#adventurebegins – 2gocaravanning

London Calling

August 25, 2025August 25, 2025 by sally hadley

During our winter months off from site we had taken a trip in the motorhome to London staying at Abbey Wood CAMC. We enjoyed this glimpse of London life so much that we vowed to return as soon as we could plan it in, it took 8 months but eventually we made it back there to carry on our sightseeing.

A date was booked and after handing the site over to our colleagues we got packed up and set off, but heading for London on a Friday afternoon was not the ideal time to be travelling the M25. The temperature was 32 degrees and as we were heading South the sun was hitting us full on through the windscreen as we sat stationary, occasionally chugging a few feet, then stationary again. Aahh the joys of a journey, but one we knew was the only option to get to our intended destination. Finally the holdups cleared and a short time later we were driving through the gates of the Campsite, after a friendly and efficient check in we set off to find a suitable pitch. Abbey Wood is a surprising hillside wooded oasis, huge trees give dappled shade to many of the pitches and to find some respite from the blazing sun these were where we headed for. After a couple of laps we found our perfect pitch. Our UK numberplate was definitely in the minority here, the location rightly being very popular with overseas visitors seeing the London sights.

After a chilled evening and a peaceful nights sleep the following morning we walked 10 minutes down to the station to catch the Elizabeth Line into the City. Thankfully the weather had returned to normal British summertime and had cooled off sufficiently for it to be a pleasant temperature.

We emerged from the underground at Westminster and shuffled our way through the crowds of people, most having their photographs taken with Big Ben in the background. As part of Steve’s big birthday celebrations I had planned two surprises for the day, the first being a tour of the Houses of Parliament. He does love a good political debate and has listened to Prime Ministers question time for many years, so to see where the action actually happens was going to be a real treat.

A short queue to get through security checks and we were on our way into the Palace of Westminster. The first area you enter is Westminster Hall, a vast open space built in 1097 and almost the only part of the ancient Palace of Westminster which survives mostly in its original form. A magnificent oak roof was commissioned in 1393 by Richard III, the largest medieval timber roof in Northern Europe. In more recent times it has been used for Coronation banquets, veterans gatherings and parades and was also where Queen Elizabeth II lay in state for the public to visit.

After collecting our audio commentry devices we then continued into St Stephen’s Chapel. For seven centuries St Stephen’s was at the centre of the political and religious life of the nation. As part of a royal residence in medieval England, St Stephen’s witnessed the worship of kings and queens and their households. In 1548 St Stephen’s took on a dramatic new role as the debating chamber of the House of Commons. After the devastating fire of 1834 it was repurposed by Charles Barry as St Stephen’s Hall, which is still the public entranceway into Parliament today.

Moving on from St Stephen’s we were guided by our headphones through the many corridors, lobbies, meeting and debating rooms, all lavishly and opulently decorated. The House of Lords with a red theme, House of Commons with a green theme, carpets that made you want to take your shoes off and sink your toes into them. Gold and gilt decoration, artefacts, paintings, furniture, scriptures all recording centuries of our British history. It certainly was an eye opening tour but unfortunately with a no photography rule of the areas after St Stephen’s Chapel.

After 2 hours following the audio tour marvelling at what there was to see and listening to the explanations of each area through our headphones, we arrived back in Westminster Hall. The cafe was located there so we headed in for a cream tea before embarking on the second surprise.

Back on the underground we took the Jubilee line to Bermondsey, an area south of the river. Ten minutes walk from the station brought us to Maltby Street Market, a cobbled lane full of independent food and drink venues housed in atmospheric 19th century railway arches. This exciting street food experience is open at weekends only so we were lucky enough to catch it. After walking up and down a couple of times trying to decide what to go for we made our decision and plumped for the cheese toasties. Obviously not just your average cheese toastie but a mega mouthwatering delight that was created with skill right in front of us as we waited to collect it. You can take the food from the stalls into any of the bars along the alley to have with a drink, or sit outside at one of the many tables available as we did. The atmosphere was buzzing and it was a great place to people watch. It felt very community orientated rather than touristy.

The next stop of the day was just around the corner at Hiver Taproom where we had a cider tasting experience booked. Hiver is an independent beer and cider maker using honey to produce their unique taste and also to support bees and beekeepers across the country. Their taproom and outdoor beergarden are located under Victorian railway arches as part of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. We tasted 5 different ciders accompanied by cheese and crackers whilst listening to a very interesting and amusing talk on the cider making process and how they incorporate honey instead of using sugar in their beers and ciders. By the end of it all plus the drinks we’d had with our toasties earlier we were very merry indeed as we wobbled our way back to the underground and Abbey Wood!

On deciding to go for a gentle activity for Sunday we booked a river cruise from Westminster to Greenwich. Hopping once again on the Elizabeth Line, changing at Canary Wharf to the Jubilee Line we arrived at Westminster Pier to board the Thames River Sightseeing cruise open topped boat. We got prime seats in the sunshine on the top deck and settled in for an hours view of London from a very different perspective.

We cruised along the Thames past iconic landmarks, under famous bridges, spotting centuries old wharfs and the oldest pub on the Thames, The Prospect of Whitby which dating back to 1520 was used by river pirates. There was a very amusing live commentary from the boat skipper giving us interesting facts and stories associated with each of the sights as we passed. He really did bring the river and its history to life, its something we’re so glad we got to experience.

After disembarking the boat at Greenwich we made a beeline for Goddards pie and mash shop. We had been previously on our last London visit and knew it was where we wanted to get our lunch! This was followed by a wander around the craft market and window shopping in the alleyways and boutiques.

The Docklands Light Railway trundled us back to Canary Wharf which never fails to amaze as you gaze forever skyward at the towering apartment and office blocks. We discovered a roof top garden which was a tranquil green oasis of calm far removed from the bustle and noise of the streets and plazas below.

We rounded off our London weekend sitting in the evening sunshine outside the motorhome under the canopy of conker trees, desperately trying to spot one of the dozens of squarking green parakeets sitting in their branches. Maybe next time we will. And there most definitely will be a next time.

French Roadtrip Part 6 – Last of the Chateaux then Heading for Home

August 19, 2025August 19, 2025 by sally hadley

The final location on our 2025 French roadtrip was to visit Chateau de Chambord, an amazing construction built by the best French and Italian architects in order to entertain royalty, host hunting parties and dazzle guests with its grandeur and fascinating double spiral staircase said to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci.

