Hot Dates

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 5 Comments

Evening Sun

Rain over Valencia

The rain in Spain does get down to the Med sometimes…I was up at 6am yesterday morning to furl the awning. We had an early thunderstorm and I didn’t want Mavis to blow away.

Padel

The sun came out after a bit and Adrian and I went for a knock around on the Padel courts. Padel is a bit like tennis but played with smaller bats and on a court which has some perspex walls which you can bounce the ball off…something like squash. Best played in doubles, we’ve had a few good games now and met a few other ex-pats.

The Petanque Queen

We are playing Petanque (boules) several times a week. The idea is to get the boule (heavy metal ball) as close to the cochonet (small round target ball, aka the piglet) as possible. The other players are a mixture…French, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss, German and so on, so its a right mixture of conversations. We often don’t know what’s being said….probably just as well. I think the guy in the picture is advising the Petanque Queen (her in the white hat) where to place her boules. He’s a braver man than me.

Pimientos

Catral Market

Catral Market

On Saturday we cycled in to Catral for the market and picked up some rather nice stuffed olives, some five star pickled onions and a selection of other Spanish delicacies.

Hot Dates

We cycled back along the side roads, past these date laden date palms and then through the tiny village of San Felipe Neri.

Church at San Felipe Neri

Flooded Fields

Irrigation in Spain can be low tech…often they open one of the large sluice gates which are dotted around the countryside and just flood the fields. These egrets are taking advantage of a free cold bath in a field by San Felipe.

Los Caballos

On Sunday we cycled to La Marina, a small town on the Mediterranean coast about 15 miles away. We passed these ponies dozing by the roadside.

Las Cabras

And a herd of goats munching their way across the countryside.

The Med

We had a nice downhill bit for the last mile before the sea.

Lunch at Pinet

We turned left at La Marina and had lunch in a shady restaurant overlooking the sea at Pinet Marina, a little further east along the coast.

Pinet Beach

In the distance is the coastal town of Santa Pola.

Parque el Fondo

We cycled back through the El Fondo nature reserve. It was a bit hot for the Krays but they ran for a bit.

Adrian and Jan

We’ve had a few evening drinks with Adrian and Jan, our neighbours. Colin is trying to persuade Adrian to feed him tapas, using the jumping up and looking cute technique.

Sunset

Tagged with: Catral, cycling, La Marina, Mavis, motorhome, Parque el Fondo, photography, Pinet Beach, San Felipe Neri, Spain, valencia
Posted in - Spain, Autumn 2015, San Felipe Neri, Valencia

Walking on Water

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 14 Comments

Crevillent

We have put down roots for a few weeks at Camping Marjal near Alicante. It is a good cycling spot with lots to explore. This is generally a pretty healthy lifestyle. Except when you fall off your bike, which I managed whilst trying to pull the Kray’s cart (normally Nia’s job) through a gap slightly narrower than the cart a couple of days ago.

The picture above shows Crevillent in the distance; it is a town in the hills about 6 miles away that we cycled to. It was a bit of a slog up there against the wind and gravity but a lovely downwind freewheel back.

Pomegranates

The road to Crevillent is lined by pomegranate plantations. Also solar panels…there is a solar farm en route.

Solar Farm

Sunrise at Marjal

There are a lot of palm trees about here. They are apparently under attack at the moment by palm weevils and we see piles of burnt palms from time to time.

Market at Almoradí

On Saturday we cycled with our Dutch friends Adrian and Rite, who we met at Petanque, to the market at Almoradí, a town a bit to the west.

Banana Shopping

This is me shopping for fruit and veg, with my stylish fluorescent cycle pannier. Luckily the colour goes well with the bananas.

Frocks

There is much to buy here. Sadly we weren’t in the market for flamenco frocks that day.

Fans

Or fans.

Church at Almoradí

There is a pretty church here which is surrounded by trees cleverly pruned into hollow discs…hard to describe and difficult to get the full effect in a photo.

The Bride

We spotted this bridal party heading churchwards.

