# My account of our holiday in France this year - pics later



## carol

FRANCE 2009 – SEPT 1ST – OCT 27TH

This is my account which was sent home to family and friends of our trip this year to France. This year has been hectic, as we put our house on the market and it was sold for the asking price within 13 days, the rush then was to find ourselves somewhere to live. This proved harder than we thought and after having a price accepted on one new place, at exchange of contracts 10 days before completion we discovered all was not well, so a very frantic few days was needed to find another, and we did, and moved on July 7th to Yeoford near Crediton – still in Devon, but this time Mid-Devon.

Due to the above we didn’t get to use the motorhome much so we were away for a rest as much as anything else, 5 weeks roughly after moving in….

We had used our Tesco vouchers to buy a Eurotunnel ticket, original cost was £148, cost was £40 of vouchers and £8 cash…. Not bad and our first experience of the tunnel – and hopefully not our last.

We got away about 0845 and left via Cheriton Bishop without any problems going to Folkestone. In fact the M25 seemed very quiet to us, except the other carriageway did have hold-ups around the J8-9 so glad we weren’t coming home.

We made such good time, that we ended up getting a train 2 hours earlier and arrived over in France and had done our shopping before we should have even arrived, and the crossing was very good and easy, we would definitely do that again, no waiting around to board at all.

We spent the night on the place we had stopped at on our very first time in France in 2004 .It is by the Marina and Holiday Inn. I had tried this again but they had had some sort of fair or something going on, and it was at that time that they opened the aire by the docks for €7 a night, where we had stopped ever since, but this time, as we drove along, we noticed it must have had around 50/60 motorhomes parked, so hey, let’s join them. So we did, as did many more that night, and yet the other aire was still there, so we wonder if it is a change of heart…. We shall see upon our return.

Next day, saw us back in Auchan to buy another sim card for my dongle* (see note at end re dongles), and then we started our journey south, via Rouen and tonight we are stopped in a pretty little village on a very quiet aire, in Broglie - with individual parking areas and room for chairs and a bbq if the weather permitted. It is on an old railway station, that has been converted to the local library and there is a loo, cost €5 a night, which was collected about 1900 – and three arrived after that, so I wonder if they will get away without paying – it seems to be a French thing, arrive late and leave early, then don’t pay.

We went for a walk in the town, and through a lovely garden alongside the river, a place to return to if we need to, and pleasant for a few days stop, there are cycle rides from here as well.

Tomorrow we head further south, towards Tours, and possibly further south between there and Poitiers we shall see where we end up.

The weather has given a few little showers but nothing much and has been warm, no jackets or cardigans needed, temps have so far been around 22/23…. So nice.

5th September

We left Broglie and headed on our journey south towards Pau - where we are going to start a tour of the High Pyrennees.

Duncan drove as usual and we made it down to an aire at Sainte Maure de Touraine, which was south of Tours (about 15km south) another place in an historic area of the village, it was very pleasant, and free water etc., Good boulanger less than 5 mins walk as well. We did manage to get a nasty stone on the windscreen, just right of the mirror, which doesn’t look good, which when we return we hope to get repaired. The landscape was fairly flat all the way with very large fields, unlike ours with hedges and trees, you get large skies and field after field of sunflowers, now mainly gone over, and maize growing, but just lots of it

We left again the next morning stopping at Vivonne – another very pretty aire for lunch, this was really by accident, but a good parking area with lots of flowers by the Tourist Office. Good place for a longer stop as well I reckon. Free again, except €2 for water. This was south of Poitiers on the N10.

On down around Angouleme and to Perigueux where we are for a few days. We were lucky when we arrived to find a parking place right close to the entrance where the dump/water facilities are under the arch. It is very busy here with around 30 motorhomes at the moment, we are the only English motorhome, mostly French with a couple of Germans and a couple of Netherlands….. where are all the Brits….

Today we had another little problem, the water pump is playing up – it is vibrating – we have had a good look at it, it is a Shurflo – and there appears to be nothing wrong, water is coming out, it is not loose and it seems only to sort of vibrate when you run the cold water. We have purged it with both the hot and the cold water, in case we had an air lock, but to no joy. So tomorrow, we thought we would have a longer try with it, and if all else fails, I have located a Rapido dealer on the Bordeaux road just outside of Perigueux where we will head on Monday before tracking back and going south to Pau. Really odd, it has worked perfectly until now, no sign of trouble or anything…. Never mind, these things happen. Never mind – guess what a quick post on MHF and within an hour or so, several options, some we had tried, others Duncan did and we had no further problems with it….cantankerous just like me sometimes ;-) Good old MHF, you can always rely on it when you need it and thanks to those that replied.

The sun is shining, and it has continued to be warm since we left the UK, the clouds were around on our journey down, and we did get a very very small shower, but that has been all. So far so good.

We walked up into the town this morning, and it was market day, and have bought some of their cold meats and fruits and salad for the next few days. We are just going back up this afternoon to have a look around the shops this time.


Sunday 6th Sept 2120

Hi again, we are still in Perigueux and have had a lovely sunny quiet day. It is around 13/15deg in the mornings, but warms up nicely to around 24/26 during the day. No clouds today until about 2000.

The day started with me doing the washing, and it all dried, and got hand ironed, we went to buy a baguette and were amazed to see a lot of stalls around the market, selling much the same as yesterday, lots of flowers today though, and we had a wander. We met two British couples today, firstly some new motorhomers, called Antoinette and Hugh who were interested in lots of how to do this or that from us, and also to see if she would drive a low profile as opposed to their 10 year old Hymer A Class, she found the low profile better and said she would drive it, the huge open expanse of the A class worried her. After lunch we met another couple who have a home in Highcliffe (Bournemouth area) and are renovating a town house for themselves in Brantome, just up the road, we passed it but were taken on the ring road, but they have suggested we do go there and have a look around, it has a lovely abbey and an aire as well, and we should look them up if they are there. Very nice, their names were Jacky and Micky Varney… 

Lots of comings and goings on the aire, and we have sat in our chairs at the back of the motorhome, watching the river go by with the ducks on it. Really pleasant day.

We did spend the early part of the afternoon, sorting out the water pump. Duncan tried all things, and thinks blowing back down the input line has freed the airlock we had, and all is working well now. Thank goodness, so now we will not bother with the Rapido dealers tomorrow.

I was looking at our map, and we realised we are driving not from a friend from Middle East days so we are hoping to call in on our way south tomorrow, but at present I haven’t found his phone number and address, even though his daughter did give it me, and I did add it to my address book on the main computer, but it has not synced with my flipping phone….so I have sent both our daughter and her a text in the hope that they will get back to me, (our daughter because I am not sure that the phone number I had for Trina was correct still).



PART 3

Thursday 10th
We did manage to call in on our friend in the Lot and it was nice to see him, it is some 20 years since we last did, unfortunately he hasn’t changed that much, he always did look like a boy, most annoying….

We left him and spent the night a Biron aire by the Chateau and it was quiet. We set off then to drive south and stopped the following night at Tarbes – having decided we didn’t need to go to Pau for the tour, it started in Tarbes…. So here we were, and was it flipping hot. What made it even worse was that everyway the gps sent us took us under a railway line with a height of just 3m, and this started to become very annoying as the last time we ended up in a one-way road, and there were no signs before to warn you….urg…..tempers do get frayed on a hot day.

The aire was nice, it was on an ambulance station and well set out but the temperature was still in the high 20’s at midnight, having been 34 when we arrived, and Duncan ended up sitting outside until just after midnight…. Warmth we wanted, but not that sort of warmth….

On the tour, which was through the High Pyrenees and basically taking the tour de france route over the cols….

I will recommend to anyone who doesn’t know where to go in France, a book called CAMPING ESCAPADES IN A CAMPING CAR BY Michellin – it is available in book shops and presse in France, but not easily found. We bought the 2008 edition last year and it was blue – the 2009 edition The reason it is good is that it provides a small map of the route, varying between 3 and 7 days long, with an English foreward to how the book works, and it provides info on things to see on each day on the route and suggested stopping places, which include aires and campsites on the route. Also it is for camping cars, not cars…. So the very small roads are avoided. The one we saw this year was yellow, but I could see no differences in the two editions. There is also another one we found this year, again by Michellin, which is 100 ESCAPES IN A CAMPING CAR IN EUROPE – so this may have wider appeal – and they cost around €15/16 each.


Anyway, following one of the tours about for the High Pyrenees, we spent a lovely evening at Arrens-Marsous on an aire which looks out to the mountains. It was very calm and quiet and relatively cool, so sleeping was no problem, temperature this morning was 16 when we got up, so it was fine.

We did our household bits, bought baguettes in the Shoppi which is about 100yards from the aire on the main road, which was open, not sure why it had had a sign closed for 2 days on it the day before, but hey, everyone is entitled to a few days off. Duncan had walked into Arrens, around 0.7k and bought some yesterday evening for us.

We drove on our tour, back towards Argeles Gazost where we then took the D road down to Cauterets, stopped had a look around, there is an aire there, where it was obviously very very busy, it is just on the edge of the town, so all facilities were there and it was a pay one with electricity for €8 a night – getting slightly cheaper if you stayed 7 nights for €47 – they were doing a busy trade, there were some hook-ups, thought not sure if everyone manages to get one. It is surrounded by mountains, but we carried on, and stopped at another of the aires for a look as we passed, this was called Pierrefitte-Nestalas – and was a free aire, only about 10 places, and again it was on the edge of a smaller nicer looking village – again busy, some of the spots for parking were small though, we wouldn’t have got on them. Some shade and a few picnic tables there, only one free space when we passed and that would have been too small for us at 7.39m.

On we went back down to Gavernie, where we had stopped en route for lunch – and it was getting very warm, creeping up to 30deg again…. So we managed to find a lay-by in the shade of the mountain – which made it pleasant. Gavernie is again another bustling village, and the tourist office is just in the centre, where you turn to go to the parking for the aire, this is in 3 bits really, parking down there by the town itself, but 2 other bits are 1k up the mountainside, which was a very nice drive and a better place to stop – there is a lovely babbling brook here and the sound is delightful, but we are at the end of the road surrounded by mountains wherever we look. Here it is €5 for 24 hours, from mid July to mid Sept – and there are quite a lot of us around here….maybe 50 I suppose scattered – lovely, nice place to come to, the facilities for dumping etc are up at the top. This is a good skiing area I am informed. There is a walk here, which we were going to do when we returned, but for some reason we didn’t – the Cirque de Gavernie – maybe another time.

Surprisingly I did manage to get a signal with Auchan and send off my emails and receive them, so that was a bonus, as surrounded by mountains, I didn’t think I would.
The scenery is stunning here, you drive through the valleys with mountain views wherever you look and I love it.


below are 


Fig 1 Pierrefitte-Nastalas Aire Fig 2 - Gavernie Aire

Friday 11th 2010
Well we have had an up and down day today – why you ask? Well we have been up and down the Cols all day, and some had such brilliant views it is a place you should all come and see. We left Gavarnie this morning, after driving down into the town, hoping to get some food, but found no shops but did manage a baguette for lunch. It is very much a tourist spot with what I associate as tourist tat for sale, and few real shops, how people manage in winter is a wonder.