We stayed at Camping Huttopia les Chateaux which is an 8km cycle ride through the forest to Chambord, so after our first night settling in there the following day we set off for the Chateau. After a few hundred yards cycling on roads we picked up the signs leading us onto the hardsurfaced forest trails. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the temperature was rising so we were thankful of the coolness the shade of the trees gave us as we peddled along. The route was quiet and easy to follow, most sections being long straight pathways but towards the end the paths were weaving in and around the trees. Although it was an easy ride I don’t have the best cycling ability so I’m thankful I managed to stay upright on two wheels! As we emerged from the forest the last kilometre was then on smooth tarmac roads to the main vehicular entrance. Here there was a large bike park which was nearly full, obviously it was a popular way to travel to visit. It was much busier than the previous two Chateaux we had visited. After collecting our tickets and visitors guide we followed the crowds wandering the pathways and had our first glimpse of the magnificent Grande Facade.

Chambord’s construction was started in 1519 by King Francis I with the keep and two wings being added during the next 150 years until the Chateau and its park was finally completed by Louis XIV in 1684. It has 4 floors, more than 400 rooms, 77 staircases and 282 chimneys. Following several changes of ownership it was bought by the State in 1930 and listed as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO) IN 1981.

After entering through the keep the focal point is the grand double spiral staircase at its centre. Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci it is a monument in its own right. Formed of two flights of steps that wind one above the other with windows opening onto a central core, it is a puzzling mind game as you can see others climbing the same staircase but your paths will never cross. The building was designed so that you can wander aimlessly in and out of rooms on each floor but are always able to return to the staircase at its core so never get lost – although that’s easier said than done as Steve and I were losing each other all the time as we explored its many rooms and exhibitions! Royal bedchambers, ceremonial apartments and Louis XIV’s theatre are all authentically recreated to relive the different centuries of the Chateau’s occupation.

At the top of the keep the grand staircase leads out onto the open terraces which offer a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding gardens and parkland. The French garden was restored in 2016/17 after years of research to reproduce the exact layout of the lost 18th century gardens with its symmetrical planting and fleur-de-lys design.

The surrounding parkland has over 20km of trails and walking routes to explore with bikes and electric carts available to hire. You can also take a 4×4 tour and hire a boat to cruise along the 4km of canal.

After several hours of exploration inside and out we made our way back to the bike park and headed to the forest for our return cycle journey. Not quite sure of which windey path we had arrived on we ended up cycling about an additional kilometre before we recognised a signpost through the trees pointing back to the site. The scenery was tranquil and peaceful with birdsong, butterflies and wild flowers lining the route which helped us on our way under the cool canopy of trees. Arriving back at Huttopia we flopped into our deckchairs having clocked up several thousand of our daily steps and 16km of pedalling.

The next day was our penultimate holiday day, one where we had to forego leisurely sightseeing to hit the road North to get within an hours drive of Dieppe ready for our ferry the following morning. It was a 320km drive estimated by Google maps to take 3.5 hours, so add on an hour because we don’t drive as fast as they think we do, and there’s always more traffic than Google initially anticipates, and we should be at Pavilly by middle to late afternoon. As I have said in previous blogs we do use the toll autoroutes to get to and from our required destinations, not everyone’s choice I know, and hopefully in our future retirement years when time is not a constraint we will be able to wander the roads less travelled and make it all about the journey not the destination. But until then we can only have 10 days each trip in which to see the world!

We had decided on another Camping CarPark stop for our last night located in Pavilly just north of Rouen and under an hour from the ferry port. I had prebooked our spot there on the Camping CarPark app just to be safe as it only has 8 pitches. It was easy to find located in the village and looked like it had only recently been constructed. There were 4 vans already there and by early evening it was full. A 10 minute stroll into the village centre and there is a good sized, well stocked convenience store which provided us with our evening meal and snacks for the onward journey home. The rest of the village looked all closed up and as it had started drizzling with rain we didn’t get to explore any further.

After a good nights sleep we arose the next morning, ate an unusual breakfast made up of everything that we shouldn’t be bringing back into the UK, and started the 55km journey to Dieppe ferry port. No hold ups at check in, not long to wait in our designated lane and we were boarding. We found our favourite reclining lounge seats and settled in with coffee and snacks for the four hour sailing. A few pages of our books and a little snooze later, we woke to the sight of white limestone cliffs on the horizon.

After only 10 days away driving back on the left suddenly seemed wrong and so unnatural. Roadworks and the M25 brought us quickly crashing back to reality though. During the journey home we reminisced about each day of the holiday, the locations, the views, the food, the wine, the experiences. And then the inevitable question was asked – “Right then, where are we going next time?”

So to find out keep reading the blogs to see where our travels take us next.

French Roadtrip Part 5- Another Loire Châteaux

July 27, 2025July 27, 2025 by sally hadley

After two nights at the perfectly placed Camping de Moulin Fort it was time to move further up the Loire Valley to be within cycling distance of another Chateau on our bucket list, Chateau de Chambord, but before we arrived there another one was due to be visited on the way.

The planned driving route took us virtually past the front door of yet another Chateau that was not to be missed, so with time to spare before check in at our next site we found ourselves parking up in the village of Cheverny.

The village aswell as the motorhome park up was virtually deserted so no problem in finding a space for our 8m long vehicle. There is also an area next to the designated parking that appeared to be for overnight stays as it had a service point and we could see that this was nearly full. A short walk down the village street brought us to the elaborately gated entrance of Chateau de Cheverny. After paying our entry fee at the shop we were given a site map and guide and stepped back out into the warm May sunshine to explore this French gem. Yet another stunning vista awaited us as we walked along the pathways and rounded a corner.

The Chateau was one of the first French stately homes to open to the public in 1922 and the estate has been owned by the same family for more than 6 centuries, although the Chateau itself has slipped out of their hands twice in that time. Once being bought by Diane de Poitiers after she was ousted from Chenonceau by Catherine de Medici. It was bought back by the Marquis de Vibraye in 1825 and so returned to the Hurault family whose descendants now live in the apartments in the right wing. Whether it’s because it still is partly a family home but we thought it felt intimate and homely even though it is stunning on a grand scale.

