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Muttley part en ProvenceMuttley part en Provence
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A 22-day adventure by Martin and Debbie Read more
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  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    1
    111
    Day 2

    Two days - 500 miles, phew!

    September 9, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Well me muckers, how bin thee all? Were off to France, notably the right hand bit of the Rhone Alps and then south and left a bit into Provence. That's the plan, but who knows whether it will happen, weather and time permitting I'm guessing.

    Well we get off well and down to the M25 when the heavens opened big time and we am driving along a river basically, well scary! Eventually we gain dry ground and get to the tunnel in good time and cross OK.

    We drive along on the 'wrong' side of the road for an hour or two and he finds us a stop for the night in a town along the way. We then are aware of the death of our good Queen Liz which is so unexpected and very sad, so we drink to her reign and then apart from a bit of rain we all have a good night's kip.

    Friday we are in transit again along the highways of France avoiding the extortionate toll motorways (cuz he's a bit of a skinflint) , which makes for slow progress but the villages and towns are interesting en route. Then after going through the umpteenth village at a steady 50 killys per hour, he is a bit too late on me brakes entering one, and I get flashed by a camera! Well to say he ain't happy is an understatement! Teks him a few killys to calm down. Quite noticeable are the sunflower and sweetcorn crops in the fields have all been ruined by the scorching weather and fields are burnt to a crisp. We are overnghting again on a motorhome aire in a small village which is very peaceful. Tomorrow thank gawd we aim to complete the journey to Annecy by the lake to a campsite for a stop of three nights to recuperate from our travels. I'm gonna need it too cuz it's a knackering journey.    Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    1
    Day 3

    On the road again to Annecy

    September 10, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We am up and on the road early (9am) for them! Good start to the day road wise until we med 2 wrong turnings with satnag to blame, but he ay appy,nor me cuz I am a bit of a beast for 3 point turnings. Anyway, all is well and we nip round Dijon on the ring road very easily,so he's a bit happier now. They ave decided to use a bit of toll motorway to speed progress and check prices, so we speed along lovely. On exit after about 80 killys we pay 9.50 so it ay very cheap!
    The terrain has changed from flat to hilly now and I've got a sweat on as we climb through the Jura mountains, and we stopped for lunch with a great view of the beginning of the Alps which we will be driving through,up,or round in the days to come. Good job I'm in good nick for an old un!
    On to Annecy and satnag again has a hissy fit routing us through some of the town and through a 3m high tunnel which luckily we just squeeze through. This at least gives us a glimpse of Annecy which we will be visiting, and wow the streets are packed with people as we inch on through. This throws up a worry on whether there will be space on the camp site we are heading for,and sure enough the sign "complet" greets us at the entrance. Worryingly there are motorhome and caravans everywhere seemingly hunting for a pitch by the lake, but we strike really lucky on our second site, they have a space, Yippee!!
    Pitch up and they celebrate with Ghost Ship beers, and a stroll to the edge of the lake and a BBQ and a early night after 700 miles. No wonder me tappets am hurting! Still there's some nice young French vans here to keep me company, as we am here for 3 nights! Viv La difference!    Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    111
    Day 4

    Leisurely day at Lake Annecy

    September 11, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Well finally we all get a break, and I get to rest under a tree surrounded by some new foxy French motorhomes. Vive la difference!
    After a lie in they ave a lazy breakfast and a sit and read session, then head out along the dedicated cycleway which goes around the lake. This is cycleway heaven and there is thousands of bikes enjoying the 45 mile circuit on a very sunny Sunday. Most of the lycra clad bikers seem to think they are in the tour de France as they waft by at great speed past our two leisurely bikers. Lots to see, on the lake and shoreside in bright sunshine and they finally pull up at a cafe for bottles of presentable IPA beer for refeshment. Pedal back home makes a nice end to a quieter day without me hitting the tarmac thank gawd.Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    1
    11
    Day 5

    Annecy Day Out

    September 12, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Weme up and its another belter of a day so they are off to Annecy at the head of the lake. Biking again along the dedicated cycle path around 8 killies its an easy pedal for both of them fortunately. They lock their bikes up with hundreds of others and explore the town. And with the waterways and alleyways very nice it is, and can be seen from some of the millions of photos herself snapped!
    A nice plat de jour was had at a restaurant, breadcrumbed cheese and salami followed by a local specialty of a potatoes, bacon and cheese pie washed down with carafes of wine. A final walk around by the lake and back home on the bikes finishes a good day out for them. We break camp tomorrow to continue our journey south, which I'm appy about cos I get itchy tyres staying in one place too long.    Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    Day 5

    Annecy Day Out part 2

    September 12, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    Day 6

    Alp us if you can, we're feeling down...