As this is an out and back place, like Cauterets yesterday, we retraced our steps through Gedre to Luz St Savour (something like that) where the lady in the tourist office said we should find food. We did, just as Carrefour and everything else shut its doors for the day….. well 2 hour lunch anyway…so off we drove, following the highest road through the Pyrenees – over the Col de Tourmalet – which goes to 2115m – and we stopped for the obligatory photographs, and then drove down to La Mongie, which is the resort for the skiers – by the way, for those that don’t know, this is the route the Tour de France takes, and we passed so many of them going up and down, not one was walking, ascents were generally 7 – 8% all the way, there are signs on the side of the road, telling them, what it is for the next km…. and how many more to the summit. We stopped there for lunch, a bit uneven but hey it is near the top of a mountain. What happened next has made us laugh all day. A small campervan hightop parked next to us, and they were a young couple, he got out, donned up in his cycling gear, took a bike out of the back, went down the road, and his wife was seen taking photos of him riding up to the summit – he then got in the car and drove off….. wonder who they will fool with those photos later. We saw several men finishing at the Col, to be met by their partners, many were white haired and in their 60’s and 70’s – fit is all I can say and mad….but whatever turns you on….

From there we dropped down to La Mongie, where we parked up, as I wanted to go to the highest point in the Pyrenees, the Pic de Midi – which is a lot of things, and only reached by telecharger (cable car) and at a cost of €30….. Duncan hates heights, so didn’t want to come, and chose to wait down in the car park. It was absolutely brilliant, clear sky, with a few clouds around, this has a huge TV mast on the top, is a radio station, met office climate etc., etc., you name it – it does it. Oh yes it is an observatory for the stars as well – good place for it I would think.

The views are stupendous and it was a shame I couldn’t get Duncan up to see it all, so as he was waiting below, I didn’t hang around, but it is definitely well worth the visit. The ride up to it in the cable car is something else as well, because you can’t seem to work out where it will go, really strange, but fantastic, do it, save your pennies, as this must be one of the most expensive attractions in France.
We carried on, over the Col de Aspin and the Col de something else and have ended up in Arreau for the night. This is another aire in a village, and we will explore that tomorrow. What is strange is there are at the moment only 6 motorhomes parked here – 3 of which are British…. So many in one place, yet we see so few English anywhere…. One couple are just starting (3 weeks into) a year full-timing, she has taken a year’s sabbatical from teaching deaf children, I am unsure what he did, although with his tatoo’s I tend to think he must have been in the services at some time.

So today has been a lovely day, lovely weather, lovely scenery and we are continuing the tour tomorrow. If this will go tonight, you may be lucky, if not I will continue it, not sure if there is a signal or not at the moment. The other couple were a retired Policeman and his wife, we were to bump into about three more times on our holiday, Steve and Helen (or Heather) (I am awful with names). He knew of Dougie…


PART 4

Saturday 12th

Well this has been another of those days….. it started with a lovely morning, going down to a very pretty village, buying most of our shopping, returning, and then just before we left and removed our levellers – Duncan noticed we had a flat tyre, well not completely flat, it is supposed to be at 65psi and was showing only 30psi….. so out came the compressor, which takes an awful long time to pump a tyre up that much…. But it was done, and off we set again on this little tour, this problem did not recur and we have put it down to a faulty ultraseal cap thing on the wheel, (we had one last year and upon our return I contacted them, and they sent replacements), so we have been checking them regularly.

We realised there were two possible aires to stop tonight, one was at Loudenville and another at Bagneres du Luchon. This route was to take us over the Col de Peyresourde. We got to the first Loudenville, and I had obviously misread my map, as I had thought it was actually on the route, but discovered it isn’t when the gps took us off, and a quick look at the map, made me realise there were two places, spelt very similar, Louderville and Loudenville – anyway carried on to the latter, and have found another very nice village, with about 3 large areas for parking a camping car and the borne was situated up by the garage some half a km further. We liked what we saw, so here we are, stopped for the weekend. We have had lunch, got out our table and chairs and were sitting in the sun, with a lovely breeze, when I looked up and saw large dark clouds coming over what had been clear mountains, only a little time ago. Then large spots of rain, a quick putting of chairs under van and retreat inside, and close down the roof where the rain was dropping in. Now we hear thunder, but still rain is only a few spots now and again we are planning on a 100 yard walk to the tourist office and to the shop a 8 de Huit (but it stops for almost 4 hours until 1600!!), who thought of that name I wonder!

We stayed and had a rest day, you had to laugh all this driving (thunder again from above) and more rain – only about 15km at the most I would think…. So not too much to report. Blue sky on my right, mountains disappearing on my right…. 


Fig 1 - Loudenville aire with thunder approaching Fig 2 is Arreau village 





PART 5

Wednesday 16th

We seem to be in a low at the moment, and have nice mornings but around 4-5pm it rains….oh well I suppose they do need it, especially today – we have seen a dried up river bed, and a lake with a dam virtually empty. (we were to see many more of these this year, and there were lots of talk of a lack of water in many places)


We left Loudenvielle… on Monday morning, and crossed the Col de Peyresourde (another of the Tour de France’s Col’s ) they are strong cyclists, no way would I manage even one, yet alone the many they do….Man of the Mountains, now deserves my respect, when I see what they do…. Anyway that took us on to the village of Bagneres-de-Luchon (spelt sometimes as Louchon, even they can’t make up their minds!)… We were glad we had stayed at Loudenvielle, as it seemed much nicer place. We then continued our route which took us now northwards, and through Loures Barousse, before we stopped at St Bertrande de Comminges, where there is a cathedral perched up on a hill, we parked at the bottom and walked up – supposed to be a place of pilgrimage but it didn’t impress us, it was so very dark inside you could hardly see, and the masterpiece was supposed to be some woodwork surrounding the choir, which you couldn’t see…. The choir that was…. No not one for us…. There is plenty of parking below if you had wanted to stay the night, no facilities, but it was flat.

From there we continued up through Montrejeau and turned left back now across through St Laurent de Neste and La Barthe de Neste, this road had some fantastic views as you drove around, really excellent from up on an escarpment, - really enjoyed them. We then carried on across to Bagneres de Bigorre where we stopped the night by the pompieurs (fire station) – large area with a free borne, which was very busy that night – about 18 vans in total. It wasn’t a particularly quiet place as it was also the equivalent of the Highways Department and refuse lorries were coming and going, and not that quiet, but it wasn’t too bad, and didn’t actually disturb me, but it did Duncan.

We left there and drove to Lourdes, where we parked at L’Eclerc (supermarket) on an aire, and walked about 1.5miles into the city, and before you ask, no we didn’t visit the place of Bernadette’s vision – we were supposed to spend a day looking at the shops, but by the time we had walked down into the town (not a bad walk at all ) but very dirty, my feet in open crocs were filthy when we got back - the shops were of course closing (Duncan’s timing is perfect). We had lunch and a wander around, found Les Halles (the market) also all closing, but did get a chance to look around, and then we walked back again. Did some shopping and drove off as we had decided to go across to the other side of the Pyrenees and go on the little red train that is the highest in Europe….. and it leaves from Artouste-Fabreges. (Thank you to those MHF members who suggested it – it was brilliant) 


So we ended up spending the night in a place called Arudy, which was by the side of a river and near the pompieurs…. And it was a very quiet night, very peaceful, no noise. 5 camping cars only there, and the one near to us was a fisherman, and he put his waders on both around 7pm and again around 9am and off he went, we didn’t know if he caught anything. I went down to the river to take a photo of him, but couldn’t find him, so goodness knows where he went. We met an English couple on a motorbike there, returning from Spain, and they had driven in the rain all day, and were stopping in a tiny tent…. Not for me…. I am too soft.

We drove down through Laruns and to Artouste and onto the Lake where there is another aire, and we parked up, had our lunch. We then donned winter coats, trousers and shoes, as it had now dropped to 12deg, and was cold….. (it got down to 9deg today) We had to catch a telecabin to get to the station – so we left on that as 1250m (remember Duncan hates these things) and we went up, it took about 10 mins to get up there. We got the train at 1400 which takes 50 mins along the mountains and climbs from around 1875 to 1914 – although at one point it is 2000m as there are three stops for passing trains…. And one has the height on it. It is an open train and it rattles around literally the side of the mountain on this little narrow track, some of the drops are sheer, and we saw marmots along the way and I will try to add some,
We really enjoyed that trip, Duncan did not really like coming down in the cable car back to the van, as it is rather a steep descent…but he managed it. We left then and have driven back to Laruns and are parked up on yet another aire, which is in the town, and there were 25 camping cars here at 1900, and we have heard about 5 or 6 more come in, just shows how many are out and about in this region alone.

A lovely day, albeit colder than we have been used to, and we are going to cross that Col we missed out, the Col de Aubisque which runs from Laruns, and goes back across to the Col de Souler, remember that one last week, where a British couple said it wasn’t advisable to do it, well we checked in the tourist office and she said it is fine, but it is best done going in this direction in the afternoon, so we plan a walk around Laruns before leaving here

Xx



Thursday 17th 1600

Well no net connection here. We had a good night in Laruns, it was very quiet, we had been for a walk around the town, and went into the tourist information office again to check what time we could go over the pass, she was confused herself, but it was that we should not leave until 1300 going from Laruns…. And before 1230 if you go towards Laruns, but should anyone be contemplating it in the future, it would be better to drive from Laruns, as you are on the inside of the road, and it is very very narrow in some places, but with your normal careful driving it is fine, it took us in all the best part of an hour from Laruns to Arrens-Marsous, where we have stopped again…we were here earlier, when that English couple told us it was not recommended going over the col in a camping car, twaddle, as there were lots making the trip, we were not alone, and followed a Dutch Hymer – well followed in about 500 yards or more behind. It is a fantastic trip, and again, we have been lucky with the weather, as the clouds have come down again, we went through 2 rock tunnels, but they did not even cause us any worry about height or anything, which was what that couple had suggested, I think someone must have been pulling their legs…. Well worth the trip – and we also collected from the tourist office a lovely leaflet about the Col, from the Atlantic to the Med – and I will keep these, and should anyone be planning a trip, they are welcome to them when we get back…. Do just let me know.

This is a lovely quiet aire, and we are facing the mountains, which is how I know the clouds have come down…as I took a picture when we arrived here just after 2pm…. And the top range have disappeared.

