Power boat racing but no Park Run.

Saturday 18 June.

 

I was planning to do the Park Run at the esplanade this morning. The weather was beautiful and ideal for running. Moira checked the start time on the internet; it was 9:30 am and it said it would be run with the Scottish Power Boat Championships going on in the background. This competition was taking part today and tomorrow. The only problem was that there wasn't any parking allowed on the esplanade so we planned to leave early and park some distance away and walk the rest. It was 8:00 am when I got up to make the breakfast after watching 'Newswatch' on the TV. This is the programme where they answer viewer's comments and criticism concerning the BBC News. The only problem is that in all time I've watched it I have never witnessed anyone from the BBC holding up their hands and saying that they got it wrong.

 

We left at 8:45 am to get there in plenty of time to walk to the start. Moira drove and parked at a side street off Clarence St. It was just behind the new Aldi supermarket. We walked the five minutes it took to the esplanade. There were 'no parking' cones set up all along the streets and when we reached the esplanade there were stewards and security people in reflective jackets everywhere. The surprise now was that there was nobody about warming up for the run, we were early but not by that much. Further along there wasn't anyone setting up the start either. I asked one of the security people but she didn't have a clue. It looked as if the run had been cancelled due to the event on the river and lack of convenient parking. I decided to run anyway while Moira walked along the front.

 

I was breathless at first and it took me a bit to get into a steady pace. Instead of turning at the boat club and doing the Park Run route I continued to the main road and ran to the the Battery Park where I turned back. I met Moira on the way back just after the boat club. She turned then and I ran all the way back to the Pier Head end where I turned again. I ran until I met Moira walking back where I joined her to walk. I hadn't bothered timing my run but estimated that I had run about 6 km. From the light at the middle of the esplanade to the boat club they had set up stalls and tents, there was an old bus that was a bar, a couple of grandstands had been set up and pop music was blaring out from loudspeakers erected all along the railings at the front. This is going on outside the houses where there had been a complaint last year because someone had dared to paint their house yellow. I wondered how they felt about all this noise and activity that was going at their front doors. Also I would imagine that all the stalls, bars and eateries are being done by out of town concerns while the shops in town would be deserted with all the people coming to watch the racing. Also Moira had spoken to one of the stewards and they weren't local, they were 'zero hour contract' people and had only got a phone call yesterday to turn up for their duties at the event. The other thing that was peculiar was the parking restrictions, we couldn't work out where people were supposed to park, especially if they were from out of town and didn't know the area.

 

As we walked back the power boats were making their way past the Pier Head to the start near the boat club. They had come from the James Watt Dock where they were kept overnight. The racing wasn't beginning until 10:00 am so they could have managed to have the Park Run. We were going to come later to watch but changed our minds when one of the stewards told us they expected 20,000 people today. If that was the case it would be packed and difficult to move. Moira went into Aldi when we reached the car and bought some bedding plants for the garden. After that I drove home. The car, Hyundai i10, in my opinion is much better that the bigger engined i20 that we have in SA.

 

When we got home I intended to do some gardening but was a bit tired after my run so left it until after lunch. I spent the rest of the morning reading the newspaper and managed to complete the 'Telegraph' prize crossword and submit it. When we got into the garden later I started weeding at the top of the garden, it was quite overgrown but the rhubarb that was covering over half the plot was keeping a lot of the weeds at bay. While I did that Moira planted the plants she got at Aldi in the pots and containers that we have distributed about the gravel.

After

Before

After.

Before

 

When we finished we came in and sat in the conservatory reading. The weather was glorious now and very warm. After an hour I had to move into the lounge where it was cooler to continue with my book. After dinner the TV wasn't very good and nothing we wanted to watch. Instead I downloaded a photo editing programme app and worked on a couple of pictures and managed to doctor them up to look quite good.

 

I was feeling a bit choked up and my nose raw. Moira thought it was from working in the garden and the pollen, she gave me an antihistamine pill before I went to bed. Also my left ear seems to be blocked with wax again and Moira put drops of almond oil it it to loosen the wax. I went to bed early and the antihistamine helped me sleep soundly all night.

 

 

 

 

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Lovely weather over the Clyde.

Friday 17 June.

 

The news on the TV was mainly about a MP and Remain campaigner, Jo Cox, who was shot and killed in her constituency. It was by a right wing nutter shouting 'Britain First' while shooting and stabbing her. This is the consequence of this EU Referendum where Nationalists like UKIP lend credence to these loonies and it brings them out of the woodwork.

 

After breakfast today we went out for a walk. I let Moira lead, not wanting to make changes in her route as I usually do. She wanted to walk at her pace and check out her other hip which was now giving her problems. She took a pain killer before we started and she was all right. We walked along the cycle path to Barr's Brae and down to the town. We headed from the town centre to Clune Brae and up the hill home. It was a good walk and Moira felt the benefit of it. The weather was very nice and clear, giving us outstanding views of the Firth as we made our way down into town.

Greenock, the Clyde and the Gareloch.

The River Clyde with Ben Lomond behind.

 

It had been lovely for the walk and when we got back I took further advantage of it and trimmed the back hedge between us and Hugh. The hedge had grown quite a bit and there was a lot to cut off, it filled the garden rubbish bin. When we came in Margaret called on FaceTime, both boys were up and about though Rhys still isn't speaking. Ewan was in tears by the end of the call, he wanted to come up to Scotland for a holiday with us and Hollie.

 

In the afternoon we relaxed and sat out in the conservatory and read. I am getting into my Peter James book, it is all right but all his plots seem to be much the same. In the evening we watched the TV though there wasn't much different on and I got back to my book again for an hour before getting to bed.

 

 

 

 

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Poor Wales, lucky England.

Thursday 16 June.

 

It was another day without a lot of activity. The weather wasn't very good again with showers most of the day. The forecast for tomorrow is lot more promising and hopefully we can get some more gardening done.

 

After breakfast I went into the external hard drive we have looking for a file with the list of marathons and ultra marathons I have run over the years. I found it and transferred it on to the laptop. Then after a lot of hassle eventually managed to get it on to the Google cloud and from there transferee it to the iPad. While I was doing that Moira emptied one or two of the boxes we had shipped over from SA. It was the ones with the books in them and also my diaries. I checked on the list of marathons and for the years that were missing I found the relevant diaries and inserted the results for these years. There are still a couple of years where I couldn't find the diaries and I don't know where they could be. I added up the number of races I have listed and it is about 135. With the years that are missing I estimated that the final total would be over 150. This took most of the day, on and off, to do.

