SATURDAY (88 miles) The ferry was leaving at 7am;
we had to be there at 5 - after a few hours in the most uncomfortable beds in
Newhaven (Contact us for details!) Barry eventually informed us that the bow
thrusters were lit and we were under way. We eventually got to the Campanile in
Liseux (pronounced Lay ur) at 6.30 in the evening - large beers and Ricards all
round and Terry getting 'as relaxed as a newt'. The following morning we heard
the strange phenomenon of the '"canard au la salle de bain' which followed us
around the entire holiday.
SUNDAY (103 miles)
Well
we needed bilge pumps and in our case a fire extinguisher too! A slight
electrical malady ensured that the cloud of smoke from the middle of the
dashboard gave us a case of the Heebie Geebies. Rewired the ignition switch and
off we went. The roll call was Alf - reluctant start (snap), us - the
fire"(crackle) and Barry popping and banging!
Rewiring
ignition switch |
Getting to the
Campanile in Vire - more beer and Ricard and the quote "Do you want any red up
your end!" (Thank you Lyn!)
MONDAY (42 miles)
To Avraches -
it was bloody wet, a coffee shop opposite the Tourist Information Office, (that
was shutting for lunch, after all this is France!) - that served great coffee
(best on the trip - but we don't know that yet!). Chose the most suitable
'Chambre des H'otes' to go back to the Tourist Office with. Needn't have had a
whole list - the first one we tried (Three Bushes La Maraicherie - run by
Madame Desgranges) had a three room Ghitte with a kitchen.
Our base
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So we booked up for
two nights and went off and found it. Via three supermarkets - one being open!
South African Red (Vino Callapso), Grafen Walder bier - just cold, and a trip
around the Gorbels - startling the locals!
TUESDAY (38 miles)
Trip to Mount St Michel - Coffee - How Much? It's all very slopey -
with an enormous amount of steps! We got to the top and went around the Abbey -
proper tourists.
Decided to top up on
beer on the way home - trying to work out what 48 is 'en Francais' - and will
it enough? STOP PRESS: - PENGUINS SPOTTED ON M-S-M SANDS)
WEDNESDAY (57 miles)
Il Pleut, Il Pleut, Il Pleut encore, got the books out, and
waited for the rain to stop and the cabin fever to subside while Barry tried to
alleviate the boredom by swotting as many flies as he could (He's good too)! We
mustered the 'Chamois Wallers' to do their bit and went out for a tour around
the
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neighbourhood, stopped at a Musee (closed for
lunch) so found a coffee shop instead; later that evening Terry decided to
inspect the underside of the car!
THURSDAY (126 miles)
The trip to Dinan and Dinard (postponed from the previous
day) got under way and we trundled there to find an underground car park - the
girls said "Thank You" I swear - and have a wander round the town. Decided upon
Croque Monsieur for lunch, followed by watch repairs (casualty of the undercar
inspection) and Ice Creams - yum.
The Dinan houses
seem to be terribly wobbly - but not as bad as the couple having a blazing
argument in the car park. On our return journey we needed to man the lifeboats
- and when we stopped to buy the evenings groceries the hoods were frantically
put up under cover of the car wash!
Welcome cover
whilst we put our hoods up |
FRIDAY (70
miles)
Decided a trip up the coast
was in order - And Agatha was put away (more of her later!). So the sun was
shining as we went on our "Rue de Côte" to C.G.G. Granville. Where we had
"2 boules" on the war memorial. As Agatha normally takes us twice around
roundabouts, I decided twice around the block was acceptable - it was obviously
meant to happen because a large French gentleman tumbled out of a lorry in a
hurry to give us a yellow poster. On closer inspection this was about a show in
Hudesnil at the weekend.
We carried on
through good 'Frogging country', lunch was nearly on the beach, and afternoon
tea (well coffee) was by the sea. All in all, a very successful day - and we
didn't get wet!
SATURDAY (56
miles)
Hudesnil Tractor and Car
Show. The Midget and Sprite Club - Hampshire Chapter turned up at about 10am
plus a French registered MGA - we had stopped for coffee in the village and
watched tractors being loaded, driven, and towed off.
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We then spent 20 minutes
finding the field! Well it was a show of 39 tractors, 3 Frogs (us) and
the MGA, 2 Jeeps, 2 Dodges and a partridge in a pear tree. 23 degree C heat, no
shelter, and after the drivers
spending a couple of hours
at lunch (with much beer and wine) Monsieur Le President started the road run.
There was tow starting,
blowgun starting and strong men with starting handles. We saw them all off, and
made our break for it. It had been a good (and hot) day; we were even mentioned
to the "Ouest France" Journalist who was there.
SUNDAY (208
miles)
We knew it was going to be a
long day, but having booked a place in Dieppe we were happy. The closer to Caen
we got the less trustful of Agatha Harriet became - but we did get through in
the end! And she didn't like it when we went to look for petrol. After we had
driven trough a town twice, and been waved at by a party of locals and members
of their UK twin town, petrol was dispensed and the loo used.
Dieppe
centre |
One to remember if looking
for petrol in Dieppe, especially after following the 2 minute, 1 minute signs
for ½ hour! Its in Belmesnil (10 minutes in the opposite direction) It
was all too much and Agatha took over for the last couple of miles, we found
the hotel and needed a lie down to get over it all!
The
ferry beckons |
We're on the ferry now -
and on the way home, what of Agath? Well Agatha is a well-equipped mobile with
an out of date map of France! (My 2006 book was out of date too!) She showed us
some quite nice tiny roads, but got confused on the way to Dinan!
Our hosts |
The tiny roads are well
worth travelling - in the 'Frogs' they are great but meeting traffic coming the
other way could be interesting, and not to be used for covering miles either!
The original plan had been to go from place to place but as the weather was
poor at the start of the trip making the decision to stay in one place made it
easier to go out, get wet and go back to dry out! We covered 788 miles in
France (not much!) and were both cold and wet and hot. Lots of coffee in lots
of different places - thanks for the reminders Jen! We had fun - laughing kids
and smiling adults - cars beeping and scooter boys hooting!
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