TOTAL TOUR STATISTICS
- Distance travelled 4778kms (2968miles)
- Travelling Time 92 hours
- Average fuel consumption 9.56 l/100km (29.55mpg)
- Amount of fuel used 454.64 litres
- Cost of fuel used €654.05
- Nights away 27
- Nights in campsites 15, at a cost of €240.70
- Nights in Aires 7, at a cost of €28.20
- Nights wild camping 5, at no cost
- Cost of motorway tolls €151
Friday 12/04/2013 Home to Pucol
272kms in 3hrs 46mins
View Friday 12.04.13 in a larger map
First stop on our trip was at Caravanas Cruz to buy some levelling ramps so the van was level when we slept - hooray - now we can sleep without being tied to the bed (ooer missus!)
We found a site just north of Valencia to stay at Camping Puzol. What can I say - the guy on reception was on his mobile the whole time we were booking in, and we were obviously interrupting his conversation. Off hand isn't the word. The site was OK if a little tired, but the staff were awful.
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| Camping Puzol |
Full photo gallery here
Saturday 13/04/2013 Pucol to Narbonne
582kms in 6hrs 55mins
View Saturday 13/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
We stayed in an automatic coin operated aire in Narbonne (N43°10'49" E03°01'22") for €9 including electric. Lovely looking town with an enormous cathederal - well worth a return visit. Unfortunately aire was next to a fairground, but luckily music stopped at 9pm. There was a big Carrefour opposite so it was obviously Camembert and red wine for tea - when in France....
Total of 20 vans on the aire, nearly all French.
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| The excellent Narbonne aire |
Full photo gallery here
Sunday 14/04/2013 Narbonne to Ovada
620kms in 7hrs 28mins
View Sunday 14/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Please don't think this is a big whinge - we're just telling it as we found it.
In spite of all the above, you can't take away the stunning scenery - hilltop villages and gorgeous coastlines, huge villas and beautiful unspoilt villages - maybe they want to keep them for themselves!
Stayed in the lovely town of Ovada - very old with 4 churches and beautiful squares. Well worth a return visit and an explore. Free aire with grey and black water disposal - just right.
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| A square in Ovada |
Monday 15/04/2013 Ovada to Lazise
250km in 3hrs 32mins
View Monday 15/04/13 in a larger map
The site we found at Camping Fossalta is really fantastic. A beautiful site with a pitch only 30 metres from the shore of Lake Garda - fantastic views. It is a 3km walk along the lake shore to the fantastic village of Lazise - everything you imagine an Italian town to be. The grebes on the lake were choosing a mate and there was lots of displaying going on - excellent to watch. Camping was €16 with ACSI and worth every cent.
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| So near the lake |
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| Wonderful views of Lake Garda |
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| Could it be any better? |
Tuesday 16/04/2013 Lasize to Calceranica al Lago
122kms in 2hrs 42mins
View Tuesday 16/04/13 in a larger map
Exquisite villages clinging to the mountain sides - each with their own church always at the highest point to keep an eye on the townsfolk.
Had enough of paying to drive (toll total is now up to €147!) so took the "A" road up the valley and passed through some really nice places, plus lots of wine producers and sellers who will be getting some business in the near future. All this is missed on the motorway, and it's not much slower, but definitely more interesting.
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| Surrounded by mountains |
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| Picture postcard perfect |
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| Cervantes in a majestic setting |
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| There have been some deaths on the motorway! |
Wednesday 17/04/2013 Calceranica al Lago to Pergine Valsugana
48kms in 1hr 44mins
View Wednesday 17/04/13 in a larger map
Early start to Vetriolo Terme - the top of a big mountain where the Giro del Trentino finishes today at 14:30. The road was closed to the top, but we went an alternative route up a one track road to get to the finish. Parked roadside with 800 metres to the finish (all very uphill).
Watched some paragliders and hang gliders take off from the finish line - very scary. We've got 3 Union Jacks and a flag of Yorkshire flying by Cervantes - come on Sir Brad!
Before the race came through we had an interview with Sky Sports Italia to tell them all about the rise of cycling in the UK thanks to Sir Brad and Sky. Unfortunately we'll never see it because we don't subscribe to Sky Sports - never mind - I am assured the cheque is in the post!