 

We got in touch with Hector and Fiona on FaceTime. They have family coming to stay over the next week or two so it will be a while before we get through to see them. I phoned David on Skype and arranged to see him next week.

 

In the afternoon there was the football match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 Cup. There wasn't any score and about 10 minutes before half time there was a knock at the door. It was a guy wanted to sell me replacement windows at a discount, I eventually told him I wasn't interested and was watching the football. I got rid of him just in time, Wales had a free kick 35 yards out and Bale scored from it. From that distance the keeper should have saved it easily but made a hash of it. In the second half Hodgson made two substitutions, one was Vardy who scored from an offside position and got away with it because a Wales defender touched it with his head first. Wales looked like they were going to hang on for a draw but Sturridge the other England sub score in injury time with one minute to go. The commentators now praised Hodgson for his tactical brilliance with his half time changes, he was just lucky! England were the better team but its still annoying when they win.

 

In the evening I was going to watch 'Springwatch' but Moira said there was a couple of episodes in the 'One Foot in the Grave' comedy series with Richard Wilson. They were quite old now but still good. It was bed time when it finished.

 

 

 

 

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Easy day.

Wednesday 15 June.

 

We didn't do much today. After breakfast I had half an hour pulling weeds again in one of the borders in the back garden. It began to rain and it was on and off all day, mostly on.

 

Moira went out mid-morning to do the shopping and stock up with food. I stayed on and read my book until Jeremy Vine came on the radio at mid-day. In the afternoon Moira continued taking stuff in from the 'van to the house. I later came out to the 'van and we repaired the fridge door that was loose at the top hinge. Something had broken where the spindle slotted in and I filled the gap with rawl plug. This did the trick and the door was closing properly again.

 

I read my book again when we came in, until dinner time and the early evening TV. Later there was three episodes of 'New Tricks' on the Drama channel. We watched two of them and I recorded the third for later then got to bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tidying the garden.

Tuesday 14 June.

 

Moira was up first this morning and made the early cuppa. We had it in bed and read the paper which we downloaded. I hadn't got the TV in the bedroom set up yet and I watched the breakfast TV show on the iPad instead. After the sport's news I got up and made the breakfast.

 

After I had washed up the dishes I got into the garden for an hour and began pulling up weeds growing in the gravel and in the borders at the sides. At the same time Moira did the washing that had built up in the motorhome and hung it out, the weather was looking very nice early on but the forecast on TV said that there was to be rain later.

 

There was still a lot of stuff to get in from the 'van and we spent some time doing that. I got the laptop set up in the 'study' upstairs. After that we checked up on our bank accounts and saving but couldn't find any information on ISA's we have with Santander. We decided to go to their bank in Greenock after lunch and check on the balance for these accounts. Moira parked at Tesco's and we walked over to the bank in the mall to Santander. We found that all we had was £10 in one account, we had transferred the money last year to open the current accounts with Santander that offer good interest rates, and had forgotten about it. On the way back we went to the library in Port Glasgow and got some books to read.

 

When we got home I decided to have half an hour pulling weeds at the borders in the front garden. While I was doing that Ricky next door came out for a chat. I thanked him for cutting the hedges for me and he told me that he had also mown the lawn a couple of times. The spaces between the paving that Ricky had laid for me had weeds growing there. He said he had cleared the ones on his own side then filled in with a kind of grouting. It was called Postcrete and he said if I get a bag of it from B&Q he would grout the spaces on my side. At that point the rain that bad been forecast came on. I shouted to Moira to get her washing in and I finished off pulling more weeds before it got too heavy.

 

I started reading one of the books I got from the library. It was the next one in the Roy Grace detective series by Peter James that I've been reading called 'You Are Dead'. I stopped reading when Moira had the dinner ready and later watched the TV. After 'Mash' tonight we watched 'Springwatch' that was quite good. I was then going to read my book again but a good programme came on about immigration and the referendum. One interesting point was a statement that immigration had been encouraged to increase the work force in order to pay the pensions of the increasing number of the elderly population. I have been of the opinion for a while that the OAP is just a big Ponzi scheme where the people who are working pay the pensions of those retired. Like a Ponzi scheme when you run out of people paying in the whole enterprise collapses. When that programme finished it was time for bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Back in Scotland.

Monday 14 June.

 

I was up before 6:00 am and instead of making just a cup of tea I made the breakfast. Moira only wakened up when I had it ready. When we were finished I took down the bed, washed up while Moira unhooked the electrics. We had everything packed away and on the road for Scotland before 7:00 am. The only problem was the weather, it was raining and sometimes very heavily.

 

The roads to the M4 motorway were all right in the direction we were going, on the other side of the road it was nose to tail, probably heading into the city. When we got on the motorway it was busier and there were hold ups where traffic was joining at the various junctions and we were slowed down a lot. When we came off at Newport it was dual carriageway to the M50 then after a few miles joined the M5. Margaret had said if we got to the Birmingham junctions before 9:00 am there would be delays. We were there about 8:30 am and the traffic was light and we had no problems other than the rain which was coming in very heavy showers.

 

We stopped for a cup of tea after Birmingham but didn't hang about but drank our tea on the run. After Birmingham it was the M6, the traffic was a bit heavier until after the M62 to Manchester and Leeds. We had a few delays with road works and busy junctions with traffic joining. Later it was easier going and the weather improved. I continued until we were in Cumbria where I stopped for lunch at a service area.

 

When we got going again it was 160 km to go. It was now very nice with the sun shining brightly, I had to have my sunglasses on. There was only one more stop, at the services at Hamilton for the loo. With the M74 now going straight to the M8 at the southern end of the Kingston Bridge it was much faster and it was only 3:30 pm so the traffic was light, not the rush hour yet. We had spent six months in South Africa, cruised to seven countries and driven through France but still one of the best sights is the drive down the M8 when you get the first view of the Clyde and the mountains of Argyll on the other side and further down the river glimpses of Ben Lomond towering over the other peaks, it was good to be back.

The Firth of Clyde.

 

It was a surprise when we arrived home to find the front of the hedges nicely trimmed; Hugh next door was out and spoke to us. I asked him about the hedges and if he had cut them but he said it was Ricky on the other side who had done it. We began to unpack some things from the 'van that we would need, mainly the food from the fridge and cupboards. When we finished it was a cup of tea and I got the TV working. There was a lot of mail to go through but Suzy had separated most of it into junk and a small amount of important stuff.

