# September in France



## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

September 2005, for three weeks.

The vague idea was to trickle down through France, stop at a site in the Dordogne, on a pitch with a fantastic view, and use the motorcycle to reach places probably inaccessible with the motorhome.

Hmmm… the Weather Gods heard about my plans, and decided to play havoc with them! But read on...

The first two or three days were fine, stopping at Les Andelys, with a great ride out along the banks of the Seine, and a visit to Monet's Garden, but then it started to go a bit wrong, albeit gently at first.

We stopped near Limoges, to pay yet another visit to the ghastly but very moving Oradour-sur-Glane (if you're not familiar with this place, look it up on the internet, then go there). Returning across country to our site at Cieux, I found my way along one lane blocked by a 'Welcome' sign (well, it had my name on it - "Route Barre"!). I turned round and went up the next little lane, skilfully negotiating an old gate that was just laying in the road, and rounded the corner of a building into the village… Bizarre!… the road had disappeared and had become just a dirt track, and people dressed in 18th Century garb milled about. In a flash I knew we had been transported back in time! But then in another flash I realised that I had just ridden the motorcycle straight onto a film set in the middle of shooting - the huge arc lights gave the game away! I skilfully executed a U-turn (not easy on the loose dirt) and, leaving the shouts and gesticulations of the 'theatrical-types' behind me, I roared off giving them a final glimpse of nice shiny 'GB' plate. Napoleon 'stuffed' by the British. Again. (Sir Arthur Wellesley would have been proud of me).

With more rides out along the River Vienne and visiting the Roman Baths at Chassenon (a fantastically preserved place, well worth a visit), this was when the Rain God finally couldn't hold back any longer - fortunately we were only five minutes from 'home' and didn't get (too) wet.

So we took the hint and quickly headed for the Dordogne, stopping at a little Dutch-owned site for just three days. The Gods now 'played' with us - bright sun in the morning encouraging us to think we had a good day ahead, and then dark clouds boiling up by lunchtime, or vice versa, a cloudy start deterring us from going out and then becoming warm and sunny when it was too late to go out! Oh, how they must have laughed, up there in the clouds! A huge gale one night, and then misty rain on our final morning persuaded us to abandon any hope for the Dordogne this year, and we kept going south, finally ending up at the Mediterranean coast before we saw the sun again. A three-quarters empty site at Canet-Plage (a site I wouldn't normally entertain) provided us with a lovely big pitch with lake and mountain views - a super base to visit friends nearby and ride some fabulous roads in the Pyrenees.

Three blissful days of warm (nay, hot) sun and wall-to-wall blue sky, and then… the Weather Gods spotted us again. This time it was the turn of the Wind God, and he summoned up the Tramontaine for us - nice chap! The Tramontaine is one of those constantly-blowing gale-force, cold winds that plague the Mediterranean coast at certain times, and it certainly drove us away. No-one's ever sure just how long the dratted wind will blow for - sometimes it's a week or more!

A few days earlier, I'd entered a filling station and just as I did so, some bitter and twisted Gallic Napoleon-supporter (probably a descendant of one of the 'Old Guard', who had obviously heard about my exploits on the Napoleonic film set) suddenly and without any warning whatsoever, lowered the roof over the pumps. There can be no other explanation. One moment I was chatting to Sue and gaily driving up to the pumps, and the next there was a horrendous crash as the roof box skimmed a roof girder. Bugger!

So, with the wind driving us 'somewhere else' and a roof box to repair/replace, I headed for Narbonne (and 'Narbonne Accessoires' - the equivalent of a French 'Burden's Catalogue', except much better!). But no… the word was out - if any Frenchman worthy of his Gallic moustache, beret, and pong of garlic was to so much as help me for an instant, it would be Madame Guillotine for him. And so it was that Narbonne Accessoires warehouse was closed for two weeks, and Narbonne Accessoires shop didn't have any roofboxes. Double bugger!!

Pursued by that damned wind, and hearing about horrendous storms on the Cote d'Azur (where the Weather Gods had obviously thought I was hiding and had been vainly trying to flush me out) we then headed for Provence and, finally, sanity.

