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Taking The Long Way

October - November 2023
This is our journey across Eastern Europe as we try to tick off more countries in one trip than we’ve ever done before. Read more
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  • 63footprints
  • 10countries
  • 54days
  • 524photos
  • 1videos
  • 4.1kmiles
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  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 53

    The Journey Home

    November 24, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    We both woke up at 8am. We hadn’t had a great nights sleep because the wind was howling around us all night and it just seemed to get worse and worse. Wanda was whistling as the wind ripped around the guttering on the outside and she was rocking about all night. It was so bad we couldn’t keep the fridge alight on gas and the wind just blew through the fridge vents all night which made it cold when we woke up.
    As soon as I got up I light the fire and relit the fridge, then we had a couple of coffees in bed while Wanda warmed up.
    The wind just seemed to be getting stronger and as we had no shelter at 10am I decided we’d move 3 miles up the road to the centre of gravelines where there was a dump station and gravel car park.
    On route we did our last shop in Lidl and brought some pizza from the bakery for the journey home. That would be our dinner on the road.
    From Lidl we found the dump station and emptied the grey and black water and then we parked in the gravel car park for the rest of the day.
    The wind was still howling but we had a little more protection from a row of trees and the Wi-Fi was good so we put the fire on low, made a cup of tea and put the TV on. We watched a couple of one hour things, tuen had an early dinner at on and then watched 2 movies, then I unplugged the tv to get 30 minutes of sleep in before it was time to leave.
    At 5:40pm we left the gravel car park in gravelines and made our way 5 miles down the road to the port of Dunkirk. It was an east drive, even in the dark and we sailed through customs and got to the ticket office and they said we could get the earlier ferry so we decided to do that hoping we don’t get to Dartford before 10pm and hoping that most of the traffic is off of the roads by the time we get off.
    After waiting for 20 minutes we were allowed to board and we followed the freight in and parked behind the Lorry’s.This was our first ferry trip with Wanda and so far it was smooth sailing. Once on board we locked Wanda up and went to the upper deck to wave goodbye to France.
    Just before 7pm we started moving and once we left the port we were rolling around all over the place. Ellie and I headed to the restaurant and had trouble finding our sea legs and kept bouncing off the walls.
    Once inside we both ordered coffees so we could sit on comfy seats but we were even rocking from side to side sitting down, after an hour we both felt quite queezy and decided to go and stand outside at the back of the ferry, it was freezing and so windy that when we stood at the edge we couldn’t catch our breath.
    The whole journey took just under 2 hours and just before hitting the dockside the other end they ordered back to our vehicles and we were glad to be back in Wanda with the heaters on.
    Now it was the final push of 200 miles back home.
    The roads were pretty quiet except for the dartford tunnel were there was a slight queue as always but we only stopped moving for about a minute, then we were back up to speed and leaving the M25 homeward bound on the M11/A11 in no time and we finally got home just before midnight. We had made excellent time.
    This has been a great trip. We’ve enjoyed all of the countries we’ve been through except for Germany which we both found quite hostile. We’ve totalled up a fraction less mileage than last year by doing 3,860 miles even though we’ve visited 9 countries. The most we’ve ever visited in one trip, and in all of those countries we never once paid for an overnight park up, we managed to do the whole trip for free which is a first for us but shows it is possible. Wanda has once again done so well and we are so pleased with the modifications we’ve made. The engine remap to give us more torque on the hills and motorways. The solar panels so she can charge when we’re not in her and most of all we are super pleased with the DC/DC charger that allowed us to stay off grid the entire time. Now all we have to do is unpack everything and cover Wanda up for the winter ready for our next trip.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 52