 

For dinner tonight Moira went out for fish and chips. One portion was enough for us to share between us, they are huge. Later we relaxed watching the TV. After the normal programmes there was a Dalziel and Pascoe detective mystery on the Drama channel. I think I had seen it before but wasn't sure. It was quite good. We got to bed when it finished.

 

 

 

 

 

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A braai in Wales!

Sunday 13 June.

 

I was cleaning out the loo cassette when Margaret arrived, a bit earlier than expected, to collect us. We had had breakfast and everything else was ready for us to go but I had left the loo until the last minute. Margaret had been out earlier for her morning run and had done another 10 km route, this one hilly.

 

The boys were up and about when we got to the house and all their toys were scattered about the floor. The TV was on and we had 'Jungle Book', 'Shrek' and 'Pinocchio' in the background throughout the morning. In the afternoon Dave and Bev were coming round for a braai but the weather in the morning wasn't looking too promising, overcast and the wind was cold. Justin had a friend from London staying in Cardiff for the weekend and he had arranged play golf with him in the afternoon.

Better weather for the braai.

 

Dave and Bev arrived about 2:00 pm and luckily the weather had improved considerably. It was very warm when the sun was out but the wind was still cool when some of the fluffy clouds covered the sun. All the toys were now moved outside on to the lawn at the back. Margaret erected a small tent for the boys to play in and a sand box from them to build castles; unfortunately Rhys liked to eat the sand. Ewan was dressed up in a fisherman's outfit he is wearing for a play he is in at the nursery school.

Fisherman Ewan.

 

Margaret had bought the little one-off disposable BBQ's at the supermarket, little metal trays with just enough charcoal to do one braai. She cooked chicken drumsticks, hamburgers and venison sausages. We had the meat with salad and garlic bread. It was very nice. At 6:00 pm it was time to clear up and while we picked up and put away all the toys, tent and chairs the other grandparents gave the boys their bath. A little later Justin got back, we had left him some of the meat from the braai for his dinner. His golf game was good for the first half but downhill for the second nine.

 

Once the boys were in bed it was time for us to go and Dave saved Margaret the trip to the campsite by driving us 'home'. It was on their way, they live in Caerphilly. When we got in the first job was again to make up the bed then I checked the TV. There wasn't anything on we wanted to watch so I read the paper and worked on the crossword before we got to sleep at our usual time.

 

It had been kisses and cuddles with everyone when we left as we head for Scotland in the morning. We will probably won't see them again until we make our way to the Continent again in the autumn.

 

 

 

 

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Enjoying the swings with Rhys.

Saturday 12 June.

 

It was 10:00 am when Margaret came to pick us up. She had been to the swimming pool with the boys; she said Rhys loves the water, but Ewan, though he goes in, isn't that keen. She had them in the car, Rhys was tired and sleeping after his swimming but Ewan was wide awake and full of life. We had been up early as usual, had breakfast and showered so were all ready to go when they arrived.

Ewan.

 

Rhys sound asleep.

Justin had gone to the gym and when he got back Margaret then went out for a 10 km run. After lunch Ewan was going to a birthday party for one of his little friends from nursery school who lived nearby. He was looking quite smart in his pork pie hat. Margaret was going with him and Justin was doing some running, hill training, so we were looking after Rhys. We took him in his push chair to the lake again and the swing park.

Ready for the birthday party.

 

We took the path that comes out at Cardiff High School then over to Roath Lake. Rhys had a bit of a cry just after we started but he cheered up and was haply enough afterwards. He wasn't interested in the ducks and the many dogs being walked but his face lit up when we reached the swings. He really loves getting pushed and swinging high and giggles away all the time. The only problem was ending the session, he didn't want to stop and there was some tears but they didn't last long. Moira bought iced cream cones at the van and she put a little spoonful on a cracker that Rhys had to eat. He wasn't sure about it at first but it melted over his fingers and after licking them discovered he liked it and enjoyed his flavoured cracker. We took the same route back and he was so quiet I thought he was sleeping but he was just looking around and happy.

 

Enjoying the swing.

Justin was back and was watching the Euro Cup game on TV between Wales and Slovakia. It was quite a good game and Wales won 2-1. Margaret got back with Ewan from the party about 6:00 pm. Ewan had a good time and had a bag with sweets and his piece of the birthday cake that he put in the fridge for tomorrow. The two boys were very tired after all their activities today and Margaret got them to bed before we sat down for dinner. We had steaks tonight with broccoli and there was some carbohydrate - garlic bread, it was very nice.

 

Margaret ran us to the campsite at 8:00 pm again. I made up the bed right away then watched the football on TV. It was England against Russia. It had already started and was goalless at the interval. England scored from a free kick early after the restart and it looked like it was going to be a win for them as Russia hadn't come near to scoring. At 90 minutes I got up to go to the toilet and take out my hearing aids to get ready for sleeping, it was then while I wasn't watching that Russia equalised in injury time. Poor England ! They are in the same group as Wales and play them next Thursday, if they lose they will be close to going out in the group stage.

 

I got to sleep happy with the result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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At Roath Lake with Ewan and Rhys.

Friday 11 June.

 

We had plenty of time to read the paper, have breakfast and watch the news on TV before Margaret arrived for us at 9:00 am. It was a lovely morning and was going to be another warm day. We had to squeeze into the back of the car, Ewan was in his seat at the front and Rhys' seat was in the back. There wasn't much room and a struggle to get our seat belts fastened before setting off. Rhys was a bit unhappy again and grumpy but Ewan was full of life and chatty.

 

Justin was out when we got to the house and we had a cup of tea before getting ready to go for a walk. Margaret had Rhys in his push-chair but Ewan walked. Soon after we left Rhys dropped off to sleep and was still sleeping when we got back. We walked to Roath lake and fed the ducks as we made our way round to the swing park. Ewan likes feeding the ducks but is a bit frightened when they get to close and he throws the bread from a distance. At the swing park we had to walk round the path to get in but Ewan went down the big slide to get there. We spent about 15 minutes pushing Ewan on a swing while Rhys slept through it all. On the way back on the other side of the lake there was a swan with about half a dozen little cygnets, she was very protective and hissed at any of the ducks that came too close to her young ones. Ewan manage to keep walking until we were nearly home but eventually he got too tired and Margaret and I took turns of carrying him.

Little cygnets.