We got a grin from Mr Wiggins as he headed down the mountain after finishing 3rd.
Hot brakes on the way down the mountain - had to stop for 15 mins to let them cool down.
Nowhere to stay near Pergine, so we wildcamped on a road parallel to the main road and a railway line - joined by 2 other vans later. We had the best Pizza ever (as you would expect in Italy) in a restaurant opposite - 2 pizzas and 1/2 litre of wine was €24 - fantastic.
Quiet night apart from trains and traffic.
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| On top of the world! |
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| Some very brave or very foolish men |
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| Snow cleared and Cervantes parked |
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| Well - that was easy |
Thursday 18/04/2013 Pergine Valsugana to Sega di Ala
72kms in 1hr 43mins
View Thursday 18/04/13 in a larger map
We saw the start in Pergine, and both had our picture taken with Sir Bradley Wiggins - very nice chap. We also saw some faces we had seen on Vetriolo Terme who, like us, were now heading for the next mountain-top finish at Sega di Ala. Got some excellent pictures of cycling and town which has some great coffee and bread shops and is very genuine.
Off to final stage finish on Friday at Sega di Ala. Imagine the steepest hill you've ever climbed, and then multiply by 10. 11kms of fierce hills gave Cervantes the workout of his life. 1st gear at 2000 revs in some places and just on the limit. As our Italian friend in the motorhome next to us at the top said "muy muy duro" - very very hard. I am just wondering how the brakes will cope with going back down what we have just come up - this is much much steeper and longer than yesterday when the brakes overheated!
Very limited parking at the top where we were just beaten to the top by our Italian friends. They thought they could get a better location to park farther down the mountain, but we were looking as we drove up and saw nothing, so we parked on some flattish land opposite the car park reserved for tour vehicles. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, our two friends were back (goodness knows how they turned round) and parked next to us. Great camaraderie.
The overnight security guard parked on the car park opposite and looked totally fed up, so we took over some lemon cake, red wine and coffee for him. He was very appreciative, and we brought the coffee back!
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| Sign-on time |
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| Vincenzo Nibali - his main rival in this race |
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| Who's that with my wife? |
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| Me and the man! |
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| Made it to the top after a hair-raising drive |
Friday 19/04/2013 Sega di Ala to Bardolino
75kms in 1hr 50mins
View Friday 19/04/13 in a larger map
As we sat oustide Cervantes with the flags flying, watching proceedings unfold and the car park opposite fill up, a cry came from a passing press car of "Lancashire forever!" 5 minutes later the culprit appeared - Stephen Farrand, a freelance journalist from Oldham now living in Italy. He files copy online for Cycling Weekly, among others. Apparantly the Sky journalists had told him about us so he came for a chat - very nice man with lots of contacts. Right on cue a Sky Jaguar pulls up next to us driven by Dario Cioni, the media contact for Sky, and he starts chatting to us as if he'd known us all our lives. Told us lots of inside information such as what gears they are riding to get up this monster climb (compact 36 with a 28 rear), that Brad felt in the form of his life climbing to Vetriolo Terme and was super confident for this final one, and that Vincenzo Nibali is catching a plane tonight to compete in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Classic on Sunday, and is hoping for an easy ride here - no chance.
Turned out we are 150 metres from the finish here, so the ideal place with a brilliant view of the last 300 metres. Bradley was in the front group and all set to win the stage and the overall race when he had a mechanical problem with his bike 5kms from the finish. He had to wait for the team car for another bike, and threw away the faulty one in disgust, which rolled serenely across the road and parked itself by the cliff wall - now a famous video clip. By the time he got another bike he had lost the stage and the race to Vincenzo Nibali.
Speaking to people in the know, it turned out that the other side of the mountain was nowhere near as steep as the one we came up, so when all the tour traffic has gone, that's the one for us.
Back on Lake Garda tonight at Camping Serenella where there is thunder and lightning.
