However this was compensated by a couple of weeks in the north of Scotland to fill in the "NHS waiting-time"!
23rd April 2016
Edinburgh - Tankerton
Total 486 miles
Sector 486 miles
Yay! Van servicing and minor repairs completed so off to over-night at my sister's place in Tankerton, near Canterbury, ready to hop down to Dover and catch the ferry across to Calais.
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| Tankerton Beachside accommodation - yours from around £20,000 with NO water/gas/electric and you can't stay overnight! Better off buying a second hand motorhome for a similar price! |
24th April 2016
Tankerton - Bepaume
Total 605 miles
Sector 119 miles
Looking at the weather forecast, the intention was to head down towards the south-east of France where it promised to be warmer. Drew a line on the map in that general direction and picked out some places to stay on the way south. Didn't actually get to today's planned destination, was feeling some what tired after yesterday's drive down to Kent and passed a motorhome parking sign when driving through Nepaume (just south of Arras) and pulled in for a damp, wet and chilly stop over. Thank goodness for the gas heating in the van!
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| Bepaume Town centre |
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| Bepaume 1917 Australians digging for booby-traps after a bomb in the town hall blew up a week after the village was abandoned by the Germans as they withdrew to the Hindenburg Line. |
Bepaume - Giffaumont-Champaubert
Total 773 miles
Sector 168 miles
Pleasant but often damp drive south via Champagne country and the Marne battlefields of WWI. Parked up at a large compensation reservoir that controls the flow of the Marne and reduces flooding risks further downstream (it joins the Seine just east of Paris). Nature reserve and bird hide that was occupied by nesting swallows that quite happily sat (perched?) just a metre away from me - of course I didn't have a camera with me at the time. It stopped raining and I managed a couple of hours walking a trail around some lakes arriving back just before the heavens opened. Exposed timber frame houses in the area make it reminiscent of Normandy
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| Giffaumont-Champaubert Reservoir |
Giffaumont-Champaubert - Cluny
Total 1005 miles
Sector 232 miles
Through Burgundy noting some interesting fortified towns on the way that deserve a stop-over for a few days on a drier and warmer occasion. Cluny, buried in wooded hills to the north of Macon in the 10th and 11th centuries the abbey here was the leading monastic establishment in the western world with close links to Rome. The order went into decline from the 15th century and the abbey church was sold off as a quarry following the French Revolution. Now only the foundations and a few fragments of once one of the largest churches in europe, the nave was the second in length to St Peter's in Rome, remain exposed by archaeological excavation.
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| Cluny Remains of the nave and the extant south tower that is a parish church |
Cluny - Crest
Total 1145 miles
Sector 140 miles
Through Lyon on the free section of the autoroute (short arms) and down the Rhone valley on a very congested RN (loads of HGV's due to the disinclination of the road transport companies to pay the extortionate autoroute tolls - a crazy situation as small towns and villages suffer from the unnecessary burden of this heavy traffic) to Crest some 20km south of Valence. Limestone country and a sunnier day at last! Quaint medieval hillside town overlooked by a castle. Wandered around the place and a bike ride down the river on a sunny afternoon and evening. Parked up in allocated MH area on the side of the main car park.
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| Crest Roofscape and Hills |
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| Crest Town and castle above |
27th April 2016
Crest - Saou
Total 1154 miles
Sector 9 miles
Heading elsewhere I just called into Saou by chance to find the picture perfect village with shop, TOI, cafes, restaurants and post office at the foot of a wide limestone gorge. Small grassed parking area for vans at the edge of the village. Walked up a very steep 500m hundred metres in the afternoon to the top of the cliffs. Super views to the east across the limestone ridges and wooded slopes of the Vercors to the snow covered Barre des Ecrins and La Meije at around 4000m. A chilly -1C overnight. Any one passing this way should really stop off here!
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| Saou The limestone ridge to the north - ended up at the summit |
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| Saou Village centre - perfect! |
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| Saou Retrospective |
Saou - Mirabel-les-Barronies
Total 1203 miles
Sector 49 miles
Finding myself in a part of the world I really like and reasonable weather - no need to travel far! A few years, back around 2001 when I was working for Arup, I backpacked one of the GR's from Manosque, on the Durance, via Mont Ventoux to these parts over the Easter holiday. Small parking area at the foot of the old town with views across to the very isolated Mont Ventoux.
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| Mirabel-les-Baronnies Old town from near the Aire |
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| Mirabel-les-Baronnies A busy aire |
Mirabel-les-Barronies - Carpentras
Total 1242 miles
Sector 39 miles
Pottering around odd places that I have been to in the past such as Vaison with its extensive excavations of the roman town right in the centre of the modern town. Eventually ended up at the aire in Carpentras for the night - the local metropolis!
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| Vaison-les-Romaines Vestiges of the roman town in the centre of the modern town - excavations all over the place! |
Carpentras - Chusclan
Total 1303 miles
Sector 61 miles
Via Chateaneuf-des-Papes (unfortunately aire closed down) to Chusclan, about 10km west of Orange. Sunny and warm, until the late afternoon, allowed a pleasant stroll around the village on the other side of the river to the wine cooperative aire that I parked up at. Then skies went dark, and the Mistral developed, by the evening extremely strong gusts were buffeting the van - I was convinced it was pushed forward a couple of inches on one occasion!