 

It was lunchtime when we got back and Rhys was still sleeping and didn't waken for another hour. After lunch Ewan was getting tired as well and fell asleep on the couch. When Rhys wakened he had something to eat then Margaret and Moira took him with them when they went shopping at the supermarket, I was left to keep an eye on Ewan. About an hour later Justin got home and Ewan was still sleeping. We had a chat about his redundancy and job prospects before getting on to football.

 

This morning the WiFi was good, we managed to download the newspaper and I began uploading photos to the Google cloud. But in the afternoon the internet connection disappeared and I couldn't even get it to open for email. Before dinner we were supposed to be going with Ewan to his judo class but when he eventually woke up he was a bit hot and not feeling well. So Margaret decided he wasn't going and began making the dinner. We had fried chicken breast with salad, Margaret and Justin are on the Tim Noakes' protein diet and eat very little carbohydrates. It was very nice but I would have liked chips or potatoes with it.

 

After dinner Margaret got the boys to bed. They went off without any problem and seemed to be soon sound asleep. Margaret also goes to bed early as she starts work at 6:30 am, this extra time enables her to work a four day week and she has Fridays off. So she ran us back to the campsite about 8:00 pm. I made up the bed as soon as we got in and I watched the opening game in the European Nations Cup between the hosts France and Croatia. It was nearly half time when I turned it on and there had been no score. France got a goal early in the second half but Croatia equalised. It looked like a draw but the French got the winner in the last minute.

 

As soon as it finished it was time to switch off the light and get to sleep.

 

 

 

 

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Arrived in Cardiff.

Thursday 9 June.

 

It was a lovely morning and there hadn't been any rain last night. I emptied the loo when I got up and then filled the fresh water tank and heated the water for a shower. After breakfast when everything was packed away we were ready to go.

 

After the narrow lane over to Shephedswell it was quite a good road for the shot distance to the A2. It was dual carriageway until we reached the M20 motorway connection to the M25 ring road round London. It was quite fast going and there was only one hold up on the ring road with an accident but it was only for about 15 minutes. After joining the M4 at Heathrow it was 23 miles to the first service area at Reading where we stopped for a cup of tea. It was mid-day when we stopped but too early for lunch so I drove for another hour and we drank our tea on the move. It was near the river Avon when we had lunch and relaxed for about an hour.

 

When we got going again it was about 90 minutes to get to the farm campsite at Thornhill near Caerphilly north of Cardiff centre. Margaret had booked us into the site and three of the five pitches were already taken. I parked in a nice flat spot at the top end and once the electrics were connect I made a cup of coffee and checked out the TV reception - excellent.

 

Moira phoned Justin's parents, Dave and Bev, who were looking after the boys and they arrived with them just after 4:00 pm. Ewan was quite lively but Rhys was fretting and clinging. We had a walk around the animal pens with donkeys, pigs, cows and alpacas. Dave and I took turns of carrying Rhys who wouldn't walk. When we got back to the 'van we gave Ewan the animal toys we bought and Rhys the little car. Ewan amused himself with the models but Rhys went outside and was happy sitting on the ground playing with the gravel and stones. Dave and Bev stayed until Margaret arrived from work. It was time for their bed when they got home and Margaret normally goes to bed early as well so they left about 6:30 pm and we arranged for Margaret to pick us up in the morning.

 

Moira made chicken curry for dinner and we had it while watching 'Mash'. After washing up and 'Springwatch' we got to bed and read for an hour before getting to sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Finishing the Via Francigena.

Wednesday 8 June.

 

I got up before 6:00 am this morning to make a cup of tea. It was still raining but there was brighter sky showing in the distance and we were hopeful it would clear up. I put the TV on for the weather forecast and it was supposed to become sunny and warm as soon as the sun got a bit higher in the sky. We decided to get ready and put on our rain jackets at the start, this would keep us warm initially rather than a fleece. I made the breakfast and Moira got the daypack ready. It was 7:00 am when we set off.

 

Back on the Via Francigena.

It was still raining slightly as we climbed the hill from the farm but the sky was definitely getting brighter and the clouds breaking up. Once at the top of the hill it was a pleasant walk along the lane with woods on one side and fields of wheat on the other. When we reached the junction with the road into Shepherdswell we picked up the waymarks for the North Downs Way and the Via Francigena. It was now on narrow paths very wet from all the rain, it wasn't long before our shoes were soaking wet and our heights were increased by inches of mud under our soles. Most of route was through the corn fields but the paths were cut in wide swathes but still very muddy. We soon came to a crossroads, one was going to the village of Coldred, a village about a kilometre away near the A2, instead we followed the lane opposite, Singledge Lane, I had remembered seeing this name in the guide book and on the map. It was marked with the sign for the '16' cycle route to Dover but we didn't check for any walking route waymarks. It was a lovely walk on a dry tarred surface and the sun was now shining and the rain jackets packed away but soon we were worried by the lack of waymarks.

Singledge Lane.

 

Moira got the iPad out for the guide book but it didn't help, you have to be following all the time to know where you are and if you have gone wrong it doesn't tell you where you are. When we were doing the Via Francigena I would write the route out in a little note book each night for the following day and this was easy to use to keep track as we went along. I should have done the same this time or carried the iPad as we walked. It was a long way to turn back to the last waymark and we thought we were at least on the cycle route so that should get us to Dover anyway. Singledge Lane was about 8 km long and eventually cleared the farm lands and reached houses in the suburb of Whitfield. There was a road sign indicating Dover 4 miles straight ahead but the cycle route was pointed to the left. Moira was now doubtful about where the cycle route was actually headed but I thought the route indicated to Dover might be heading for the A2. I won and we followed the cycle route. Soon we met a woman out with a pram walking her baby, she told us to turn up to the right to pick up the Dover road from a roundabout, from there it was a pavement all the way, she promised. We settled on that but checked with a man we met further up the road, he confirmed the woman's suggestions but told us how to get back to the North Downs Way but it involved a 3 mile detour and he said the conditions would be very bad after all the heavy rains.

 

We followed the road to the roundabout and fortunately there was an underpass to get us over this busy junction to the road we wanted. It was a busy road, indicated to be going to Dover North, and there was a pavement all the way. It was a steep downhill and halfway down we came to the 'Welcome to Dover' signpost. At the bottom of the hill we checked at a map at a bus stop, we were at Buckland, and from there it was a straight road, A256, with a pavement into Dover town centre. It was still about 5 km to go and very hot now. We stopped at a Morrison's supermarket to use the toilets and also bought a cool drink. After that there was a walking/cycle route to the town centre, now just 2 km. It took us along a lovely river path with lots of ducks swimming about, there was also a black bird with a red beak pecking about in the reeds, it was a moorhen.

