1. MC and the flags at St.Auburn Sur mer - Normandie
2. Brugge canals - Belgium
3. MC outside his favourite shop - Brugge Belgium
4. US Cemetery at Omaha Beach Normandie France
5. Jet fighter at 100th Paris Air show
6. Briar & MC cruisin on the river Seine in Paris
7. Briar and the Eiffel tower at midnight - Paris
8. MC and the infamous Mona Lisa - Louvre museum Paris
9. Briar & MC outside the Moulin Rouge - Paris
10.The Grand Arch - La Defense - Paris
11.The most famous street in Paris - Champs Elysees
12.Famous Artistes square at Montmarte Paris
13.MC & Briar at the top of the Eiffel tower - Paris
14.Briar at the gate to the Aerial display Paris air show
15.Briar & MC and the Arc De Tromphe - Paris
16. Briar & MC in the jardins of Chateau Fountainbleau



Late June- Early July( Paris ) Update

Left our grumpy camp lady at reception in Maison Lafitte around 9.00am – we waited ten minutes for the office/reception to open , young kiwi couple also waiting to check out – recognised the greenstone he was wearing ( Invercagill ) been in London for 9 months – heading back to London – been on the road 3 months – run outta deneiro Punched into Delilah the nearest shopping centre – in need of a good grocery stock up – found one bout 8 k’s away in the general direction of central Paris where we were heading . Getting there at opening time meant the carpark and the supermarche was fairly quiet. Big spend up - $160.00 euros of course the liquid refreshment cupboard did need a good restock – as we were down to the last bottelier.
With the stocks replenished we headed on into find Camp Bois De Bologne – Briar drivin me navigating – no brainer as we reached our campground within 20 minutes or so – we booked in for a week – scored a pitch over looking the River Seine again – about 100-125 metres or so from a weir and lock gates which means we could hear the sound of rushing water constantly as opposed to traffic noise.
The site was a good size with our own water tap – reasonably private as well – meant we could get the olde kiwi clothesline out – amazing how quickly one accumulates dirty laundry –got the bikes down and so could go for a peddle through the Bois De Bologne Park – which is huge – the biggest park in Paris – has two hippodromes (horse racecourses) in it as well as numerous sporting grounds – lakes – paths and cycleways and off course roads through it.
We had earlier found on Delilah a FNAC shop where we could pick up our tickets for the Paris Air show in couple days time – had previously booked them on the internet. Had a bite to eat first and then went for a treddle – passed the infamous girls and trannies of the night ( it was day time when we rode passed) road right in the middle of the Bois De bologna park – judging by the amount of empty cars and vans with blinds & curtains pulled up the G & T ‘s do OK.
We did find our FNAC outlet but I didn’t have my Visacard I bought the tickets online with me – so no go joe will have to do it tmoro. Rode through some more park passed the Longchamps race course – one of France’s finest and most prestigious racecourses. They or should I say she, as we found out had a raceday comin up in the next week – back at camp did a load of washin and chilled for the rest of the evening – no open fires allowed – good excuse to have something other than barbequed dinner for a change.
The ACSI book said four star – but we’d have to say no way hose` - the sanitary facilites were well below a 4 star rating – cleanliness was also marginal. Other facilities provided were also average for the $30.00 euros per night tag – however it was better than the last campground and we were smack in the middle of Paris – only 4 or 5 k’s to Camps Elysees and the Eiffel tower.
