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Harvey10 - Europe-bound

December 2023 - March 2024
A 91-day adventure by Pip & John Read more
  • 133footprints
  • 5countries
  • 91days
  • 939photos
  • 43videos
  • 4.6kmiles
  • 2.6kmiles
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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 1

    First stop Aldi

    December 11, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    The journey begins! Quick shop, then lunch in Aldi car park. Cross Hands Wales. We're more excited than we look!

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    2
    Day 2

    A night in the port

    December 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    So a very wet, and as good as dark by 2pm, winter drive East to Newhaven. Fairly mild but we had a few bursts of the heating on.
    John read that if we arrived before five, then we could stay in a lovely spot on the beach for £10. A photo from June 2022 (SEE PICS) shows how nice it was last time. But today we rocked up to 2 very closed barriers. So next stop was the pub car park but when I asked, they said 2 were already booked and they needed to keep spaces free for locals. A trip to nearby Seaford beachfront was OK but only 12hrs allowed. Ended up opting to stay parked on the port by railway station along with a few other campers. At least there's (a short walk to) posh toilets.
    Photo looks like snow but it's just heavily floodlit. Lot's of activity going on.    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 3

    Houston we have

    December 13, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    ... yes ... 'a problem'.
    It was a fairly noisy night, as you'd expect in a port and staying right next to the railway line but that was OK.

    The problem became clear this morning as John noticed the battery power was low, and it only just managed to raise the bed into the roof.
    By the time he realised the batteries hadn't been charging, we were in the queue for the ferry so had to rush the decision on whether to delay exit from UK and try to sort it there, or continue with the plan and try to sort it in France. We opted to get on the ferry. Quiet journey, santa was on the boat (spot santa), food was good, and a good price, plus most importantly, it was a calm crossing.
    Having discussed our predicament on route, i.e., there wasn't enough power to lower and raise the bed if we stayed on Aires as planned, we opted to find a campsite with electric hook-up. However we couldn't research this till reaching land due to expensive internet charges at sea.
    So sat in a lay by at 3.45pm, we struggled to find any campsites open, which all got very worrying as cold and dark set in.
    2 + hours drive later, we arrived at this quiet site with electric, a heated pool and friendly staff.
    It was all pretty tiring after an early start.
    Tomorrow is another day. We'll try and tackle the problem then.    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 4

    Still here

    December 14, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Had a first for us both today. We tried a 'raclette', which was a bit like a warmed ploughman's without the bread and pickles but potatoes instead. Wine included. They brought the food to the van together with a warming hotplate affair, and little paddles, which we melted the cheese on. Self cooking by the customer. Interesting to try as a novelty but at €20 each we'll not be making a habit of it.
    Went into Beauvais and found a battery place, where we bought a battery. Now an eye watering €165 worse off. Another place we tried would have cost €219! Trouble is, we could do with two. I haven't a clue about it and John's unfamiliar with the contemporary systems. He spent a good while tackling and tinkering.
    Still unsure of the cause and how to resolve it.
    Had a swim in the pool at 4.45pm so it was pretty cold and dark. Just fairy lights outside.    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 5

    Near Reims - Aire

    December 15, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    There are quite a few upside down place-name signs in these parts. We've read that farmers are peed off with all the impossible directives the government are imposing. They use the phrase everything's upside down, hence the signs method of protest. Quite mild and gentle for the French.

    Had picnic lunch of baguette, cheese, citron flan and choc éclair, amongst puddles by a swollen river.

    Headed off for Reims (pronounced Reemz if you're British speaking but French pronounce it Raahns), where John had found a central Aire. Good for cathedral viewing and walking around, viewing twinkly Christmas lights we thought. On arrival, there was a barrier down. I went to ask for an entry code at a bureau as the sign instructed. Unfortunately, they informed me that it was full up, so no spaces available. Another campervaner asked us about it, and I tried to explain in pigeon French.

