# Part 2 of ? France - the trip that didn't go as planned!!



## carol (May 9, 2005)

Part 2 - well where did we finish..... ah having decided to go to Germany...

Incidentally before I carry on, I would like to also say we passed and took details of a couple of other aires as we passed them...these were at

Sille le Guillaume (silly name) 
La Chatre at Super U

Another thing I will add in here which I omitted before, was whilst at the Gruissan Aire (4 vents - not named for that for no reason!), we walked to the old town (we had been before on a previous visit) but we climbed up to the top of the Barberousse Tower. This was worth it for the view, but it was really windy when we were up there and seriously I nearly got blown over. For more info on Gruissan - follow this link: http://www.gruissan-mediterranee.com/fr/

I will try when I find time to put info up in the database, I am also sending all info to Vicarious Books for their All the Aires books as several were not in there and others I have newer photos....

Read on...get your cuppa and we shall see how far we can get this time.

So off we went up towards the Vercors which are to the west of Grenoble. I knew nothing of this area, or its history, but Duncan had read about it, it is where the Free French made a stand.

We left Gruissan and headed firstly along to Sete - as I wanted to see this place on a spit of land between the Med and the back land, and then started north managing to negotiate Montpelier without any problems

On we went north, I have a noted that says we went D17, D45 and we then stopped at a place to the south west of Ales for the night, and it says, nice spot, mountains to our north and very picturesque, and looking at my photos - where were we, in Anduze...

But to get there we ended up going to Anduze (30). Now we arrived here on a day when the circus/fair was in town, so guess where they were all parked..... yes, you got it on the car park for the motorhome area....BUT, a lovely young French lady saw us turn in and then look a bit puzzled and she said in French 2nd road on right.... so off we went, and indeed they had made parking available there whilst the actual aire parking was in use. Trouble is, you couldn't get to the borne...but we didn't need it and so were not troubled. The sign they had put up, said of course, RESERVED CAMPING CAR - well of course the next day was market day and the French don't take notice of these signs, so we woke up to find, we weren't going anywhere, but we had planned a days stop so were not to bothered, except during our wander around the town, we discovered that part of it would also be there next day....and although this temporary parking (which I also understand can be used normally for mh's) was overlooking the river, we felt that as we couldn't move now, we might be in the same position next day....so we sat and had lunch and about 1500 we finally managed to extricate ourselves with difficulty and a lot of manoeuvring - and stopped on the other side of the bridge to put everything away, as we had had to move quickly...

Anduze was a lovely place, and there were several bands (sort of Peruvian, S.American) playing and it did make for a great atmosphere. There is also a wonderful shop close to the town hall where a very nice Senegalese lady sells wonderful batik silk type kaftans, but really beautiful ones, expensive too, so I didn't buy one, but they were the best I have seen I must say, and I was sorely tempted.... It was calm there parking overnight and had some very nice shops around to look at. worth a stop if in this area. One other note I have, is that the church chimes the hour and again at 05mins past, you do get used to it, but initially it seems really noisy, but I didn't notice it during the night.

We drove on and stopped en route at a placed called Les Mages - it isn't brilliant, set back off the road and out of the village, but it did have a bus stop right in front of us, where it appeared the school buses stopped to drop up children. Our next planned stop was Crest, one we had used before as there is a laundry not too far away.... although we didn't need it this time. But after consulting the map, and insisting on Jack our gps going OUR way, not his route (he did comply in the end) we went through Aubenas on the D104 and on towards Privas and onto to Crest ////

But like most plans, and ours, it didn't work out like that, why, again because another fair/circus was using this 300 car park where the aire and borne were, so we drove a little way popped down a side road by the river and had lunch, whilst we decided on our next move. We couldn't really stop there as it was by the school/college and led to a camp site and there were no caravan sites up everywhere. A Dutch couple followed us down, obviously found Crest aire like us, and asked if we were stopping the night, we explained we wouldn't be....

So were headed up towards Die, in the hope of finding another aire for the night, we found an Intermarche which was open, altho the supermarket itself was closed for 10 days - 5 others drove in behind us, so they were losing a lot of business, can you imagine Tesco closing down for 10 days?

Unsure if our CC would work here, as it wasn't manned, we hoped two French guys would help if necessary - they helped two Germans on bikes, they paid cash, he put it on his card, but ours worked which made us happy....and to be honest there was ONLY ONE where it didn't, and that was an Intermarche...