Tapas at Almoradí

We stopped for a few tapas. The two guys on the table at the back are a retired Belgian lorry driver and his wife who kindly shared their table with us. He has an apartment at Torrevieja, about 25 miles away.

Cycle Home from Almoradí

We wobbled back to Mavis, replete.

Flamingos at Parque Natural el Fondo

On Sunday morning we took the Krays for a walk around the local nature reserve and watched the flamingos doing their clever walking on water trick as they land.

Sunday Lunch at Catrall

Our next door neighbours here, Adrian (yes…the campsite is full of Adrians) and Janice are a lovely couple who have reserved a pitch here for a year. Adrian drove me to the local supermarket in his souped up mini cooper on our first day here for a stock up on grub and other essentials. For Sunday lunch we went to a Chinese restaurant in the next town…Catrall…with Adrian and Janice, and Rite and Adrian.

Donkey Parade

It is a long bank holiday weekend in Spain her at the moment and this donkey cart parade swung by whilst we were scoffing noodles and spring rolls.

Bank Holiday Weekend

The campsite is full for the holiday, with thousands of Spanish kids zooming about on scooters and bikes, like guided missiles, (or as Nia said, unguided missiles) in all directions. Its a really nice atmosphere.

Dawn at El Fondo

I got up early to snap the flamingos at el Fondo. They kindly positioned themselves in front of the rising sun for me.

Flamingos

Egret

There were also a lot of Egrets, egretting about.

Fast Food

And a few rabbits scurrying here and there.

Today has been very hot, in the thirties. Nia did the washing and it was dry almost before it was hung up. I cooked…barbecued pork in a salsa/paprika marinade with a tomato and avocado salad, dressed (OK splashed with) home mixed balsamic dressing. Yummy? I couldn’t possibly say.

Plans for Tuesday….Spanish lesson in the morning then a trip to Catral for a bit of shopping.

Tagged with: alicante, Almoradí, Camping Marjal, Catrall, concorde, cycling, Marjal, Mavis, motorhome, Petanque, photography, Spain, valencia
Posted in - Spain, Alicante, Autumn 2015, Catrall, Valencia

Petanque with the Pros

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 6 Comments

Mavis at Camping Valencia

With bad weather breathing down our necks we left Capbreton early on Friday morning and headed south through Spain. After 385 miles we paused for the night outside Camping Valencia. You could park inside the site for 16 euros or outside for 6…we went for the cheapskate option and planted ourselves just outside the gates, handily close to some good dog walking and a petanque pitch. We had a quick game of boules before supper. It had to be quick because the Krays kept running off with the boules.

Torros

You know you’re in Spain when you see a Torros. These giant bulls crop up here and there by the roadside.

Marjal Plaza

We had made friends with Kris and Nico…two guys in a smart new Charisma…on the site at Valencia and they had recommended Camping Marjal. We made this our next stop. It is a biggish site about 2 hours down the autoroute, just past Alicante. There is a lot going on here and we will probably put down roots here for a few weeks. We are on a good south facing pitch, fully serviced with water, electricity and drainage, and all for the ACSI rate of €16 per night.

Walkway through the site

Camping Marjal is impressively landscaped with palms and other exotic flora scattered about.

The Pool

There is a great pool…we had a dunk yesterday.

Heffalumps

Complete with elephants…

Tortoises…

And crocodiles.

The Pitch at Camping Marjal

The temperature gets up to the low thirties by the afternoon…its hard…sometimes you can only lie down and sip cold beer…

Nature Reserve

On Sunday we cycled out to the nature reserve at El Fondo, about two miles away.

We left the bikes at the entrance and walked around the ponds on these cool walkways, watching the dragonflies.

One of the locals

Ronnie and Reggie taking me for a walk.

Olive Branch

The olives are prolific hereabouts.