The following morning was a duel task day and also rather cloudy – but not raining did have the look of burning off later in the day which it did – FNAC outlet for air show tickets and reconnoitre of Paris and metro /trains for future use. We bought an all day pass at the camp and caught their shuttle bus to Porte Maillot – where we could catch the metro in several directions of Paris – we were also smack in the middle of Arc De triomphe and the Grand Arch of La Defense (new commercial zone of Paris – remember it well from my dad & mum’s photos and video of their adventure to Paris. We caught the metro to the Arc De Triomphe stop – where we did as everyone does wandered under the famous 12 pont roundabout where the Arc De triomphe sits smack in the middle of – the traffic goin round this roundabout is nothing short of crazy – if ya don’t know French road rules definitely a roundabout to avoid – driving on roundabouts in France you are supposed to give way to traffic approaching the roundabout on your right – remember that they drive on the right side over here. Only saw one small scrape between two cars – surprised we didn’t see more – so glad we didn’t lose our way and end up here – did catch a Taxi ride home from town one night where at least we say we have been on and around it . Anyways back to the Arc itself –you can only get to it by going under ground along a walkway like the metro and ya pop out almost directly under it. – it looks much bigger and impressive when you are underneath it – you can pay $8.00 euros to go to the top – Lotsa plaques in the ground underneath – with various testimants to various French legends. The eternal flame also for the unknown soldier and a massive French flag wallowing around in the breeze.
Next stop – Paris’s most famous street - Champs Elysees – wandered about a km down there until we came across a FNAC store – bewdy –soughted out our air show tickets and then caught the metro onto the Pyramides to find the central Paris info. centre – where we gathered lotsa useful info – with the aid of a very nice young chap who even found venues on the net for us to watch the 2nd test between the Blacks & France on the coming Saturday morning. We also bought tickets to the Musee d’Orsay and the Louvre – so no queue waiting and meant we could choose any day to go to them. Once that was soughted back on the metro to the Louvre stop and then wandered down into the Tullieres jardins directly off the Louvre – where we stopped for abite to eat in the Park. – gotta hand it to the Europeans in a lot of the parks in major cities they provide seats – so you can sit down and chill in the parks – not benchseats either seats you can pick up and put wherever you choose to sit in the park.
Most did as we did sat around the pools and waterfall features – very nice .
After lunch we did some more wandering through the jardins to the Concorde – jumped on the metro and headed out to the Stade de France (stadium) – did a free tour through their museum which we were supposed to pay for – we just followed another lady in who also didn’t pay either. Had lotsa photos of sporting / musical events etc. that had been played or staged at the stade. Had also lotsa soccer and rugby jerseys – in glass frames of various countrys etc. most were signed by the players. Also had a scale model and film of the building of the stade. Had a photo of Heather Brown’s cousin Aaron Mauger and Byron Kelleher in action in the Blacks inglorious defeat at the hands of the French that particular day : 43-6 ( I remember it well) .
Back on the RER trains this time, back into Chatelet – checked out where the OZ Café was (for watchin the blacks game on Sat.) then metroed out to the Grand Arch and La Defense. – another amazing piece of architecture and once again far more impressive when up close and personal – in fact the whole La Defense commercial/shopping zone was pretty amazing . mostly pedestrian access only.
Took some more snappies then back to the pick-up point at Porte Maillot to catch the camp shuttle bus. Big day out 9.00am – to 7.00pm – decided bugger it will have a barbi – should be able to disguise it from our reasonably private camp pitch – did spot some more charcoal barbi’s during our stay at the camp – not that that made any difference to me. Ya gonna do it then do it – no f…en about son. Early night – another big day tmoro at the air show. Did watch a DVD before catchin some zzzz’s.

Awoke early to an average morning again not to many patches of blue sky – but it was rather warm for that time of the morning. Had to catch the 7.30am city bus as the camp one does’t start its service till 9.00am – the city bus does stop at the same stop - Porte Maillot – onto the Metro to Chatelet – then onto the RER train to Le Bourget where they had free buses from the train station to the Air show – once inside the gates after a ¾ of an hour wade through with the crowds – we hit the first pavilion of several before heading out to the static displays of all the various aircraft on show.- from old biplanes, training aircraft, jet fighters, helicopters, commercial jets to huge 380 airbuses. This secondary airport facility is massive and makes Auckland airport look like Tauranga airport. The exhibition pavilions were massive with – some very impressive displays – some even had aircraft inside as part of their display. Surprised to see the amount of military hardware etc. on show for prospective clientele. You could even order jet fighters, missiles, combat weaponry and satellite communications here – didn’t spot any Talebans queuing up for orders. You would need to spend two ta three days to do it justice – so you have to keep walking at pace to see as much as poss. And then ya miss quite a bit.
