 2009 Enjoying Aires

Fairly sunny, well surely it couldn’t have rained much more anyway.  Several UK vans/caravans parked up here, and all on the way home.  The autoroute is very close, so Langres makes a nice stopping off point.  Campsite facilitities were good, showers hot and included in price.  Wandered into town and checked out the motorhome service point that is not listed in our All the Aires France.book. Took some photos of the facilities and took a GPS reference so that we can send this information to the book producers.  Then checked out the main carpark where there is signage for motorhomes and again took a GPS reference.  With the number of vans parked there it was clear that they had been there all night.  Then using the town maps that we had picked up from the toilets in the main carpark we did the tourist bit around the town. Town is nice and being on the top of a hill quite compact and easy to get around.  Then back to the van and packed up, departed before 12 and then went to the motorhome service point and then the main carpark to check for a Wifi signal (none at both) before hitting the road.

Evening cycle north along canal to Charmes to check out the Aire 23mile round triip

Overnight at – Thaon-les-Vosges (free Aire)  N48° 15.005’ E006 25.521’

Monday 15th June 2009 Back into France

Noisy night, overnight rain, early morning trains, and the gravel yard digger started up about 7 am, doing whatever it was doing at full throttle, plus it was so hot, the outside temperature managing to be 1° higher than the inside temp which was 25.4°.  No breakfast cereal left, so muesli bar instead.  Ukrainians are up early from a second night here sleeping in the car.  Once again, one of them is huddled by the electricity point and is on the internet.  We were on the road nice and promptly having emptied the chemi toilet for the final time on this trip. A fairly straightforward drive along the main road (Route 9) to Lausanne, yet again the sat nav did a good job and kept us off the motorways.  Stopped just before the French border at Vallorbe to spend the last few Swiss Francs in the Co-op and then onwards into France.  Spotted a Lidls in the sat navs POI near Besançon, so that became a via point and we headed there.  Sat Nav took us straight to it, carpark was a bit tight though and the security guard came out and beckoned us in to a tight parking spot.  Then headed up to Langres, picking a nice cross country route, lots of fields etc, but weather dull and overcast and occasional shower.  Saw some cherry trees at the roads side, so pulled up under one and picked a handful.  Turned out to be fab, and we were then on the look-out for more, but alas not to be.  When we passed Langres on the way south, we had spotted a number of vans seemingly parked amongst the ramparts of this hill top town, so thinking it was an Aire we headed there, even though it didn’t feature in the All Aires book.  Anyway when we got into the town, we found that it wasn’t an aire at all, but a campsite.  Decided to stay there anyway as its nice and cheap(12.50€ with electric).  Then the rain really started, but we did go out for a walk in it anyway, mainly to buy some milk.  Also rode in the panoramic escalator down and then back up just cos we could.  Well its a nice place and the tourist blurb rates it as one of the top 50 towns in France.

Overnight at – Camping Navarre Langres  N47° 51.647’ E005° 19.750’

Sunday 14th June 2009 Chateau Chillion

Cloudy very warm looks like a storm brewing.  Went to town on the bike with the laptop squeezed into the rucksack to use free the wi-fi just off the main market square on the prom path. Very good signal so was able to look for some local geocaches, there were 6.   Lunch then out geo-caching did 5, the furthest afield being at Chateau Chillon then we were up in the hills AND climbing up about a million steps on Sentier de Telegraphiqué.  Back at camp, lots packing up, and all of a sudden by about 8pm the campsite is quiet.  Then the wind picked up and the lightening came.  But within an hour it was all over although the rain returned later.  Surprisingly (to us) the Ukrainian people have returned and once again huddled around the electricity point surfing the internet.  They have borrowed some chairs from an adjacent pitch this time.  Bet they can’t wait to spend another night in the car!  Had a late-ish walk around the campsite after the storm and realised that this with a bit of effort be a very nice campsite.  Saw some large fishes too amongst the boats in the marina, species unknown though.

Overnight at – La Pichette Nr Vevey N46° 28.186’ E006° 48.548’

Saturday 13th June 2009 Ukranian Antics

I have decided that the Swiss are a very lucky race.  They have mountains and snow, then they have lovely warm summers and spectacular scenery.  Plus they look after themselves and love the outdoor life. We cycle to Chateau de Chillon and onwards.  Took pics of a statue in memory of Charlie Chaplin and then another on the waterfront at Montreux of Freddie Mercury, then onto Villeneuve.  Watched a film crew positioning a little red Fiat 500 right in the middle of the boulevard, stopping walkers and cyclists so that they could get their ‘shot’. Spotted a potentially nice campsite at Maladaire, it was very small and right on the waters’ edge.  We cycled down to it and were impressed, however when we had a look at it late afternoon it was packed out with sun worshippers and families with hardly any space left.  Maybe an ideal mid-week site.  Saw  a group of old Talbot cars parked outside a hotel on the outskirts of Vevey all from the thirties, and all British, that were competing in a rally that was first run in 1934 (I think).  Had a chat with one of the owner/drivers.

A Ukranian registered car, a very smart new Volvo estate arrived at the campsite with 3 occupants and are directed by the campsite owner where to put up their tent and where to park their car on completion.  As they are right in our field of vision we watch with interest as they first plug into the electricity supply and power up 2 laptops.  No sign of any camping equipment.  Then loaf around surfing the internet eating packet food and drinking coke well after dark.  Still no sign of a tent.  Turns out they slept in the car.

Overnight at – La Pichette Nr Vevey N46° 28.186’ E006° 48.548’