I will try to send this later, if possible, but don’t hold your breath, it will 


PART 6

Sunday 20th September – in the rain

Well that says it all, we managed to see a bit of the Great North Run in the sun in Newcastle whilst we sit here in the rain….ah well seeing the BBC news weather forecast has cheered us up, we missed seeing tomorrows, but saw Tuesday to Thursday and it showed the depression and rain lifted from down here, so that at least looks promising…. So we will continue onwards.


We got to Arreau and spent the night there again, only this time someone came to collect €2 for the night….odd, it did say there was a charge of €2 on the parking sign, but no one collected it last time… tis aire is difficult to dump grey water, except with a bucket – so be warned….

We went for a wander around again, and the village was having an event – it was basically local craftspersons, from woodworkers, to blacksmiths, to weavers and they were all part of a special group of people, it was very good, one older gentleman, was a restorer of ancient guns, from the wooden handles with sculpting on them, to the fine mechanisms, his work was really good, and there was another who was a knife maker, with handles in wood, and horn…. Some really beautiful pieces, but at very high prices for specialised work of course.

A nice little wander none the less. This time the aire was packed as well with around 11 camping cars, (says parking for 8) but they don’t seem to mind…

We left and continued on the route we had already done, as far as Bagneres de Luchon, where we again filled up with diesel (still not paying over €0.999 a litre, and then took this route des cols from the tourist leaflet we had picked up. We were then off on white roads, winding really winding, up and down, and they varied so much from barren rocks to treed valleys, we really enjoyed all that. We even found ourselves in Spain, mind you you weren’t really aware of any border at all, and we went in and out yesterday. What was more noticeable was that France was dead on a Saturday afternoon, but Spain was very busy with lots of people out and about, eating with families in restaurants on the pavements – so different. Diesel was slightly cheaper there, at €0.945 a litre, so not a lot of difference, but we only saw the one garage with a price up 

We then started this other tour we plan on doing, having picked it up from the cols, and it brought us to a place called Bonac Irazein…. It is a lovely spot, alongside a lake, and we even have electricity, which is just as well without any sun to charge our batteries up. We have stopped for two days, and it is €5 a night and €6 a night in High summer of 15th July – 20 August…. There were three of us last night, one left this morning, but another arrived before lunch today. You pay at the bar/restaurant in the village.



So one to add to your list if you are keeping one of good aires…. Very peaceful and quiet, it is lit at night, has picnic tables and great view of the lake.

Tuesday

Well what a shame things didn’t stay like it was when we arrived….


After hooking up it started to rain, and didn’t stop and was still raining when we left on Monday morning….what a shame but hey, it will be one to add to the list for another day.

We decided to start our second tour of the Pyrenees, having spent the weekend in Bonac Irazein,(This was another from the Camping Escapades - We started the tour, which was a little further east, by following on the Route des Cols, and at midday we found ourselves in thick cloud and we still couldn't see a thing, so decided, to just give up and get to Narbonne and hope things improved. – Not much point if you can’t see anything is it?

It did, and we have been here since then We took a fairly direct route on the D117 and then veered diagonally up across to Narbonne (Duncan’s idea) but it proved to be a slow very twisty route and I think it had proved to be too much really, so we drove here, (Narbonne town) and as we sort of got here it was full of vans, bearing in mind last year at this time, it was only about 6 to 8 motorhomes here…. We lifted the barrier as there was no one in charge to take any money, and parked ourselves in a corner, about the last place left, and managed luckily too to get a share of electric with an Irish RV who was sharing already with a French van. The weather had looked better as we got closer, but a storm came in that night and we lost satellite and it was very heavy, but today it has been nice, temps around 27/28 but luckily a nice breeze to keep it manageable. We caught the free bus down into town this morning, and went around the market, and got back for lunch. This afternoon we took our backpacks and little wheelie and went across the road to the Carrefour to do some food shopping, as we had only done bits and pieces for the last few weeks, so we have topped up and tomorrow we plan to drive down to Narbonne Plage and spend a week there if possible.

What has been noticeable here, is that apparently there is some in-fighting between two local councils about this site, and so it is free for the moment, hence the reason it is full – even the motorhome next to us, we believe is a local, who has just parked it here, no one in it, and the alarm keeps going off – but has at least stopped for now, perhaps it has flattened the batteries, but what is even more amazing is that there is a large 24ft caravan parked here as well….. there is talk of putting in an automated system with payment by credit card – but we shall see what happens….



PART 7

Friday 25th Sept 1025 

Anyway, we are now parked on Narobonne Plaza on the beach, after spending a couple of days in Narbonne town, We have paid for 3 days, initially and will see how it goes. 

Here it is €7 a night, no electrics, but water included. There are WC’s here – but we don’t use them but many do. We like this aire at this time of year, as it is one of the very few where you feel on holiday, put out your tables and chairs, awning etc., and can relax, aires in general do not allow this, you can park and that it is…. When travelling around we find that fine, but for a relaxing for a few days these odd ones are a definite bonus. The beach here is miles of sand in either direction, and many walk along the beach, or cycle along the road into the little village to get any supplies…. We did pop in on our way here as we had some postcards to send, and I had been carrying them in my bag and had forgotten to post them….. oops… for 3 days… never mind, if you do have your postal strike you might be lucky to get them before we return….


As we have been relaxing, there isn’t really anything to report except the weather has definitely improved, blue skies and sunshine all day, but yesterday and so far today we do have a fairly strong.
PART 8

Friday 9 October

The Irish couple we had met in the town, followed us down to the beach, (this was their first trip to Europe and they didn’t know about the aires at all, the parking in Narbonne town they found by accident. I put the aires onto their Garmin gps for them, and showed them how to get to them, (I was to do this for several others during the trip… many don’t know how to do it). Whilst on the beach, a couple of evenings, they got out their accordion and guitar and we had a brilliant sing along – people came out from the motorhomes, all nationalities and were dancing and clapping – and a few came up to them and thanked them, and said it had been the best nights of their holidays…. Really brilliant. (More people I have told to join MHF)

We left Narbonne Plage after two weeks there, it was a lovely relaxing break for us but the weather had started to change, so we thought it time to move on. Yesterday, after rain that night, we drove into Narbonne, topped up with fuel and food and were going to stop at the aire in the town, but then noticed it had a circus opposite, so it would not be quiet, so decided to move on to the start of the tour we had planned. This took us along to Beziers and then northwards to a place called Lunas. We stopped there for the night(free water included), and it was alongside a lake which was closed, but it was a quiet night and we then got a thunder and lightening show and it was right above us, the thunder was very loud, and it started about 10pm, as I had been watching Corro and missed the last 5 mins of it, but we knew it was coming as the lightening was great to watch for the previous 30 mins or so.

So we battened down the hatches and went off to bed, it was very humid and had been around 85-87% for days, even the baguettes went limp in about an hour straight from the oven, very chewy then…shame – but they do need rain here.

We left there next morning and took the road to Lodeve where we stopped for a baguette for lunch where Duncan was stopped by an American asking about our dome on the roof…. That has happened a few times, so we then explain it is our satellite. You rarely seem to see them over here, except on British motorhomes.

We carried on down the A75 to Clermont L’Herault and around to the Lac de Salagou where we stopped a few times on the lakeside, we then drove to the Cirque de Moureze which is a geological labyrinth of rocks and about 3km around to walk, we didn’t but you could see it anyway, it was weird…. We stopped there for lunch and then drove back across country to Gignac and then Aniane where we turned off up the D27 and D4 up through the valley of L’Herault which took us over the Pont du Diablo – which is a weird gorge with bridges and a lake,(there is an aire here but you have to pay to get through a barrier to access it) we didn’t need anything, so didn’t – shame they couldn’t have put it outside the barrier though) strange place, but it then climbed up through the hills/mountains really really twisting back and forth continually for about 5km with no straight bit and when you got to the top, it was straight as a dye for a good few kms before you twisted down the other side to Ganges, and then onto Hippolyte-du-Fort and now on the D999 we have stopped the night at Sauve, which is a medieval village which we hoped to go and view. 

We got here about 1630 and had a look and then made a cuppa, just as we got back into the motorhome, the heavens opened again, but it feels a lot better I must say for that.



PART 9

Sunday 11 October – Anduze (30)

Well I just realised I didn’t tell you where ‘here’ was last time we stopped. Well it was a a village called Sauve – not quite suave I must say, medieval but charming in the old French way of dilapidated….we also met another Amercian lady who was considering renting there for 8 months with her daughter, she was interesting to talk too, and we wonder if she decided to stop, her daughter had been to the school and liked it a lot…so I expect she did.

We left in the morning, and headed back towards Hippolyte-du-Fort – some 8 miles back down the road, and I knew trying to find the little white road out of there was not going to be easy….it never is… but this proved even worse than usual, and we were in the little tiny roads, and had to do a left turn in the centre, and Duncan didn’t think we would get around – but they even had steel posts in the road at the edge of the pavement there – but we did make it – just – and then still had to find the correct road, never signposted, so without a gps you would never find it – but finally we did, and said goodbye to Hippolyte-du-Fort which had had a Super-U marche but the height of the roof meant we couldn’t fill up there, as it was 3.2m and we are 3.24 with our dome, but we weren’t desperate for any as we were still half full.

The road we had wanted – the D133 took us up through the mountains towards Anduze, and through the small village of Monoblet, which was even worse, though a lot smaller, as the turning to our left we could not get around, so had to carry on and try to find somewhere to turn, but obviously they don’t get many camping cars going through there, as they were sitting outside a restaurant and all waved their glasses to us….. and again when we returned, and managed to turn at the appropriate road – sorry it isn’t a road, but a very narrow lane, and we did wonder if we were going to be able to continue, we did and it got a tiny bit wider, but we kept our fingers crossed that the cars weren’t coming our way…. And the two we met we luckily met them in places where either they or we could pull right over to one side and allow passing…. Lucky or what? There had been a signpost to Monoblet at a bend and we had stayed on the D133, with hindsight it would have been better to follow that road, as it would have brought you in in the right direction to make the turning, we had missed – oh well – we managed…. And arrived in Anduze without any further mishaps.

We arrived here just before lunch and came and parked by the riverside, the borne and parking is by the Gare, but last year when we had been here the car park was taken up with a circus/fair and we were directed to the riverside, which is far nicer, and so we went there this time. The sun has been out and shining, and is out again now, everyone seems to be on their way to church, and the church bell was ringing continuously from 0930 and has just stopped, not good if you want a lay-in here on a Sunday morning. (This was the place last year we had been blocked in and we were mindful of that, so got out as soon as the opportunity allowed us this time).

We were inn Anduze last year when there was a huge market on for two days and we had got stuck in this car park, and we have also been to Florac a few years ago – that bell has started again, couldn’t live with this, it chimes the hour and the half hours and then 5 mins after the hour, it chimes again….. it was still chiming at 0100 this morning, but I went to sleep and didn’t then hear it, so not sure if it stopped or not.

I managed to get my hair cut here as I was really fed up with it, it had been over 9 weeks since it was last cut at the end of July in Weymouth, and now it is short again…. Great – was pleased with it – felt like a real old granny with a flat hair.

