Vincelles - Thursday September 5th 2012

Thursday September 5^th 2012

What a disastrous day!

A fox had ripped open the rubbish bag I’d left outside overnight so all that had to be cleaned up.

The emergency brake cable on the tow hitch got itself wrapped around the jockey wheel while we were turning the caravan. A kind elderly Dutch man help us to push the van the other way so we could release it.
The tyre looked very mangled but was OK when we got the cable off.

The car started playing silly buggers again and was struggling to tow the caravan. The light on the dashboard said it was an electrical fault. We hobbled into Les Ceriselles on a wing and many prayers.

Neither mobile phone would allow us to ring out. @$%*#!!! So we texted the insurance people and they fortunately phoned back. Thank you, thank you, thank you! They’re sending a man in the morning. For some reason, best known to himself, Kim was determined to find a Renault dealer in Auxerre, drive there at 10 mph, explain the problem in fractured French and CYCLE back! Why, in the name of all heaven, have we got breakdown insurance, only to ignore it and do your own thing? I managed to persuade him to see reason and to let the insurance sort things out but it exhausted me. My stress level is a tad high.

Friday September 7^th 2012

A nice wee mechanic came this morning and carted off the car on his big macho truck. At least we’re stranded on a good campsite. I just need Kim to stay well and not to get gout or infected insect bites.

Camping les Ceriselles

Route de Vincelottes

89290 Vincelles

www.campingceriselles.com

Swimming pool, laundry, good showers etc, walking distance to supermarket, great towpath for cycling.  The little town isn’t much to write home about, just one street with a small bar/restaurant and a tabac where you can buy postcards and stamps. But we like it, it’s quiet and noffensive.

Walked to the supermarket and sent some postcards.

Saturday September 8^th 2012

Cycled to Champs sue Yonne along the towpath. The river and canal were glorious and lots of people were out enjoying the day. Some boys were swimming in the river. Very hot.

Sunday September 9^th 2012

Baking hot day and we just sat around. I’m edgy and bad tempered. I can’t be doing with things going wrong.

Monday September 10^th 2012

Hot and sunny again. Cycled along the towpath to a different supermarket, just for a change. Had a drink in the bar in town.

Tuesday September 11^th 2012

It rained on and off all day and is a lot cooler.

The car is mended. Deep joy. The insurance company sent a taxi to take us to the garage. They’ve replaced a gas release valve, whatever that might be. It cost a lot.

Kim loaded all the gear back into the car while I did some ironing. We’ll get going the day after tomorrow, I need a quiet day to recover my shredded wits.

Wednesday September 12^th 2012

Cold and a bit miserable this morning. Spent the day getting ready to depart in the morning. 

Ressons-le-Long - Tuesday September 3rd 2012

Tuesday September 3^rd 2012

Drove to next campsite, which is only 150 miles but it took five hours. Always double the estimated travelling time when you’re towing a caravan. It was hot. Arrived about 4pm. Last time we stayed here, the car was towed away with buggered front suspension and Kim was ill so it was not a happy time. It’s a good site and has laundry facilities and a swimming pool.

La Halte de Mainville

18 Rue de Routy

Ressons-le-Long

Picardie F-02290

lahaltedemainville@wanadoo.fr

Wednesday September 4^th 2012

Overcast and cool all morning but no rain. We sat about reading and generally relaxing. Cycled to Vic sur Aines after lunch. There were road works and traffic lights on the bridge, reducing it to one narrow lane with big lorries thundering across. I was all for leaving the bikes chained up and walking into town – there was no room to push them along the narrow pedestrian bit – but Kim was having none of it. So I wobbled across on the green light with a docking great lorry snorting its way up my bum. At least he didn’t run me over but he was bloody close!

We arrive in France - Sunday September 2nd 2012

Sunday September 2^nd 2012

We were early at the ferry terminal so they put us on an earlier boat, which was half empty. It was great, no scary steep ramp to give the car a heart attack.

Arrived in France about 4pm and drove straight to Licques. We’ve stayed here before, on the way in and out, so won’t repeat the details here. M. le Patron recognised us from last time.

Monday September 3^rd 2012

Did supermarket shopping, checked emails and had an early night.

West Hythe - Saturday 1st September 2012

An interminable journey to Hythe with lots of traffic and hold-ups. We arrived about 4.30. They’d had a power cut so there was no electricity. They didn’t offer a discount! This is another Caravan Club site and at least they accepted the voucher.

Daleacres Caravan Club Site

Lower Wall Road

West Hythe

CT21 4NW

01303 267679

This site is for club members only. They don’t accept tents and they don’t allow you to hang up your towels to dry on a washing line in case some brattish child trespasses on your pitch and gets garrotted. The man patrolling on his wee tractor spotted my crime and asked me politely to take down the line. Pshaw. It’s a big site and regimented. You have to line up your unit a certain way, to the left of the pitch number with the door to the right and bla de bla de bla. I couldn’t be bothered with too much of that lark. You’d think you were in Germany! It’s only one night so it doesn’t matter but I wouldn’t want to say longer. Having expressed all that dissatisfaction, I have to say the staff in Reception were very pleasant.

Harbury - Friday 31st August 2012

Off to France again but we’re having two stops in UK on the way to the ferry. Plenty of time so we didn’t get going until lunchtime. The traffic was horrendous and it took four hours to get here. It’s a nice site but they wouldn’t accept the Caravan Club vouchers I’ve been hoarding for this very occasion. We joined the Caravan Club earlier this year and were given vouchers for two free nights. Curses! I doubt we’ll get them used up now as we’re not going to renew the membership. It’s too dear and they don’t do an old farts’ discount. We prefer the Camping and Caravanning Club. Much cheaper and probably just as good.

Harbury Fields Touring Park

Middle Road

Harbury

Leamington Spa

CV33 9JN

www.harburyfields.co.uk

01926 612457

£21 per night

There was a nest full of baby swift in the washing up place. They were sitting on their shelf observing what was going on below and not a bit bothered by people.