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| Chusclan Vineyard, cypress and wooded limestone hills - so Provencal |
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| Chusclan Riverscape - calm before the storm |
Chusclan - Bagnols-sur-Ceze
Total 1306 miles
Sector 3 miles
Awoke to ongoing strong blustery wind and decided to move a little north to a more sheltered town aire at Bagnols-sur-Ceze. The wind abated and the clouds broke some in the late afternoon to allow a blazoned trail through some limestone hills on the north bank of the Ceze to be followed to St Gervais and back.
2nd May 2016
Bagnols-sur-Ceze - Sommieres
Total 1364 miles
Sector 58 miles
Hoping for some good weather decided to head towards a great value campsite I had previously stayed at in Agde on the coast for a week or so. Headed south west to near Nimes and stopped off at Sommieres for a couple of days on the way. Blue skies, fairly warm but still very windy. Great just chilling out by the river, exploring the old town with its squares and cycling a voie verte (a green cycle way) that uses a disused railway trackbed most of the way.
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| Sommieres Castle and old town towards sunset |
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| Sommieres Alleyways and arcades |
Sommieres - Grau-de-Agde
Total 1421 miles
Sector 57 miles
Grrrr ... ruddy sat-nav, why on the earth did it decide to take me through the northern suburbs of Montpellier and five thousand sets of red traffic lights when there is a perfectly good free section of autoroute that by-passes the southern side of the city!
Anyway got booked in and set up with picnic table, chairs etc in 25C of blue skies and sunshine only to be told by the Dutch couple on an adjacent pitch that the weather was going to turn cold and wet at the weekend! Luckily had only one day when it rained all day and managed a couple of days basking on the beach, cycling and walking some local paths.
While here I received a message from my extremely helpful neighbour in Edinburgh that I had a hospital appointment (to look at some issues with my ears) come through for the 10th May. This was some two months earlier than expected! Called to see if it could be re-arranged but they couldn't give me a date, so I asked them to give me an appointment after the 17th May and made plans to head back to Edinburgh.
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| Agde Cathedral and river |
Grau-de-Agde - Perignat-les-Sarlieve
Total 1632 miles
Sector 211 miles
Weather improved a little and I used the free A75 autoroute to quickly gain some miles northwards. Got pulled over by the Douane and the van searched. This also happened a couple of years back to me on the autoroute between Biarritz and Bordeaux. Not to mention a couple of encounters with Special Branch at airports in the UK. Arrived at a village aire in Perignat-les-Sarlieve, a few kilometres south of Clermont Ferrand, at about 3pm. The rain held off and I found a blazoned trail to follow through wooded hills up onto the Plateaux de Gergovie about 400m above the village with view over Clermont Ferrand and the volcanic plug the Puy du Dome.
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| Plateau de Gergovie |
10th May 2016
Perignat-les-Sarlieve - Chablis
Total 1802 miles
Sector 170 miles
Followed back roads northwards towards Calais (ferry booked for Saturday 14th) and stopped off for the night at the roadside aire at Chablis. Ambled round the old town, river and vineyards before making dinner. Had to make do with a cheap bottle of Lidl's Cote de Rhone rather than a premiere cru from Chablis. Some of the local chateaux appeared extremely smart and beautifully maintained on the profits!
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| Chablis Rolling hills, vines and abbey |
11th May 2016
Chablis - Mutigny
Total 1909 miles
Sector 107 miles
Oh wow - what a gorgeous location location for an aire set at the edge of a small village high above Epernay surrounded by the steep Champagne vineyards. They often have plaques at the roadside stating which champagne house they belong to. The ones passed through driving up to the village were for Moet et Chandon. Amazing numbers of people going out and working on the vines all day long. Sadly the weather was cloudy and misty and the view over the Marne valley was not so good. Filled the chilly damp afternoon making some bread as there wasn't a boulangerie in the village and pottered around before dinner.
12th May 2016
Mutigny - Wissant
Total 2122 miles
Sector 213 miles
Decided to head for near Calais today and have a free day before crossing to Dover and facing the long drive up to Scotland on Saturday. Passed through the Marne Valley and the battlefields of 1914 and 1917 and encountered a gigantic memorial at Mondemont - ironically completed in 1939 when the Germans were on they way back in WWII. Later followed part of the Chemin de Dames, near Laon, where the French suffered massive losses. Parked up at the aire at Wissant. A small smart coastal resort between Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Gris Nez about 15km from Calais. Some ambling in the evening sunshine after arriving on Thursday and a longish walk along blazoned paths up onto Cap Blanc Nez on a sunny, but very chilly Friday, with clear view across to the English coast.