At last. Warm sun, blue skies, no wind, and magnificent countryside and roads to explore on the motorcycle (Mount Ventoux is a must!). That was how we spent the last of our three weeks - relaxing, riding, eating, drinking…

We set out with no plan (just a vague notion) and had a wonderful time, despite the setbacks. But that's what a motorhome holiday is all about - not so much a holiday, more an adventure (if you want a mere 'holiday', go on a package tour).

(Photos here - [web] http://tinyurl.com/9qpke [/web] )


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Brillliant....I shall be watching TV5 on NTL to see if I can see you in the film. This film could become just as famous as the opening scenes of Robin Hood years ago when Robin fired an arrow and as the camera followed it, you could see a Green Line bus in the back ground together with an electricity pylon.

The roof lowering garages does not suprise me at all.... The French garages have a range of measures to get a laugh out of British m\homers from fat fuel pipes to the pump that you have to guess how much your tank will hold and enter the litres in. The latter means that you either do not fill up your tank properly or you have to pay for the one or two liters you cannot squeeze in.

But sounds like a terrific time even when things go wrong it leaves you with stories to tell for years to come.

Just off to look at the photos and click on your link. I was wondering if we should team up next year for a trip over there, having first checked our insurance policies are really comprehensive.

Brill report and a wicked read.   

p.s. Brill pictures and its good to see one them showing the Motorhomefacts.com Chapter in full uniform.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Thanks, Puss. But do you think the French nation, their Government, infrasructure, Civil Service and Armed Forces could withstand TWO such bumbling oafs as us staggering through their beautiful country? It could mean the end of France as a world power...! 8O

I consider myself lucky to be the victim of the old 'roof-lowering' trick, as I never got as far as the pumps - I mean, if I had started filling the tank, they could have immolated me the same as they nearly did to you. A lucky escape, eh? Why do they hate us so much? 

Yes, I think the 18th Century motorcycle will go down in film history, along with the 'vapour trails' in the Audie Murphy cowboy film, the watches worn by mediaeval knights, inoculation scar on Queen Boadicea, and the US HIghway in the background while Stanley Baker is trying to take A Hill In Korea. Form an orderly queue for autographs... no pushing at the back... only one autograph per person... :wink:


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Great story and very well written, Ann and I have just had a great laugh now for breakfast !!


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

You can laugh, Bill, but it was hell on earth at the time, I can tell you! I'm still traumatised, even now! I've even started sending Sue across the road to collect my fuel, a litre at a time! I daren't drive onto a garage forecourt now without having 'flashbacks'. Then I freeze, and can only be snapped out of it by the hooting of the queue of cars behind, and the little Pakistani gentleman who comes out of his cash office to gently enquire "Iss everyt'ing orl right, Sah?" Reassured by the sound of the (albeit mangled) Mother Tongue, I can then proceed. Gently, because I'm only in the first stages of rehabilitation. I hope to have got over it by my next holiday, when the trauma can start all over again...!


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

I always try to turn around disasters into a more positive light. For example, if you did not have a top box, how would you have known you were to high to fit under the forecourt roof. You see, there are always two ways of looking at it. Negative - Positive. I choose positive. 8)


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

A great report Barry

So glad you had a "positivley" good time.....albeit interspersed with some entertaining episodes :lol: 

Great pictures too......worthy of entry into a MHF photo comp. :roll: 
very arty farty skyscapes......well done


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

My problem, Puss, is that I can only ever see the Negative side of Positive! For example, I now know the height of my motorhome, but it's cost me 300 quid to discover it! But I shall try to follow your admirable example from now on.

Thanks Badger. I enjoy photography, but more often than not my pics contain a 'disaster element' - something that turns a great pic into below average! Digital cameras have been brilliant, though, 'cos you can snap away and it doesn't cost anything!


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

And a little time invested in mastering the basics of Adobe Photoshop is the perfect complement to digital photos, though nothing can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and it really helps to have an instinct for composition at the time of pressing the shutter.

Dave
Edit - regarding snapping away with digital, I thought that was my secret, but I am extremely cautious when compared with our Carol (British Passion), whom at one point I advised to have a Bluetooth camera talking to a Bluetooth laptop with massive hard disc in a backpack.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

That's the problem, Dave. With 35mm it was all so simple - make sure the composition, lighting, etc, was spot-on or you had a duff picture, full stop. Now I can 'bracket' to my hearts content, and then 'play' with the pics later, on the computer.

Still, lessons learned years ago still stand me in good stead.


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