    Back to where it all began

    November 23, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    We were rudely awoken this morning by a complete prat in a Motorhome at 6am.
    Yesterday while we were wandering down the high street I spotted a Motorhome parked in the high street with its covers on looking like they were going to sleep there. I commented to Ellie and said “surely they’re not going to spend the night there?” And she said “ No I reckon they live nearby and that’s parked up”.
    It was this same Motorhome that decided to do a 50 point turn and reverse in between us and the very large Motorhome at 6am waking everyone up. To top it off the driver and passenger got out, had a conversation right next to our heads and then proceeded to put the windscreen cover back on get back in slamming both doors and then going to bed. Utter arseholes!!
    Ellie and I were now up and I proceeded to make as much noise as I could. So did the other people in there motorhomes. They were emptying their toilet cassettes, wandering past his van, pointing at it, but because the new arrival had his windscreen cover on and blinds down he was oblivious to it all.
    At 8:30am we left the airè and headed 50 miles down the road. Today was our last real proper day in France and we had a lot to do before we got on the ferry tomorrow evening.
    Our first stop was in Cappelle-la-Grande. Here there is a Lidl and Carrefour supermarket, a huge car wash and a self service laundrette and pizza kiosk.
    The first thing we did was wash 6 weeks of grot and grime off of Wanda. It’s so much easier to wash motorhomes in France.
    We put 4 euros in the machine. I walked all the way around Wanda spraying the soap starting at the top letting it run down and finishing with a walk around the bottom. It was potent stuff and we could see grease streaks running down the bodywork. Then I got to work with the brush which spewed out more soap with hot water. This is what makes washing it here so much easier. Once I’d soaped her and scrubbed her I rinsed her off and she was gleaming. It cost a total of 10 euros and I will have to wash her again when I get home but the real ground in heavy stuff is off.
    We pulled forward and parked in the car park of the car wash and Ellie went to put the laundry in. Then with 45 minutes to spare I made lunch and Ellie swept Wanda out and beat the carpets outside.
    Once that was done Ellie went back to the laundry and put it in the dryer. Then we popped into Lidl to buy my dad some authentic French cheese for looking after the dog. Then Ellie retrieved the dry washing and we headed over to Carrefour and filled up with diesel.
    By 12:30pm we were back in the road and it was just 10 miles to get to our airè for the night. We headed back to gravelines, the exact same stop we had for our first night here.
    Unfortunately by the time we got there the wind had really picked up gusting up to 30mph and because of the recent rains the rivers and boating lakes were close to flooding and I think all of the water was playing havoc with the Wi-Fi signal. We were going to be here for at least 27 hours so we needed Wi-Fi and after 30 minutes we decided to head 3 miles down the road to the edge of town.
    At the edge of Gravelines in the town of Grand Fort-Phillipe we found a purpose made Motorhome area overlooking a nature reserve that’s part of the dunes running to the English Channel. It’s nothing special, there’s no facilities but it’s quiet and clean and there’s hiking and cycle routes into the nature reserve and above all a decent Wi-Fi signal.
    We pulled in and after a quick cup of tea I had a 20 minute nana nap and then at 2:30pm we decided to head out for a walk.
    Leaving Wanda all we had to do was cross the road and pick up the gravel footpath into the nature reserve. This is also the start of eurovelo route 4.
    The wind was crazy strong but it wasn’t cold so we were too hot in our coats and then too cold without them, one minute I had my hat on because I was getting earache the next I had to take it off because I was sweating. It was weird weather day.
    The footpath ran around the edges of the dunes and then along the edge of the dock and marina. Grand Fort-Phillipe is a major fishing town and there is a big fish market which was closed but is probably heaving in the early hours. There is an old lifeboat station that is now a museum as the boat stopped being a lifeboat in 1968 but it is housed in the original boathouse which was built on stilts in 1937. We carried on walking right up to the loch gates which double as flood defences and then we turned around and walked back to Wanda with the wind in our face all the way. In total we walked just over 5 miles.
    Back at Wanda she was rocking around in the wind and it was now 4:30pm so Ellie and I put the TV on for an hour and then made dinner.
    After dinner we continued to watch the TV for the rest of the evening and once the sun had set we closed the blinds and put our pyjamas on and settled in for our final night on French soil.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 51