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| The perfect spot - uphill with 150 metres to go |
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| Dario Cioni, the media contact for Sky |
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| Vincenzo Nibali on his way to victory |
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| Sir Brad with a new bike, but he lost too much time |
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| Soon to be on a plane to Belgium |
We are parked on the left 7mins 6secs into this video just before the big white balloon - Union Jack on the windscreen!
Full photo gallery here
Saturday 20/04/2013
Nice adequate site, but a bit muddy after non-stop rain since we got here. Walked 2km to Garda one way - nice town but tourist tat was overkill, then back to camp and 2km the other way to Bardolino - lovely town with excellent lake walk and church.
Now had non-stop rain for 36 hours - time to move on after paying €32 for 2 nights.
Sunday 21/04/2013 Bardolino to Lecco
214kms in 4hrs 12mins
View Sunday 21/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Left Serenella at 11:30 in pouring rain to drive up the east side of Lake Garda (very pretty) then down the west side - a succession of unfeasably narrow tunnels. We decided to drive on the "A" roads to Lake Como to avoid motorway tolls, but the roads are absolutely atrocious - the road surface is breaking up over the whole of the road with massive potholes - not good for motorhomes.
Spent the night in a free motorhome aire just outside Lecco at N45°49'51.5" E09°24'29.8" This aire had 12 hardstanding tarmac pitches with clean water and grey water disposal. Thank goodness rain has stopped.
Monday 22/04/2013 Lecco to Cugnasco
109kms in 2hrs 54mins
View Monday 22/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Left Lecco to drive to Lake Como and again the roads were atricious. Crossed the border from Italy to Switzerland in the middle of the town of Chiasso - very bizarre.
We stayed at Camping Riarena between Bellinzona and Locarno which took a bit of finding, but was well worth it. Stunning 360° views of snow-capped mountains all around - fantastic. Electric hook-up connection was Swiss, so had to buy another adaptor for €7 - we must have them all by now! Weather is so-so, not hot but not raining.
Used the washing machines here to wash the bedding, then dried on a washing line between tree and van wing mirror. Nice site - it is near the river that flows into Lake Maggiore and has excellent toilets and showers.
Just had an alert on the Nexus7 that the Tour de Romandie starts just up the road shortly, so just deciding if it is possible to get over the mountains to see it.
As we were having tea we heard a helicopter overhead from the local military base. We glanced up, as you do, and were amazed to see 6 people hanging onto a rope suspended from the helicopter. Not sure if this is a military exercise or some sort of adrenalin ride, but one thing is for sure - you will never catch me on one of them. We thought this was a one-off, but it came over 5 times (we assume with different people).
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| Lovely Switzerland |
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| Can you explain this? |
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| Wonderful scenery.... |
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| ....and a great setting.... |
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| .....with high mountains..... |
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| ....and cold rivers |
Full photo gallery here
Tuesday 23/04/2013
Second night in Riarena - so much to do here, so many cycle paths and walking routes and fantastic scenery. Spent the morning washing more bedding, (lovely sunny day means washing is dry in no time) then climbed to the top of one of the hills surrounding the valley. Took some great pictures of surrounding peaks and Lake Maggiore from up high.
Water pump in the van stopped working this morning, meaning there is no water coming out of the taps. Checked the fuse which is fine, so suspect a faulty water pump - it's been making a funny high-pitched whine for a couple of days now so suspect it has finally given up the ghost. This is not really a disaster as we have bottled water and access to the fresh water tank under the lounge seat. Made a list of Burstner dealers in the area and have e-mailed the nearest to ask if it can be changed under warranty.
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| Swiss Alps |
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| There is some excellent walking here |
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| View from halfway up the hill |
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| The top of Lake Maggiore |
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| This is the hill we walked up |
Wednesday 24/04/2013 Cugnasco to Vetroz
179kms in 3hrs 48mins
View Wednesday 24/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
As we were in Switzerland, and the Tour of Romandie (Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish are riding) is on from Tuesday to Saturday, we decided it was too good a chance to miss, so we headed for Lac Leman near Lausanne. The only problem was how to get over the mountains (we had no snowchains which are compulsory on high mountain passes). We researched the Gotthardpass tunnel, but it was very expensive and took us a long way off course, so we headed for the Simplon Pass tunnel, where they will take Cervantes on a railway carrier - drive on and drive off. It takes 20 minutes and is only €19. Very scary when you are on the carrier in the pitch black and one foot from the car in front - very strange.