In 1943 Herge, the author of Tintin, was inspired by the architecture of Cheverny when he created Marlingspike Hall for his comic book strips. There is a Tintin museum located in the former stables and a large shop as you leave, which was a great bonus for Steve and kept him entertained whilst I took a tour of the beautiful flower filled gardens. Strangely this was our holidays’ second encounter with Tintin as there was also a shop on the quayside in St Martin on Il de Re that we had discovered a few days before.

Cheverny is also an important hunting venue. The onsite kennels house about a hundred French hounds, each with V for Vibraye shorn into its right flank. One or two were lounging around their compound in the full sun but most were taking shelter in the shade against the kennels.

The 18th century Orangery now houses a cafe where we enjoyed our lunch surrounded by its decadent gold furnishings. As with many Chateaux this Orangery building was used to hide the nations art and valuable property during the Second World War, most notably apparently the Mona Lisa.

After we had toured the Chateau, its gardens, Tintin museum and had lunch, time was marching on and we could now check in to our next campsite. We reluctantly left the stunning vistas of Cheverny and took to the road heading for Bracieux. A short drive later we arrived at Camping Huttopia les Chateaux, a fairly large site situated in a forest. After having to inform the reception that we couldn’t fit on the pitch they had initially reserved for us, we ended up on a large sunny pitch with its own picnic table, what a bonus. The site has a bar, restaurant, bike hire, swimmimg pool and playground, alot of amenities but it felt spacious and quiet out of the main holiday season. The pitches were all lush grass making a change from the dusty patches you usually encounter on European sites. Chilling out in the last of the evening sun we had a bbq and plenty of wine to round off another amazing day of our French roadtrip holiday.

Read the next and final part of our French Roadtrip blog as we cycle through the forest to Chateau de Chambord and our trip comes to its end.

French Roadtrip Part 4 – Loire Valley Chateaux

July 5, 2025July 5, 2025 by sally hadley

Driving back across the Pont de L’ile de Re we waved goodbye to 4 magical days on the Isle promising to return again soon to explore more of its beautiful countryside, culture, beaches and villages. It certainly hasn’t seen the last of us, but for this trip it was now time to move on to our next destination. The Loire Valley and visiting its Chateaux were next on our plans.

The Autoroutes were once again kind to us navigating around La Rochelle and heading North East towards Tours, within a couple of hours the scenery was changing and we were seeing signs for Chateaux. Our Campsite for 2 nights was Camping Le Moulin Fort a CAMC recommended site located alongside Le Cher river at Francueil.

The site was in a superb location being only 10 minutes cycle ride to Chateau de Chenonceau which had been a must see on my bucket list for years. A dream of mine as an avid photographer being to capture the arches spanning the river.

We soon settled on our allocated pitch which was large and flat with just the right amount of tree shade to enjoy dappled sunlight for most of the day. It was a bonus when our neighbours arrived back who were English and had been coming to this site for the last 30 years so knew all there was to know about the area. The rest of the day was spent enjoying their lovely company and partaking of some very lovely wine.

The following day we offloaded the bikes from the motorhome and pedalled the short distance alongside the river to Chenonceau. Being a Sunday we hoped that it wasn’t going to be too overcrowded but despite the many coaches in the capark it was surprisingly crowd free. The grounds and Chateau are so vast there was plenty of room for all. The avenue of tall plane trees leading to the Chateau set the scene for a view on a grand scale. Emerging from under their shade we were met with a fairytale scene of towers, turrets and balconies, their white stone facades blindingly bright against the brilliant blue sky. I was in photo heaven.

The Chateau was built in the 16th century on the former site of a fortified castle and mill owned by the Marques family. Only the keep- The Marquess Tower- was left standing which they restored in Renaissance style. Chenonceau is known as the Ladies’ Chateau as throughout its history females have played the most prominent role in restoring and embellishing the complex and its gardens. One such lady was Diane de Poitiers, being King Henry II favourite lady and who he gave Chenonceau to in 1547. She commissioned the famous arched bridge over the River Cher making the architecture of Chenonceau unique in the world. Then lo and behold Catherine de Medici- who was King Henry II widow, exchanged Chaumont-sur-Loire with Diane for Chenonceau and had a gallery built on top of the bridge to be used as a Ballroom. It is 60m long and has 18 windows. During the second World War the River Cher was the line of demarcation between occupied and unoccupied zones. The main entrance to the Chateau was on the right bank in the occupied zone and the South door of the Gallery gave access to the left bank so making it possible for the Resistance to pass many numbers of people through it and into the free zone.

We continued our tour of the many rooms inside, walls elaborately decorated with tapestries, ceilings panelled and intricately painted, and four poster beds far too small for an adult of today’s average height.

Stepping back out into the dazzling sunshine we toured the immaculate formal gardens, vegetable and flower gardens, the maze, orangery, apothecary, wine cellars and donkeys in a buttercup meadow.

After spending some time with the donkeys we reluctantly wound our way back to the bike park and cycled back to the site, collapsing in our deckchairs with a welcome cool drink and reflecting on an amazing day.

As the sun was setting we were treated to a display of hot air balloons slowly gliding along the course of the river and over the Chateau. Now that’s the photo I wish I’d snapped!

Catch the next and final blog of our French Roadtrip Part 5- More Châteaux and Heading for Home

French Roadtrip Part 3. A bus to La Rochelle

June 30, 2025June 30, 2025 by sally hadley

After 2 days of exploring by bike our ‘behinds’ needed a day off the saddle, so we headed for La Rochelle by bus.

After consulting the timetable we had picked up at the Tourist Information centre in St Martin, I discovered the bus stopped on the main road a few yards from the end of the driveway to the site. We arrived 10 minutes early just in case – remembering to stand on the correct side of the road!- then bang on time a coach with ‘La Rochelle’ emblazoned in lights across the front pulled up. €4.50 bought us each a return ticket and we took our seats on a comfy air conditioned coach for a whistle stop tour of Ile de Re on the way.

Bus number 150 stops at most of the villages on the Island, departing from the far north there are 37 stops in total arriving at La Rochelle Gare 2 hours 7 minutes later. We were getting on at stop no:12 which took 1.5 hours to reach our destination. It is an ideal way to initially discover the many villages and then decide whether they warrant a return visit of their own. It was a popular bus with every seat full by the time we crossed the Pont de L’ile de Re from the island, its passengers were a mixture of tourists doing the same as us and locals escaping for the day to the big City. The timetables issued only seem to be valid for a few weeks at a time changing I guess for seasonal demand, so best to check that you have a current one before making plans.