    Avion

    November 22, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    This morning we didn’t wake up until 8am. I got cold in the night and was awake for quite a lot of it and then I got hot so I think that’s why I slept in for so long.
    It didn’t really matter what time we got up. We had nowhere to be except or next airè today as all we are doing now is pushing up France towards the ferry and home. All of the tourist destinations are pretty much closed now and there’s a brief rest bite for the towns and villages we have been visiting before the Christmas markets get underway.
    At 10:30am we were ready to leave and I set the sat and it said we had a 120 mile journey ahead of us. Stupidly I thought it was nearer. 50 miles but obviously we stayed somewhere I hadn’t planned last night and that threw my mileage out.
    We had a good run to our next airè with the first 40 miles being on single carriageway and the rest on duel carriageway and by 1pm we had arrived in Avion.
    Our first impressions were that the town looked rundown but the airè backed onto a huge park and seemed nice and as it was empty we decided to go shopping before settling in. We couldn’t get into Lidl to do our last major shop as there was a height barrier but it did have a big csrrefour supermarket so that’s where we went and it was much more expensive. In fact out of all the supermarkets we’ve been to Carrefour seems to be the most expensive.
    With the shopping done we headed back to the airè and it was still empty. There airè is layer out with 2 lots of 4 spaces on either side of a tarmac driveway with a turning circle and four parking spots at the far end nearest the park. Currently the 8 parking spaces on either side as we entered are roped off because they are grass pitches and completely waterlogged. That just leaves the 4 spaces at the end of the airè. I reversed in to the parking space furthest over on the right.
    Once parked we had lunch of fresh bread and soup and then at 3pm we decided to go exploring. The main high street was just 100 meters away so we ventured there first incase there were some gift shops to browse around but unfortunately it looked like a dying high street from England with hairdressers, coffee shops and pharmacies, there was nothing much to see here.
    From the high street we ventured back past Wanda and into le parc du lac’s or the park of lakes and went for a lovely walk. The park is full of lakes, some large and some small and the paths running around the outside are for hiking and biking. They even had a tarmac area made up like a road with roundabouts and road signs so people can take their young children there and teach them how to ride on the roads safely.
    As there has been so much rain in the area the tracks around the lakes were really muddy and we had to dodge multiple large puddles but the the ducks and geese were loving it and had been churning up the grass pecking through it looking for worms.
    We finally got back to Wanda at 4:30pm and we had been joined by another very large double wheel based Motorhome that had left a space between us and them.
    The airè stayed pretty quiet until around 6pm when 2 more motorhomes just a fraction larger than us turned up. Because of the larger Motorhome already here and at the edge of the turning circle they had to use the empty parking space between us and the large Motorhome to turn around. Then they both backed side by side into the turning circle and parked up. This was a busy airè.
    Just when we thought the fun and games were over 2 more motorhomes turned up. They were both Wandas size but each had a trailer. Now they had no way to turn around and no where to park.
    Next to us is an entrance to a business of some kind but it does have gates that closed at 5pm and the first Motorhome with the trailer had to nose up to the gates and then shunt backwards and forwards with the trailer on into the gap between us and the large Motorhome and do a 180 and then parked across the taped off area. The second Motorhome with the trailer had to do exactly the same with lots of people helping with directions. It took about 20 minutes for each to turn around. It seemed pointless us getting out as we don’t speak French.
    With us 4 motorhomes and the 2 with trailers parked in a straight line across the taped off area the place was full except for the space next to us. Then at 7:30pm another Motorhome turned up. He spent 10 minutes turning around and reversing into the space next to us but then decided we were all to close and left.
    Considering there is nothing in this town this is a busy little airè and there are other places about as we’ve stayed there in the past. Arras is just down the road and there are numerous places near the memorial sites which are less than 5 miles away so I don’t know why this place is so popular.
    At 8pm we had a much nicer dinner of mushrooms and crème freche with chicken so Ellie managed to redeem herself after last nights catastrophic failure. Then we closed the blinds, put our pyjamas on and settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 50

    Rozoy-sur-Serre

    November 21, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We left the Citadelle de Montmédy at 12:30pm and we had an 80 mile journey ahead of us and once we were 10 miles out of the citadelle we hit decent roads and then duel carriageways which was a real bonus. I just set the cruise control and we sat at 60mph for the next 50 miles. The last 20 miles were back on single carriageway but we drove through some very pretty villages most of which had ancient 12th century church’s.
    We finally arrived at our aire in Rozoy-sur-Serre at 2pm and it was now raining, but even with the rain we could tell we were in a beautiful spot.
    Rozoy-sur-Serre is a small village with very few shops and our aire is a purpose built Motorhome area with 5 tarmac parking spots, free fresh water and a grey and black waste station. We are right at the far end of the village away from everyone and the site sits on the Rue de la Sarre greenway which is an old railway line that has been turned into a hiking and biking trail.
    The first thing we did when we stopped was make a cup of tea and then had a little snooze until the rain stopped. Then at 3pm we decided to go for a long walk down the greenway.
    On the way into the area we noticed that nearly all of the rivers had burst their banks and there were flooded fields everywhere. It looks like this area received the same stormy weather as England the last couple of weeks so before venturing out we thought it wise to put our boots on.
    With the rain now stopped we left Wanda and headed right out of the aire and down the greenway. It was a beautiful walk on a grass track that was squelchy all the way down so it was a good job we wore our boots. There were also several trees down.
    We managed to walk 3km down the track and then the skies started turning grey again so we turned around and walked back the same way spotting buzzards, squirrels and even a water rat.
    We got back to Wanda at 4:45pm and just as we sat back down the rain started. We have been so lucky with the weather on this trip.
    At 6pm Ellie cooked what can only be described as a culinary disaster of packet mashed potato and chicken nuggets. It was the most disgusting meal of the trip and possibly ever. She is now on her final warning, any more disasters with dinner or park ups she’s going to get dropped off in central Paris Her favourite city.
    At 7pm we were joined by another Motorhome at our aire so we closed the blinds and settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 50

