September 2008 - Back on the Road!

Tuesday 23rd September:  Saying our goodbyes and waving like mad we left mum and dads around 10am bound for Dover.  A nice sunny, dry but chilly day we both grinned as we got closer to the port and arriving a good two hours early were delighted to be squeezed onto the earlier ferry.  An hour and a half or so later and we disembarked in Calais!

Putting our watches forward an hour, we headed south, passing miles of fields and farmland, all very pretty even though it had turned in to a grey drizzly day.  Pulled up early evening to an Aire in Doullens, a typical French town.

Wednesday 24th September:  Woke up to a grey damp day with lorries still hurtling down the road adjacent to where we were parked.  Sat for ages pouring over maps and guide books to decide where to go and to try and plan a route.  Sort of gave up but decided to head south.

Walked into the town to stretch our legs, all the shop windows looked very inviting especially the patisserie!  Back to the van and headed south, driving along excellent, quiet, long, straight roads; seeing a castle on a hill top we pulled in to have a look. Driving up the hill to the impressive Coucy-le-Chateau-Auffrique we parked in the town square for a bite to eat before walking around the impressive medieval walls and grounds with panoramic views stretching out before us.

Carrying on, we passed many fields of sweetcorn and mile after mile of vineyards, eventually stopping for the night in a car park at Bray-S-Seine, where we sat watching as a river barge moored up in front of us.

Thursday 25th September:  Very quiet during the night but a rude awaking at 7.30am with lorries unloading sand right next to us and a 360º grabber machine loading it onto the barge that we had watched moor up last night!  Consulting our 'All the Aires’ book, we decided to continue south, passing more sweetcorn being grown and fields with many sunflowers, now sadly past their best.  An afternoons beautiful drive through pretty towns and villages, over the Loire (stunning), along dead straight roads where you can see for miles!  Past row upon row of apple orchards (stopping for apples enroute) and arrived at Oradour-sur-Glane early evening, having read about this village: preserved in its decimated state as a memorial to the 642 inhabitants, massacred by Nazi SS on the 10th of June 1944.

Friday 26th September:  We walked to the Centre de la Mémoire in the new town, visiting the museum first and then the village Martyr itself. The ruins are a very poignant reminder of the evil act that had taken place here just over 60 years ago.

Saturday 27th September:  Leaving the village at lunchtime, heading east along the D941 (N141) toward the Mont Dore massif, with stunning views we could see the volcanic peaks (Puys) in the distance.

Stopped in the small village of Aydat, next to a lake, in the pretty tree lined municipal Aire.

Sunday 28th September:  Brrr! -0.7º on this beautiful bright sunny morning - set off for a walk around Lake Aydat.  Stunning!  By midday it was warm in the sun and many people were now out and about, enjoying the great outdoors.  Walked further around the lake and found a nice spot under the trees for our picnic, we sat on the gravel at the waters edge and ate our cheese and tangy pickle sandwiches; entertained by a no-doubt-deadly water snake and some seventeen ducks that came to join us, skidding in and landing on the water by our feet.

Monday 29th September:  Looking out in the morning, the leaves seemed to be changing colour in front of our eyes, a beautiful sight.  Drove off leaving the wonderful Aydat Aire behind us and set off towards the Puy de Dome.  Arriving at the base camp car park, we read a sign explaining motorhomes are not permitted to drive to the top, so parked up and clambered aboard an awaiting tourist bus.  I held my breath as the bus drove up, up and up!  At 1465m this peak is the highest and oldest of the Puys.  It was cold and really windy at the top but we enjoyed an hour exploring the summit, its Roman (Temple to Mercury) ruins and spectacular views.

We spent the rest of the day driving a large, circular tour of the Puys, exploring this picturesque, volcanic landscape, before returning to Aydat early evening.

Tuesday 30th September:  Made the most of a beautiful pitch and its free electric!  Had a lazy day and watched a bit of telly – BBC South East (!)