We went along to the petanque club yesterday and had a couple of games. Everyone who wants to play puts one of their boules into a big box then Jean-Claude…the French pro who organises the petanque…pulls boules out at random to decide who plays who. A bit like car keys in an ashtray at a wife-swapping party. Nia met a nice Dutch couple and I played with the formidable Jean-Claud…a bombing expert. Bombing is the technique whereby the boule is lobbed in the air to descend on the opponents boule, to knock it away from the piglet (the little ball in the centre of the court which everyone tries to get close to). Enough about petanque…its easier to play then explain…

There are a couple of public holidays coming up next Friday and Monday and Adrian…our next door neighbour…has offered to take us shopping to stock up with grub so I may go with him to the local supermarket this afternoon. I will go along to the basic Spanish class this morning, so thats today pretty much planned. The Krays have been fed and walked and are now snoring their heads off.

Tagged with: alicante, boules, concorde, Mavis, motorhome, Petanque, photography, Spain, valencia
Posted in - Spain, Alicante, Autumn 2015, Valencia

Stuck in the Mud

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Peter and Nia — Leave a comment

Reggie and Ronnie go for a Swim

Mimizan Plage, a few miles down the coast from Biscarrosse, is very nice but they don’t let dogs on the beach. Luckily there is a good bike ride south through the forest which brings you to a dog-friendly beach. The Krays went for a splash.
Mimizan Plage aire was a bit pricy at €14-50 so we weren’t all that impressed overall and moved on the next day to the large aire at Capbreton, one of our favourites.

Sunset at Mimizan

We made the mistake of setting the satnav to shortest distance and Snoopy (as we refer to our snooper satnav) took us through the tiniest streets he could find for the final five miles. So we unwound in the traditional way…a walk along the beach in to Capbreton once we were parked, and a restorative in the first cafe we found.

Rehydration at Capbreton

The waitress kindly snapped us from the seafront boardwalk

Two’s company

We spotted this pair practising for the next doubles surfing tournament.

Capbreton Beach

This is the beach that leads from Capbreton to the aire.

Graffiti at Capbreton

There are a few scattered remnants of the Atlantic wall on the beach, recycled into doodle pads for graffiti artists.

Sunset at Capbreton

Facing west, there is always the chance of a good sunset from the beach here.

Today, Thursday, we cycled in to Capbreton, then along a long canal to the next town, Hossegor, then back along the coast to Capbreton harbour.

Harbour at Capbreton

Digger driver looking for new Job?

As we cycled alongside the harbour we watched this stuck in the mud excavator being hoisted aloft by a massive crane.

Unstuck

The Audience

There was a good turn out to watch the entertainment.

En Route to Hossegor

This is the waterway that leads from Capbreton to Hossegor.

There are some lovely old buildings along the path to Hossegor.

Cycle Path to Hossegor

Sections of the cycle path are on elevated wooden boardwalks.

Capbreton

Cycle Path in Capbreton

Clearly marked and well-surfaced cycle tracks abound here.

Storm Clouds Gathering

I went out in the evening for a sunset shot but clouds are gathering in the west. The forecast is not good for a few days. Tomorrow we will head further south and plan to stop for the night just south of Pamplona. Time to dust off my Spanish books.

Tagged with: Aquitaine, capbreton, Colin, cycling, digger, france, Hossegor, Mavis, Mimizan, motorhome, photography
Posted in - France, Aquitaine, Autumn 2015, Capbreton, Mimizan

Blood Moon and Basque Tarts

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 6 Comments

Blood Moon

I was a bit concerned that Colin (or maybe even Nia) would turn in to a werewolf last night, with the supermoon eclipse but all is well this morning…I have checked N’s palms for hair… no more than usual.

Lunar Eclipse

This is the later phase of the eclipse….the moon is just about completely out of the earth’s shadow.

Aire at Navarosse

We are at an aire at Navarrosse, close to Biscarrosse, on a big lake called the ‘Etang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet’. It is a good canoeing lake and I can launch the blue bateau about 5 metres from where we are parked. Thanks to our friends Brian and Kathy for recommending the aire.

Pontoons

Pontoons packed with small boats extend out just beyond the aire.