    In navigating our way out of the city, my phone flashed up something about the emissions zone, which I think we inadvertently entered. Whoops. There's a hefty €68 Euro fine (doubling within 45 days) if you don't have a sticker. We don't 🙁. You have to have them delivered to UK, and Brits can't buy them over here. Heck, we should have looked at that before leaving. Next year, they're introducing cameras, and fines are in huge hundreds of Euros numbers. Italy may also pose a problem. Hopefully, we won't inadvertently enter another zone. There are many! Hard work this holiday business!    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 6

    Les Riceys - a tad chilly!

    December 16, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    Started the day with John on a lengthy phone session with Lloyd's AGAIN, still unresolved issues every time he tries to make an online or card payment. Fingers crossed.

    Foggy drive south through Champagne Country with intensive vine farming. Plus some arable plains with HUGE mounds of swedes, presumably for animal feed.

    Sunday tomorrow and everything closes, so we filled up with provisions and diesel from a Carrefour. €40 (£34.38) worth of food, pretty much on a par with UK Sainsburrys. Diesel was €1.74 (£1.50), also similar to UK. Currently on a quiet, cross-shaped (for 4 vans) Aire just north of Dijon. Slightly unfortunate that there are cockerels next to us.

    Keeping fingers crossed re batteries. A bit of afternoon sunshine on the solar panels helped.

    Heading for warmer climes but not achieved yet! Highs and lows around 9pm today:

    Here 2°/-1° (!)
    Nice 9°/6°
    Rome 9°/2°
    Narberth10°/9°
    Kirkby Lonsdale 11°/8°

    Hmmm, looks like we maybe should head for Spain instead of Italy (or maybe Kirkby Lonsdale even!). 😂

    I can't get over how surprisingly quiet the towns here have been. John reckons they don't do Christmas consumerism like the Brits.

    Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to exploring this beautiful ancient town called Les Riceys. I can imagine it's used for film sets, very unspoilt. Even the decorations blend in well    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 7

    Cold night -1°

    December 17, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    C-c-cold kept me awake last night.
    Searching for anywhere within 3 hrs drive south and overnight temperature of above minus 2° didn't prove fruitful this morning. Eventually, we came here to a small Aire at the top of the street in Cousance between Dijon, Lyon and Geneva.
    Will be togging up under the covers as it still shows as 0°.
    Gentle Sunday drive, empty roads, champagne grapes, swollen rivers, mists rising from fields and even some warming sun.
    Lots of farmed large fields and upside down protest signs.    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 8

    On the road again

    December 18, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Trucking on down south day today. Mainly alongside the Rhone.
    Warmer under the covers with loads of extra nightwear on for me. Frosty, foggy, then some sun in the afternoon.
    Very busy and industrial around Lyons.
    The Rhone is huge and very full. Joined in these parts by the river Drome.
    On a campsite tonight. Poor John felt a bit poorly and had a freezing cold shower, which they've said they'll mend. Only one toilet and shower open on whole site.    Read more

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    Day 9

    Sur la Pont ...

    December 19, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    We drove past Avignon in spring 2022 and said at the time that we'd like to stop and look around some time, and here we are. We were actually warm this afternoon. It was 14° at one point. Took a detour to a picnic spot, which turned out to be a windy trek uphill to a windmill and posh houses en route. Very tall thin cypress trees are the local style. Passed a large dam over the Rhone with dramatically turbulent water. Also noticed when the college students came out, they nearly all had black or dark brown hair. Must be near the Mediterranean. Very noticeable to us Brits, not a blond amongst them.
    Had a stroll over the bridge and had a drink in a street cafe. There was a Christmas Market on and lots of lights. Bijou shops, rather like Bond St. Pretty quiet streets. It was early for most people, I guess it gets busy later on.
    Bagatelle (ACSI) campsite is pretty large but convenient and just a walk over the bridge from the town.
    * ,"(We think it used to be a strategic encampment during WW2. Must look into that.) " *
    * Apparently, it's only me that thought the above. I'm reliably informed that it's the planting of the plane trees that provides evidence of it being a former Napoleonic camp / staging area.
    Hey, above zero tonight! A low of 6°. The highest yet!    Read more

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