To get there we drove down one side of Lake Maggorie - picture postcard scenery with a layer of mist on the lake.
Found a lovely site at Camping Botza just up the valley from Sion. It was in the valley bottom with Swiss Alpine peaks surrounding us, and the weather is August hot. Fantastic site with a great patron who was as friendly and welcoming as you could wish, and very eco-friendly. Wonderful walking and cycling routes also - we WILL be back.
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| Lake Maggiore - stunning |
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| as above |
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| as above |
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| Waiting for the train whilst watching a train load of HGV's |
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| Into the darkness |
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| Camping du Botza - ace place |
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| What a view! |
Thursday 25/04/2013 Vetroz to Payerne
141kms in 3hrs 11mins
View Thursday 25/04/13 in a larger map
To the Tour of Romandie! Stage 3 of the Tour starts in Payerne, then goes through it twice more before finally finishing in it, so that was for us. Excellent valley roads to Montreux, then Laussane. Swiss drivers are excellent - no tailgating, considerate, courteous - a pleasure to drive with. Roads today were also first class. Perfect views on Lake Maggiore and Lac Leman - could not be bettered. Wildcamped in Payerne on an industrial unit car park after bribing the owners with a bottle of wine and a smattering of French. 28° and full sun all day - beautiful.
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| Valley road surrounded by snow-capped mountains |
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| Lac Leman - beautiful |
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| as above |
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| Our industrial unit wildcamping spot |
Friday 26/04/2013 Payerne to Enney
63kms in 1hr 14mins
View Friday 26/04/13 in a larger map
Up early at 7.00am, then into the lovely town of Payerne to watch the preparation for the start of the race. We watched the riders sign on, then after the start watched one pass through the town. We then decided to go back to Cervantes for a while, and discovered to our amazement that we were actually parked on the route, and were just inside the 1km to go marker (a blow up bridge with the traditional "flamme rouge" or red flag).
The town of Payerne was packed, so this was the obvious place to see it from. The flags were out for the second pass through, and also for the final kilometre. A helicopter overhead always takes the pictures in the final 1km, so it turned out we were on TV again - just past the flamme rouge on the right with the flags.
Drove down the valley afterwards to Enney - lovely campsite right next to the river (for 21.60 swiss francs) with the unbelievably pretty town of Gruyeres on the hill above us - stunning.
Tomorrow is a day in the high mountains for the cyclists and the weather forecast is dire - heavy rain all day, so we may be watching the action from inside Cervantes.
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| The lovely town of Payerne |
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| Press bikes ready for the off (you can tell we're in Switzerland) |
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| Josh Edmondson and Peter Kennaugh |
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| Chris Froome |
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| Mark Cavendish |
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| Sky drilling it at the front to bring back the break |
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| The last km and Sky still chasing |
Saturday 27/04/3012 Enney to Excenevex
114kms in 2hrs 42mins
View Saturday 27/04/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Low cloud and pouring rain all day. Saw the race on the Col de Moses on a hairpin bend with all the flags out. Sky were on the front chasing a four man breakaway. The race was supposed to go up the Col de la Croix twice, but the weather was so bad they had to shorten the race so only went up it once. Chris Froome broke away before the finish and took more than a minutes lead over the chasers which more or less gave him the overall victory.
We made our way along the shore of Lac Leman into France and passed through Evian (where the water comes from). We stayed the night in Camping la Pinede with a pitch only 50 metres from Lac Leman. This was an excellent location, but totally spoilt by loud banging music coming from a building somewhere over the boundary fence. It started at 8.00pm and finally stopped at 5.00am during which I got 2 hours sleep (must get some earplugs like Glyn!) Sorry but I can't recommend this site to anyone because of this. It may have been a one-off, or it may happen every week - do you want to take the chance? (for €18)
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| Our spot on the corner |
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| The breakaway |
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| The chasers |
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| An ideal pitch spoiled by noise |
Sunday 28/04/2013 Excenevex to Neydens
38kms in 1hr 11mins
View Sunday 28/04/13 in a larger map
Back into Switzerland to Geneva to see the final stage of the Tour de Romandie - a time trial around the bottom edge of the lake. This resulted in an overall win for Chris Froome of Sky - he looked very impressive. Geneva looked very expensive with massive, opulent hotels and some eye-wateringly expensive shops.