11th – 8pm

We moved on at 1230 as we were able to get out of the parking space finally, and have stopped the night and tomorrow at Florac at the end of the Jonty Gorge….more later 

13th

Well you were spared anything yesterday, as it was very cold – temp down to 10deg yesterday morning and cloudy, and where we were parked, meant we got little sun on our solars and the laptop battery was flat, so I didn’t charge it, we only got to 95% - and it was a cold day, out came the trousers and long sleeve tops again, and we even went to bed with our socks on again….. we were cold….it has never been this cold in France in the last six years at this time, sad…. But at least this year we did bring some winter clothes with us.

We had gone for a walk around the town again during the day and bought some provisions, but didn’t move in the afternoon.

We left this morning on our tour and it was 10deg again this morning, so we are finishing this tour, which takes us back down to Lodeve and we will then have completed this one. It has been a super tour, the scenery has been beautiful, the Jonty Gorge was lovely, even though we had done it before – but in the opposite direction, and we have carried on taking a round about route and then down through Le Vigan and have stopped tonight at a picnic spot at Montdardier as there are no aires in this area at all, at least not close to our route. This is quite a nice spot, it is just before the village on the D48 where there is a large diversion anyway – as they are doing some major works through the main street, and so we have a small village road to take in the morning around the back roads…. But Duncan has been and walked it to make sure we could take it, as we weren’t sure. There are toilets and water here as well, and a small lake and picnic tables, not that we will be eating outside here tonight, as we are high up around 800m in the mountains and it is getting colder again.

We passed through Lodeve, got some more food and probably either stop again at Lunas. This is not the original tours we planned, but it keeps us further south and hopefully warmer, as the others were travelling north, and we want to keep the sun for as long as possible.

More later, again no internet in Montardidier or in Florac…….


14th parked on the aire at Lunas

Well today didn’t go quite to plan, not our fault – but due to deviations – we seem to be plagued with them this trip – and more were to come.

We took the narrow deviation at Montdardier this morning and carried on on our route, it was only around the actual village, but the roads up were a bit tight and narrow but were on traffic lights. We went on green, only to meet in the narrow bend a car who couldn’t wait, so he had to back and we carried on, sometimes you do despair of people…

The route was lovely, a high plateau and then climbing up and down with u-bends around yet another gorge, and down into a town, where we met the dreaded deviation sign again, only this time, the village didn’t have a deviation and there was no easy route, except really back up to Ganges and down another road the D999 and D986 and then onto the D25 I think it was, down to Ainane and Gignac, names we had passed on the way north, but fortunately we managed a different road down and so it wasn’t too bad. We stopped just after leaving Gignac for lunch and then got onto the autoroute to A750 and A75 and off at Lodeve, where as planned we shopped and then carried on to this the aire at Lunas again. 

The plan is was then to take a green route up towards Albi where we plan another tour, still keeping us south until we do have to go north, keeping us hopefully in the warmer sunnier weather for longer.

It is around 20/21 today, with a strong breeze – well a strong gusty breeze which is quite odd, and as I sit and type this, I find it quite warm in here.

net access in Lunas.


PART 10

Friday 16th – Narbonne Town

We arrived in Albi and parked on the aire just below the Cathedral and it pays to get there at lunch time if you want to park…. And we were so lucky, as we had decided to drive from Lunas where we had stopped, due to a very long diversion – instead of driving to Albi and thought it might be best to get through the city at lunch time as it is a little quieter and have our lunch there – rather late for me, but I coped OK.

They have a Cathedral there, made entirely of brick which is apparently the largest brick built one in the world, it does look strange, it has a stone entrance to it, which was 14th century and was extremely ornate, and the whole interior of the cathedral is painted, not gaudy as so many of the Catholic churches can be, but a lot of geometric shapes, but all walls, ceilings were covered – it wasn’t to my taste at all, but it was definitely different and interesting.

We took the opportunity to go on the tourist train,(€6 each) which unusually for this time of year was still running, and it took us around the city and was worth doing as we would never have covered it all, and there were only four of us on it at 3pm, wheras on the 2pm train it had been full of children (a school party)…. And today we saw several other school parties, going into the cathedral and the Toulouse Latrec museum – we didn’t bother with the latter. There was another church there, which was built of stone with a brick tower, looked most odd, and still had some of the cloisters from 1270 century, but a lot of those were destroyed in the French Revolution.

We went to the Marche this morning which we were surprised at how quiet it was, in comparison to the Narbonne Marche….. and it had been renovated in 2007 and looks like perhaps the costs for a space were high as there were a lot of empty ones, we were disappointed.

This morning it was really cold again, temperatures were down to 7deg in the motorhome when we got up, and having used the heater to get it warm again, made us think about going south again, instead of doing the tour. We spoke to the tourist office and she said the weather was unseasonably cold, it had been in the 20’s only a few days ago, but they didn’t know when this snap would finish…..

We phoned Noel & Wendy, (friends living in Lot that we had visited on our way down) to find out if it was any better up there, Wendy said it had been -1 in the garden there this morning, and they were expecting rain on Wednesday…. So south it was.

We drove back down to Narbonne town, as we can stop here for free and have electric hook up as well, and can go into the town by the free bus. There is also a small motorshow opposite on the Parc des Expositions – and we did go to that.

It looks like we may leave here on Wednesday to make the long journey north…- plans changed again – very fluid aren’t they…..

24th Oct

Not quite the next few days, but signals have been a problem.

What did we do?… not a lot I suppose, the weather stayed nice until 19th when the forecast was for heavy rains and possible flooding, so we decided to move a day earlier and head north to try to avoid the worst of it.

In part we succeeded. We left on the 20th and drove north but then hit a deviation- yes yet another one – this time on the main road, which instead of a relatively straight line north, it was a zig zag, but not too bad, we went in the end via Castres and up and our aim was Souilliac aire in the Lot for the night, we made that without too much trouble, just a bit longer than we had planned, and we there about 1600…. No rain, and the next section was to be autoroute the A20 up from Brive to Vierzon and fortunately another aire is only about 5km west at the end of the free section, but this ended up being in the rain all the way, I was going to drive it, but in the end it was very heavy so I opted to navigate…. Not a difficult job up there anyway, but it was not a pleasant drive and I am glad I didn’t do it.

We stopped there that night, having arrived about 1630 and paid our €5 for the night, nice little aire but very noisy, 7 places, including electrics, it has one down side though the parking which is in a circle is all on red sort of very fine grit, which in the rain is a nightmare, and gets everywhere, when leaving I put two plastic bags over my shoes, as it was so bad….it worked too – clever thinking – as I don’t carry welly boots which is what was needed there.

We left there and then were driving up to Forges Les Eaux, where we chose a cross country route from the main N20 – but that was - with hingsight the worst thing we could do, as again we first hit a long roadworks, which held us up for 20 mins, on the N12 from Dreux to Evreux and then going across on D roads, we hit deviations, which added another 15km to the trip, so a longer haul than we had thought, but this was a recommended aire, as plenty of spaces, nice town and electrics too….all a bonus this time of year and in this weather… but… it was not to be, we found it, but the aire was supposed to have closed on 31st October, (campingcar-infos – Mairies comment) but for some reason it closed on 15th and they switched off all services, water the lot – we were ok as we were full, but some arrived without water, which was difficult, it rained again, so not so good on that front. We sat with the map and decided that we wouldn’t stop the 3 days we had planned, and would only stay the night, and so we moved off and drove to Le Treport on the coast, above Dieppe, which is full here too – this aire is just at the entrance to the town, and it was a nice day yesterday when we arrived, and we walked the 1km to the seafront and wandered around the historic town, it was a pleasant walk, and we are here for the weekend, with now a planned leave here on Monday morning, a drive up to Calais, do our shopping and then park up at Eurotunnel for the night and catch the train in the morning…. And then the long drive home.

It rained in the night, but this aire is at least nicely tarmacced, and is relatively puddle free, and the forecast was for sun later, so I walked up the town to try to buy a Daily Telegraph (they had had a Friday one) but it was not to be, so it was a brisk walk, and Duncan stayed and washed the van with water, saying it needs soap too, but it will have to do for now, must admit it looked better anyway.

So that was our holiday virtually over, it was nice, relaxing, which after the earlier part of the year we needed, and we have had some nice sunny weather, a few days too hot for me, but in the main really good days. We have enjoyed it, we liked the Pyrenees and would go back again in a few years time. Next year, if we can afford to come again, we hope to perhaps go back to the Alps again, before heading south to the coast for the sun.


*NOTE RE DONGLE

As I had reported last year I bought an Auchan dongle with the idea to buy another sim card this year, only trouble was that was not possible this time. I had to buy a new one, exactly the same, with a new sim card, but it was the price of the sim last year at €29.90 – so I couldn’t really complain – dongle therefore free….

I bought a €25 top up and off we went, I added another €40 over the 2 months – making it not a cheap option, but until something better comes along, I will stick with it. You top up online, and unfortunately even though I have an unlocked 3 dongle, and an 02 one, the Auchan sims do not work with them, as they use proprietary software…. But hopefully someone with more knowledge will enlighten me in the future.


HIGHLIGHTS(in no particular order)
Pyrenees mountains
Train at Artouste Faberges
Pic de Midi
Meeting many British motorhomers
Relaxing on beach in the sun








I am sorry the pictures didn't come over, but I will try to add them afterwards, perhaps someone can tell me how to format it after doing a cut and paste from word that had all the formatting.... as trying to do it now, only sticks the symbols at the bottom...

