# Normandy trip at Easter



## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Here's a motorhome account of a week in Normandy straddling Easter, using just 2.5 days of precious annual leave.

Left home in Basingstoke Maundy Thursday just after 0500hrs. Had to do a 10 litre splash-and-dash to avoid coming to a spluttering halt on empty while still short of Dover. Speedferries 0745 sailing. Height was measured at check-in as I'm right on the 2.9m height limit (and the 2m width, come to that ....). Boarded last to give the loaders more flexibility. Had the berth with the straight ramp. SpeedOne left smack on time, then wasted 15mins reversing back to the dock to pick up 3 crew! First crossing of the day is slightly slower (cold engines). Stocked up with provisions and diesel at LeClerc in Boulogne, then was stuck like a cork-in-a-bottle at the fuel pay booth due to construction work a few feet beyond. A bit of to-ing and fro-ing got us out without scraping anything and I was thankful the van wasn't any longer or wider.

Lunched at an autoroute aire with a power nap to recover from the early start, then blasted down to Port-en-Bessin-Huppain just north of Bayeux, arriving at 1630 local. As reported in MMM this month, the aire on the harbour has now been replaced by a fish market (seems more appropriate to me) and moved to a car park, which by 1700hrs was full of motorhomes. More than one was short of water, having found campsites shut and water at aires not turned on. This was no exception, but at least the normal 3.20 euros a night wasn't charged. We enjoyed a leisurely exploratory stroll around the harbour and town in the late afternoon sun.

Good Friday. A pleasant gendarme encouraged the motorhomes to move on at 11am (should be gone by 10am). We visited the gun battery at Longues-sur-mer, then onto the aire adjacent to the municipal site at Arromanches. Did the museum and the 360degree cinema. Noted plenty of motorhomes parked up at the viewpoint just above the 360 cinema, no doubt many of them staying the night there.

Easter Saturday. Bayeux Saturday market, then Tapestry, a couple of art galleries, British cemetary (noting the apt absence of a single parking spot....), then onto the free large carpark in the centre of Bayeux for the night (no-way we could have winkled our way onto that during the morning market). The sanistation point was bust, though we didn't need it.

Easter Sunday. Clockwise loop out to the west then north, GrandCamp Maisy, Pointe du Hoc memorial, ending up at Omaha Beach and walking up to the American Cemetary, which was impressive and popular. Stopped off at the church at Longues-sur-mer to top up with 60l of water from the tap at its side, as this should see us through the trip. (As it turned out, I drained around 40l on return home). Tried to get onto Arromanches aire again but after a quiet Thursday, Friday and even Saturday, camping cars were out in force for the rest of the weekend, and our relatively late arrival (1800hrs) forced us onto the municipal site next door for 12 euros, which we preferred for its proximity to the town rather than the exposed clifftop to the east referred to above.

Easter Monday. Lunch at Pegasus Bridge & museum, then up the coast to a lovely municipal site at Fecamp with marvellous views down to the harbour with the van's side door open (plot #60, satellite reception marginal through trees). There is supposed to be an aire at its entrance, but I couldn't see it. 11.5 Euros. Motorhomes were parked up just back from the east side of the harbour, though this is a rather industrial spot. 

Tuesday. Left just before reception shut for lunch at noon (needed return of deposit), and had a late lunch at Le Treport, enjoying a wonderful vista from the Calvaire de Terrasses on high ground to the immediate west of the port. Then back up to Boulogne, arriving at Manoir de Senlecques in Pernes les Boulogne - Gillian, I now know you are a tall lady from Lo..... . Charming site and couple, which got us dreaming again and number crunching in our heads, before we accepted that, no, in reality we wouldn't have a place like that. No doubt we'll mull similarly on our next visit, though! 13 euros I think.

Wednesday. Very leisurely day. Auchan for booze, shopping, diesel and an enjoyable lunch, though perhaps my biere au pression was slightly too grande. There is an aire with sanistation at the Auchan fuel station (note - separate from the hypermarket though in the same commercial complex). Parked up at Boulogne harbour (loads of motorhomes in a line) and wandered in to the town for more shopping. Arrived at Speedferries at 1645 for 1730 sailing, seeing SpeedOne already loading, though curiously, cones were across the check-in booths. Mental note for next time - if in any doubt, phone ahead to check state of sailings. It turned out that through a combination of running on a single engine earlier in the day, but more so heavy fog in Dover, causing queuing, Speedferries was running a sailing late. But at least they were running; a passenger said P&O had cancelled some sailings. It did leave at 1730, but not with us on it. By the time we got off at Dover, we were just under 5hrs 30mins late :-( I have to say, though, that Speedferries staff were the best we had encountered, cheerful and happy to chat. Apparently SpeedTwo is HOPED to be a larger vessel; I think Kurt formally is keeping options open until the ink is on the dotted line.

Home and tucked up in bed by 1am.

Didn't need to hook up to electricity once. The weather was mixed - perhaps 3 days of bright blue skies and the rest varying degrees of mist. But any rain didn't inconvenience us.

A pleasant and memorable Easter break.

Dave


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## Drummer (May 9, 2005)

That's the way to do it! :lol:


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Nice account of your trip Dave and thanks for sharing it with us.

I know what you mean about those tight paybooths at supermarket fuel stations, they always seem to make them as dificult to exit as posible, I always breathe in as I go through!
Interesting point that speedferries are measuring vans as well.

pete.


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## paul6058 (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks dave,
Sounds good!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

paul6058 said:


> Thanks dave,
> Sounds good!


Cor! how did you dig that one up? It was 7 years ago. Still useful info!

I think I used Daves info for our first Euro trip in 2009.


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## brillopad (Mar 4, 2008)

Nice account of your trip.

Dennis


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

barryd said:


> paul6058 said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks dave,
> ...


It's that crap MHF search, Barry ;-)

Dave


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

The penny only dropped when I read Manoir de Senlecques :roll: Which I knew had been closed for 4 years. :wink: 

tony


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

amazing what stuff gets dug up 8) :roll: 

how about an old Invertor (sic) thread from George Telford? :wink:


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Don't forget his version of hgv licence for an Rv. :lol: 

tony


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## bigx (May 16, 2005)

Hi all
Somethings never change.The sanitation point in Bayeux was broken and overflowing in September last
Yours Big-x


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