Crossed back into France to stay at Camping la Colombiere in Neydens near Annecy. Very nice site and a very nice owner (€16.70 with ACSI). We took advantage of their Wi-Fi and discovered Josh Edmonton from Sky had posted on Twitter about our flags! We of course replied and re-tweeted it to everybody we knew!
We have e-mailed 4 Burstner dealers about the water pump and have so far only had one reply. This stated that if the van was not bought in Switzerland they could not do the work under warranty. I was all set to rattle off an e-mail of complaint direct to Burstner in Germany, when Glyn pointed out that Switzerland is not part of the EU. We shall continue the search.
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| Amazing what a kiss can do |
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| Richie Porte |
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| Last lap |
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| Just crossed the finish line |
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| A bit tired? |
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| Taking the victory salute |
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| Tweet from Josh Edmondson |
Monday 29/04/2013 Neydens to Aix les Bains
70kms in 1hr 44mins
View Monday 29/04/13 in a larger map
Headed south today for Lake Annecy and ended up at Aix les Bains on Lake Bourget. Staying at Camping Sierroz tonight - still very wet. A walk to Aix centre showed it to be a very upmarket town interspersed with very old buildings, but somehow they have made it work and it looks very impressive.
It was here that Glyn discovered the song "After the Goldrush by Prelude" which had been hiding on the i-pod up to now - check it out, it's a brilliant song.
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| More grebes - or are they the same ones following us? |
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| Aix les Bains lake shore |
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| Nice pitch |
Full photo gallery here
Tuesday 30/04/2013
Rained all night so the ground is saturated. Decided to stay another night here and get some washing done and dried. After it was all done we were looking at a boat trip on the lake, but there was low cloud and mist so we would not have seen anything, then tried for a train up the lakeshore, but the prices at Aix les Bains station were exorbitant, so we just had a wander around Aix again while the washing dried.
The site here is looking a bit tired and needs updating - especially the showers. Hot and cold controls are reversed (which can be quite dangerous when you have your eyes shut), the push button puts the water on for only 6 seconds, and the hot water is limited. €30 for 2 nights with ACSI
Full photo gallery here
Wednesday 01/05/2013 Aix les Bains to Bourg-de-Peage
155kms in 3hrs 28mins
View Wednesday 1/05/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Headed south towards Valence, and seeing as no-one had replied to our e-mails about the water pump, we thought we would just turn up and put on our most sad faces and see if we could get any joy out of them.
We found the dealer on a retail park, and as we drove in we thought it was very quiet for 11.00am on a Wednesday, and then the penny dropped. May 1st - it's a bank holiday! and everywhere and everything is shut, and I mean everything.
We wildcamped in a retail car park in Bourg-de-Peage, just across the River Iseres from Roman-sur-Iseres. It's a lovely place - very French, but very shut.
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| A nice quiet car park |
Thursday 02/05/2013 Bourg-de-Peage to Comps
171kms in 2hrs 56mins
View Thursday 02/05/13 in a larger map
Headed out today for another Burstner dealer which we found at Malateverne, just south of Montelimar. After presenting ourselves at reception and waiting around for 30 mins, the said they could not do it for 3 days - too busy. I asked them to phone the next dealer to see if he could do it. They eventually came back to me and said yes - be there at 3.00pm. We were in Les Angles, just south of Orange for 12.30pm, so did some shopping till it was time. The pump was changed in 20 mins with no problem and no complaint at all - very efficient service - well done Sarl Avenir Caravanes, 5 Rue du Ponant, Les Angles.
We bought a National guide to aires in France which list all 3100 of them. Aires are small areas usually run by local councils where you can park your van for the night. They usually have fresh water and somewhere to dispose of grey (shower and sink) water and black (toilet) water. They are usually free or very cheap, to encourage trade into the local village and towns.