Carol - sorry it is so long - but you didn't have to read it all

Edited 26 August, never put the photos up due to the fact that I have used all my space...maybe I should sign Duncan up - would he get a photo allowance too? ;-)


----------



## Jenny63

*Re: My account of our holiday in France this year - pics lat*



carol said:


> FRANCE 2009 - SEPT 1ST - OCT 27TH
> 
> This is my account which was sent home to family and friends of our trip this year to France. This year has been hectic, as we put our house on the market and it was sold for the asking price within 13 days, the rush then was to find ourselves somewhere to live. This proved harder than we thought and after having a price accepted on one new place, at exchange of contracts 10 days before completion we discovered all was not well, so a very frantic few days was needed to find another, and we did, and moved on July 7th to Yeoford near Crediton - still in Devon, but this time Mid-Devon.
> 
> Due to the above we didn't get to use the motorhome much so we were away for a rest as much as anything else, 5 weeks roughly after moving in….
> 
> We had used our Tesco vouchers to buy a Eurotunnel ticket, original cost was £148, cost was £40 of vouchers and £8 cash…. Not bad and our first experience of the tunnel - and hopefully not our last.
> 
> We got away about 0845 and left via Cheriton Bishop without any problems going to Folkestone. In fact the M25 seemed very quiet to us, except the other carriageway did have hold-ups around the J8-9 so glad we weren't coming home.
> 
> We made such good time, that we ended up getting a train 2 hours earlier and arrived over in France and had done our shopping before we should have even arrived, and the crossing was very good and easy, we would definitely do that again, no waiting around to board at all.
> 
> We spent the night on the place we had stopped at on our very first time in France in 2004 .It is by the Marina and Holiday Inn. I had tried this again but they had had some sort of fair or something going on, and it was at that time that they opened the aire by the docks for €7 a night, where we had stopped ever since, but this time, as we drove along, we noticed it must have had around 50/60 motorhomes parked, so hey, let's join them. So we did, as did many more that night, and yet the other aire was still there, so we wonder if it is a change of heart…. We shall see upon our return.
> 
> Next day, saw us back in Auchan to buy another sim card for my dongle* (see note at end re dongles), and then we started our journey south, via Rouen and tonight we are stopped in a pretty little village on a very quiet aire, in Broglie - with individual parking areas and room for chairs and a bbq if the weather permitted. It is on an old railway station, that has been converted to the local library and there is a loo, cost €5 a night, which was collected about 1900 - and three arrived after that, so I wonder if they will get away without paying - it seems to be a French thing, arrive late and leave early, then don't pay.
> 
> We went for a walk in the town, and through a lovely garden alongside the river, a place to return to if we need to, and pleasant for a few days stop, there are cycle rides from here as well.
> 
> Tomorrow we head further south, towards Tours, and possibly further south between there and Poitiers we shall see where we end up.
> 
> The weather has given a few little showers but nothing much and has been warm, no jackets or cardigans needed, temps have so far been around 22/23…. So nice.
> 
> 5th September
> 
> We left Broglie and headed on our journey south towards Pau - where we are going to start a tour of the High Pyrennees.
> 
> Duncan drove as usual and we made it down to an aire at Sainte Maure de Touraine, which was south of Tours (about 15km south) another place in an historic area of the village, it was very pleasant, and free water etc., Good boulanger less than 5 mins walk as well. We did manage to get a nasty stone on the windscreen, just right of the mirror, which doesn't look good, which when we return we hope to get repaired. The landscape was fairly flat all the way with very large fields, unlike ours with hedges and trees, you get large skies and field after field of sunflowers, now mainly gone over, and maize growing, but just lots of it
> 
> We left again the next morning stopping at Vivonne - another very pretty aire for lunch, this was really by accident, but a good parking area with lots of flowers by the Tourist Office. Good place for a longer stop as well I reckon. Free again, except €2 for water. This was south of Poitiers on the N10.
> 
> On down around Angouleme and to Perigueux where we are for a few days. We were lucky when we arrived to find a parking place right close to the entrance where the dump/water facilities are under the arch. It is very busy here with around 30 motorhomes at the moment, we are the only English motorhome, mostly French with a couple of Germans and a couple of Netherlands….. where are all the Brits….
> 
> Today we had another little problem, the water pump is playing up - it is vibrating - we have had a good look at it, it is a Shurflo - and there appears to be nothing wrong, water is coming out, it is not loose and it seems only to sort of vibrate when you run the cold water. We have purged it with both the hot and the cold water, in case we had an air lock, but to no joy. So tomorrow, we thought we would have a longer try with it, and if all else fails, I have located a Rapido dealer on the Bordeaux road just outside of Perigueux where we will head on Monday before tracking back and going south to Pau. Really odd, it has worked perfectly until now, no sign of trouble or anything…. Never mind, these things happen. Never mind - guess what a quick post on MHF and within an hour or so, several options, some we had tried, others Duncan did and we had no further problems with it….cantankerous just like me sometimes ;-) Good old MHF, you can always rely on it when you need it and thanks to those that replied.
> 
> The sun is shining, and it has continued to be warm since we left the UK, the clouds were around on our journey down, and we did get a very very small shower, but that has been all. So far so good.
> 
> We walked up into the town this morning, and it was market day, and have bought some of their cold meats and fruits and salad for the next few days. We are just going back up this afternoon to have a look around the shops this time.
> 
> Sunday 6th Sept 2120
> 
> Hi again, we are still in Perigueux and have had a lovely sunny quiet day. It is around 13/15deg in the mornings, but warms up nicely to around 24/26 during the day. No clouds today until about 2000.
> 
> The day started with me doing the washing, and it all dried, and got hand ironed, we went to buy a baguette and were amazed to see a lot of stalls around the market, selling much the same as yesterday, lots of flowers today though, and we had a wander. We met two British couples today, firstly some new motorhomers, called Antoinette and Hugh who were interested in lots of how to do this or that from us, and also to see if she would drive a low profile as opposed to their 10 year old Hymer A Class, she found the low profile better and said she would drive it, the huge open expanse of the A class worried her. After lunch we met another couple who have a home in Highcliffe (Bournemouth area) and are renovating a town house for themselves in Brantome, just up the road, we passed it but were taken on the ring road, but they have suggested we do go there and have a look around, it has a lovely abbey and an aire as well, and we should look them up if they are there. Very nice, their names were Jacky and Micky Varney…
> 
> Lots of comings and goings on the aire, and we have sat in our chairs at the back of the motorhome, watching the river go by with the ducks on it. Really pleasant day.
> 
> We did spend the early part of the afternoon, sorting out the water pump. Duncan tried all things, and thinks blowing back down the input line has freed the airlock we had, and all is working well now. Thank goodness, so now we will not bother with the Rapido dealers tomorrow.
> 
> I was looking at our map, and we realised we are driving not from a friend from Middle East days so we are hoping to call in on our way south tomorrow, but at present I haven't found his phone number and address, even though his daughter did give it me, and I did add it to my address book on the main computer, but it has not synced with my flipping phone….so I have sent both our daughter and her a text in the hope that they will get back to me, (our daughter because I am not sure that the phone number I had for Trina was correct still).
> 
> PART 3
> 
> Thursday 10th
> We did manage to call in on our friend in the Lot and it was nice to see him, it is some 20 years since we last did, unfortunately he hasn't changed that much, he always did look like a boy, most annoying….
> 
> We left him and spent the night a Biron aire by the Chateau and it was quiet. We set off then to drive south and stopped the following night at Tarbes - having decided we didn't need to go to Pau for the tour, it started in Tarbes…. So here we were, and was it flipping hot. What made it even worse was that everyway the gps sent us took us under a railway line with a height of just 3m, and this started to become very annoying as the last time we ended up in a one-way road, and there were no signs before to warn you….urg…..tempers do get frayed on a hot day.
> 
> The aire was nice, it was on an ambulance station and well set out but the temperature was still in the high 20's at midnight, having been 34 when we arrived, and Duncan ended up sitting outside until just after midnight…. Warmth we wanted, but not that sort of warmth….
> 
> On the tour, which was through the High Pyrenees and basically taking the tour de france route over the cols….
> 
> I will recommend to anyone who doesn't know where to go in France, a book called CAMPING ESCAPADES IN A CAMPING CAR BY Michellin - it is available in book shops and presse in France, but not easily found. We bought the 2008 edition last year and it was blue - the 2009 edition The reason it is good is that it provides a small map of the route, varying between 3 and 7 days long, with an English foreward to how the book works, and it provides info on things to see on each day on the route and suggested stopping places, which include aires and campsites on the route. Also it is for camping cars, not cars…. So the very small roads are avoided. The one we saw this year was yellow, but I could see no differences in the two editions. There is also another one we found this year, again by Michellin, which is 100 ESCAPES IN A CAMPING CAR IN EUROPE - so this may have wider appeal - and they cost around €15/16 each.
> 
> Anyway, following one of the tours about for the High Pyrenees, we spent a lovely evening at Arrens-Marsous on an aire which looks out to the mountains. It was very calm and quiet and relatively cool, so sleeping was no problem, temperature this morning was 16 when we got up, so it was fine.
> 
> We did our household bits, bought baguettes in the Shoppi which is about 100yards from the aire on the main road, which was open, not sure why it had had a sign closed for 2 days on it the day before, but hey, everyone is entitled to a few days off. Duncan had walked into Arrens, around 0.7k and bought some yesterday evening for us.
> 
> We drove on our tour, back towards Argeles Gazost where we then took the D road down to Cauterets, stopped had a look around, there is an aire there, where it was obviously very very busy, it is just on the edge of the town, so all facilities were there and it was a pay one with electricity for €8 a night - getting slightly cheaper if you stayed 7 nights for €47 - they were doing a busy trade, there were some hook-ups, thought not sure if everyone manages to get one. It is surrounded by mountains, but we carried on, and stopped at another of the aires for a look as we passed, this was called Pierrefitte-Nestalas - and was a free aire, only about 10 places, and again it was on the edge of a smaller nicer looking village - again busy, some of the spots for parking were small though, we wouldn't have got on them. Some shade and a few picnic tables there, only one free space when we passed and that would have been too small for us at 7.39m.
> 
> On we went back down to Gavernie, where we had stopped en route for lunch - and it was getting very warm, creeping up to 30deg again…. So we managed to find a lay-by in the shade of the mountain - which made it pleasant. Gavernie is again another bustling village, and the tourist office is just in the centre, where you turn to go to the parking for the aire, this is in 3 bits really, parking down there by the town itself, but 2 other bits are 1k up the mountainside, which was a very nice drive and a better place to stop - there is a lovely babbling brook here and the sound is delightful, but we are at the end of the road surrounded by mountains wherever we look. Here it is €5 for 24 hours, from mid July to mid Sept - and there are quite a lot of us around here….maybe 50 I suppose scattered - lovely, nice place to come to, the facilities for dumping etc are up at the top. This is a good skiing area I am informed. There is a walk here, which we were going to do when we returned, but for some reason we didn't - the Cirque de Gavernie - maybe another time.
> 
> Surprisingly I did manage to get a signal with Auchan and send off my emails and receive them, so that was a bonus, as surrounded by mountains, I didn't think I would.
> The scenery is stunning here, you drive through the valleys with mountain views wherever you look and I love it.
> 
> below are
> 