Gazing out of the window at the passing countryside we whizzed past vineyards, oyster farms and poppy fields, often taking sharp intakes of breath and closing our eyes as the driver skilfully manoeuvred the coach around 90 degree bends and down the narrowest of village streets. We made mental notes where the Intermarche and petrol station were for our journey out the following day, and the villages we would want to return to on a future visit to the Island.

We stayed on the bus to its last stop which was the train station terminus. From here it was less than a 10 minute walk to the Vieux Port La Rochelle (old harbour) ‘Fort Boyard’ a physical challenge gameshow that first aired in 1998 was filmed in a Napoleonic sea fortress just off the coast, you can take boat trips from the harbour to view it close up but cannot access the Fort itself.

We headed first to view the 2 towers that guard the entrance to the port from the Atlantic. Dating from the 14th century they formed part of the towns medieval fortifications each originally home to a Captain and his soldiers and also housing dungeons, they have been listed buildings since 1879.

From there we walked back around the harbour to the other side, the sun bouncing brightly off the vast white stone pavements covered with tables chairs and umbrellas, each looking very inviting as a respite from the heat.

More shade along this side of the harbour allowed us to enjoy an ice-cream before wandering through the Porte de la Grosse Horloge- Big Clock Gate- to the shopping areas and alleyways beyond. This gateway to the old city was constructed in several stages, the lower part in the 12th century as part of the towns fortifications. The clock and bell tower were added in 1478 to house a two tonne bell which sounded the instruction each evening to close the entrance to the port by means of a chain slung between the two towers. The part containing the clock and bell tower was then rebuilt in 1746 in the style of Louis XV.

Through the archway lies half timbered buildings, cream stone covered arcades, shops, alleyways and squares. The arcades were built as protection for market stalls and traders from bad weather but today gave shelter from the sun.

After wandering and exploring these interesting streets it was now approaching the time of our return bus to Ile de Re so we started to make our way back to the train station stopping off for refreshments overlooking the harbour on the way. An oompah band were sitting at the tables playing an impromptu concert for passersby.

The city has so much more to see and do including an aquarium, several museums, a cathedral, a secret wartime bunker and even a beach. We didn’t get to explore any of these this time but without a doubt we will return.

Coming soon- Read about the next leg of our French Roadtrip Part 4 when we visit the Loire valley Chateaux.

French Roadtrip Part 2, Le Mans to Ile de Re

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025 by sally hadley

According to the satnav it was a 4 hour journey from Le Mans to our next destination Ile de Re. With luck a straightforward run on the toll roads should see us there for late afternoon as we always mentally add an hour on for the ‘unexpected’

The sky had brightened during our time inside the Le Mans 24h Museum and as we headed south the sun began to break through. This was more like the weather we’d hoped for. The trusty satnav successfully skirted us around La Rochelle and the Pont de L’ile de Re soon appeared on the skyline up ahead of us. We paid the €8 toll to cross the bridge and it felt like we were travelling to another country. The sky above us was clear, its deep blue colour reflecting in the sun sparkled waters beneath us. How therapeutic it was to see the sea again.

Ile de Re is 19 miles long and 3 miles across at its widest point. It almost looks like two islands on a map as salt marshes carve into the flat landscape leaving thin strips of land navigable only by bicycle and one road. Cycling is the main mode of transport here, there being hundreds of miles of designated mostly off road cycling paths criss crossing the Island taking you to picturesque villages and out of the way beaches. Our chosen campsite was about half way along the island so a few more miles of navigating through small villages, catching tantalising glimpses of sandy beaches through pine trees and passing through vineyards and poppy fields until we spotted the turning off to the site.

La Tour des Prises Campsite sits surrounded by vines and salt marshes the nearest large village being La Couarde sur Mer. It has a covered swimming pool, games room and bike hire, but no shop or restaurant. The facilities are mixed gents/ladies showers and toilets which are plentiful and clean. The pitches are the usual European standard having bare soil patches on sparse grass with hedging between. Our motorhome is 8m long with the bike rack on the back and didn’t fit on the first pitch they allocated us so we had to revisit the reception to request another.

Our first excursion on the bikes was to St Martin de Re, a main town and marina on the north coast of the Island. Armed with the cycle map we set out from the site directly onto the marked off road route, pedalling through a landscape of vines and poppies we reached the coast in less than 10 minutes. The sea was a long way out and barely visible leaving a vast expanse of wet rippled sand on which oyster farmers could be seen at work. Huts were dotted all along the coast path selling their produce and offering temptingly cool drinks. There are between 6-8000 tonnes of oysters farmed every year on the Island.

Our approach to St Martin was across a moat bridge and through 17th century ramparts which surround the town. Pretty blue shuttered houses on narrow cobbled streets led us down to the marina, a buzzing area lined with restaurants as far as the eye could see. It was barely midday and each one was doing a roaring trade. We secured the bikes and spent a couple of hours strolling around being tourists, visiting the lighthouse, browsing the shops and having lunch overlooking the marina. There was a TinTin shop which kept Steve occupied for a while whilst I raided the Tourist Information centre for more maps and the bus timetable to La Rochelle. Reluctantly it was all too soon to get back on our bikes and retrace our wheels back to the site. The cycle path was incredibly busy, a constant stream of bikes snaking both ways along it. A stop off halfway back to find some shade under which to enjoy a patisserie we had bought earlier was very welcome.

Following another study of the cycle maps we decided our next excursion was going to be through the salt marshes to Ars- en-Re, a small coastal village to the West of us. Again we rode straight out of the site onto the traffic free network of paths that guided us through the flat countryside. We rode along a warren of pathways weaving around the patchwork of salt beds baking in the sun, tended to by their owners patiently waiting for the water to evaporate and leave their bounty behind. Little huts selling their precious produce were dotted along the route.

We arrived at Ars-en-Re secured the bikes by the small harbour and strolled into the village centre. It’s central square is dominated by the 12th century church with a distinctive black and white bell tower which serves as a navigational aid for sailors. The cobbled streets are again typical of the Ile de Re villages, pretty shuttered stone houses with flowers tumbling from window boxes and around their doorways. After an hour of losing ourselves amongst the many dead ends and alleyways we found our way back to the harbour and ready for the ride home.