Using this, we stopped on an aire on the banks of the River Rhone between Avignon and the Camargue - lovely and quiet with a gorgeous view to wake up to. N43°51'112 E04°36'26" Camping charge was €3.
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| Can't get much nearer the water than this |
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| The view from our window |
Full photo gallery here
Friday 03/05/2013 Comps to Port St Louis du Rhone
77kms in 1hr 24mins
View Friday 03/05/13 in a larger map
As we were so near we decided to have some time in the Camargue - always wanted to go there. We actually stayed on the very edge which, to our suprise, was very industrialised - container ports and HGV's everywhere. We stayed on an aire for €6.20 overnight including 10 mins of fresh water. N43°23'4" E04°49'17" Fabulous secure location on the banks of a canal leading to the Rhone.
We were stopped by the customs on a roundabout on our way here (we are very near Marseille), luckily they missed the drugs, cash, endangered animals and stowaways in the back (only joking - they were very nice people on duty)
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| The view from our window |
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| Road and footbridge over the canal |
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| Canal-side aire |
Saturday 04/05/2013 Port St Louis du Rhone to Sts Maries de la Mer
76kms in 2hrs 02mins
View Saturday 04/05/13 in a larger map
Through the Camargue to the western side of it. 75kms of glorious countryside - flamingos here as well, just like at home. Lots of rice fields also for the red and black rice, and plenty of wading birds in the lagoons. It really is a new picture every time you go round the next bend.
To get here we had to cross the Rhone which we thought would just be a normal bridge, but when we got there - no bridge. Instead there was a ferry battling against the current of the Rhone. So we got on the ferry for €5 to the other side. That Cervantes certainly knows how to travel - first a train and now a boat!
We stopped at another aire (now we have the book) on the beachfront in Sts Maries on tarmac standings. N43°27'12" E04°26'12" The usual fresh water and disposal available, this time for €10. The French really are into Camping Cars (Motorhomes) in a big way - everywhere you go there are fantastic provisions for them.
Had a walk around the town which was very nice, but again a lot of tourist tat.
Watching the local news tonight there were reports of the Rhone and the Isere having flooded many people out of their houses - total devastation. We didn't think too much about it until we realised we had been camping up there only 2 days ago. If we had stayed any longer we may have been in the Camargue in record time. I looked back through the pictures we had taken and found one taken on Friday 03/05/2013 that showed the Rhone "boiling" where it went under a bridge - a sign of things to come?
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| Waiting for the ferry |
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| Plenty of room on board |
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| The tide was pushing us sideways most of the time |
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| Very quiet in the Camargue |
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| White horses of the Camargue |
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| Salt marshes everywhere |
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| A bit cramped but OK for a night |
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| Black bulls of the Camargue |
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| The angry Rhone on 3/5/13 |
Sunday 05/05/2013 Sts Maries de la Mer to Ouveillan
165kms in 2hrs 54mins
View Sunday 05/05/13 in a larger map
Heading for an inland site near Narbonne (we have enough sea and coast at home). Found a free aire N43°17'28" E02°58'12" at Ouveillan - an archetypal French village with narrow streets, nothing at right angles, heavy duty shutters, massive church and one-off specialist shops. All in all a fantastic town - you could make a 1940's movie here and not change a thing!
We called in at a cave after leaving Ouveillan and bought some "artisan products" (rice, salt and wine) and discovered they are part of a French organisation called French Passion. You pay a small fee to join, then have access to participating farms, vineyards, potteries, etc etc where you can stay for free. If you wish you can buy some of their produce, but there is no obligation to do so. They are obviously in some of the nicest countryside areas, so are excellent value.
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| The road to Ouveillan |
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| Things have not changed here for a while |
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| Great old buildings |
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| The original town hall |
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| A sign from the 50's |
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| Old, original buildings |
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| Old, original streets |
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| Nice aire with a good use of space |
Monday 06/05/2013 Ouveillan to Campdevanol
226kms in 3hrs 48mins
View Monday 06/05/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Last night was full of birdsong all night - it sounded like the Masters golf tournament in Augusta. Unusual birds neither of us had ever heard before - very loud, very clear and going all night - very unusual. It sounded just like we imagine the rain forest to sound like - very entertaining.