River walk to town centre.

A moorhen.

 

Eventually we got to the town centre and had completed the section of the Via Francigena that we had skipped because of my back pain. Although we hadn't followed the official route for part of this section it had been only a little bit shorter and in addition we had walked the bit from Barfrestone to Shepherdswell and would have to do it again later. So it had still been a good day's walk!

 

In the town centre there was a MacDonald's and we had an iced cream while making use if their WiFi. I got yesterday and today's 'Telegraph' downloaded and uploaded a good number of photographs to the Google cloud. It was still too early for lunch but we checked at the tourist info office for an Indian restaurant, we fancied a curry. They directed up to one nearby but it looked a bit upmarket, though the prices were normal. Now we had found one we went to the seafront and sat on a bench in the now very warm sun. We watched ferries coming and going into the harbour and also three people swimming backwards and forward in the water. I wondered if they were training for a channel swim.

 

Dover centre.

We sat for about half an hour resting and when ready to go for lunch Moira said she wasn't that hungry and a curry would be too much for her. Instead we got one fish and chips between us and ate it on a park bench. The fish was cod and not as nice as the haddock we are used to. After lunch we strolled through the town and admired the beautiful church before making our way to the railway station.

 

We just missed a train when we arrived at the station and had an hour to wait for the next one. We went to he pub opposite and had a beer. I tried the bitter for a change but it is an acquired taste and I have lost it, I will stick to lager. We read the newspaper on the iPads until it was time for the train. The train was to London Victoria but our stop at Shepherdswell was just the second station and it took under 10 minutes. The walk back to the farm at Barfrestone was a bit longer from the station but it was pleasant in the afternoon sunshine. The edges of the fields at the start of the lane was a mass of bright red poppies.

Display on red poppies.

Back at Barfrestone.

 

When we got in we sat outside with a cup of coffee until it was time to come in for 'Eggheads' and dinner, just a hamburger tonight having had a biggish lunch, There wasn't anything different to watch on TV after the washing up was done. We got to bed about 9:00 pm and I managed to finish the crossword before getting to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Back in the UK.

Tuesday 7 June.

 

It was a lovely morning when I got up to make a cup of tea. It was a cloudless blue sky and the wind of yesterday had dropped away to nothing. When we had finished our tea we dressed and got out for a walk along the beach. The sand was soft at first but as we got nearer the shoreline it became hard packed and was flat. This was ideal for walking and we went out for 15 minutes before turning and making our way back again. It was fairly quiet on the beach, a few others walking and we saw one guy out for a jog. The ferries were running and going by the noise through the night it was ongoing. A P&O ferry was turning into the harbour as we arrived back at the road. At the boulangerie Moira picked up a baguette then it was back to the 'van.

 

I tried to get the TV while we had breakfast but the picture was breaking up again, instead we listened to the radio. We were packed up and ready to go by 8:30 am and even though our ferry want until 10:45 we headed for the terminal anyway. Moira and Tom Tom found a more direct route to the harbour, more or less the one we walked when we came over to do the Via Francigena. I went as instructed by Moira to the DFDS check-in point and when I showed our booking on the iPad was told our ticket was with P&O. I had to reverse out and cut across to the P&O counter. Next it was French immigration followed by the UK one, the British border is still this side of the channel and it depends on the outcome of the EU referendum if it stays that way. The next thing was a search of the motorhome for presumably illegal immigrants or stow-aways. They didn't find any and we proceeded to our designated queue line to await boarding. I thought there was nearly 2 hours to wait until the ferry and was working happily on my iPad but they started loading almost immediately. They must have put us on an earlier crossing.

 

We were one of the first on and made our way up to the lounges for a seat. There was WiFi on board but they wanted £2 to connect, I didn't bother, we will find a MacDonald's and get the WiFi for the price of an iced cream. The ferry got very noisy with parties of school children coming over from France to visit Canterbury Cathedral on a day trip. They were continuously wandering round and round in groups and they didn't seem to be able to just talk, they shouted at each other. I went to the loo and when I came back Moira was surrounded by a group of the school girls. They were going through a questionnaire with her, it was in English and must have been a project for their English language class. It was questions like, where she was from, her hobbies, favourite football team. The final question was did Moira have any advice for them, she said: always have a raincoat with you when in the UK.

 

When we arrived at Dover it was a job getting through the crowds of school kids waiting to go down to their buses. I didn't envy the teacher's job making sure that they were all safe and sound and present. It wasn't long until I was off and having to remember to drive on the left now. I took the A2 dual carriageway going to Canterbury. We were making for the small farm caravan site that we had booked into at Barfrestone, from there it wasn't far to the village of Shepherdswell where we want to walk the leg of the Via Francigena that we had missed. When we left the A2 after about 7 miles it was very minor single track lanes with passing places to Shepherdswell. From there it was another mile to Barfrestone on an even narrower lane without passing places, luckily nothing was coming the other way before we reached the farm.

 

At first we didn't think it was a working farm, it was so neat and tidy but we did hear cows moo-ing and the smell of manure in the air. The 'site' was the courtyard surrounded by large brick barns and through a gate in the corner was the house with a lovely garden. The couple in the house were in a hurry to get off some where and we only had time to say 'hello' and get instructions about where everything was. I tried to get information about getting to the start of the walk we are doing tomorrow but they kept looking at watches and were obviously desperate to get away. Back at the 'van Moira hooked us up to the electrics and although it was early we had lunch, that is early by BST but we were up an hour earlier for breakfast and now hungry.

 

The early morning clouds had cleared and it was now very warm. Moira got a chair out and sat under a tree on the lawn while I stayed in the 'van and listened to Jeremy Vine on the radio. When his programme finished I joined Moira outside. Unfortunately the good weather didn't last long, dark clouds gathered and we moved in before the rain started. It came down in torrents along with thunder and lightning. It went off after an hour but later in the evening there was another storm and it was still pouring down when we went to bed. It wasn't looking very promising for walking in the morning, even if it was dry the ground would be very wet underfoot.

 

Other times for doing things was getting back to normal and we had our dinner while 'Eggheads' was on the TV. Then we washed up in the sinks at the toilet block. It was the usual TV later and we got to sleep at about 10:00 pm to the sound of the rain beating a steady tattoo on the 'van roof.

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Calais today, Dover tomorrow.

Monday 6 June.