After filling up, we took the next turning on the road to Vassieux-en-Vercors and this is a brilliant ride, it climbed up to over 1200m through the Col de Rousset at 1254 - no crash barriers, nothing and sheer drops, just as well Duncan was on the inside (he hates heights!) but my heart was in my mouth a few times, but the views were fantastic. We had purchased a new book in Carcassonne a Michelin Guide to tours in a camping car, brilliant book, and this tour was in this book (it is in French, and if I can understand it with the help of a dictionary, you all can too)...

We arrived in Varssieux and the aire is just outside the village, and is surrounded by mountains - lovely spot and there were 16 of us that night, a surprise to us, as we hadn't really expected any others....we had been 3rd to arrive and the others were all in by about 2000. From the aire you look up to the Museum de la Resistance and also, when you know where to look at the Monument to the Resistance.

As I have said, I knew nothing about this at all, but it was extremely interesting, we did the Museum and Duncan spent most of his time upstairs (or as you go in) where there were loads of letters, artefacts, etc., but I went afterwards downstairs where there was a lot of information about the rebuilding of the village after the bombing by the Germans. Really fascinating, do go if you are in the area.... The small church was also interesting.

We drove up to the Monument in the afternoon and they have headsets in English for two of the rooms, and again this is a mountaintop site, with fantastic views and an excellent Monument.

We met a nice Belgian couple who we were talking too, and he explained that the route we were planning to do as part of our tour was closed as they had been that way today, so we had another look at the map to see how we could carry out, you always seem to find a way, and we managed it but instead of a circle, we did two days of out and backs, as this was the ONLY aire in the area. The road closed had been the Combe Laval one which we ended up the other side of the gorge/river, up at the same high altitude, where we could see them working, and boy, that is literally cliff hugging, this side was bad enough....but another visit will now have to be added on whenever we are in the area again, missed something good, but it is closed due to repair works, as were other roads....mountains they have a habit of throwing a few rocks down now and again, so they can't be too careful....Some of these villages were VERY narrow and two-way, so glad Duncan was driving and not me, it can be a bit of a nightmare at times, watching for balconies etc....

WE finished the tour the next day, and Duncan decided he would like to do the Rhone Alps tour we had done 5 years ago (this man likes mountains) so I agreed, but it was really, in the morning 5deg... and not too high during the day either, are only jumpers were on and we didn't even have a fleece with us... so we started it - through Grenoble and last time we did this tour we got lost....and we did again, the signboards are notoriously bad there, and even Jack couldn't seem to extricate us out of it, as they had made many roads in this area one way, but we finally did get on to the correct road up to St Pierre de Chartreuse.... after crossing bridges and trying to turn right, only left allowed, going back, crossing that one, and going down to the next one after each time...tell you it was flipping maddening.

I wonder why in France they don't use their road numbers much, except on some of the actual road signposts, but NOT all - so when garmin info is showing the road number it is of no use.... a pet hate of mine, like why does Garmin insist on road names, when they aren't shown in most places, and trying to see if you are on the Rue de Liberte or Rue to Charles de Gaulle....mad...

We stopped at the aire, where we have been 2 twice before, and found another Brit there (this was our first!) altho not chatty, in a McLouis, and left early the next morning....

Nice village if you haven't been.... and on towards Chambery where we wanted to fill up with gpl.... select gpl poi's and get this long road...chose one but guess what, it was on the 'wrong' side of the road, and so we drove about 3kms longer to get there....

Went off to find the aire, found it OK, but could we park, no.... full of cars, and one motorhome....so we wanted lunch, so parked on the dump area, as that was the only place we could get in....just finished when someone turned up to dump (we were dumping at this time), and he said the same as us, no good for an aire..... well probably OK during school holidays ONLY for parking, shame really as Chambery would have been nice for a walk around, (although we have been there before).

So onward towards Annecy (friends we had hoped to call in on, not too far away were at their home in Geneva, so we said we would try to see them on our way back).... Annecy, we don't like the aire which is closest as we have stopped there and it isn't too level, so we thought we would try the Annecy Le Vieux - trouble is that now had a height barrier, so we ended up in ordinary parking adjacent to the Lac with about 16 other motorhomes. Free, no facilities.....

We decided we wouldn't continue the tour, we were both cold and decided Germany now rather than later, trouble was of course as this wasn't planned, I had only packed all the French info/books I have, and left the German maps etc., all behind....I did have an ACSI card with me but no maps...great... We didn't want to have to buy a vignette at this late stage of the year for the trip, so we wanted to go as far north in France before we got into Germany.