We left France today to go home to Spain. Found a lovely campsite at Camping Moli Serradell up in the pine forests - only us and another couple here. Beautiful setting in the hills - extremely quiet - wonderful spot. €16 well spent!
Cervantes is performing exceptionally well - never misses a beat, has lots of pulling power in the engine and is as solid as a rock.
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| Very, very remote here - wonderful |
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| Nice, old restaurant (closed out of season) |
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| Lots of walking to be had here |
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| Varied landscapes to walk through |
Full photo gallery here
Tuesday 07/05/2013 Campdevanol to Mequinenza
249kms in 3hrs 21mins
View Tuesday 07/05/13 in a larger map
We were heading for a site in Caspe on the banks of the River Ebro, but on the way, only 20kms from it, we passed through the village of Mequinenza which looked lovely. We stopped for a look and discovered that the wild camping options were excellent. Mequinenza is on the banks of the River Segre, just before it joins the Ebro.
We parked next to the boat launching area and picked up free Wi-Fi from the sports centre next door. Scorching 29° day, so set off to walk up the hill to the castle on the top, but it was private property, so we meandered up the other side into the olive and almond groves to eat our lunch.
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| Great wildcamping spot |
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| View from the hilltop looking East.... |
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| .....and West |
Wednesday 08/05/2013 Mequinenza to Peñiscola
202kms in 3hrs 12mins
View Wednesday 08/05/13 in a larger map Click on larger map to see the full route
Heading for Peñiscola today on the N232 - what a fantastic road. Fast sweeping curves and a great surface. Through the foothills of the Pyrenees there was fantastic scenery of old hilltop castles and mountains and plains. We stopped for toast and coffee just outside Morella in a very basic roadside restaurant. What a place - full of locals who all seemed to be shouting at each other, but were actually just having normal conversations. The toast was done over the embers of a permanently lit wood fire and tasted great. 2 toast and 2 coffees came to €5 - what a bargain.
We were in Camping Vizmar for lunchtime so decided to go into Peñiscola. Menu del dia looked good so we had bread, water, wine, first course, main course and sweet - all for just €10 each (only our second meal out in a month!) When they took the order, we asked for a glass of red wine and a glass of white wine. When they came there were two empty glasses and two bottles of wine - one red and one white. We thought this was a ploy to extract more money out of us, but we were quite willing to pay for two or three glasses extra. When the bill came and we had had half a bottle each - no extra charge! We could have had a full bottle each and the meal for the same price.
The gas bottle ran out whilst on this site. It was one we bought new in November which had been used to heat the house in Spain all winter, then transferred to the van when we bought it in February. It therefore lasted for 4 months heating the house in a mobile heater, and for a minimum of 174 hours on this trip alone, plus the other trips we have done this year. Everytime the engine is stopped and we are not on electric hook-up, the fridge runs on gas. We also use gas to heat the van by blown air heating, for hot water for showers and washing up, and for cooking. A bottle of gas costs €17 so for the time it has lasted I think this is excellent value for money.
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| Nice pitch at Camping Vizmar |
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| Great for the sunset views |
Thursday 09/05/3013 Peñiscola to Home
409kms in 5hrs 25mins
View Thursday 09/05/13 in a larger map
You certainly get close to nature in a motorhome. Last night we had birdsong, donkeys braying, cocks crowing, dogs barking and horses whinneying - very rural.
Steady run down from Peñiscola to home on the N roads and toll-free motorways.
In conclusion
An excellent tour and a steep learning curve on method and practice in the van. Also good to be back home now hot summer weather has arrived.
Wow, what an epic journey you have both had. Well done.Enjoyed following the blog, which was well written and gave a clear picture of your adventures.
ReplyDeleteBron x
Forgot to say - great photos also.
DeleteBron
Thank you Bron - enjoyed writing it almost as much as doing it. Hope it's a good read for most people, and also give some useful useable information to anyone wishing to motorhome where we've been.
DeleteB&G. xxx