Around 1pm we headed out to the aerial display area they or she had cordoned off especially – we had grandstand seats – so we sat and munched away on our quiches and filled rolls we had prepared earlier – the clouds had parted somewhat and the sun was beating through and was starting to really warm up – well for me anyway – around 25 degrees I gathered . Around 2pm the show began and we saw everything from biplanes to old fokkers to full size radio-controlled cam helicopters to jet fighters to combat helicopters and yes the 380 airbus even gave us a display – the whole thing was finished off with a glider doing aerobatics to music – tres magnifique as one would say in France.
Did more wandering through some more pavilions on our way to the exit gates as the place closes at 6pm and we jumped on the bus about that time back to Le Bourget station – the bus ride was a lot slower going back to the train station as one would expect – still we walked in the camp gates around 7.40pm – barbequed saussies for dinner washed down with some rouge vino – hit the hay after showers around 10.30pm.
Awoke to a better morning today – blue sky and sunshine – fantastique – once again early start – city bus to Porte maillot – then metro to Chatelat – then 500m walk to OZ café – yes The 2nd test – walked in just before the boys did the Haka – excellent – looking around the bar spotted a few kiwis but as you would expect a pretty pro French crowd – heard the odd pommie accent from behind – had an Aussie barmaid – did have one beer as the boys sneaked home – also had a chat to a young kiwi chap on his OE from perth .oz had been a few months over here touring – gave us a couple tips about Paris – tres bien .
Had made some more rolls so snacked away on those and then caught the Paris panorama (combined bus/canal tour) for $42.00 euros each, this gave us 3 days travel on any of their buses or batobuses(passenger canal barges) on any of their different routes , from previous experience it is by far the best way to see a city and its landmarks etc. and you can get off and on anytime wherever you want on their routes. We stayed up top and ate the rest of our lunch and did the yellow and blue routes today – stopped at the Notre Dame church – did the wander through – equally as impressive as Chartres Notre Dame – also past the Pompidieu centre – the Madeleine – the Opera house – the Eiffel tower – even the red light and Moulin Rouge district of Paris – the camera getting well used of course. Spent most of the rest of the day touring atop of the city panorama buses until around 6 when the olde girl started to get to cold – gotta admit the afternoon did get cloudier and cooler – even had a brief shower at one stage when we were near the Eiffel tower – had to scoot downstairs to avoid getting wet. Had a gas cooked dinner with our vino tonite – showered and snuggled up – watched a DVD before sleepin.
Same again today – more bus and will do some canal rides today – as we were headin out bumped into couple of Charlie’s friends Fliss and Jason who had been staying at the camp for several days also but were goin to the Louvre and then onwards with their adventure – so random runnin into some one you know really well on the other side of the world . Had a great catch up took a snappie and then we journeyed on into Paris for day 2 of bus and canal sighseeing ( this day also had special significance for me as not only me Mums birthday – but also I gave up smoking exactly one year ago – definite pat on the back for me ) - much of the same – did the orange and green line tours today and a couple trips up and down the Seine. Again we ate our prepared filled rolls, mars bars and ice cold water bottles frozen from the previous nite ( lasts all day cold) . More famous sights / buildings / parks/ gardens / monuments / statues etc.etc. Home at camp around 6.30pm – no sign of Fliss and Jason – musta kept going – bummer – we both would have enjoyed their company I’m sure.
Up at sparrows fart again today – no relaxing when one is in Paris – to much to see and do. – Eiffel Tower bound this morning and hopefully early enough to avoid the huge queue’s we had seen whilst on our bus tours . So 3 x S’s and brekkie we caught the 7.30am city bus to Porte maillot then onto the metro to another metro station where we caught another metro train to the Eiffel. I did forget to mention importantly that it was a superb morning – the best so far while we have been in Paris. So with great delight we found ourselves standing in the queue around 8.35am basking in the sun at no.s 28 & 29 in the queue – plan A had worked. – by the time they opened up the entry gates to the old metal lady we had at least 300-350 behind us – as there is only one lift to the first and second levels and it can only take around 50 people at a time – you generally have a wait time of around 25 minutes.