Two days of bike riding had left our ‘behinds’ needing a well earned rest so the following day we let the bus take the strain instead and whisk us off the island to La Rochelle.

Read about our day out in La Rochelle in the next blog: French Roadtrip Part 3

Season starts again

April 4, 2025April 4, 2025 by sally hadley

After spending the winter time off site and at home in Shropshire, the end of February had now arrived and it was time to go back to work and our summer home away from home back at Warwick Racecourse CAMC.

Having retrieved our onsite setup gear, utility tent, mats, chairs, tables, cooking equipment and work uniform from the storage unit, we collected Mo and headed off to site. The journey is all motorway and takes about an hour and a half so a fairly easy run – subject to traffic- between our two lives. Over the winter we had semi-air suspension fitted to the rear of the motorhome to smooth out the ride, also in the hope to reduce the amount of internal noise that is generated from the cupboards and drawers as we clatter and bang our way along the M6 motorway past Birmingham. That is one thing we never even thought about when contemplating moving from a caravan to a motorhome – the amount of noise that you hear when driving along. You never hear how much is banging about in a caravan when its being towed behind you, but despite wrapping the cutlery, crockery and oven shelving in towels and bubblewrap there still seemed to be a heck of a lot of noise going on behind us in the motorhome. I’m glad to report that the air suspension does a terrific job and all is now quiet, well quiet-er, than our previous journeys.

We arrived to site on a sunny and quite mild day, the motorhome was driven into the compound and we soon had the kitchen/cooking tent erected next to it. We don’t use an awning that’s attached to Mo so we have a quicker getaway if we are using the motorhome on our time off.

The site was looking very spring like with rows of daffodils standing to attention nodding their bright yellow heads as we passed, crocus poking up through the soil, blossom in the hedgerows and signs of trees budding all around. Although the days were sunny and surprisingly mild the hope that Winter was on its way out soon faded fast with clear skies and frosty mornings for the following days.

Jobs to get the site ready for opening were ticked off each day and before we knew it it was time to handover to our colleagues on opening day. The weekend was due to be a full house with members eager to start getting out and about after the glimmer of Spring days to come.

Back home again for our few days off the sun was still shining and temperatures mild so we decided it was time to tick off an item on our bucket list. Having lived within striking distance of the Wrekin all our lives, and for the past 3 years even closer, it was about time we actually climbed it. The Wrekin hill is a well known local landmark rising above the Shropshire plain situated between Telford and Shrewsbury. It’s summit is 1335 feet above sea level and can be seen as far away as Manchester and Gloucestershire. There is an iron age hill Fort almost 20 acres in size at the summit, aswell as a radio tower and toposcope. I’m not going to lie it was more of a slog to the top than I imagined, but perhaps that was more to do with the 4 month sabbatical we’d just had! It was busy with dog walkers, cyclists and runners all clearly much fitter than me. On finally reaching the top we were rewarded with 360° stunning views of Shropshire and beyond. The toposcope pointed out the direction and distance to other local landmarks, towns and points of interest which were all clearly visible as it was such a lovely day. After a well earned rest we made our way back down, this time putting my knees to the test instead of my lungs, arriving back at the base feeling very satisfied at our achievement and a tick off the bucket list.

More days out during this stint at home were to Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton and Benthall Hall National Trust. Spurred on by our climb up the Wrekin a few days later we walked to the waterfall at Carding Mill Valley. What starts off as a leisurely walk following the stream then turns into a scramble over rocks for the final section. The waterfall itself was rather underwhelming when we got there unfortunately, but it was still very enjoyable to be out in the sunshine. There were many parties of schoolchildren there that day, kitted out with clipboards and rucksacks enjoying the fresh air and sunshine instead of a stuffy classroom.

All too soon our home time was over and back again we went to Warwick with plenty of work to do to keep us occupied for the next 12 days. The site was full most nights as the unusually warm spring sunshine was definitely encouraging people to get out and about on road trips.

Catch up with us next time as we take a mini break at another CAMC site and prepare for our own road trip to France.

New Year, New Adventures.

January 18, 2025January 18, 2025 by sally hadley

After arriving home from our Peterborough and York trip it was time to get ready for Christmas. The cottage was duly decorated and I tried my hardest to get organised with gift buying. I can plan a holiday down to the finest detail more than 12 months in advance but when it comes to Christmas I’m afraid I’m very much ‘just in time’ much to the frustration of my daughter who has everybody’s gifts sorted by the latest end of September!

With Christmas festivities and family gatherings all done we had another motorhome trip planned for over New Year, this time we were off to Henley on Thames, London and Cambridge. We collected Mo from storage on the 29th December, with no delays this time due to weather, and prepared to set off on a dry sunny morning towards Henley. The majority of our gear is left in the motorhome so all we need to pack each time is food and clothes making it a quicker getaway. There are still always some last minute questions though – did we take the towels back after washing? how much coffee was there left in the jar? do we need to restock the toilet rolls? Steve always reminds me that we are not travelling to the moon and everywhere will have shops should we need anything vital, so panic over we go with what we’ve got.

Pitched up at Henley Four Oaks CAMC site we stayed put for the remainder of the day, the following day was dry but cloudy and we walked the 25 minutes into the town. The shops are interesting and plentiful to browse around and the walk along the river has lovely views.

The following day we moved on to Abbey Wood CAMC ready to explore London for the next few days. The site is a wooded area set on a hillside that you would never knew existed amongst the residential streets. It feels quite rural and has bright green parakeets chirping away in the trees. It was New Years Eve, we were not close enough to see the fireworks at the Eye but the pops and bangs started in the vicinity of the site from around 6pm all through to way past midnight so we saw plenty from the comfort of our motorhome and watched the London Eye display on our TV.

The Elizabeth Line is within 15 minutes walk from the site and is an easy ride into the City and then on to the sights so we used this on New Years Day and visited the Churchill War Rooms. It was raining all day so we arrived very wet and soggy but had plenty of time to dry out during the 3 hours we spent exploring the maze of underground tunnels, war rooms and exhibitions. The streets of London were very busy with people and the big clean up was clearly underway from the night before with barriers and road closures being taken down.