> Fig 1 Pierrefitte-Nastalas Aire Fig 2 - Gavernie Aire
> 
> Friday 11th 2010
> Well we have had an up and down day today - why you ask? Well we have been up and down the Cols all day, and some had such brilliant views it is a place you should all come and see. We left Gavarnie this morning, after driving down into the town, hoping to get some food, but found no shops but did manage a baguette for lunch. It is very much a tourist spot with what I associate as tourist tat for sale, and few real shops, how people manage in winter is a wonder.
> 
> As this is an out and back place, like Cauterets yesterday, we retraced our steps through Gedre to Luz St Savour (something like that) where the lady in the tourist office said we should find food. We did, just as Carrefour and everything else shut its doors for the day….. well 2 hour lunch anyway…so off we drove, following the highest road through the Pyrenees - over the Col de Tourmalet - which goes to 2115m - and we stopped for the obligatory photographs, and then drove down to La Mongie, which is the resort for the skiers - by the way, for those that don't know, this is the route the Tour de France takes, and we passed so many of them going up and down, not one was walking, ascents were generally 7 - 8% all the way, there are signs on the side of the road, telling them, what it is for the next km…. and how many more to the summit. We stopped there for lunch, a bit uneven but hey it is near the top of a mountain. What happened next has made us laugh all day. A small campervan hightop parked next to us, and they were a young couple, he got out, donned up in his cycling gear, took a bike out of the back, went down the road, and his wife was seen taking photos of him riding up to the summit - he then got in the car and drove off….. wonder who they will fool with those photos later. We saw several men finishing at the Col, to be met by their partners, many were white haired and in their 60's and 70's - fit is all I can say and mad….but whatever turns you on….
> 
> From there we dropped down to La Mongie, where we parked up, as I wanted to go to the highest point in the Pyrenees, the Pic de Midi - which is a lot of things, and only reached by telecharger (cable car) and at a cost of €30….. Duncan hates heights, so didn't want to come, and chose to wait down in the car park. It was absolutely brilliant, clear sky, with a few clouds around, this has a huge TV mast on the top, is a radio station, met office climate etc., etc., you name it - it does it. Oh yes it is an observatory for the stars as well - good place for it I would think.
> 
> The views are stupendous and it was a shame I couldn't get Duncan up to see it all, so as he was waiting below, I didn't hang around, but it is definitely well worth the visit. The ride up to it in the cable car is something else as well, because you can't seem to work out where it will go, really strange, but fantastic, do it, save your pennies, as this must be one of the most expensive attractions in France.
> We carried on, over the Col de Aspin and the Col de something else and have ended up in Arreau for the night. This is another aire in a village, and we will explore that tomorrow. What is strange is there are at the moment only 6 motorhomes parked here - 3 of which are British…. So many in one place, yet we see so few English anywhere…. One couple are just starting (3 weeks into) a year full-timing, she has taken a year's sabbatical from teaching deaf children, I am unsure what he did, although with his tatoo's I tend to think he must have been in the services at some time.
> 
> So today has been a lovely day, lovely weather, lovely scenery and we are continuing the tour tomorrow. If this will go tonight, you may be lucky, if not I will continue it, not sure if there is a signal or not at the moment. The other couple were a retired Policeman and his wife, we were to bump into about three more times on our holiday, Steve and Helen (or Heather) (I am awful with names). He knew of Dougie…
> 
> PART 4
> 
> Saturday 12th
> 
> Well this has been another of those days….. it started with a lovely morning, going down to a very pretty village, buying most of our shopping, returning, and then just before we left and removed our levellers - Duncan noticed we had a flat tyre, well not completely flat, it is supposed to be at 65psi and was showing only 30psi….. so out came the compressor, which takes an awful long time to pump a tyre up that much…. But it was done, and off we set again on this little tour, this problem did not recur and we have put it down to a faulty ultraseal cap thing on the wheel, (we had one last year and upon our return I contacted them, and they sent replacements), so we have been checking them regularly.
> 
> We realised there were two possible aires to stop tonight, one was at Loudenville and another at Bagneres du Luchon. This route was to take us over the Col de Peyresourde. We got to the first Loudenville, and I had obviously misread my map, as I had thought it was actually on the route, but discovered it isn't when the gps took us off, and a quick look at the map, made me realise there were two places, spelt very similar, Louderville and Loudenville - anyway carried on to the latter, and have found another very nice village, with about 3 large areas for parking a camping car and the borne was situated up by the garage some half a km further. We liked what we saw, so here we are, stopped for the weekend. We have had lunch, got out our table and chairs and were sitting in the sun, with a lovely breeze, when I looked up and saw large dark clouds coming over what had been clear mountains, only a little time ago. Then large spots of rain, a quick putting of chairs under van and retreat inside, and close down the roof where the rain was dropping in. Now we hear thunder, but still rain is only a few spots now and again we are planning on a 100 yard walk to the tourist office and to the shop a 8 de Huit (but it stops for almost 4 hours until 1600!!), who thought of that name I wonder!
> 
> We stayed and had a rest day, you had to laugh all this driving (thunder again from above) and more rain - only about 15km at the most I would think…. So not too much to report. Blue sky on my right, mountains disappearing on my right….
> 
> Fig 1 - Loudenville aire with thunder approaching Fig 2 is Arreau village
> 
> PART 5
> 
> Wednesday 16th
> 
> We seem to be in a low at the moment, and have nice mornings but around 4-5pm it rains….oh well I suppose they do need it, especially today - we have seen a dried up river bed, and a lake with a dam virtually empty. (we were to see many more of these this year, and there were lots of talk of a lack of water in many places)
> 
> We left Loudenvielle… on Monday morning, and crossed the Col de Peyresourde (another of the Tour de France's Col's ) they are strong cyclists, no way would I manage even one, yet alone the many they do….Man of the Mountains, now deserves my respect, when I see what they do…. Anyway that took us on to the village of Bagneres-de-Luchon (spelt sometimes as Louchon, even they can't make up their minds!)… We were glad we had stayed at Loudenvielle, as it seemed much nicer place. We then continued our route which took us now northwards, and through Loures Barousse, before we stopped at St Bertrande de Comminges, where there is a cathedral perched up on a hill, we parked at the bottom and walked up - supposed to be a place of pilgrimage but it didn't impress us, it was so very dark inside you could hardly see, and the masterpiece was supposed to be some woodwork surrounding the choir, which you couldn't see…. The choir that was…. No not one for us…. There is plenty of parking below if you had wanted to stay the night, no facilities, but it was flat.
> 
> From there we continued up through Montrejeau and turned left back now across through St Laurent de Neste and La Barthe de Neste, this road had some fantastic views as you drove around, really excellent from up on an escarpment, - really enjoyed them. We then carried on across to Bagneres de Bigorre where we stopped the night by the pompieurs (fire station) - large area with a free borne, which was very busy that night - about 18 vans in total. It wasn't a particularly quiet place as it was also the equivalent of the Highways Department and refuse lorries were coming and going, and not that quiet, but it wasn't too bad, and didn't actually disturb me, but it did Duncan.
> 
> We left there and drove to Lourdes, where we parked at L'Eclerc (supermarket) on an aire, and walked about 1.5miles into the city, and before you ask, no we didn't visit the place of Bernadette's vision - we were supposed to spend a day looking at the shops, but by the time we had walked down into the town (not a bad walk at all ) but very dirty, my feet in open crocs were filthy when we got back - the shops were of course closing (Duncan's timing is perfect). We had lunch and a wander around, found Les Halles (the market) also all closing, but did get a chance to look around, and then we walked back again. Did some shopping and drove off as we had decided to go across to the other side of the Pyrenees and go on the little red train that is the highest in Europe….. and it leaves from Artouste-Fabreges. (Thank you to those MHF members who suggested it - it was brilliant)
> 
> So we ended up spending the night in a place called Arudy, which was by the side of a river and near the pompieurs…. And it was a very quiet night, very peaceful, no noise. 5 camping cars only there, and the one near to us was a fisherman, and he put his waders on both around 7pm and again around 9am and off he went, we didn't know if he caught anything. I went down to the river to take a photo of him, but couldn't find him, so goodness knows where he went. We met an English couple on a motorbike there, returning from Spain, and they had driven in the rain all day, and were stopping in a tiny tent…. Not for me…. I am too soft.
> 
> We drove down through Laruns and to Artouste and onto the Lake where there is another aire, and we parked up, had our lunch. We then donned winter coats, trousers and shoes, as it had now dropped to 12deg, and was cold….. (it got down to 9deg today) We had to catch a telecabin to get to the station - so we left on that as 1250m (remember Duncan hates these things) and we went up, it took about 10 mins to get up there. We got the train at 1400 which takes 50 mins along the mountains and climbs from around 1875 to 1914 - although at one point it is 2000m as there are three stops for passing trains…. And one has the height on it. It is an open train and it rattles around literally the side of the mountain on this little narrow track, some of the drops are sheer, and we saw marmots along the way and I will try to add some,
> We really enjoyed that trip, Duncan did not really like coming down in the cable car back to the van, as it is rather a steep descent…but he managed it. We left then and have driven back to Laruns and are parked up on yet another aire, which is in the town, and there were 25 camping cars here at 1900, and we have heard about 5 or 6 more come in, just shows how many are out and about in this region alone.
> 
> A lovely day, albeit colder than we have been used to, and we are going to cross that Col we missed out, the Col de Aubisque which runs from Laruns, and goes back across to the Col de Souler, remember that one last week, where a British couple said it wasn't advisable to do it, well we checked in the tourist office and she said it is fine, but it is best done going in this direction in the afternoon, so we plan a walk around Laruns before leaving here
> 
> Xx
> 
> Thursday 17th 1600
> 
> Well no net connection here. We had a good night in Laruns, it was very quiet, we had been for a walk around the town, and went into the tourist information office again to check what time we could go over the pass, she was confused herself, but it was that we should not leave until 1300 going from Laruns…. And before 1230 if you go towards Laruns, but should anyone be contemplating it in the future, it would be better to drive from Laruns, as you are on the inside of the road, and it is very very narrow in some places, but with your normal careful driving it is fine, it took us in all the best part of an hour from Laruns to Arrens-Marsous, where we have stopped again…we were here earlier, when that English couple told us it was not recommended going over the col in a camping car, twaddle, as there were lots making the trip, we were not alone, and followed a Dutch Hymer - well followed in about 500 yards or more behind. It is a fantastic trip, and again, we have been lucky with the weather, as the clouds have come down again, we went through 2 rock tunnels, but they did not even cause us any worry about height or anything, which was what that couple had suggested, I think someone must have been pulling their legs…. Well worth the trip - and we also collected from the tourist office a lovely leaflet about the Col, from the Atlantic to the Med - and I will keep these, and should anyone be planning a trip, they are welcome to them when we get back…. Do just let me know.
> 
> This is a lovely quiet aire, and we are facing the mountains, which is how I know the clouds have come down…as I took a picture when we arrived here just after 2pm…. And the top range have disappeared.
> 
> I will try to send this later, if possible, but don't hold your breath, it will
> 
> PART 6
> 
> Sunday 20th September - in the rain
> 
> Well that says it all, we managed to see a bit of the Great North Run in the sun in Newcastle whilst we sit here in the rain….ah well seeing the BBC news weather forecast has cheered us up, we missed seeing tomorrows, but saw Tuesday to Thursday and it showed the depression and rain lifted from down here, so that at least looks promising…. So we will continue onwards.