 

It was pouring rain when I got up to make a cup of tea. We lay in bed hoping it would soon go off as Moira wanted to go out for bread. It didn't so we just had muesli and yoghurt. After that we looked out the window at the weather and at last there was bright patches coming over. In about 15 minutes it had stopped and Moira got a baguette from the boulangerie round the corner. We had our bread and butter before packing up and going.

 

I parked at the town hall and checked out the tourist info for WiFi. The office was open but there wasn't anyone in attendance, it was just a place to pick up leaflets and brochures. There was WiFi but still we couldn't get in, so we gave up and left.

 

The signpost near the village square pointed the road to Boulogne but not Calais our final destination in France. We took the Boulogne road hoping we would soon get signs for Calais. The route finding wasn't looking promising as we went from one busy village/suburb to the next with still no indication to Calais. At Outreau we saw a large L'Ectric supermarket and stopped there to fill with diesel and stock up with wine to take back with us. The fill of diesel now gives me plenty to go us to Cardiff and beyond, it is probably 12-13% cheaper here than the UK. The wine is also much cheaper and we bought about 20 litres.

 

Before getting back on the road we examined the map and decided we wanted to get on to the A16 motorway that had been signposted at a roundabout outside the supermarket. This would take us directly to Calais. We followed the signs from the roundabout and now Calais was appearing on the boards. It wasn't far to the motorway and I was soon speeding along to the ferry port. TomTom was now on track and from the motorway exit guided us to the aire on the front opposite the harbour where the channel ferries came in. Unfortunately the aire was being demolished by large diggers and in another part a pile driver seemed to be working, judging by the noise. They had made the car park available to camper-vans by removing the height barriers. Before finding a spot I went to the service area, emptied the waste water then began filling with fresh water. The water flow was dead slow and stop but we had plenty of time until another 'van pulled up behind and sat there impatiently. After a while I gave up, I reckoned I had enough for a shower and for cooking. I found a good spot at the front where we could watch the ferries coming and going. It was fairly level but needed a little lift at the front with the ramps.

 

While Moira prepared lunch I tried the cab radio to find out what I could pick up. I managed to get all the FM BBC stations and over lunch listened to Jeremy Vine. It was mostly about the EU Referendum and he had Cameron on his show. Both Moira and I agree that if we were weren't committed 'remain' voters Cameron (also remain) could easily make us change our minds. I tuned the TV in again and got all the channels we had last night. The reception was good but I wasn't sure if it would last into the evening.

 

Mid-afternoon we went out looking for a source of WiFi here. There was a some shops and bars around a block near the aire but none of the bars had a sign offering WiFi. There was a pharmacy where Moira managed to get more antihistamine pills for her cough and allergies. There was also a boulangerie that will be handy for bread in the morning. The road from there went straight to the centre of Calais with a tall archway in the middle of a square and a lovely round topped church. There were plenty of restaurants and bars about and Moira kept checking for WiFi on her iPad. We got a free source at the Cafe de Paris and went in; I ordered two beers and we had over half an hour on the internet. We both got the newspapers downloaded and I posted my blog for the last three days. I also did a post on Face Book. Moira managed to contact Suzy on FaceTime and we had a chat with Hollie, she is getting excited about going off on holiday in two days.

 

Once our internetting was done we headed back. The weather was very nice now, the sun was shining from a blue sky but unfortunately there was a cold wind coming off the sea. We had a cup of coffee then I decided to go for a walk out the long wall/jetty that made one side of the harbour. There were lots of people with the same idea strolling out to the lighthouse at the end. As usual.there were the fishermen taking up a lot of the room and we had to dodge round their rods that were halfway across the walkway. At the end there were nice views back to Calais and its glorious flat sandy beach. As we stood there a P&O Ferry made its way into the harbour. We made our way back to the aire and one fisherman had made a catch, it looked like an eel.

 

Tonight for dinner Moira fried pork chops. When they were just about ready I went to the take-away stall close-by and bought a bag of chips. That was our meal and for dessert I went out again to the iced cream van where I got two cones with caramel flavoured iced cream. On the TV we managed to watch 'Eggheads' then part of 'Springwatch Unsprung' before the picture broke up. I put on the True Entertainment channel and we were successful with 'Mash' for an hour. It was 9:00 pm when that finished so it was rime to make the bed where we read the paper for an hour before getting to sleep

 

 

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England in sight, well the TV anyway!

Sunday 5 June.

 

It was a bit far to walk into town for bread so we made do with just muesli and yoghurt for breakfast and would pick up bread later. Moira still wasn't very well and didn't have a good night's sleep again with coughing. We relaxed and read for a while before getting up, there was no hurry as we were only doing about 240 km.

 

When we left Moira had us heading up the road we had come in on yesterday from the motorway. She told me later that Tom Tom had said it was the wrong way and to turn around but she ignored it. When we reached Goderville there was a boulangerie open and I stopped for bread. While Moira was in the bakery I checked the map and found we had gone the wrong way and should have headed along the coast from Etretat to Fecamp. We now made for Fecamp by another road and by the time we got there I had driven about 40 km to gain about 10 km. Now we could continue by the intended coastal route to St-Valery-en-Caux and Dieppe. But Tom Tom had other ideas and wanted to go back more or less in the direction we had come and pick up the motorway and Moira now decided she wanted to follow Tom Tom. After a lot of shouting and arguing I headed inland again to pick up the A28 motorway. We could have gone by the motorway initially but the section from where we would have joined it to the other side of Rouen was toll. We took a normal road that ran parallel with the A28 toll until St. Saens where it was freeway.

 

Once on the motorway I stopped at the first service area and we had our bread now with a cup of tea. We were going to go to a campsite in Boulogne today but I was fed up with all the route changes and not knowing where I was most of the time that I said let's just go to our favourite aire on the Somme at Le Crotoy. When I got started again I was feeling better and calmer after the break and a cup of tea that I changed my mind and went back to the original plan, the campsite at Boulogne.

 

At Abbeville the motorway became toll again so we came off onto normal roads towards Boulogne. As we crossed the river Somme I had a CD on with one of the music selections I had compiled, coincidentally the song playing just then was the Corries version of 'Green Fields of France'. This is the thoughts of someone sitting at the grave side of a young man killed in the First World War, it was more moving at that particular time as we were passing though the area of some of the worst fighting.