So we were in the first lift up to the second level and the second lift up to the top – well what can one say on a gloriously beautiful day with Paris at one’s feet. – tres magnifique is not enough – generally Paris is very flat but does have plenty of greenbelts and canals and rivers through it so it is very easy to see for miles and miles on a clear day. You really appreciate how well set out the city is from up here and would for me without doubt be the prettiest city from above or viewpoint I have seen so far. Paris is surprisingly clean compared to some of the other major cities across Europe we have been in so far.
After 40 minutes of being spellbound and breathless – many snappies we descended the old tin lady and jumped onto a batobus – did the tour up and down the Seine again
Got onto a bus where we could get off at the Sacre Couer church the highest church in Paris on a hiiltop in the infamous Montemarte district – where many famous Artists used to paint and live in . There is a central square there, where today still many artistes display their art and many self-potrait and caricature artists can draw you for $25-30.00 euros. Monet did a picture of this square when it was a regular eating/dance
Haven back in the day.
There is also some special steps – much like the Spanish steps in Roma – where people tend to congregate – especially the younger ones – it does offer fine views across Paris’s skyline – not quite like the Eiffel tower – if ya budget didn’t allow this would do just fine. Caught the panorama bus again out to the Pantheon – took some piccies – too pricey to go in for me and then onto the Palais and Jardins Luxembourg – where we sat and had our lunch in the free chairs provided like we did at Tullieres – rather late bite to eat today – wandered through the gardens some more – then past the fountain of the four corners of the world – rather intrigued Briar.
Just another bloody fountain to me. Then we spent an hour or so tryin to find the Paris Catacombes which when we arrived were shut on that day – bugger .
So headed back on the metro to Porte Maillot where we did a wee shop for some supplies, caught the camp bus back. Barbequed steak for tea tonite – yummy – both really buggered from all this constant sightseeing and touring so early nite for us both.
Both slept in a bit – so late start to our visit to the Musee d’Orsay this morning, not that worried us as we had our reserved tickets so no queue waiting – wrong – the reserved queue was about eighty people or so long – still much less than the 400 or so in the normal queue – phew. Didn’t think this musee was as important as the Louvre – how wrong one can be when one finds whats under the covers. We both really enjoyed d”Orsay – there was some great impressionist art done by great impressionist artists - Monet/Manet/Gaugin/Cezanne/Sisley/Pissaro/ Renoir/Rembrandt – some very impressive art and a couple of my favourites a self portrait of Van Gogh and Monets –London tower at sunset. Also remember seeing this amongst dad & mum’s tour photos. Stopped for some lunch at the museum’s snack bar – then onto the Top floor terrace offering views across the Seine to the Louvre and the Palais Royal – then back into it again to do two more floors of art. we both staggered to find out that we could photograph just about anything in the museum we wanted. OK so we have a separate folder on the lappie containing only art from the Musee d’Orsay and the Louvre museum.
Got out the doors about 5pm – not enough time for Catacombes today – SO decided to have a look at the Pompidou centre – had spotted it from the Eiffel – all the services – air-ducting /piping etc.etc – which are generally concealed within the building itself are on the Pompidou totally the opposite and all externally exposed – would have been great to look at in its first few years (built in the early 90’s) and from a distance looks exceptional but when one is close up today – it looks a bit dirty and weathered – mother nature waits for no one !