At Sea

The harbour is protected by a sandbar which you paddle round to get to the lake proper.

View from the Front Window

The Krays

You have to turf the torpid terriers off the canoe before you can launch.

French chopper

I was buzzed by the Free French Air Force on the first trip out. There is a big military exercise area just to the west of the lake.

Mavis from the Lake

Meet and Greet Committee

I got a jolly welcome back from the Krays…they are always a bit concerned to lose sight of me …almost certainly because I feed them each morning. No one likes to lose their meal ticket.

Dawn over the lake

The second day dawned bright and clear…the weather just gets better and better.

Cycle Track to Port Maguide

I cycled 4 miles to Port Maguide looking for a boulangerie…no luck but by the time I got back the campsite next door to the aire had opened and I got the breakfast baguette there. Sadly it was their last day of the season so no more luscious French breakfast bread for a day or two.

Cycle Track to Port Maguide

Fishing

There were a lot of early morning pecheurs (if that is the correct French for fishermen) on the lake.

Canal to Biscarosse

Later that day we cycled along the piste cyclable to Biscarrosse and visited the superU (french supermarket) for a few bits for a slap up picnic by the lake later on. For much of its extent the path is next to a canal; the Krays went in for a dip and a bit of a tussle over a stick, as they do.

Flying Boat History

Flying Boat Roundabout

Biscarrosse used to be a flying boat base and I’m guessing the long haul aircraft took off from here for the French colonies in Africa, in the 20’s and 30’s.

Cinema in Biscarosse

Mustang Rally

We passed a vintage Mustang rally. These boys are a long way from their roots.

Cycle to Sanguinet

Yesterday we cycled to Sanguinet which is a small town 10 km away along the lake. The cycle paths hereabouts are brilliant…wide and smoothly tarmac’d.

Cycle Path.

Trackside Flora

Sanguinet Marina

The track passes by Sanguinet marina, a km or so before the town.

Fishing Police

A Fishing Policeman? Must be one of life’s better jobs.

Beach at Sanguinet

Chez Karine and Kiki

We passed this cafe on the road to Sanguinet. Well actually we couldn’t pass it and slipped in for a three course blow out washed down with a very nice bottle of the local vin blanc…

Catamaran Cafe

The wine taster.

Basque Tart

How could you refuse a pudding entitled a ‘Basque Tart’? Nia googled it in search of the recipe but all the links, perhaps unsurprisingly, were to the Ann Summers shops…We had to ask the waiter; apparently it is frangipane on a thin pastry base, with a central seam of mango pureé. Nia plans to copy it when we get back to the UK.

Cycling home

We wobbled back slowly for a kip in the sun by Mavis. Tomorrow is washing day, then we will move on to Mimizan Plage, a few miles south on the Atlantic coast.

Tagged with: Aquitaine, Biscarrosse, bloodmoon, border terriers, canoe, Colin, france, Lac, lunar eclipse, Mavis, motorhome, Navarrosse, photography, supermoon
Posted in Aquitaine, Autumn 2015, Biscarrosse, Navarosse

Camping It Up in Parentis-en-Born

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 6 Comments

Etang de Biscarosse Parentis

Lake Biscarosse Parentis is about 100 miles south of Hourtin; we drove here on Wednesday and spent the night on the aire at Gastes.

Aire at Gastes

The aire was popular but we got here early and found a pitch overlooking the lake and about 50 metres from a quiet sandy beach. We took the Krays for a gentle cycle along the piste cyclable which runs through the aire and then follows the lakeside for a mile or so to another aire, at Ste Eulalie.

Gastes

There is a small dock by the aire with an armada of small pleasure craft.

Early Morning on the Lac

Sunrise

The Baguette Run

After I had taken a few early morning snaps I cycled to the epicerie, which is a couple of hundred meters away, along this pretty flower and bush bestrewn path. I bagged a baguette and pain au chocolate….Quel decadence…for the crew’s breakfast.