> 
> We got to Arreau and spent the night there again, only this time someone came to collect €2 for the night….odd, it did say there was a charge of €2 on the parking sign, but no one collected it last time… tis aire is difficult to dump grey water, except with a bucket - so be warned….
> 
> We went for a wander around again, and the village was having an event - it was basically local craftspersons, from woodworkers, to blacksmiths, to weavers and they were all part of a special group of people, it was very good, one older gentleman, was a restorer of ancient guns, from the wooden handles with sculpting on them, to the fine mechanisms, his work was really good, and there was another who was a knife maker, with handles in wood, and horn…. Some really beautiful pieces, but at very high prices for specialised work of course.
> 
> A nice little wander none the less. This time the aire was packed as well with around 11 camping cars, (says parking for 8) but they don't seem to mind…
> 
> We left and continued on the route we had already done, as far as Bagneres de Luchon, where we again filled up with diesel (still not paying over €0.999 a litre, and then took this route des cols from the tourist leaflet we had picked up. We were then off on white roads, winding really winding, up and down, and they varied so much from barren rocks to treed valleys, we really enjoyed all that. We even found ourselves in Spain, mind you you weren't really aware of any border at all, and we went in and out yesterday. What was more noticeable was that France was dead on a Saturday afternoon, but Spain was very busy with lots of people out and about, eating with families in restaurants on the pavements - so different. Diesel was slightly cheaper there, at €0.945 a litre, so not a lot of difference, but we only saw the one garage with a price up
> 
> We then started this other tour we plan on doing, having picked it up from the cols, and it brought us to a place called Bonac Irazein…. It is a lovely spot, alongside a lake, and we even have electricity, which is just as well without any sun to charge our batteries up. We have stopped for two days, and it is €5 a night and €6 a night in High summer of 15th July - 20 August…. There were three of us last night, one left this morning, but another arrived before lunch today. You pay at the bar/restaurant in the village.
> 
> So one to add to your list if you are keeping one of good aires…. Very peaceful and quiet, it is lit at night, has picnic tables and great view of the lake.
> 
> Tuesday
> 
> Well what a shame things didn't stay like it was when we arrived….
> 
> After hooking up it started to rain, and didn't stop and was still raining when we left on Monday morning….what a shame but hey, it will be one to add to the list for another day.
> 
> We decided to start our second tour of the Pyrenees, having spent the weekend in Bonac Irazein,(This was another from the Camping Escapades - We started the tour, which was a little further east, by following on the Route des Cols, and at midday we found ourselves in thick cloud and we still couldn't see a thing, so decided, to just give up and get to Narbonne and hope things improved. - Not much point if you can't see anything is it?
> 
> It did, and we have been here since then We took a fairly direct route on the D117 and then veered diagonally up across to Narbonne (Duncan's idea) but it proved to be a slow very twisty route and I think it had proved to be too much really, so we drove here, (Narbonne town) and as we sort of got here it was full of vans, bearing in mind last year at this time, it was only about 6 to 8 motorhomes here…. We lifted the barrier as there was no one in charge to take any money, and parked ourselves in a corner, about the last place left, and managed luckily too to get a share of electric with an Irish RV who was sharing already with a French van. The weather had looked better as we got closer, but a storm came in that night and we lost satellite and it was very heavy, but today it has been nice, temps around 27/28 but luckily a nice breeze to keep it manageable. We caught the free bus down into town this morning, and went around the market, and got back for lunch. This afternoon we took our backpacks and little wheelie and went across the road to the Carrefour to do some food shopping, as we had only done bits and pieces for the last few weeks, so we have topped up and tomorrow we plan to drive down to Narbonne Plage and spend a week there if possible.
> 
> What has been noticeable here, is that apparently there is some in-fighting between two local councils about this site, and so it is free for the moment, hence the reason it is full - even the motorhome next to us, we believe is a local, who has just parked it here, no one in it, and the alarm keeps going off - but has at least stopped for now, perhaps it has flattened the batteries, but what is even more amazing is that there is a large 24ft caravan parked here as well….. there is talk of putting in an automated system with payment by credit card - but we shall see what happens….
> 
> PART 7
> 
> Friday 25th Sept 1025
> 
> Anyway, we are now parked on Narobonne Plaza on the beach, after spending a couple of days in Narbonne town, We have paid for 3 days, initially and will see how it goes.
> 
> Here it is €7 a night, no electrics, but water included. There are WC's here - but we don't use them but many do. We like this aire at this time of year, as it is one of the very few where you feel on holiday, put out your tables and chairs, awning etc., and can relax, aires in general do not allow this, you can park and that it is…. When travelling around we find that fine, but for a relaxing for a few days these odd ones are a definite bonus. The beach here is miles of sand in either direction, and many walk along the beach, or cycle along the road into the little village to get any supplies…. We did pop in on our way here as we had some postcards to send, and I had been carrying them in my bag and had forgotten to post them….. oops… for 3 days… never mind, if you do have your postal strike you might be lucky to get them before we return….
> 
> As we have been relaxing, there isn't really anything to report except the weather has definitely improved, blue skies and sunshine all day, but yesterday and so far today we do have a fairly strong.
> PART 8
> 
> Friday 9 October
> 
> The Irish couple we had met in the town, followed us down to the beach, (this was their first trip to Europe and they didn't know about the aires at all, the parking in Narbonne town they found by accident. I put the aires onto their Garmin gps for them, and showed them how to get to them, (I was to do this for several others during the trip… many don't know how to do it). Whilst on the beach, a couple of evenings, they got out their accordion and guitar and we had a brilliant sing along - people came out from the motorhomes, all nationalities and were dancing and clapping - and a few came up to them and thanked them, and said it had been the best nights of their holidays…. Really brilliant. (More people I have told to join MHF)
> 
> We left Narbonne Plage after two weeks there, it was a lovely relaxing break for us but the weather had started to change, so we thought it time to move on. Yesterday, after rain that night, we drove into Narbonne, topped up with fuel and food and were going to stop at the aire in the town, but then noticed it had a circus opposite, so it would not be quiet, so decided to move on to the start of the tour we had planned. This took us along to Beziers and then northwards to a place called Lunas. We stopped there for the night(free water included), and it was alongside a lake which was closed, but it was a quiet night and we then got a thunder and lightening show and it was right above us, the thunder was very loud, and it started about 10pm, as I had been watching Corro and missed the last 5 mins of it, but we knew it was coming as the lightening was great to watch for the previous 30 mins or so.
> 
> So we battened down the hatches and went off to bed, it was very humid and had been around 85-87% for days, even the baguettes went limp in about an hour straight from the oven, very chewy then…shame - but they do need rain here.
> 
> We left there next morning and took the road to Lodeve where we stopped for a baguette for lunch where Duncan was stopped by an American asking about our dome on the roof…. That has happened a few times, so we then explain it is our satellite. You rarely seem to see them over here, except on British motorhomes.
> 
> We carried on down the A75 to Clermont L'Herault and around to the Lac de Salagou where we stopped a few times on the lakeside, we then drove to the Cirque de Moureze which is a geological labyrinth of rocks and about 3km around to walk, we didn't but you could see it anyway, it was weird…. We stopped there for lunch and then drove back across country to Gignac and then Aniane where we turned off up the D27 and D4 up through the valley of L'Herault which took us over the Pont du Diablo - which is a weird gorge with bridges and a lake,(there is an aire here but you have to pay to get through a barrier to access it) we didn't need anything, so didn't - shame they couldn't have put it outside the barrier though) strange place, but it then climbed up through the hills/mountains really really twisting back and forth continually for about 5km with no straight bit and when you got to the top, it was straight as a dye for a good few kms before you twisted down the other side to Ganges, and then onto Hippolyte-du-Fort and now on the D999 we have stopped the night at Sauve, which is a medieval village which we hoped to go and view.
> 
> We got here about 1630 and had a look and then made a cuppa, just as we got back into the motorhome, the heavens opened again, but it feels a lot better I must say for that.
> 
> PART 9
> 
> Sunday 11 October - Anduze (30)
> 
> Well I just realised I didn't tell you where 'here' was last time we stopped. Well it was a a village called Sauve - not quite suave I must say, medieval but charming in the old French way of dilapidated….we also met another Amercian lady who was considering renting there for 8 months with her daughter, she was interesting to talk too, and we wonder if she decided to stop, her daughter had been to the school and liked it a lot…so I expect she did.
> 
> We left in the morning, and headed back towards Hippolyte-du-Fort - some 8 miles back down the road, and I knew trying to find the little white road out of there was not going to be easy….it never is… but this proved even worse than usual, and we were in the little tiny roads, and had to do a left turn in the centre, and Duncan didn't think we would get around - but they even had steel posts in the road at the edge of the pavement there - but we did make it - just - and then still had to find the correct road, never signposted, so without a gps you would never find it - but finally we did, and said goodbye to Hippolyte-du-Fort which had had a Super-U marche but the height of the roof meant we couldn't fill up there, as it was 3.2m and we are 3.24 with our dome, but we weren't desperate for any as we were still half full.
> 
> The road we had wanted - the D133 took us up through the mountains towards Anduze, and through the small village of Monoblet, which was even worse, though a lot smaller, as the turning to our left we could not get around, so had to carry on and try to find somewhere to turn, but obviously they don't get many camping cars going through there, as they were sitting outside a restaurant and all waved their glasses to us….. and again when we returned, and managed to turn at the appropriate road - sorry it isn't a road, but a very narrow lane, and we did wonder if we were going to be able to continue, we did and it got a tiny bit wider, but we kept our fingers crossed that the cars weren't coming our way…. And the two we met we luckily met them in places where either they or we could pull right over to one side and allow passing…. Lucky or what? There had been a signpost to Monoblet at a bend and we had stayed on the D133, with hindsight it would have been better to follow that road, as it would have brought you in in the right direction to make the turning, we had missed - oh well - we managed…. And arrived in Anduze without any further mishaps.
> 
> We arrived here just before lunch and came and parked by the riverside, the borne and parking is by the Gare, but last year when we had been here the car park was taken up with a circus/fair and we were directed to the riverside, which is far nicer, and so we went there this time. The sun has been out and shining, and is out again now, everyone seems to be on their way to church, and the church bell was ringing continuously from 0930 and has just stopped, not good if you want a lay-in here on a Sunday morning. (This was the place last year we had been blocked in and we were mindful of that, so got out as soon as the opportunity allowed us this time).
> 
> We were inn Anduze last year when there was a huge market on for two days and we had got stuck in this car park, and we have also been to Florac a few years ago - that bell has started again, couldn't live with this, it chimes the hour and the half hours and then 5 mins after the hour, it chimes again….. it was still chiming at 0100 this morning, but I went to sleep and didn't then hear it, so not sure if it stopped or not.
> 
> I managed to get my hair cut here as I was really fed up with it, it had been over 9 weeks since it was last cut at the end of July in Weymouth, and now it is short again…. Great - was pleased with it - felt like a real old granny with a flat hair.
