Villegusian-le-Lac - Haut Marne

Friday 11^th May

Today we left Luxembourg, but not until we’d filled the tank with cheap diesel. Hot and sweaty journey and the satnav couldn’t take us straight to the site so we drove down miles and miles of narrow roads through forest. We eventually picked up signs and found our way here the old fashioned way.

La Forge de Sainte Marie

52230 Thonnance des Moulins

France

www.laforgedesaintemarie.com

This is a very big site with a fishing lake, restaurant, pool etc. Not really to our taste and @ 16 euros per night (with acsi card) we didn’t think the pitches were up to much. We’ll just stay here the one night. I should think it’s a good place for anglers tho. We spoke to a Dutch man who’d caught a huge trout that fed 8 people.

The bloody mover didn’t work so we had to heave-ho a bit. We forgot to disconnect it this morning and the battery was flat, or so we thought. After another read of the manual, it turned out that it just needed resetting. We won’t be making that mistake again.

Saturday 12^th May

It rained in the night and was cold this morning. We drove through lovely lanes (a bit narrow for my taste) with huge landscapes of fields and forests. Beautiful. This is the France we love, it’s so big and spacious compared to dinky little Britain. We saw lovely looking cows in lush pastures – shame to think of eating them!

Arrived about lunch time and plenty of space.

Camping du Lac de la Vingeanne

52190 Villeguisien le Lac

www.campingdulacvilleguisien.com

M le Patron doesn’t speak a work of English (and why should he?) but was most droll and charming. He directed us to the top of the site as the bottom pitches were a bit soggy from too much rain. Our pitch is adjacent to a little vineyard. The site is on the edge of a big lake with a 7k walk around the perimeter. Great!

Canal  Marne a la Soane

Lock keeper's cottage

Sunday 13^th May

Bright but cold morning with a sharp breeze.

Went to the bank for dosh and to the supermarket to stock up but we’d forgotten about the early closing and were asked to leave at midi so we had to abandon the shopping half way.

We walked around the lake after lunch. My feet thought it was much further than 7k! It’s a nature trail, mainly through wet woodland and there were lots of things to stop and exclaim over, including fabulous fungi and lots of birds. We couldn’t recognise the voices of many of the birds and they weren’t showing themselves. There were no people about so it was a lovely quiet experience. 

When we came back to the caravan, Kim brought me a bowl of warm water for the poor feet and coffee and brandy for the soul.

Monday 14^th May

Took the bikes out and cycled along the Canal Marne a la Soane. They’re doing lock repairs so it’s very dry and not open to boats. We found large mussel shells on the towpath.

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Did laundry. The loading of the machine was closely supervised by the jolly patron. He was waiting to show me how to set the thing going but I was wishing I had something more glamorous than big white knickers to wash. Ah, vanity!

Tuesday 15^th May

Torrential rain on and off all day. We should have taken the awning down early while it was dry so it will have to go away wet in the morning before we leave. Bugger.

We drove to Langres for lunch and a look around but it was dismal. Road works and the town centre dug up for re-paving. None of the restaurants appealed to us so we came back for a home made lunch. All this money we’re not spending should stand us in good stead for a good nosh up if we come across somewhere really nice.

  

A Dutch couple in a little camper arrived and parked about 2 inches from the edge of our awning. They were very nice but why the need to be so cosy when the site’s almost empty?