Month: September 2024

Thursday 19th Sept 2024.

We had originally intended today to visit Riquwihr, Turkheim, Kayserberg and Eguisheim very attractive towns close to Colmar. However after yesterdays tiring day of driving and being tourists we decided to have a relaxing day, there was also the small problem that if we drove off the camping aire, the pitch we had been using could have been taken by someone else.

So the morning was spent on domestic chores, Michelle did the laundry and I filled Homer with water, emptied the waste water etc …

Many sites have their own systems of operation and this one is different, you pay 17 euros to stay but everything else is extra, €2.50 for 4 hours of electricity, a 9 kg wash was €6 euros and to service Homer was €2.50. You had to use your card to obtain jetons, metal discs to feed into the machines.

On our drive into Colmar we drove past a facsimile of the Statue of Liberty on a traffic island and as we walked around the town there were brass signs engraved with an image of the statue of liberty set into the foot paths.

We set Alison a task to find out why, after a while good old Google enlightened us.

Frederick Auguste Bartholdi was a French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty, this was constructed in Paris gifted to America by France and shipped to the USA in sections . He was born in Colmar and maintained a home there all his life, there is an art museum dedicated to him in Colmar. Hence the images.

Wednesday 18th September 2024.

Day 5

We left Metz this morning, filled up with fuel and hit the motorway for a 147 mile drive to Colmar. We are staying on a motorhome stopover at Port de Plaisance for 17 euros a night. After lunch we all walked into Colmar arriving first in “ Little Venice.”

We love this type of architecture and people of France are lucky that so much of it has survived and is maintained well.

We walked on from this area to a park with beautiful fountains, they must have made us thirsty as we had to stop for a beer to refresh ourselves.

From here we headed back into the old town heading for the cathedral which of course I dutifully sat outside, the cathedral was surrounded by buildings so it was difficult to take a photo that did it justice.

The streets from here were lined with old buildings and of course for this area as tradition dictates there had to be a Christmas shop.

As we walked back through Little Venice it was late afternoon and feeling somewhat weary we headed back to the van for the evening.

Tuesday 17th September 2024.

Day 3.

We are staying tonight on a municipal site for motorhomes only, it is situated on an island with River Moselle flowing down both sides.

Metz is a city in the North Eastern Grand Est region with gardens and leafy promenades along the Moselle and Seville rivers. The Gothic Metz Cathedral is famed for its massive amount of stained glass windows.

As usual the interior of the Cathedral was a huge attraction and quite rightly so, but …….

After viewing the Cathedral we wandered off into the rest of Metz, there were some high end shops selling expensive clothing and items such as fountain pens at over €2,000. We decided not to blow the holiday budget but I did buy a jar of jam for €3.40. However when we stopped for a beer each it did cost €10.20, got to get used to it before we hit Switzerland.

We later met Alison and Peter by chance on the Esplanade Arsenal, and we had another drink before wandering back to the van.

Monday 16th September 2024

Day 3.

Our 172 mile journey today took us through an area that is sadly populated with First World War Cemeteries. We came across one at Souchez which we felt we couldn’t drive past without stopping and paying our respect.

As you walk along the headstones it becomes apparent how many soldiers buried there were unidentified, often their regiment is known but not their name. There were many Canadian soldiers buried here.

We stopped for lunch at the outskirts of Cambrai where there was a marina next to the river, we spoke to an English couple on their boat that had been exploring the rivers and canals of France for over 25 years.

Getting through Charleville Meziers to tonight’s stop was a bit of a nightmare so it was comforting to find out later that Alison and Peter had been forced by poor road signs into making the same mistake as us when almost at the aire we are stopping on.

After our evening meal we jointly agreed to walk along the river and into town, it was a good decision as it turned out to be a very pleasant place.

The bridge led us to a street that took us to the heart of the town, it was late evening and the street lights made everything look magic.

The situation of the aire and the beauty of the town made the long drive worth it.

Sunday 15th September 2024.

Day 2.

The day started easily with a short drive to Dover, the ferry departure had been brought forward from 12.05 to 11.30a.m. which was a bonus. We were first to drive onto the middle deck and parked right at the front, the ferry wasn’t crowded another bonus came when it departed at 11.15 a.m.

We are staying tonight at a free aire at the town of Bergues, we have stayed here at least three times before, but it was the first time for Alison and Peter. Bergues is a commune in the Nord department of Northern France 9k south of Dunkirk and 15 K from the Belgian border. The town has an amazing belfry with a Carillon of 50 bells which ring every 15 minutes during the day. ( Interrupts conversation quite regularly). The town ramparts are 5.3 k long partly medieval and partly restored at a later date.

When we walked into the town we found they were celebrating the 80th year of being liberated by Canadian forces in 1944. There was a display of photographs of local people of the time, images of the damage caused by the fighting etc. In the square was a brass band which were playing some marvellous music.

In the past Michelle and I have had a welcome to France drink in a local bar and today we continued the tradition. by visiting the same bar.

The barman was a cheerful soul who was more than happy to try out his English.

A pleasant first day in France.

Saturday 14th September 2024

Day 1, Autumn European trip.

We spent a lot of today on a variety of motorways that led us from home to tonight’s stopover in Kent, can’t say it was an enjoyable journey but it was a means to an end to get close to Dover.

The site is a small 5 van site situated near the village of Pluckley which is known for it connection to The Darling Buds of May. It is well kept with short mown grass and ornamental trees and as the sun was shining on our arrival it was a bonus to be able to sit outside and soak it all in.

A little while later we were joined by Alison and Peter who had a marathon drive here from Lancashire.

Tomorrow it’s a short drive to Dover to catch the ferry to start our European tour.