> 
> 11th - 8pm
> 
> We moved on at 1230 as we were able to get out of the parking space finally, and have stopped the night and tomorrow at Florac at the end of the Jonty Gorge….more later
> 
> 13th
> 
> Well you were spared anything yesterday, as it was very cold - temp down to 10deg yesterday morning and cloudy, and where we were parked, meant we got little sun on our solars and the laptop battery was flat, so I didn't charge it, we only got to 95% - and it was a cold day, out came the trousers and long sleeve tops again, and we even went to bed with our socks on again….. we were cold….it has never been this cold in France in the last six years at this time, sad…. But at least this year we did bring some winter clothes with us.
> 
> We had gone for a walk around the town again during the day and bought some provisions, but didn't move in the afternoon.
> 
> We left this morning on our tour and it was 10deg again this morning, so we are finishing this tour, which takes us back down to Lodeve and we will then have completed this one. It has been a super tour, the scenery has been beautiful, the Jonty Gorge was lovely, even though we had done it before - but in the opposite direction, and we have carried on taking a round about route and then down through Le Vigan and have stopped tonight at a picnic spot at Montdardier as there are no aires in this area at all, at least not close to our route. This is quite a nice spot, it is just before the village on the D48 where there is a large diversion anyway - as they are doing some major works through the main street, and so we have a small village road to take in the morning around the back roads…. But Duncan has been and walked it to make sure we could take it, as we weren't sure. There are toilets and water here as well, and a small lake and picnic tables, not that we will be eating outside here tonight, as we are high up around 800m in the mountains and it is getting colder again.
> 
> We passed through Lodeve, got some more food and probably either stop again at Lunas. This is not the original tours we planned, but it keeps us further south and hopefully warmer, as the others were travelling north, and we want to keep the sun for as long as possible.
> 
> More later, again no internet in Montardidier or in Florac…….
> 
> 14th parked on the aire at Lunas
> 
> Well today didn't go quite to plan, not our fault - but due to deviations - we seem to be plagued with them this trip - and more were to come.
> 
> We took the narrow deviation at Montdardier this morning and carried on on our route, it was only around the actual village, but the roads up were a bit tight and narrow but were on traffic lights. We went on green, only to meet in the narrow bend a car who couldn't wait, so he had to back and we carried on, sometimes you do despair of people…
> 
> The route was lovely, a high plateau and then climbing up and down with u-bends around yet another gorge, and down into a town, where we met the dreaded deviation sign again, only this time, the village didn't have a deviation and there was no easy route, except really back up to Ganges and down another road the D999 and D986 and then onto the D25 I think it was, down to Ainane and Gignac, names we had passed on the way north, but fortunately we managed a different road down and so it wasn't too bad. We stopped just after leaving Gignac for lunch and then got onto the autoroute to A750 and A75 and off at Lodeve, where as planned we shopped and then carried on to this the aire at Lunas again.
> 
> The plan is was then to take a green route up towards Albi where we plan another tour, still keeping us south until we do have to go north, keeping us hopefully in the warmer sunnier weather for longer.
> 
> It is around 20/21 today, with a strong breeze - well a strong gusty breeze which is quite odd, and as I sit and type this, I find it quite warm in here.
> 
> net access in Lunas.
> 
> PART 10
> 
> Friday 16th - Narbonne Town
> 
> We arrived in Albi and parked on the aire just below the Cathedral and it pays to get there at lunch time if you want to park…. And we were so lucky, as we had decided to drive from Lunas where we had stopped, due to a very long diversion - instead of driving to Albi and thought it might be best to get through the city at lunch time as it is a little quieter and have our lunch there - rather late for me, but I coped OK.
> 
> They have a Cathedral there, made entirely of brick which is apparently the largest brick built one in the world, it does look strange, it has a stone entrance to it, which was 14th century and was extremely ornate, and the whole interior of the cathedral is painted, not gaudy as so many of the Catholic churches can be, but a lot of geometric shapes, but all walls, ceilings were covered - it wasn't to my taste at all, but it was definitely different and interesting.
> 
> We took the opportunity to go on the tourist train,(€6 each) which unusually for this time of year was still running, and it took us around the city and was worth doing as we would never have covered it all, and there were only four of us on it at 3pm, wheras on the 2pm train it had been full of children (a school party)…. And today we saw several other school parties, going into the cathedral and the Toulouse Latrec museum - we didn't bother with the latter. There was another church there, which was built of stone with a brick tower, looked most odd, and still had some of the cloisters from 1270 century, but a lot of those were destroyed in the French Revolution.
> 
> We went to the Marche this morning which we were surprised at how quiet it was, in comparison to the Narbonne Marche….. and it had been renovated in 2007 and looks like perhaps the costs for a space were high as there were a lot of empty ones, we were disappointed.
> 
> This morning it was really cold again, temperatures were down to 7deg in the motorhome when we got up, and having used the heater to get it warm again, made us think about going south again, instead of doing the tour. We spoke to the tourist office and she said the weather was unseasonably cold, it had been in the 20's only a few days ago, but they didn't know when this snap would finish…..
> 
> We phoned Noel & Wendy, (friends living in Lot that we had visited on our way down) to find out if it was any better up there, Wendy said it had been -1 in the garden there this morning, and they were expecting rain on Wednesday…. So south it was.
> 
> We drove back down to Narbonne town, as we can stop here for free and have electric hook up as well, and can go into the town by the free bus. There is also a small motorshow opposite on the Parc des Expositions - and we did go to that.
> 
> It looks like we may leave here on Wednesday to make the long journey north…- plans changed again - very fluid aren't they…..
> 
> 24th Oct
> 
> Not quite the next few days, but signals have been a problem.
> 
> What did we do?… not a lot I suppose, the weather stayed nice until 19th when the forecast was for heavy rains and possible flooding, so we decided to move a day earlier and head north to try to avoid the worst of it.
> 
> In part we succeeded. We left on the 20th and drove north but then hit a deviation- yes yet another one - this time on the main road, which instead of a relatively straight line north, it was a zig zag, but not too bad, we went in the end via Castres and up and our aim was Souilliac aire in the Lot for the night, we made that without too much trouble, just a bit longer than we had planned, and we there about 1600…. No rain, and the next section was to be autoroute the A20 up from Brive to Vierzon and fortunately another aire is only about 5km west at the end of the free section, but this ended up being in the rain all the way, I was going to drive it, but in the end it was very heavy so I opted to navigate…. Not a difficult job up there anyway, but it was not a pleasant drive and I am glad I didn't do it.
> 
> We stopped there that night, having arrived about 1630 and paid our €5 for the night, nice little aire but very noisy, 7 places, including electrics, it has one down side though the parking which is in a circle is all on red sort of very fine grit, which in the rain is a nightmare, and gets everywhere, when leaving I put two plastic bags over my shoes, as it was so bad….it worked too - clever thinking - as I don't carry welly boots which is what was needed there.
> 
> We left there and then were driving up to Forges Les Eaux, where we chose a cross country route from the main N20 - but that was - with hingsight the worst thing we could do, as again we first hit a long roadworks, which held us up for 20 mins, on the N12 from Dreux to Evreux and then going across on D roads, we hit deviations, which added another 15km to the trip, so a longer haul than we had thought, but this was a recommended aire, as plenty of spaces, nice town and electrics too….all a bonus this time of year and in this weather… but… it was not to be, we found it, but the aire was supposed to have closed on 31st October, (campingcar-infos - Mairies comment) but for some reason it closed on 15th and they switched off all services, water the lot - we were ok as we were full, but some arrived without water, which was difficult, it rained again, so not so good on that front. We sat with the map and decided that we wouldn't stop the 3 days we had planned, and would only stay the night, and so we moved off and drove to Le Treport on the coast, above Dieppe, which is full here too - this aire is just at the entrance to the town, and it was a nice day yesterday when we arrived, and we walked the 1km to the seafront and wandered around the historic town, it was a pleasant walk, and we are here for the weekend, with now a planned leave here on Monday morning, a drive up to Calais, do our shopping and then park up at Eurotunnel for the night and catch the train in the morning…. And then the long drive home.
> 
> It rained in the night, but this aire is at least nicely tarmacced, and is relatively puddle free, and the forecast was for sun later, so I walked up the town to try to buy a Daily Telegraph (they had had a Friday one) but it was not to be, so it was a brisk walk, and Duncan stayed and washed the van with water, saying it needs soap too, but it will have to do for now, must admit it looked better anyway.
> 
> So that was our holiday virtually over, it was nice, relaxing, which after the earlier part of the year we needed, and we have had some nice sunny weather, a few days too hot for me, but in the main really good days. We have enjoyed it, we liked the Pyrenees and would go back again in a few years time. Next year, if we can afford to come again, we hope to perhaps go back to the Alps again, before heading south to the coast for the sun.
> 
> *NOTE RE DONGLE
> 
> As I had reported last year I bought an Auchan dongle with the idea to buy another sim card this year, only trouble was that was not possible this time. I had to buy a new one, exactly the same, with a new sim card, but it was the price of the sim last year at €29.90 - so I couldn't really complain - dongle therefore free….
> 
> I bought a €25 top up and off we went, I added another €40 over the 2 months - making it not a cheap option, but until something better comes along, I will stick with it. You top up online, and unfortunately even though I have an unlocked 3 dongle, and an 02 one, the Auchan sims do not work with them, as they use proprietary software…. But hopefully someone with more knowledge will enlighten me in the future.
> 
> HIGHLIGHTS(in no particular order)
> Pyrenees mountains
> Train at Artouste Faberges
> Pic de Midi
> Meeting many British motorhomers
> Relaxing on beach in the sun
> 
> I am sorry the pictures didn't come over, but I will try to add them afterwards, perhaps someone can tell me how to format it after doing a cut and paste from word that had all the formatting.... as trying to do it now, only sticks the symbols at the bottom...
> 
> Carol - sorry it is so long - but you didn't have to read it all


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## Jenny63

*Re:Loading of French Aires to Garm Sat Nav*

Hi Carol just registered so trying to get the hang of it! please could you help me with the loading of french Aires to Garmin Sat Nav Thank-you Jenny63


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## carol

You can go to the garmin website and download the POI Loader.

You then get your POI's of the aires together, archies web site or the campingcar-infos web site are best for these, and you can also add other POI's into the same folder.

You then plug garmin into computer, when it has found the garmin, you browse to the place you have saved all your POI's and upload them, I think there is a tutorial on the garmin web site.

I might suggest you pay your £10 subscription as you will find this site well worth the investment and will have full access to the complete site.

Carol


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## Jenny63

Thank-you Carol I will have a go and let you know how I get on Jenny63 x


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## TR5

Jenny come, Jenny go!

Is a tenner so much to ask?


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## Nora+Neil

Read it all Carol, really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Did first part of your tour a few years ago and have marked some more for future trips.

Going to search now to see if you have 2010 trip here yet.


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## colpot

Just read it as well. We have just come back from a couple of weeks travelling down south and back. Wish I'd seen it before I went as some of the Aires sound well worth a visit.


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