 

The campsite wasn't actually in Boulogne but a little village on the coast a few kilometres prior to the port, St. Etienne-sur-mer. There was a signpost to the campsite as we entered the resort but the Tom Tom took us around back streets to a dead end. We ignored the GPS and tried going in the direction the signpost pointed. It didn't help and we arrived at an aire instead and settled for that. It was a trial to get through the barrier and that just required getting a ticket to pay when we leave; that will be another mission. The fee was €7 but the services were all extra including electricity but you had to use a token to access these and no indication where or how to get these jetons (tokens). We picked a fairly level spot but it still required the ramps to lift the front up slightly then it was time for lunch.

 

Later in the afternoon we decided to go for a walk have a look at the place and see if we could get WiFi anywhere. We made in the direction where we thought the campsite we had been looking for might be. We climbed a steep hill and then down the other side to where the beach seemed to be. It was nearly all houses, there was one restaurant but it was closed. As the road levelled out near the sea we discovered the campsite, it was €15 for the night and if that included services and electrics it was not bad but it was difficult to work out from their tariff list what you were paying for. We asked at the office if they had the jetons for the services at the aire but all we got was the 'Gallic' shoulder shrug. We checked on our iPads for WiFi but there was none showing. Other than the campsite there wasn't any other sign of life in the area but there was a town map displayed on a board nearby. It showed that all the shops were close to the aire and if we had turned left instead of going up the hill we would have found them, there was also a tourist info office at the Mairie close to the shops.

 

We made our way back, up and down hill, and found the shopping area. There were two or three shops, one a boulangerie, a hotel, a restaurant, the post office and tourist office attached to the Town Hall but all closed. We checked the WiFi again on our iPads and there was a service but we couldn't access it without a password. It was back to the aire and the motorhome. This was a place that we wouldn't be planning to visit again in a hurry!

 

After a break and a cup of coffee I decided to check out the TV, to see if I could pick up the UK channels now that we were close to England. I didn't expect anything and was surprised when it picked up all the normal Freeview channels. On ITV the French Open Tennis final had just ended, Murray lost to Djokovic. I was glad it was over as I might have been tempted to watch it. I turned it off then to save the battery and put it on again after dinner to watch 'Pointless' then 'Countryfile'. Unfortunately the picture began breaking up and it didn't make any difference when I adjusted the position of the aerial. I tried other channels and True Entertainment was working fine and 'Mash' was on. We managed to watch that for half am hour before it also started breaking up and eventually we lost everything. At least we had seen a bit of TV without the hassle of putting up the satellite dish.

 

By that time it was 9:00 pm so I made up the bed and we read for an hour before getting to sleep. The aire was quite busy but as usual with motor-homers it was nice and quiet.

 

 

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Etretat.

Saturday 4 June.

 

After having breakfast we packed up and were ready to go at 9:00 am. Before leaving we emptied the waste water, cleaned the toilet cassette and filled with fresh water. It had been a nice aire, a little expensive but we did have WiFi of a sort.

 

We headed up to Pontorson where Moira picked up a baguette before taking the N175 for a short distance to get back onto the A84 motorway again, to Caen. It was a good fast run and I was able to average about 60 mph. We were heading for Etretat on the coast and took the shortest route after Caen which involved a toll road heading for Le Havre. There were three toll gates to go through in total and the stretch cost about €20. The trouble with toll roads in France is that there is no indication of the charge, you only find out what you owe when you arrive at the toll plaza. It was a beautiful run, especially the bridges, magnificent sweeping affairs, one over the estuary of La Seine and the second crossing high up over the Grand Canal. We came off the motorway before reaching Le Havre and took the D940 to Etretat. There was a shopping mall in the town of Criquetot about 9km before Etretat where I filled up with diesel and Moira got pork chops for dinner and some more strawberries.The aire where we were staying was about a kilometre before the town and was situated next to the municipal campsite. It was all right but no electrics and the services, water etc were extra. Luckily I had filled with water and cleaned the loo before leaving this morning and all it cost was the parking fee, €8, for the night.

 

It was lunchtime when we were settled then after we had eaten we prepared for a walk. It was a good kilometre into town through a housing suburb but soon we moved into hotels, restaurants and shops. There was a tourist information office in the square where we picked up a map and the woman showed us on it the way to the front and the walk up to the cliffs on either side of the bay. We headed down a pedestrian precinct with lots more restaurants and souvenir shops. There were cafes selling iced cream and the price was reasonable at €2 for a cone and fridge magnets were not bad at €3:50 each but I didn't buy one.

 

Once we reached the prom one direction led to a cliff with a rock formation at the point with an archway cut by the action of the waves on the base. On the cliffs at the other end was perched a church with a pointed steeple and at the base of the cliff another hollowed out hole in the tall pinnacle of rock. We went to the left first and along the esplanade there were plaques with paintings by Monet of the area and reminding us that he came from here. Soon we were climbing stairs and a steep pathway up to the top of the cliff. On the landward side was a golf course with the fairways an emerald green and the greens smoothly mown. To the sea we had outstanding views of the rocks, the top was called '.a chambre des desmoiselles' and the archway below, 'la porte d'Aval'. At the top the path level out and we continued to the next outcrop of rock, 'la Manne porte', another with a hole eroded in its base. At that spot we turned back and made our way all the way down again to the front. There were lots of people on the tops and even more strolling along the prom, it was a nice warm spring day and the tourists were enjoying it.

 

We stopped and bought an iced cream licked it as we now headed for the climb up the cliff at the other end. It was a winding stairway to the top and on the flat surface there was the delightful little church, la Chapelle, but it was closed and we couldn't see inside. We walked along the clifftop path for the view of the rocky promontory here, 'le Chaudron'. By this time we had been out for nearly 2 hours and getting tired with all the climbing so decided to call it a day and head back to the aire. At the church there was a large carpark and a road leading to town from there, we took that route rather than the stairs. From the town centre it was the kilometre, now feeling longer, back to the suburbs and the motorhome.

 

There wasn't any TV or radio tonight after dinner, dodgy running it from the battery as our leisure ones are still flat. I will have to replace them when we get back to Scotland and get the charging system form the solar panel checked. We spent the evening reading and I still had a 'Telegraph' crossword to be done. We got to bed at the usual time but we didn't sleep much, Moira was coughing most on the night, or so it seemed. I told her, as she tells me, to gargle with salt and water but she insisted that it was coming from her chest and not an irritation in her throat so the magic cure of salt and water wouldn't work.

 

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A walk along the canal.

Friday 3 June.