GPS altho set for no toll roads, somehow managed to get us on one, so 2nd turning after we got off and stopped and I consulted our French maps for a way out of this.... Having checked how the gps was taking us, he was heading for Besancon, we worked out our own route and made Jack follow us for a change.... We retraced our route back along the N road and then off on D routes - it was an interesting route albeit again mountainous and no crash barriers, but this is of course why they have trees up their mountains. Our aim was Baume Les Dames an aire that has won awards, very popular, especially with Germans as it is just over their borders, and it is €7 a night but WITH electricity and again is another of those aires laid out nicely - well designed, had showers and toilets and a TIO too... overlooking the canal and boat trips were available and there is a Super U close by too (5 mins walk). The town has about 10 hahairdressersnd several chemists and a wonderful charcuterie that does excellent Rillettes d'Oil and Tongue....great stuff, little shop down on the left as you walk to the square...

We had sent an email to our dealers a few days earlier, telling them we would arrive on 28th Sept (Sunday) to enable them to have staff available for the Monday morning to start warranty work. We had heard nothing. That was the reason for stopping at Baume Les Dames, we hadn't wanted to arrive on a Friday...we wanted to give them time to do it all.

I will finish this bit here, it is almost half way through our South of France Holiday and where are we? In Germany..

edited: Just to say the photographs for this are now uploaded to my albums - check out Winter 2008 - link is at the bottom of all my postings.

Carol


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Another good read...............


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## colian (May 11, 2005)

Carol

Another good read when I should be working but do not tell anyone....

This sums up what having a motorhome is all about being able to change direction as you want.

roll on next edition

Ian


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## Mandi (Jan 10, 2008)

May I show my ignorance and ask what a "borne" is?

:roll:


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Mandi - it is what the bit of equipment one uses to empty and fill your vehicle, there are many different types, Euro Relais, (two sizes) many artisanal ones, made by local workers, some better than others, some useless... but a bit like this - is the normal borne - ah can't add a picture from the quick reply box.... but I am sure if you look in the album I am uploading at the moment , click on this http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=gallery2&g2_itemId=97516 you will see several pictures of aires, and in some the bornes are shown, not fig 3 for instance...and you will see others.

Carol


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Love this stuff. It gets me googling like a mad thing. From the pix I assumed you had gone from Grenoble to South America which is not a small feat but then I read the bumph. Many thanks. POI'ing some.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Mandi said:


> May I show my ignorance and ask what a "borne" is?
> 
> :roll:


Hi,

This is an all singing and dancing borne.










Don


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## Mandi (Jan 10, 2008)

Don Madge said:


> Mandi said:
> 
> 
> > May I show my ignorance and ask what a "borne" is?
> ...


Thanks, you live and learn. Is this a French word? - I did try the dictionary and Wikepedia before I asked the question - quite new to motorhoming and as yet have not done a French aire, only German Stellplatz.


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Mandi - yes it is a similar system to the Stellplatz, they are called Aires, but don't get confused with Aires de Service on Motorways..... although there are some on these.... You can buy several different books, Dave on ODB sells the Aires French Book, and did sell the English All the Aires book, (published by Vicarious Books) and their is also another french book of Aires by Le Monde..... 

Actually none have ALL THE AIRES, not yet anyway, so we have all three, the problem is that they come and go so you can never be sure if they are still there, but so far we have found ones not even listed in the books

Carol


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi Carol,
interesting read!

We thought about touring in the Vercours a couple of years ago but decided not to once I had read about some of the mountain roads in that region. Perhaps we''ll try again next year maybe they may have fixed the roads by then.

I remember once chickening out on a mountain road in that area (and we've only got a panel van) after we had met a couple of quarry lorries - we did a ten point turn at a passing place but it did have a small stone barrier :lol: 

enjoy your travels

Steve


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Steve,

The roads themselves are fine....narrow yes, and not a lot at times on the outside, (I hold my breath sometimes) - but the trips are definitely worth it. Just as well Duncan likes mountains....we don't go fast obviously, if anything slowly, waiting for those others coming the other way, but the roads were fairly quiet anyway.....

Go for it

Carol


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## Minerva (May 22, 2006)

Nice read Carol, glad you are enjoying yourself.
It seems like the Indian pipes group get around as I am sure they were present at the York Music festival earlier this year (Iwonder if they use a MH or a tepee).

Bill


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