    Citadelle de Montmédy

    November 21, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We woke up at 7am to the sound of traffic going past. I don’t know what exact vehicle woke us up properly after the binmen had been but it sounded like it was sticking to the road as it was driving.
    By 8am we were up and dressed and the bed was away and our first port of call was the Boulangerie for fresh bread and cakes for breakfast. Once we got the bread we headed back to Wanda and Ellie had croissants and I had fresh bread and Brie followed by another pistachio eclair.
    At 9:30am we left our park up and headed 1 hour down the road to the Citadelle de Montmédy. This has been in my list of places to visit for about 3 years and I’m not sure how I found it unless a helicopter flew over it whilst I was watching the Tour de France.
    It was a quiet drive to get to the citadel and when we arrived the Motorhome park up was completely empty and we parked up in a levelish spot and flicked all the electrics over and gassed the fridge. This would be our home for tonight.
    Straight away I grabbed my camera bag, and we both put our coats on and then locked Wanda up.
    The Montmédy citadel was built in the 16th century during the reign of Charles V.
    Part of the Spanish Netherlands, the citadel was besieged by the troops of Louis XIV and became French in 1659. In the 17th century, Vauban carried out major modifications in accordance with his own defensive principles. From 1870, it was Séré de Rivières who developed it.
    It was the capital of the district from 1800 to 1926 .
    During the First World War , Montmédy was a hub for the German army for supplying the Verdun front , using for this purpose the line of the Meuse railway from Montmédy to Verdun which had just opened just before the start of hostilities. On September 7, 1916 , the Crown Prince received Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff at Montmédy station during their first trip to France.
    Between 1928 and 1940, the Montmédy sector was the location of several works of the Maginot line (177 blockhouses and 36 turrets, seven casemates, fifteen fortified houses, 155 L 77 batteries to the south-east of Montmédy)
    During the Second World War ,the command post of the 2nd Light Cavalry Division of General André Berniquet was established in Montmédy.
    Given all of its history Montmèdy is a fascinating place and with all of the architects, owners and warmongers that have had a hand in its construction it has the most bizarre layout.
    Leaving the car park we walked up a tarmac road and over a tarmac brick bridge that had an archway with chains hanging from it and pillboxes either side. This used to be a drawbridge in the 16th century.
    From there we walked up a small hill to the outer fortifications and over what used to be a second drawbridge. After the second drawbridge we then had to pass under a huge steel drop-down gate and then into a tunnel that had 6” wooden and steel reinforced doors. Leaving the tunnel and actually entering the citadel we passed by another set of 4” steel doors. We really got the feeling they wanted to keep people out.
    Inside the citadel is a museum which was unfortunately closed and that also meant we couldn’t get access to any of the ramparts or the tourist parts which was a shame, but we did have a good walk around the inner citadel and we couldn’t believe it’s still full of houses and people still live there. It really was a fascinating place and will be one of the first places we come back to.
    Back at Wanda it was now midday and we knew we couldn’t sit here all day so I checked the app for a place in between the citadel and where we would be heading tomorrow and found a place 80 miles away.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 49

    Vouziers

    November 20, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    It was an hours drive and 42 miles to our park up in the town of Vouziers. It rained most of the way and when we found the park up it was still raining. Once again this park up is free and has free water and free dump station. We still haven’t paid for any overnight camps.
    Vouziers is a big town and this park up is right behind the main high street. It’s an ideal park up for anyone that loves shopping or needs anything. There is also a patisserie in our car park so that’s breakfast sorted out.
    We stayed in Wanda for the rest of the day, it carried on raining and we’d done our exploring for the day so we put the tv on and watched some rubbish and then we booked ourselves on the ferry home for Friday, it’s really depressing knowing this trip is nearly over but we are missing the dog and I’m missing cycling. At 6:30pm Ellie made us a lasagne for dinner and we finished off the fresh bread then another Motorhome pulled up next to us. These places are pretty small and I left 2 spaces when I parked in between us and the Motorhome that was already here. I think I’ll be able to pass this guy a coffee in bed through the window in the morning. It was definitely time to close the blinds and settle in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 49