Touch and Go

Biscarosse has a seaplane base and we watched a couple of aircraft doing whatever the nautical equivalent of circuits and bumps is….circuits and splashes perhaps.

Aire at Ste Eulalie-en-Born

For the next night we moved down to the aire at Ste Eulalie-en-Born. This is basically just a field, close to the lake. It is very quiet….all you could hear at night was a couple of owls hooting at each other. We love these basic no frills aires, bang in the middle of the countryside.

Ste Eulalie

While at the Gastes aire we had met Dave and Judy, a couple originally from Devon who now live in an old farmhouse in the Lot and Garonne department, a bit south of Bergerac. We had arranged to cycle with them to Parentis-en-Born, a town 8 km further up the lake, for a spot of lunch. We aimed for the église, generally a good marker of the centre ville, parked the velos by the church then parked ourselves in a busy little restaurant in the Place General de Gaulle.

Our Waiter in Parentis

This is our delightful waiter, who was as camp as a row of tents. He presented us with a non-stop stream of back chat, repartee and entertainment. In a mixture of languages. Knowing full well we were British he delivered the menu in fluent ( as far as we could tell) Italian.

After the meal I asked him to take a picture of us all whereupon he flounced out, muttering something along the lines of not being a photographer. He soon flounced back and took a selfie (see picture above…), before snapping the group.

Dave and Judy

Camping it Up

I asked him to pose for us…..

Church in Parentis

We dawdled round Parentis after lunch, raided superU for the wherewithal for a barbie or two (good forecast) then cycled slowly back to base. Tomorrow….a visit to the aire at Navarosse, just up the road, for some canoeing.

Tagged with: Aquitaine, Biscarosse, camp waiter, cycling, france, Gastes, Mavis, motorhome, photography, Ste Eulalie-en-Born
Posted in - France, Aquitaine, Autumn 2015, Gastes, Ste Eulalie-En-Born

Baguette Bacon Butty Blowout

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 12 Comments

Royan Ferry

We rose at the crack of dawn (ish) and left Ile d’Oleron at 9am for an appointment with the Royan ferry at 11am. Well not an appointment actually….you just turn up, pay them 47 euros and they cart you over the Gironde estuary to the Médoc.

Cordouan Lighthouse

It is a 30 minute trip across the estuary and we passed the Cordouan Light, at the mouth of the Gironde. Started in 1584, this renaissance lighthouse, 7 km offshore, still functions.

Another Old Lighthouse

This is the 1860 Pointe de Grave lighthouse which marks the way in to Verdon sur Mer, the northernmost tip of the Médoc, where the ferry docks.

Aire at Hourtin Port

An hours driving bought us to this aire on Lake Hourtin, the largest natural lake in France. A little pricy at €10-50 per night but there are generous sized pitches and 12 electricity points if you park in the central area.

The Missus relaxing in the sun.

Cycle track

There are good cycle paths here and in the afternoon we pedalled west to Hourtin Plage, a small resort village on the Atlantic coast. The trip was enlivened by my crashing into the dog cart, when Nia and I both turned to look at an interesting shrine at the same time. With both feet locked in to my pedals I ended up full length on the deck. Luckily there was only a little superficial damage to my knees and hands…no modelling for me for a few days. The Krays were startled, but unscathed.

Hourtin Plage….The Beach

By this time the storm clouds were gathering in the west and we sped back a lot quicker than we came.

Hourtin Port

Beach at Hourtin Port

Sunset at Hourtin

Next Mavis?

I spotted this low tech motorhome on the early morning walk with the Krays on our last day. Neat, if maybe a little scary if the wind gets up.

Hourtin Port

There is a good walk by the port, peaceful in low season mode. There is one cafe which sells baguettes and croissants but all the other shops are shut.

Promenade

There is a pretty promenade out in to the lake.

Penny

Concentration

Penny was watching this guy fishing quietly at the mouth of the Port. He had no luck….no fish were harmed in the production of this blog.

The Port

First light

Lake Hourtin

I took some more shots with the lovely low eastern light then back to the motorhome (via the cafe) for a feast of crispy grilled bacon in baguettes before we set off south for Lake Biscarosse.