The following day it was blue sky and sunshine so we headed back into the City and visited the Piccadilly show room of Lotus to view the 99T F1 car driven by Ayrton Senna to win at Monaco and Detroit in 1987. Senna is a hero of Steve’s so quite alot of time was spent here! From there we wandered through the streets spotting famous landmarks, through St James Park, past Big Ben and to our next venue at County Hall where we had booked to see the Agatha Christie play ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ It was set in the original County Court building and was an excellent venue to stage such a good play.

January 3rd was blue sky and sunshine again so a perfect day to visit Greenwich. After taking the Elizabeth Line we then swopped to the DLR and had a birds eye view rattling along through the spectacular Canary Wharf, through a tunnel under the Thames and emerging in the lovely neighbourhood of Greenwich Village. The shops, houses and chilled vibe felt like a world away from central London as we strolled through the parks and browsed the many independent shop windows. We visited Queen’s House a 16th century mansion which now houses the Maritime art collection aswell as the Tulip Staircase, the first self supporting spiral staircase in Britain. A walk up the hill to the Royal Observatory gave amazing views looking back over the historic Old Royal Naval College and beyond to the impressive skyline of Canary Wharf. The National Maritime Museum is also very interesting to look around but the exhibitions are so vast you need a good few hours to see it all so we barely touched on all there was to see there. A wander on down towards the Thames took us past a traditional pie and mash shop and as it was around lunchtime it worked out ideally to pay it a visit! Deciding which pie to have was quite a dilemma, with single or double mash? with liquor or gravy? I opted for the liquor as it wasn’t likely I’d get the chance to try it anywhere else and was surprised it was a parsley flavour. I never knew that! Steve played it safe with gravy. The whole experience and the traditional shop/restaurant which has been open since 1890 was one we are so glad we stumbled upon. Onwards to the Cutty Sark, built in 1869 it was one of the fastest tea clippers of its time and in its seafaring career made 8 return journeys bringing tea to London from China. It is sited in dry dock on the shore of the Thames and now exists as a museum where you can visit its decks and learn about its history.

Back at the site we were checking the weather forecast and hearing on the news that snow and ice was forecast over the weekend. We were due to travel to Cambridge on the Sunday and although the likelihood of it reaching us in London was quite low we decided it was best to move on a day earlier than planned and miss any potential snowfall or black ice on the roads.

Cambridge Cherry Hinton CAMC is situated in an old quarry and the pitches are laid out in several dead end roadways with some being down slopes, so with more snow and ice potentially on the way we opted to choose a pitch out on top on the level. Except for a brief respite of an hour in which we walked to the local shops it rained almost constantly in daylight hours for our first two days so we watched alot of TV, ate alot of food and played alot of card games!

At last a dry sunny but cold day so we caught the bus into Cambridge. The bus stop is a 10 minute walk back on the main road and whisks you into the city in about 25 minutes. We strolled around getting our bearings, stopped off at Cafe Nero for a hot chocolate and then walked along ‘The Backs’ where the River Cam winds its way behind the Colleges. It was a stunning day giving glimpses of perfectly manicured College lawns, breathtaking architecture and time-honoured traditions. We stumbled upon the Wren Library in Trinity College designed by Christopher Wren in 1676, housing medieval manuscripts, letters of Isaac Newton, Shakespeare’s first folios and A. A. Milne’s original drawings for Winnie the Pooh. Out of all the jaw dropping items there the only ones you couldn’t photograph were the Pooh ones as Disney have the copyright!

And so ended our New Year Adventures. Another trip under our belts, more CAMC sites visited, more leisure time spent in Mo and more amazing memories made.

We shall look forward to re-visiting all these places again as time allows but in the meantime there’s still a whole world out there yet to see.

Catch up with us next time as we finish our wintertime at home and head back to site to open up for the season…..

D-Day Road Trip

November 10, 2024November 13, 2024 by sally hadley

Having our new 12 on 12 off rota set out for the season meant we could plan our time off this year to include some holidays. Not used to being able to have holidays during the summer it was quite a novelty planning where and when we could go. We decided on a road trip in Vinny to Normandy in May. As it was the 80th D-Day Anniversary in June we hoped to avoid the masses but still get a feeling for the celebrations being planned. We had 10 days between shifts in which to experience this iconic stretch of French coastline.

We left Warwick on handover day and headed down to the Brighton site for an overnight stay before boarding the DFDS ferry from Newhaven the following morning. It was a very clam crossing and after 4 hours onboard in a lovely reclining seat area we arrived in Dieppe. Our first stop over was located south of Dieppe near Etretat, a small coastal town with white pebbled beaches and a rock formation similar to Durdle Door in Dorset. The site was called L’Aiguille Creuse in Les Loges, it had a small shop, restaurant, takeaway, swimming pool and was a short walk to the village with shops, a market and the bus stop to Etretat.

After two nights there we headed south west towards Mont St Michel, somewhere that had been on my bucket list for a number of years. Stopping off at Honfleur on the way we strolled around the picturesque old port and winding cobbled streets, it was a very pretty town with plenty to see.

Our campsite for the next 2 nights was Camping Haliotis in Pontorson. This was also a very convenient few minutes stroll to a large supermarket and the bus stop to Mont St Michel. The site had large lush grassy pitches surrounded by hedging as is the usual European way, a swimming pool and cafe area. Next day the weather was forecast good until afternoon so we hopped on the bus early and arrived at Mont St Michel before the main crowds. Later in the morning the crowds and parties of school children increased so we were glad of an early start. Wandering around the little alleyways and looking out across the seascapes the views were all I had hoped for, and it felt very magical aswell as satisfying that I had finally made it there.

Our next stops were ones to be ticked off Steve’s bucket list. He is an avid reader and has for many years read alot about D-Day so had a long list of places to visit on his wish list. We made our way north to Sainte Mere- Eglise a small town where the American Airbourne Divisions parachuted in, landing in the early morning of 6th June 1944. The Airbourne Museum is fascinating to visit and very informative, the town has an abundance of WW2 memorabilia shops and themed cafes. The church has a reconstruction of the paratrooper John Steele hanging from the spire where his parachute had got caught, he had then pretended to be dead for several hours before he was finally cut down and captured by the Germans.