Birds or should I say pigeons have nested in the nooks and crannies of the pipework all over the building and off course – don’t worry them where they shit . There was a lovely square with a pool with various different water fountain spout features in it – had café’s all the way long and looked like a good spot to replenish a couple of dehydrated souls. Sat under the umbrella as it was still quite warm temps. – certainly picked a good day to visit the air-conditioned museum. Only had one beer as – at $8.00 euro a handle one could certainly break the budget very easily. We then caught the metro and the funicular tram up the hill to Montemarte – where we decided to go for dinner - $15.00 euro 3 –course meal of the day – was very good too – the place was buzzing with people and energy – the waiters are excellent at what they do – very on to it and very experienced too I think. – hardly any women waitresses I noticed. Still we enjoyed our leisurely dinner – a rare treat for us on this tour – so always nice when we do do it. Sat on the steps at Sacre Couer Church with about three hundred or so other lost souls ( not really – just sounded good) – mostly youngsters all sittin their with their six packs or bottles of vino waiting for the sun to set and the lights of Paris to come on. Around 10.45pm when the lights were still not on, we made a dash for the metro via Moulin Rouge to take a few snaps when the lights were on – did this and a few other odd store fronts – then onto the metro to the Eiffel – every hour at nite when dark ( 11.00pm onwards) there are twenty thousand xmas tree lights that go on at the hour for ten minutes or so on the Eiffel tower – looks spectacular. We did miss the 11.00pm show – so hung around until the 12.00pm show – fanatastique. Both buggered after a big day out again we caught a taxi home to camp – nice African taxi driver from Ghana – been in Paris for twenty years – married - couple kids. Both crashed when got home.
Woke to another sunny and very hot day – good day to visit the Louvre and air-conditioned comfort again. Arrived around 9.30am – no queues for us – staright in – picked up a couple of Dictaphones (had them at the Musee d’Orsay –well worth it)
And we began our tour on the top floor – we decided we weren’t gonna see everything so lets see the things we really want to see – paintings generally.
The entire 4th floor is dedicated to French painters and their Artworks – Cezanne , Renoir , Chasseaux , Gaugin – there was even one section of this floor dedicated to Rubens, took a couple hours to do this level – had some lunch at the snack bar again – then the second and third levels – more Monet / Rembrandt and a lot of unknown Flemish and Italian painters – the main Gallery ( the first room to display Art at the Louvre at its beginning in the late18th century) where a lot of famous Italian painters – Micheangelo / Raphael / Tintoretto/ Veronese/ Bodini and of course Leonardo De Vinci - The room where the Mona Lisa was jam packed to the hilt – ya jus had to muscle ya way to the front to get a piccie – only had one lady security guard on I might add. No infer-red bullshit like ya see on the movies – still she was one of the few pieces of Artwork that was glassed over in the whole of the Louvre – the crown jewels of Louis the 16th in the Apollo room was about the only other. Bypassed a lot of the Egyptian and early roman artefacts as we saw a lot of that at the Vatican – did have a peek at Venus De Milo ( Aphrodite statue) and the Winged victory of Samothrace before doing a tour of the Apollo room and Napoleans apartment which he never stayed in, personified or should I say magnified many times over with allsorts of opulence. Some of the gold gilding on the ceilings and walls – downright bloody ridiculous unless ya got a shit load of money – only a selected few in the day would have seen this – apart from us lucky bastards today.
Briar was wingeing about sore toes and blisters – SO headed home around 5pm – early finish – fair enough girl have put ya through ya paces over this last week. When ya return home and ya find ya haven’t put an ounce on you will thank me then. Asian meal tonite – spicy chicken and fried rice – was delicioso for a change why buy it when ya can do it at home and it tastes this good. Last day in Paris tmoro – did a load of washing to hang out tmoro.
Fed, showered, Dvded and bed goddam always good to get horizontal – specially at our old age. Huh.
Awoke to another scorcher – expected to be around 29/30 degrees today – excellent day to visit the Catacombes and be a couple hundred metres under the ground and Paris – bound to be cooler down there. Set of around 10.00 – bit of late start – but we were no real rush today – 20 minute queue/wait at the entry to the Catacombes – lookin forward to these – as we knew these had real bones in them – not like San Sebastion Catacombes in Roma. Had to descend around 90-100 spiral steps down to the caves themselves – then walked a fair way till we actually came across the caves or Catacombes with the bones – apparently the curator or top dog in charge decided that rather than just chuck the bones in higgledy- piggeldy he had them stacked – so whoever stacked them– decided they would create patterns with them – so there were caves and caves full to the top of neatly stacked femur bones with skulls amongst them creating circles/arches /squares/ curves/rows etc.etc – a nice way to pay homage to the dead as most of these bones were unidentified people or peasants – mostly from around the late17th and 18th centuries - a few notables which had there own private chambers but several graveyards were dug up through early Paris and bought here – because of disease. Another interesting fact as genrally like Roma the catacombs are old disused quarries this one supplied stone back in Caesar’s day. Didn’t find it spooky at all – really quite blown away by the volume of bones more than anything.