 

Moira wasn't feeling very good this morning when she got up. She was wheezing and coughing. We decided to take it easy and see how she was at lunch time and whether we would do anything in the afternoon. Once we had breakfast the morning was spent reading the paper and I managed to complete the crossword. I had the radio on and we listened to Radio 4.

 

Once we had lunch, a plate of soup and crusty bread to dip in, Moira was a bit better and we headed out for a short walk. We took the canal path in the other direction and the signpost said 'Pontorson 6 km'. This would be a bit too far, there and back, so I thought we should just go a couple of kays along the path and then return. After another kilometre we came to a bridge crossing the canal and the signpost indicated 'Cancale' but no distance. There were the tops of some houses visible and we assumed it was a village and made our way in that direction. It turned out to be just a few cottages but no indication of a village name. At a main road there was a sign for a cycle route, 'Digue de la Duchess Anne' and we hoped it would lead back to the canal, so we followed it. It twisted and turned a bit and we were ready to retrace our steps when two cyclists came along and surprise, surprise were English. They said they were cycling on this route to St Malo and it didn't go anywhere near the canal. Again I was ready to retrace our steps but Moira checked the map and where we were on her iPhone app. She figured out that if we kept going on this cycle trail we would come to a main road and after a few twists and turns eventually get to the bridge over the canal at Beauvoir. She kept checking where we were and when to turn, it was a long way but at last the bridge came into sight and we were nearly 'home'. It had been a much longer walk than we initially intended but Moira was walking well and seemed to be feeling much better. I checked the map we got at the info office at the Mont later, the 'Digue de la Duchess Anne' was a dyke that was built to keep the sea out and reclaim the lane. Part of the area was called the Polders, a similar name as the reclaimed lands in Holland. Also Cancale wasn't the little village of a few cottages but quite a large town on a point at the end of the estuary, at least 20 km away.

 

We were having omelette for dinner tonight and going back through the village we checked on a take-away to get chips to go with it. It was closed but I thought maybe they were having a siesta and may open later. When we got in I made a cup of coffee and watched the horse racing from Epsom. It was derby week but today it was the Oaks. It was a good race and the favourite was a run-away winner. Moira made the omelette about 6:00 pm and I checked the shop for chips but it was still shut. We had bread and butter with it instead.

 

Early evening the TV was normal, 'Eggheads' then 'Mash'. There wasn't any 'Springwatch' tonight and instead I watch a very old 'Good Old Days' variety music hall, it was quite good then it was off to sleep.

 

 

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Mont Saint Michel.

Thursday 2 June.

 

It rained during the night and it was still coming down heavily when we woke up. It didn't look like we were going to get out today so after breakfast we downloaded the 'Telegraph' and spent the morning reading it. I finished the crossword and also finished the book I was reading before lunch. Another motorhome arrived and parked next to us, the aire is huge with plenty of empty spaces I don't know what was so special about the spot next to us.

 

Mont Saint Michel in the distance

The rain had gone off and it was beginning to look more promising, so after lunch we decided to go for a walk. I intended just to walk along the path in the direction of St Michel but cross the bridge we could see before the Mont, there we would cross to the other side and come back along the opposite bank. We were walking at a brisk pace and feeling all right though Moira had started coughing again earlier and was choked up. When we reached the next bridge we found that it was a barrage to control the water level in the canal. On the other side of the barrage it was fairly dry and the sands stretched all the way and around the Mont in the distance. It had taken just over half an hour to reach the bridge so there was plenty of time to go further and we headed for St Michel.

The start of this year's Tour de France

 

Just a short distance from the barrage there were hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. On a wall there was a notice saying that Mont Saint Michel was the 'Grand Depart' (the start) for this year's Tour de France beginning on July 2. We will be home in time to see that on the TV. From that point no cars were allowed and there was a large carpark, from there a shuttle bus ferried the people to the Mont, or they could take a horse drawn carriage or like us walk.

Horse and cart shuttle.

 

We came off the traffic free path and along the side of the road for about 1/2 km then it was a board-walked bridge across the sands to the entrance of the Mont. All the way we had views of the Mont and the church on top with its tall steeple but now as we got closer we were able to see more of the detail. The lower parts were a walled fortress with a walkway round the ramparts where we could see people walking. The entrance was arched with a portcullis and drawbridge then the narrow street wound its way upwards to the church at the top.

 

Entrance with portcullis.

Closer view of the Mont

There was an information office just inside the entrance and we went in for maps and I waited to get some info about St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. The woman didn't have a clue and told me to wait for the man who was busy on the phone. Eventually he finished and told me that it was the same order of monks that started both places and was about to tell me about pilgrimages when someone came in and wanted an ambulance for a stroke victim.

 

The church spire on top.

The ramparts.

 

The guy was back on the phone summoning help so I gave up and we continued with our visit. The street was lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels, all very expensive, this was a true tourist trap. One example of a high price was a simple thing, a fridge magnet; on the cruise I had been buying them at places where we stopped, the price ranged between €1 and €2, here they were €5. We just looked in windows and weren't tempted to buy anything. It was a nice walk all the way up to the church at the top but to go any further it was €9 each. As we had been to the church last time we were here so decided to give it a miss this time. We came down round the ramparts and got some fine views out over the sands to the sea. There were a number of groups treking over the sands round the Mont, that was another thing we did last time but gave that a miss as well; it is a bit wet underfoot and you either wear Wellingtons or walk in your bare feet. When we reached the crowded street again at the bottom we had had enough and began making our way back.

The surrounding sands.

Moira on the ramparts.

There were lots of people waiting for the shuttle buses as we made our way to the board walk. Now we seemed to be feeling very lively as we set a good pace into the little shopping area. I was looking for a loo but couldn't find one but made use of a thicket of trees. Another thing we wanted was an iced cream but couldn't find any of the shops selling them. Instead we made our way back to the canal path and it was another brisk pace to Beauvoir. At Beauvoir we went through the village streets to the aire. The windows of the shops and restaurants were painted with cartoons of cyclists taking part in the 'Tour'. These must have been done today as we hadn't noticed them when we walked into the village yesterday.

 

The Tour is coming!

It was just about dinner time when we got back to the 'van. It had been an hour's walk each way and quite an enjoyable visit to the Mont. I put the radio on while Moira made the dinner. After washing up it was nearly a repeat of last night's TV except we watched 'Mash' on the Entertainment channel instead of the news on Channel 4. I managed to stay awake until the end of this evening's 'Springwatch' but it did finish earlier tonight, at 10:00 pm.

 

 

 

 

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