After leaving there we headed to our final campsite destination back along the Northern coastline of Normandy. We were staying at Le Point Du Jour at Merville-Franceville-Plage for 5 nights and from there planned to visit the famous beaches and other iconic landmarks relating to D-Day. The road networks are a dream to drive, we mostly did pay for toll roads just so we could get to our planned destinations in the least amount of time so allowing us more time to be at the actual landmarks. If we hadn’t got such a tight timescale we would perhaps have travelled the more scenic roads and villages as Normandy is a very pretty region. The campsite was a great location adjacent to a beautiful sandy beach which you could take a short walk along to get to the town. Here there were food shops, restaurants, hotels and plenty of bars with spectacular views of the beach and sunsets. The pitches were a little tight for bigger vehicles but the Europeans don’t tend to be bothered about the closeness of their neighbour, and as Vinny was only short we tucked into our pitch nicely. The site had a swimming pool, 2 shower blocks and a small restaurant and takeaway.

The following day we headed out to visit Utah beach, La Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Military Cemetery. The beaches are so vast, so quiet, so deserted, it is hard to imagine the massacres that occurred on them on 6th June 1944. The Utah Landing Museum tells the story of more than 23,000 American soldiers who landed on the beach that morning their mission to protect the city of Cherbourg and its port from German invasion. There is also Le Roosevelt Cafe, a building and adjacent bunker that was originally a simple fishermans house in the dunes before the German army invaded the area when it then became their telephone exchange. Following the American Allied landings it was a communications centre for the American Navy, and is now decked out in memorabilia where it is very interesting to read the walls which have been signed and written on both by visiting celebrities, relatives of veterans and the Allied soldiers themselves from 80 years ago. There are huge free parking areas and also an overnight camping area further down the road.

La Pointe du Hoc is a headland bearing the battle scars of its role as the strategic German defence on the coast. Rangers climbed the steep cliffs using ropes under the fire of German soldiers who lay in wait at the top. It has mostly been left for nature to take over the deep craters left by the battle that ensued and for you to use your own imagination when you look around this windswept and now peaceful site. There is a museum and ample free parking as always.

Moving on to Omaha Beach we visited the Normandy American Cemetery. A key memorial site it contains the perfectly aligned headstones of 9,387 soldiers who fell in combat, aswell as the 1,557 who’s names are engraved in the Garden of the Missing. There are graves of 45 sets of brothers who are mostly buried together including Robert and Preston Niland who’s story inspired the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ There is also a chapel, memorial area and a visitors centre with an exhibition. The site is vast, very quiet and respectful and has the most immaculate grass and landscaping we have ever seen. There are lovely views looking down onto Omaha Beach through the pine trees and plenty of benches to sit and reflect on the sacrifice and enormity of what happened here. It had been a very emotive and quite draining day so after this we headed back to the campsite to recharge our emotional batteries as there was plenty more still to see and do the following day.

Although the weather wasn’t hot and sunny all the time thankfully it was still dry and actually if it had been any hotter during the day it wouldn’t have been comfortable to be sightseeing outside all the time. Back at the campsites we did seem to be spending more time sitting inside Vinny than we thought we would as it wasn’t warm enough to eat or sit outside in the evenings. This then got us thinking about future time away – see blog Catch Up no2 2024.

The next day we set off for Longues- sur -Mer German Gun Battery, Arromanches and the British Memorial in Ver- sur- Mer. The gun battery is situated between Gold and Omaha Beaches at the top of a cliff overlooking the Channel and played a strategic role in the D-Day landings when the Germans spied the ships and craft heading towards the Normandy coast. It has a self guided tour on large information boards and explanatory signs.

Arromanches is pretty upmarket little coastal town with plenty of eating and drinking options in the town and along its beachfront promenade. The beach stretches out as far as the eye can see and is the location of the Mulberry Harbours. These are huge floating concrete blocks, having been towed across the Channel from England were then assembled to form walls and piers creating an artificial port used to land vehicles and supplies for the Allied troops. Meant to last for no more than 6 months the harbours can still be seen in situ today. On the clifftop overlooking Gold Beach is the 360 circular cinema showing a documentary film ‘The 100 days of the Battle of Normandy’ which bombards you from all sides with footage of the liberation of the region before the Allies moved on to free the rest of Europe from Nazi occupation. There is also the D-Day 75 Memorial Garden with its lifesize figures of soldiers made from metal washers welded together. The location is a spectacular viewpoint.

Arromanches-les-Bains and D-Day 75 Memorial Garden

Travelling east along the coast we arrived at the British Memorial of Ver-sur-Mer. It overlooks Gold Beach where many of the British landed but most strangely its access road is through a housing estate! The site comprises of a large three sided monument with cream stone pillars leading off in a large rectangle surrounded by green lawns. It was inaugurated in June 2021 and pays tribute to 22,442 soldiers under British command who played their part in the landings and subsequent Battle of Normandy, their names are engraved on the walls and pillars of the Memorial. It was here we had a surprise discovery on seeing the Standing with Giants silhouettes displayed that we had previously seen at Fort Nelson in Portsmouth last year. The art installation was there as part of the D-Day 80 commemorations due to take place from the Memorial on 6th June.

Heading back towards the campsite we crossed Pegasus Bridge at Benouville, one of the first points that Allied soldiers set foot on Normandy soil. The original bridge is now located in the Pegasus Memorial Museum nearby having been sold to the museum for 1 franc in 1994 when it was replaced by a new more substantial bridge. On the west side of the bridge the Cafe Gondree was reputed to be the first building to be liberated in France and is still run today by the then owners daughter who was living there as a small child in 1944. It is now a popular meeting point for re-enactors and their period vehicles with its walls adorned with WW2 memorabilia.

Our final day before heading home was spent visiting Deauville, a smart seaside town that has attracted the wealthy and famous since the 1800’s. It is known for its grand casino, golf courses, horse races and American Film Festival. Its wide sandy beach is backed by a 1920’s boardwalk with bathing cabins that are named after the stars of stage and screen. The town has lovely half timbered buildings and every branded boutique you could name has a prime spot on its many chic shopping avenues.

On our last morning we departed Merville and headed to Dieppe for the crossing back to Newhaven. The sea was calm, the sun was shining and we reminisced as we sailed home from an unforgettable 10 days in Normandy. It has a stunning coastline, flower filled traditional villages and history around every corner.We agreed that it had been an emotional rollercoaster of a holiday, very heart-rending from the stories we had read, the harrowing scenes we then pictured and at the loss of so many lives from all sides. It is a time in history that will both be celebrated and mourned forever and a place that we will most definitely return to very soon. There is so much more to see and do there relating to D-Day and we haven’t even touched on the fact that Normandy itself has so many pretty towns,villages and countryside to explore.