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| Battle of the Marne Memorial de Mondemont on the syline |
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| Wissant Endless sands and Cap Gris Nez |
14th May 2016
Wissant - Edinburgh
Total 2679 miles
Sector 557 miles
Crossed to Calais on the 12:30 ferry and after a bloody long boring drive north finally pulled-up outside the flat in Edinburgh at about 2am on Sunday morning!
16th May 2016
Edinburgh - Balmoral
Total 2814 miles
Sector 135 miles
Found a letter at home that had given me a hospital appointment for the 1st June....not to want to waste a fortnight of the summer decided to do a tour of northern Scotland for a couple of weeks. Headed off north to the motorhome friendly car park at Balmoral Castle via Perth and Gen Shee. About the only place in Scotland that positively allows motorhomes to park-up for free overnight. Chilly and damp again. Used Balmoral as a base for three nights doing trips out to various castles and garden around Deeside and Aberdeenshire an area that I had never visited before - making good use of my membership cards to NTS and CADW (much cheaper that HS - those arms again).
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| Balmoral Estate River Dee and Lochnagar |
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| Kildrummy Castle |
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| Craigievar Castle |
19th May 2016
Balmoral - Cullen
Total 3056 miles
Sector 95 miles
Headed north to the Moray Firth to park up at the old fishing village of Cullen where parking was OK at the end of the harbour road. Great coastal walk below and over the cliffs towards Sandend. Weather chilly but some sun in the evening.
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| Cullen Cliff Walk |
Cullen - Gruinard Bay
Total 3253 miles
Sector 197 miles
Nairn, Elgin, Black Isle (to look at a viaduct on the A9 I worked on in 1979) and then through Dingwall to Ullapool to spend the night parked up at a great spot at Gruinard Bay about 30 miles south of Ullapool. Stopped off at the 18th century Fort George - still an active army base. Sunny with a cold north wind.
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| Fort George and the Moray Firth |
21st May 2016
Gruinard Bay - Inchnadamph
Total 3361 miles
Sector 105 miles
Back to Ullapool and then into the North West Highlands mainly clear, cold and sunny with great views of the isolated Torridonian sandstone hills of Cul Mor, Suilven, Canisp Quinag and Ben More. Parked up on a picnic area on Loch Assynt just to the north of Inchnadamph.
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| Inchnadamph Loch Assynt |
22nd May 2016
Inchnadamph - Kylesku
Total 3427 miles
Sector 66 miles
A slow drive along the coast road from Lochinver to Kylesku with a superb panorama south over the hills passed yesterday from a view point. Relatively clear but chilly wind; had a walk out to the headland at Scourie when I was looking for somewhere to park there - but faced with huge black on yellow 'No overnight parking of caravans and motorhomes' signs.
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| Suilven, Canisp and Quinag |
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| Kylesku |
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| Kylesku Bridge There was just a ferry the last time I passed this way! |
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| Scourie |
23rd May 2016
Kylesku - Kyle of Durness
Total 3464 miles
Sector 37 miles
Had planned to stop in Durness; but faced with those no overnight parking signs again! Drove back to the Kyle of Durness and stopped there for the night. Walked into Durness to find the TO shut at 16:30 and people turning up looking for a place to stay etc...not a very good tourist service. Next day drove to the east of Durness and parked in a picnic area above a gorgeous sandy bay at Traigh Allt Chailgeag. Blue skies with a bitterly cold north wind blowing in across the bay. Tried some shore fishing. With the strong wind and exposed position decided to move back to the Kyle for the night.
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| Kyle of Durness |
25th May 2016
Kyle of Durness - Gruinard Bay
Total 3647 miles
Sector 160 miles
Clouds, sun and cold wind all day. Drove along the north coast through Tongue to take the B871 south through some of the bleakest peat bogs that I have ever seen via Strath Navar down to Lairg. Then west to pick up the main west coast road about halfway between Lochinver and Ullapool. The wind seemed to be dropping off and I was considering the campsite at Ardmair for a couple of nights, but the thought of coughing up £30 or £40 was not attractive ... so I headed through Ullapool and parked up at Gruinard Bay again! Three nights here with two days of blue skies and sun: walking in the hills; collecting fresh mussels for dinner; pottering around and sitting in the sun. A couple of interesting types parked up and stopped as well.
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| Little Gruinard Bay |
Gruinard Bay - Glen Shiel
Total 3759 miles
Sector 112 miles
Weather remained warm though more cloudy today as I headed towards home and stopped of at head of Glen Shiel having taken the back route through Shieldag to Lochcarron. Passing through Kinlochewe and noticing the campsite full and most hotels displaying 'no vacancies' I suddenly realised that it was the Bank Holiday weekend! Having wandered down to the Loch and starting to get 'midged' at about 5:30pm (the buggers had been a problem at Gruinard Bay) I decided to go for a walk. Two hours later I found myself on the top of Carn Ghluasaid - my first Munro for ages!
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| Glen Shiel Carn Ghlusaid |
28th May 2016
Glen Shiel - Edinburgh
Total 3759 miles
Sector 112 miles
An early start and back in Edinburgh before lunchtime via Dalwhinnie and the A9.
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