According to one of the guides – some who spend all day down here (creepy job)
There is approx. the bones of 6.5 million people down there. F…en amazing.
Once back up top at street level we descended back down to the nearest metro and headed for the La Fayette commercial centre – do a bit of shopping – maybe a bit of self indulgence – mainly cos me t-shirts are becoming well worn – a couple newies would be good. Stopped for a bite at a lunch bar – quiche and a poisson ( filled roll) a good coffee and hit the shops , July sales goin on everywhere – (Briar knows this from her previous years in this part of the world) – both bought a couple t’s and singlets and back on the metro to Porte Maillot for the last time. (Ahhh some different clothes to wear and different colurs…)
Caught the camp bus back to camp also for the last time. Relaxed for the rest of the evening – anti-pasto and barbi dinner – dishes, showers, cuppa, Dvd and bedtime . So glad had packed away most things the night before apart from the Barbie and our feet wipe mat. As we awoke to a showery – windy Paris morning a complete contrast from yesterday – as we Au revoired Paris along the autostrade the rain got heavier – it wasn’t until we were nearly about 50k’s outta Paris headin toward Caen that it cleared up and could see in the nearing distance patches of blue sky.
Well if you come to Paris to see the sights – don’t expect to be able ta sit back and chill – ya just won’t have time – but then that is what makes Pairs so endearing – the vibrancy, the energy, the sights, the cuisine and yes Briar ..off course the shopping. We were going to leave Paris until the last of our tour on the way back to England and home – so glad we didn’t – would have been a major injustice to the city and ya just wouldn’t enjoy Paris freezing ya nuts off.
Stopped for Diesel top-up in Le Neubourg – swapped over drivin as Briar buggered – then stopped for lunch just outside Lisieux town – there was a war cemetery lust on the outskirts which had a nice quiet parking lot -ham and salad with the daily baguette – yum. Then had a wee wander through the cemetery – mostly British ( Paratroop battalion ) a few canadian’s, French and one New Zealander – a RNZAF pilot. Nearly 600 engraved marble crosses ( we deciphered approx. average age – 23 ).
Very beautiful cemetery with well kept gardens and grounds – caretaker doing the gardens whilst we were their.
The country-side much like we experienced coming into Paris from the Champagne – Ardenne region – flat fields of maize/barley/ corn and grass of course – only broken by the odd church spire .
Back on the road we bypassed Caen for St-Auburn sur Mer - had a stop at a Carrefours supermarche for a badly needed grocery stock up and then found our camp ground – where we had one of the friendliest / welcomingest arrivals on tour so far – makes a lot of difference to how one’s first impressions of a camp is. – and it was a nice camp ( another ACSI one – $15.00 a nite - choice). - we were about two three hundred yards from the sea – we could smell the salty air – buono.
We set up and settled into our site almost automatically now – being the, can almost say campervan pro’s we now are. I had a quick dip in the campgrounds marvellous piscine(swimming pool) complex – no wonder so many families here – had four pools in all – with water slides and toddlers pools as well as an indoor heated one where the glazed roof slides back right off. Had a good bar and restaurant set-up next door to the piscine – had a very good supermarche with excellent daily baked pains and baguette’s (can honestly vouch for that) – have noticed a lot of pommie accents disturbing the air since we arrived. We actually parked next to a chatterbox next to us who spent half an hour telling us her life story nearly – her hubbie looked a real boring old fella – so I’m sure she was glad to be able to chat to someone other than her boring hubbie. (But hey..it is nice to speak fluent English and listen to it now and then)
Barbequed steak again for dinner – one of the best so far – yumm.