    September 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Well we started OK but then it all went tits up! No problem avoiding Annecy on the way out and we wandered down the lakeside at Aix Le Bains, but they didn't fancy stopping much. Then out of Chambrey he decided theyd take in the wonder of the Chatreuse mountains on the way to Grenoble.
    It wer a steep climb up from the roundabout, and I huffed a bit up the hairpin bends, little did I know I would be repeating this again and again! The first time he missed a turn half way up and we had to descend through some houses to the roundabout. Second time old satnag sent us up the wrong road which he had specified, and bugger me was it narrow. He found us a driveway to turn round in, but I thought at the time...now way am I gonna get round without doing meself an injury. And guess what, he cracked me arse on a grassy bank and gave me what he said was superficial damages. Doh think so mate! So down the hill again to the same friggin roundabout and up again. He werent appy, I weren't appy, and she certainly weren't appy.
    Anyway we finally med it up to the top after a huge climb through the heavily wooded slopes and hairpin bends that made me strain a bit I could tell you, and when we reached the top yow cor seen the views because of even more trees. Everyone not appy. We soldiered on and things improved but it took me all afternoon to get along, and the big descent into Grenoble med me brakes red hot and stinky I can tell you.
    So time was gerrin on and we needed to get round Grenoble and park up for the night. Yer right.... Old satnag again... right through the centre of Grenoble at rush hour. They were still talking, but it wer a bit strained I can tell yer.
    So eventually we gets out of there, and head for the nearest town that has parking for the night, not great, at a car park at the back of a community hall all on us tod. But we am all knackered, so it had to do, and then it started raining........
    They get out the alcohol and settle down at last but wow it is humid here an I've got a sweat on even with all me windows open. They am talking OK, but at least nothing else can happen now...... then he bangs his bonce on the cab roof overhang and the language....... Its a real lump coming so they ice it up, and get to getting some grub then two of me gas burners are barely giving out a flame so dinner teks for ever.
    So off to bed, but they have to close all the windows for security, and it is hot....damn hot! (are you there Mark?).
    Well... tomorrow has gorra be better? Hasn't it?    Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    2
    Day 7

    Cloudy but a 'Gorge' us day today

    September 14, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Well after a thundery rainy night which, kept me awake I can tell you, in our night car park, we get on the road, and immediately a closed road sends us down the wrong road out of town... strewth.. hope we ain't gonna ave anther crappy day?
    So we regroup and the forecast rain doesn't happen and all we have is low cloud which obscures the views a bit. but it's a great drive through the gorges, lakes etc on a lovely surfaced road, through villages which are built for skiing purpose rather than summer, but we stop for a while at one called La Grave to where there is several glaciers on view from the town. They are excited coz they have never seen one before. He also buys some cheese from a local cheese shop which sells only three cheeses, goat, sheep and sheep/goat. After great deliberation he goes for the half goat and half sheep. And very nice it is apparantly with a nice baguette for lunch.
    Onwards through some lovely Alpen scenery to reach Briancon, where they manage to park up by the old town at the top of the hill accessed by a gateway. Very steep streets and very picturescue.
    Onward southwards to stop at an Aire for the night, so a better day and progress made southwards without much goin wrong - so all good (apart from the Baggies losing to the Blues on the night) - he wor appy about that!    Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    1
    Day 8

    Movin South into Provence

    September 15, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Awake to a luverley morning and we hit the roaf again. Gonna be 1000 miles by end of day, no wonder me 'feet' am aching.
    So we amble along stopping for herself to have photo opportunities, a lake here and wonderful mountain views there , its really nice motoring. We stop for lunch at Digne Le Bains, but what's this, me control switch panel has stopped working and they ay got no water taps, toilet flush, lights and water heating. Duff battery maybe? But the solar panels working OK, so he fires up his brain cell, and disconnects the battery and back on again, to no avail. It ay avin it. Screwdriver out he whips me circuit board out and disconnects that waits and reconnects. VOILA! All is well again. But then she says there's, a pongy smell and the carpets wet, so he sticks his head under the sink and me wastes pipe has come adrift, so he fixes that. So without more ado we head off to our overnight stop at an Aire in Moustiers, hoping nothing else goes wrong before we get there. We'll, yow lot don't wanna hear that we havin a nice easy holiday in the sun all the time do ya?Read more

  • TravelerMuttley part en Provence
    1
    Day 9

    Moustiers then onto Aups

    September 16, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Awake and theym up. The plan is to visit Moustiers (one of the beau French villages), and then the short drive to Aups. So off they go and the centre of the village is all uphill against the face of a cliff, but they huff up it OK, and it is worth the effort as it certainly a quaint typically Provence village with alleyways to explore.
    Lunch is partaken and down the hill they trot and then we're off to stop at a campsite in the town of Aups for a few days. The weather is sunny but a bit windy when we get there and he reverses me on a pitch by the swimming pool, so I get ready to settle down for a bit of r and r. Lovely....    Read more

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