Tagged with: concorde, Cordouan Lighthouse, cycling, france, gironde, Hourtin Port, Mavis, medoc, motorhome, photography
Posted in - France, Aquitaine, Autumn 2015, Lac d'Hourtin

Chicken Teriyaki. On the Barbecue.

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 6 Comments

Mavis and Friend

The Ile d’Oleron is a seafoody and viney chunk of land attached to mainland France by a long bridge or viaduc, a little below La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast. We arrived here on Thursday after a short hop down from Montreuil Bellay and found an aire about half a mile from the village of St Denis d’Oleron which is close to the northernmost tip of the island. It is a large grass site charging 9 euros per night, electricity included.

Ready to Eat

There is good dog walking around the vineyards which surround the aire on all sides.

Dawn on the Ile d’Oleron

We had a couple of showery days but managed to cycle across much of the Island. On Friday we met Joy and Alan for a snack at a quayside restaurant on La Cotinière, a small port on the west of the Island. We had planned to have lunch but 3.30 pm proved too late for a proper nosh and we had to make do with fromage et pain (bread and cheese) for me and Alan and crêpes for the girls. We turned up in a heavy rain shower looking like drowned rats.

Standing Stones

On Sunday we cycled the 3 miles to the lighthouse at Chassiron, on a lovely sunny day, past this collection of piles of balanced stones.

Phare de Chassiron

This is the local Phare or lighthouse, entry was free, but you were charged for the use of the defibrillator at the top, if you are rescuscitable after the 224 step ascent.

View from the Top

There were good photo-opportunities at the top.

Lighthouse Garden

This is the garden at the base of the Phare, cleverly embroidered around the divisions of a compass rose.

The Light

Lucy

Lucy, Alan and I went for a walk over the rocks, checking the low tide exposed pools for anything edible.

Looking East from Chassiron

Mermaid?

Fish Trap

We cycled back past this cunning stone contraption, apparently a copy of the fish traps used for centuries in the local waters. As the tide recedes, any fish dawdling or gossiping within the confines of the stones, when they should have been doing more serious fishy stuff, get stuck.

Frying the Parcels

For our last night Alan cooked up a real treat…Chicken Teriyaki parcels…deep fried in rapeseed oil on his barbecue. As a side dish we had deep fried prawns in tempura batter. Absolutely delicious. Nia, the sous chef, provided a lovely mixed salad with all sorts of tasty stuff including french bread garlic croutons.

The Sous Chef

Chicken Teriyaki Parcels

Alan…Masterchef.

The next day we went our separate ways, Alan and Joy towards Brittany whilst we headed south, over the Royan ferry, to the Médoc.

Tagged with: Chassiron, chicken teriyaki, cycling, france, Ile d'Oleron, lighthouse, Mavis, motorhome, photography, Poitou Charentes, St Denis d'Oleron, tempura prawns
Posted in Autumn 2015, Ile D'Oleron, Poitou Charentes

A Night on the Thouet

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 4 Comments

Saumur

Mavis started first time with her new battery and positively skipped down the Routes Nationale to an overnight stop at Montreuil-Bellay which is a historic little town on the Thouet, a tributary of the Loire. We passed Saumur, about 10 miles north of our destination, and remembered a good wine tasting session there with Keith and Jane two years ago….they have a wine festival every Autumn.

Aire at Montreuil-Bellay

This is the aire…close to the river, good walking, close to the town and free. The approach is a bit scary….single track road and very narrow bridge. Luckily Nia was driving….”Are you sure this is the right way????”

Ancient Priory

The remnants of a very old priory are opposite the aire.

Steps to the town

There is a lovely flower bedecked old stairway, close to the aire, which leads up to the town centre and castle.

The Chateau

This is the old Chateau, overlooking the Thouet. Chiens not admitted so that saved us a few bob in admission fees (€10 per adult).

Montreuil-Bellay

Impressive hanging baskets abound.