The usual dishes, showers, cuppa’s, chocolat and sweeties while watchin a Dvd (or reading and getting to sleep earlier…got the meanest earplugs now…! Why did I take 6 months to sort that out?) and then beddy by’s – easy day tmoro – can afford to sleep in abit – yeayy. We both slept in till about 8.30am – had the usual 3 x S’s and brekkie then hit the road – the weather was perfect for visiting along the Normandie beaches – Hit the Canadian monument and Juno beach first – followed by Arromanches town and the remnants of the temporary wharf that still remains today, the chatterbox at the camp next door – told us her Dad actually helped construct the Arromanches wharf back in the day. Then we went onto Omaha beach – where the American cemetery is – beautifully kept cemetery and museum with a massive carpark – the gardens and paths were immaculate . The museum and memorial was 21st century in design and gave you a great picture/story of what it was like and had various memorials to some who had fallen during the D-Day operation and assault.
Interesting video and facts and figures also of the 6th June assault. We both found the memorial to be very fascinating as well as humbling – they even had a special tribute to the Niland brothers ( 3 off them that died during the wars) – on which the movie
Saving Private Ryan – was based on. We then wandered out to the well groomed fields of marble crosses ( 9000 in total ) – had a magnificient memorial tribute semi – circular pavilion with a pond – had the walls engraved with the fallen soldiers names on it – and then there were very even rows and rows of marbled white crosses. For a s far as you could see almost. The whole place was a tribute not only to the fallen who lay buried here but also the present day people who worked and maintained this magnificient memorial. Our last D-day beach stop was at Point De Hoc – where Hitler built one of several big gun batteries along the Normandie coastline – on a headland smack in the middle of Omaha and Utah beaches and where the germans could fire down on both beaches as well as a couple of the guns were capable of firing 10 miles out to sea. Another very well done testament and memorial to those ugly days of war. Once again many tourists visiting – lotsa American accents again. Further on we stopped at a local oyster farmer – where I bought some oysters off course, some scallops for Briar and some fresh fish. Tres maginifique. But before heading back to camp we shot inland to Bayeaux – to chaek out the Worlds longest tapestry ( 72 metres long). It depicted the story of the battle between King Harold and William the Conqueror back in 1066. It did so with rather amazing detail – having a Dictaphone certainly helped also to understand its story. It is kept in a very dark room to stop it or delay the deteriotion process. More interesting stories of war and battles along this stretch of coastline – a well endowed past.
Ran into a nice young couple back from Oz/NZ when we got back to Hugo at our parking lot. They were parked next to us in their transit van – they had spotted our Kiwi stickers on the bumper – Ozzie girl – kiwi boy from Whakatane – been in London for a year – doin the 6 month big OE Europe tour – had only just started really – after some sharing of knowledge and a few tips from us we parted and headed back to camp via some very back roads and country lanes amongst quaint little stone house villages and lots more fields of Maize/barley and wheat. Had a seafood feast when we had dinner that evening washed down with the mandatory vino – white for a change – the fresh seafood was a real treat and we both savoured every morsel .
We both woke late again - camp day today – decided that we needed to have a chill day with a few chores needed doing to Hugo and a bit of a catch up for us after our whirlwind Paris visit. We gave Hugo the once over did some reading ( well Briar did) , did some blog updating and swam (I did – too cold for Briar - sissy) in the excellent pool complex. Did venture out mid arvo for a cycle ride into the village of St. Auburn Sur Mer and along the beachfront promenade. Came across a couple more gun emplacements and memorials to some Canadian soldiers. Also right along the promenades as was the same with many of the other Normandy beaches we visited the previous day were Flagpoles with different countries flags flying on them. Being a Sunday the promenade restaurants were all busy with people havin late lunches. Not to much too see in this tiny village so back to camp – where we chilled out with a anti-pasto /vino and you guessed it barbi for chena and watched the sunset which finally disappeared around 10.45pm.
Awoke to another outstanding summers day – travel day today – so after 3 x S’s and brekkie we were headed out of camp Cote De Nacre heading towards Fort Mahon Plage in the Pas De Calais region – did pass through Rouen where the Seine meets the sea – major northern French port – very industrial – didn’t stop but did pass through the old part which has several fantastique church spires and the Cathedrale Notre dame – which was painted in a series by French impressionist Monet. – the gothic cathedral is once again as impressive as either the Notre dame’s of both charters and Paris. Outside of Rouen in a parking/picnic bay we pulled of the autostrade for lunch.
