Monthly Archives: September 2017

France day 2 – Arçais

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Up, showered and breakfasted, we set out on a cloudy day, which intermittently showered, that annoying rain with the wipers on intermittent wipe.  Please rain hard and get it over with, please. We headed off on the D840 joining he N12 at Verneuil-sur-Avre. Turned off on the D401 and then the ever so straight D938. Suddenly the D938 veered to the right on a brand-new road Google knew nothing about. Unusual that a new road does not appear in Google maps, at least in the UK they appear very soon after they have opened. We continued the D838, D301 to Le Mans. This time for our very first time we went past the race track.

We continued through Noyant, Saumur, Thouars and stopped for lunch at an Aires on the D938.  The Aires had a closed café and some loos.  There was a farm nearby selling melons.  On again we then skirted Niort, passed through Coulon and at last reached Arcais.

On the way a couple of events occurred. Man standing in the middle of the road doing a survey, no Day-Glo jacket.  Lucky to be alive, has health and safety bypassed the French? A little while later there was another man in the middle of the road stopping us and asking us to move to the side.  He was an outrider for a rather large boat that was being transported along the road.

At Arcais we booked into the campsite, the weather was looking up, sun shining.  We erected the awning, phoned Mike who was on his own, Linda being out at a choir practice. He came over with a bottle of wine and we chatted.  He left to be at home when Linda returned, and we then cooked our meal.  Alas the rain (very very light drizzle) had started again

France day 1 – Breteuil

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Awake at 6 am, quick wash and we were away before 6.30 to catch the 10.50 Chunnel crossing. The trip was uneventful with much of the road empty of traffic except for one hold up caused by a broken-down lorry on the M25, and rubber necking drivers a mile on who were looking at a van in a seemingly impossible position on the embankment above the barrier of the M25.  Travelling on a weekday is always faster than the weekend.  Weekend delays often caused by inexperienced drivers slowing the traffic flows down. We arrived in plenty of time and were offered an earlier crossing than our booked trip.  Yes, I had already bought my Thames crossing. Did that back in March!!!

We parked at the terminal and availed ourselves of the hospitality offered by Starbucks, coffee and pastries.  Last minute loo breaks and then we were back in the van to board the train. One little break as we were taken aside to have our gas cylinder inspected, seemingly to check it was turned off. Soon we were moving off and left the terminal ahead of schedule. 

We headed off south using toll free roads in a route planned by Google, passing by Boulogne, Montreuil, Vron, Nouvion, Abbeville, Blangy-sur-Brestle, Rouen, Evreux, finally stopping for the night at the campsite  Camping Des Berges De L’Iton in the town of Breteuil where we arrived at 16.39. We overtook a Number 9 Routemaster bus on one road, seemingly devoid of passengers and conductor.

The final 100 yards to the campsite was fun, all roads to it were closed, but we worked around and came to the site from the opposite direction, only to find a Dutch couple coming in from the original direction.  The works for the night had just stopped.  One of the workman who had seen us attempt access from the other side smiled, grinned and laughed at our arrival.

On checking in we were told by Madame we could camp anywhere, so preceded to a nice spot overlooking the mill pond only to be told by some towel waving Dutch that the two pitches were reserved for their friends.  So, we generously moved on to another pitch, and then I laid a long cable to the nearest power point, only to be told by Madame that I could not use that point.  The other nearest power point had two spare slots, but these were for the towel waving Dutch.  Rescue came from another Dutch couple on our other side who offered to plug us into an adaptor they had.   This put a kibosh on the planned chicken meal as not sure we could cook while the Dutch couple were also using the power.  We decided draft beers were needed from the campsite bar. Later, we ate emergency rations for the night, being tuna , pasta, pesto and cheese.

After dinner, we took a walk around the town, but it was totally dead, all bars and restaurants were closed-up tight. The only people we saw were workers taking down the funfair.

R not happy about the site, saying the very few toilets had no seats. (this became a common refrain during the three weeks).  The showers I thought were rather primitive as well.  The washing-up kitchen was rather chipped and worn, too.  The disorganisation of allocating pitches and power points was also rather a downside.  The pitches though are of a reasonable size, all delimited by low hedges.  As is usual now, there were quite a few static caravans here.  The site is not up to the cleanliness of many British C&C Club sites, and nowhere near the best sites like Fforest Fields.

Not to worry, we are here just for the night, before we rush on for the next 5 hours on toll free roads to Arçais to meet up with Linda and Mike.

Pilton Party 2017

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During the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza I knew the Pilton Party tickets went on sale. While R and I were drinking at The Who’d A Thought It pub we saw the ticket office queue, snaking around the corner. After our drink, the queue was smaller.  I joined and left with a ticket, cash only. Any tickets left over went on sale on Monday in the village of Pilton.  The rest went on the Internet.  None made it to the Internet, all tickets sold on the two days with no national advertising. It is supposed to be a local event.

On the Friday I drove down to Somerset, had lunch at the The Who’d A Thought It pub and then bought four special Torsy Moorsy fruit cakes from Burns the Bread. Headed over to Pilton and parked in the party car-park. Camping is not catered for, but there were a few vans, and overnight many cars were left in the car park. I parked next to another camper who had been at the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza, and had been next door to us.

Walked up to the field where the event was held.  It is near where the John Peel stage and The Wood is. (At least I think so.) It was all fenced off, bar food and stage.  Somewhere like 4,000 people were expected, and the weather was lovely.

First on were two winners from the long-running Pilton Working Men’s Club ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition, UK:ID and Arcadia Roots. As you can see not many came to see UK:ID.  A rap band with a woman singer who was very good. I saw a tweet which is asking for bands to audition for next year’s Pilton Party. Though Glastonbury is not running, the party is.  Watch this space.

Next up on the line-up is the fabulous Declan McKenna, who won the Emerging Talent Competition in 2015.  And finally topping the bill this year were the incredible Bastille, who were last in Pilton to play a triumphant set on the Other Stage at Glastonbury 2016. They also had played Leeds & Reading in 2017, where I saw them with Selina..

I have a few pictures of Michael Eavis, should have got a selfie with him. Was so close.  

Back to the camper van where I slept, very noisy in the car park, the party seemed to go on there for a while.  In the morning after a lie in, headed off to find some brunch at a cafe called Hartleys Kitchen.  Its on a country industrial estate and seemed very popular with cyclists on a Saturday. Two groups, one with normal bikes, and another with the latest carbon bikes and SPDs.