Posing with the Krays.

We walked down to the Thouet with Joy and Alan and then walked back alongside the river, through the archway in the Boille tower, the south end of the old bridge, now deceased.

Boille Tower

This is the other way to get to the aire. We weren’t brave enough to ignore the no camping car signs and go under the arch.

Tagged with: Aire, france, Mavis, Montreuil Bellay, motorhome, thouet
Posted in - France, Autumn 2015, Montreuil-Bellay, Pays-de-la-Loire

Geoffrey the Handsome

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Peter and Nia — 10 Comments

Positive Terminal…Past its Best…

To add more detail to our journey here, the channel crossing bit of the trip to France wasn’t quite as straightforward as it might have been.

We were parked right at the sharp end of the ferry, as previously noted, in prime position for sweeping in to France at the head of a convoy of cars, lorries, motorhomes and other vehicles. That is if your engine starts, which ours didn’t. Considering we were blocking everyone in, the Brittany Ferries staff were remarkably calm. We weren’t.

Rather than just shunting us over the side, like a lame plane blocking the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, a jumpstart was arranged almost before “Il ne marche pas” left Nia’s lips and we were away. We drove 150 odd miles to Le Mans without daring to stop the engine but despite this, and an overnight charge on the campsite hookup, the battery remained as dead as a Dodo and as flat as a Crêpe.

The battery in Mavis is well hidden, behind a wiring loom, several struts, the air cleaner and much air ducting. And, as the picture above shows, the positive terminal clamp (the furthest one away), was corroded into a solid lump of gunk and effectively welded to the battery terminal.

Under the Bonnet

Luckily for us, Alan and Joy were in the vicinity and drove in on Monday to bail us out. Alan is a very skilled mechanic and managed to free the welded connection and deliver the battery from the bowels of the engine compartment. He then drove us to the other side of Le Mans to pick up a new battery and terminal clamp and refitted our sparkling new battery……

Job Done…Time to open the wine.

The trip down from Caen had been enlivened by a tub of home made celery soup jumping out of the fridge onto Nia’s new turtle mats. The day before a chicken tikka masala had done the same trick, and exploded on the floor. This all prompted a visit to the camp washing machine and dryer. Nia reported that you get a good tumble for your money here. Which can’t be bad.

Crossing the Pont Romaine en route to Le Mans.

Saint Julien Cathedral

On the Tuesday we cycled in to Le Mans along the D301…there is a good cycle path for much of the 6 miles or so..and left the bikes in the Place St Michel overlooked by the massive cathedral.

Menhir

There is a standing stone or Menhir, erected about 6000 BC, nestled up against a corner of the cathedral that was built 10,000 years later.

Saint Julien Cathedral

Cathedral Interior

One of the largest cathedrals in France, there is a lot of impressive stained glass in the 108 windows. Some of this bling dates back to the 11th century.

There is much English history here. The first Plantagenet, Geoffrey the Handsome (not a modest man) married Matilda heir to the English throne (a good catch) here in 1128, and 5 years later the future Henry II was baptised in the cathedral.

Restaurants on Avenue Rostov sur le Don

We had lunch here with Joy and Alan…a good blow out washed down with a bottle of the local white wine.

Delicious chocolate and coconut dessert.

Hotel de Ville

Opposite the restaurant is the Hotel de Ville, birthplace of Henry II a few centuries before it became the town hall.

Plantagenet City

There are over 100 well preserved medieval houses extending down from the cathedral, next to the River Sarthe and making up the pretty Plantagenet City.

Roman Wall

We finished the day with a walk down to Roman Le Mans. Augustus founded a Roman city here in 20BC, well before Geoffrey the Handsome got here. There are a few impressive chunks of wall remaining around the old city.

Tagged with: battery, Brittany Ferries, cycling, france, Henry II, Le Mans, loire, Mavis, Menhir, motorhome, photography, Plantagenets, Pont Romaine
Posted in Autumn 2015, Le Mans, Pays-de-la-Loire