Swapped over driving their – Briar pooped out again – her excuse was still recovering from Paris – hey don’t bother me girlfriend. The countryside again remained very flat with still the similar vista of wheat/maize and barley. Also lots more paddocks of cows – fresians and charlai’s – could smell it too. About hour later we pulled of the autostrade into Abbeyville – found a supermarche – where we could also fill up with cheaper diesel than the service stations and score some groceries – sweet as bro. We did go for a wander into the main street of abbeyville first to have a peekaboo – looked like it had almost all been recently built – recent meaning in the 50-60’s not 17th & 18th century stuff – obviously got flattened during 2nd world war. After shopping and gasing up Hugo we headed toward the cost again to fort Mahon Plage - the arvo was really warming up now – 3o degrees – had a quick reconnoitre of the town /promenade and beach area and then we pulled into our campground which was a bit futher outta town – we set up quickly and made a beeline for the swimming pool
even Briar had a dip. (Onya girl) the water was not heated so very refreshing . Certainly did help with cooling down . Strange pool rules at this camp – had to leave the pool complex by 6.00pm ( most camps with pools its around 9.00pm) – so back to Hugo – did the Barbie thing – had Wifi – so back to the restaurant area where we sat in the dark in our fold out chairs and did the internet thing for a few hours. Had a paid five hour usage. Home and straight to bed – woke again to another brilliant summers day – would be as hot if not hotter today. – hardly a cloud in the sky – heard jet fighters doing there stuff all day – never spotted any – we deciphered it must have been the haze that meant we couldn’t spot any as they flew around us / straight over us and still we couldn’t see them but you could certainly hear them especially when they took off – their was an Air base close by . Did the Wifi thing in the bar next morning till about midday, was good to catch up with the Wifi as we both had several things that needed doing on the net-Tax returns /accounts etc.We had some lunch and then spent the rest of the day sunbaking and swimming in the pool from 2-6pm when we got kicked out. Once again was good to just chill – rather than out sightseeing – felt a bit like a holiday rather than touring. Fortunately we ha parked so that when we got back to hugo the side we sit outside normally was shaded – so we could sit outside – the temp did get up to about 30 again but we had a bit of breeze today compared to nothing yesterday. The ever familiar vino/barbi/dishesand no showers tonite – both been in the pool all arvo figured we didn’t smell to bad - DVD and bed.
Woke to a very different morning cloudy or misty almost – very unusual didn’t look or threaten to rain – but it haung around all the way up our drive to Calais and Dunkirk and as we left France the sun started to dessimate the clouds and we pulled into our camp in Belgium in clear blue skies – packed up Hugo – this would be our last day on French soil until our return to England – our final sightseeing would be in Dunkirk before we Au revoired France and crossed the border into Belgium and a campground on the coast near Oostende. We did stop for a quick info. centre stop in Dunkirk and then drove out toward the beaches and the memorial site – couldn’t really stop or find a suitable park so headed further along the coast where we found a park right on the beachfront and had lunch. Did a last miunte grocery shop before crossing the border into Belgium – heard that Belgium was very expensive . Also bought another gas bottle at the supermarche gas station – had to pay for the bottle as well – wouldn’t do an exchange with the one we got - bloody French. We have both really enjoyed the French countryside/ the people/ the cuisine and the aura of the country – there are areas of France that we didn’t get to see and would love to come back. Apart from Switzerland would be at the top of the list so far for countries really enjoyed and yes there are many more countries to come yet. We both didn’t rate France at the very beginning of our tour and were going to generally bypass it but we are both so glad we gave it the necessary time to discover it properly – tres fantastique.
Well once again it’s the beginning of a new month – July and we have passed over the halfway point of our O.E adventure – man time flys when ya havin fun. So our final Au revoir from France and will fill ya’s all in in the next update in a couple weeks. Bon journee.