A Bientot Normandie

Catch Up no;2 – 2024

November 8, 2024November 8, 2024 by sally hadley

Here’s the next instalment of the catch up blog to bring you up to date with our journey through our 2 lives;

2024 – New Year was spent on a cruise around the Med. Several ports of call in Spain Portugal and Gibraltar with lots of sightseeing, food and relaxing times. The day after we returned our son got married so it was a miracle we actually fitted into our wedding attire. The wedding was a beautiful occasion, a perfect day for a perfect couple, we were so very proud of them both.

After all the exhilaration of the previous 2 weeks it was a bit of a shock to arrive back home to an empty shell of a room where the kitchen used to be. Between Christmas and New Year we had gutted the old kitchen ready for the builders to start while we were away on the cruise. Their first week had been spent ripping out, plastering, plumbing and electrics and their second was now just at the fitting new stage. It was a tough comedown but I had the vision that I had been planning for the last 8 months in my head and knew it would turn out just as I had envisaged. Steve took some convincing but kept the faith that it would! A week later it was finished, both of us overjoyed with every bit of it.

Not ones to sit on our laurels the next stage of renovation was already planned which was to landscape the exterior of the cottage. Weather delayed the start by a couple of weeks so it was now due to coincide with us leaving for our new role managing our own site. Remember when I said things change on the network over the winter months? well they certainly did for us and we got offered a job share contract at Warwick Racecourse instead, coincidentally still a racecourse but a longer season and working 12 days on and 12 days off. This sounded like a perfect work/life balance and we jumped at the opportunity.

We left home on the 23rd February heading for Warwick. Bill the Bailey was collected from storage and Vinny the Van was packed with our onsite set up gear. Packing up wasn’t as labour intensive as it had been in previous years, this time around we could just pack a winter wardrobe and then swop over to a summer one on one of our trips back home which would be every 12 days now. We didn’t have to carry our whole lives with us anymore as were only an hour and a half from home if anything was needed.

Unpacking and setting up is now a well oiled operation. Well mostly, once we have remembered how all the awning poles fit together and which box the kettle is in. It still takes about 3 days to get everything in its place and ensure the awning is battened down and wind and rain proof, then time to food shop and sightsee before the official start work day. We managed a couple of days exploring our new location and its tourist spots before we began preparing the site for opening up to members. There was only us there and it was both a daunting and exciting feeling being our own bosses in effect and having all the responsibility on our shoulders. We soon found our feet and before we knew it our colleagues who we were job sharing with had arrived. We finished the site set up and after handing over to them we found ourselves on the road back to Shropshire again. This work/life balance was like a dream come true.

Back home and the landscaping was finished outside the cottage. It looked amazing. New external doors had been fitted aswell and the effect was stunning. But after 12 days of ‘homelife’ back we went again to Warwick and ‘worklife’

Having our rota set out for the season meant we could plan our time off this year to include some holiday times. Not used to being able to have holidays during the summer it was quite a novelty planning where and when we could go. Several ideas were put forward and we decided on a trip to Normandy in May. I have done a separate blog about our road trip as it deserves its own showcase.

As the season progressed time on site was a whirlwind of grass cutting, hedge trimming, cleaning and checking in. Although Warwick is a third of the size of other sites we have worked there is only Steve and I at any one time so everything is down to us. The vibe of the site is very transient, not many units book on site for longer than a couple of nights as it is not really a holiday destination site but more of a stopover or weekend site. This makes it a very high turnover of arrivals and departures which all take a lot of managing with the site nearly always being full. As Warwick is on a very convenient network of motorways and A roads it is ideal as a stopover to break the journey. Also once members realise just how much there is to do in the area they more often extend their stay or book again for on their way back. The horse racing season at Warwick Racecourse is from September through to May, so whilst we are open there are quite a number of race days and other events scheduled at the course. Race day is always popular with the site full and members able to watch from our side of the fence. The atmosphere is very tense at the finishing line which is right opposite the main stand and our site, especially if you have money bet on the winner!

Following our trip to Normandy in Vinny our Transit Custom camper, our minds got thinking that having enjoyed it so much and with our new working rota, having summer trips away would be something we could now do. Trouble was that for us Vinny was a little too small and uncomfortable for longer than a couple of nights so we tentatively started looking at the option of a motorhome. Ideally a 6m long campervan was our compromise but unfortunately after trying the sleeping arrangements in a few models it appeared that Steve was too long for the beds. Also as it wasn’t just for holidays it was for living and working out of every 12 days aswell it needed to have fixed beds and an adequate lounge area. And so a motorhome was decided on and we picked it up at the end of July. It was also a very sad day as we gave up Bill the Bailey and Vinny the Van in part exchange.

We had already planned a few days away at the end of July to Norfolk Broads CAMC site before we knew we were swopping to a motorhome, so we arranged to collect Mo (the motorhome) the day before, come back to Warwick for a night then head over to Norfolk from there. It was rather a whirlwind operation decanting everything from Bill and Vinny and repacking into Mo so everything was loaded into a pop up tent in our compound until we could decide between what was actually still needed and what was unnecessary clutter we had just accumulated in the last 4 years of caravan life. We had a great time in Norfolk, the weather was perfect and we really enjoyed getting used to being in Mo, the transition from caravan to motorhome was proving to be a positive one.

We had another trip booked for a couple of days in August to Baltic Wharf CAMC. The weather was sunny and warm and we got out and about along the waterfront and to see the street art.

Our time on site was nearing its season end although the arrivals were still as busy as ever. Once the school holidays are over its then the turn of couples who are road tripping up, down and across the country to come and stay.

End of October arrived and our first season as Site Managers was under our belt. It had been a learning curve but we embraced the challenge (hopefully did a good job) and enjoyed the site so much that we are going back next year. Mo has been put into storage near to the cottage and we have two trips planned in the UK over the winter months. Meanwhile the log burner is lit, the Christmas decorations will be coming out soon and we plan a peaceful perfect time off.

So there you are, a catch up of our 2024 so far. There will be more news and blogs to come from our winter road trips as they happen, but in the meantime keep watching for the Normandy blog posting soon.