    Reims

    November 20, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    This morning we were up at 7am. We’d had a pretty good nights sleep except for being woken up at 1:15am by what sounded like someone banging some shoes together. We never did work out what or where the noise was or came from.
    At 8:30am we were dressed and the bed was made and we were pretty much ready to leave sitting there drinking coffee. There was a lot of banging and clicking from the Motorhome that had parked next to us. In fact they had been clicking cupboards and banging doors ever since they arrived. We think it’s a hire vehicle and even though it’s as big as Wanda they seem to have anything they need stored in the outside lockers.
    At 8:30am the man of the Motorhome got out and got something from the outside locker then climbed back in to his Motorhome. 30 seconds later he re-emerges carrying something with a long lead followed by his wife whose in her Pyjamas and dressing gown carrying a coffee cup. They both Wanda over to the water station and put whatever he was carrying on the top. It was a coffee machine, one of those ones that looks like a penguin, and to our amazement he’s looking around for a power point to plug it in. We couldn’t believe our eyes.
    Luckily for normal humans there isn’t a plug socket at the water station and a minute later he had to do the walk of shame back to the Motorhome and she followed him carrying her empty coffee cup.
    Just after 9am we left the park up still laughing about the Germans and their coffee machine. I think it would have been better if there had been a plug and we’d have watched them for 10 minutes while the coffee brewed and dripped out.
    We had just a 15 mile journey to our stop of the day and for a big city we had a great parking spot at the football ground where all parking is free and it lets motorhomes stay there aslong as they want except on game days. From the park up it’s literally a straight line 10 minute walk right into the city centre.
    Reims really surprised us as a city. It was easy to get into. Easy to find a parking space and easy to navigate into the city centre. Our first stop was Reims Cathedral which was very similar to Notre Damme in Paris. It has huge vaulted ceilings. Untold amounts of stained glass and the stained glass with Jesus being crucified dates back to the year 1245. Outside the sculptures and statues were amazing. I think we could have sat there all day and still not seen everything in the outside.
    Once the cathedral was done we walked around the corner to the old royal palace which is now a hotel. Then we went to see the remains of an old convent and then we found the shops.
    We’re not shoppers so except for one gift store we just wandered the streets and Reims seems like a very calm and civilised city. It has trams and electric buses running around but the streets were pretty quiet for first thing in a Monday morning.
    With the sights done we headed back to Wanda stopping at a bakery and buying some fresh bread, and Ellie brought a fruit bread cake and I brought a pistachio cream eclair. It was all to good, especially the eclair. I should have brought 2.
    It was now just after midday and with the city done and lunch out of the way we decided to move to a quieter park up half way to tomorrows stop and we set off.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 48

    Trépail

    November 19, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We were both up at 6am today. For some reason I didn’t sleep that great, I was really hot and just kept tossing and turning.
    By 8am I was dressed and Ellie was in the shower doing her hair and once she was out and dressed, we had a quick cup of tea and then we were ready to hit the road.
    We had a mega drive ahead of us today. 208 miles in total and we left at 9am and TomTom said we wouldn’t arrive until 3:30pm. Of course our first port of call would be for LPG and I searched my app and found an E’ le’clerc filling station 30 miles away. I also found 3 more at the major town just before we got to our aire but I didn’t want to leave it that long ideally.
    Fortunately for us the Le’clerc station was a 24 hour garage and self service LPG and it had gas and we managed to fill up.
    I reset the sat nav and we had 188 miles left and after popping into Aldi bakery for some pastries we got back on the road.
    Cutting across France and Spain without using the toll roads is pretty easy. It’s long straight roads, just like America, until you come to a town or village. Then depending on the size of the town it depends on how many roundabouts are involved to get around it and then we are back up to 55mph.
    It was a pretty mundane journey and we didn’t stop at all, but we did have plenty of fun pointing out the buzzards and herons. France has a crazy amount of buzzards, they are almost on every other post when we’re driving.
    Finally at 4pm we got to our aire in the village of Trèpail. It’s a strange place to have an aire as there’s absolutely nothing here of any tourist value except a bakery and vineyards. Trèpail is deep in the heart of Champagne region and there’s 13 growers just in this one village and there’s Vineyards in all directions as far as the eye can see.
    Our air is beautiful once again. It’s a gravel purpose made car park and each bay is separated by wooden bollards forming 5 bays for motorhomes. We also have free water and a grey and black dump station.
    As we parked up there was a sign pointing out a pizza vending machine just 5 minutes walk away and after sorting Wanda out and having a cup of tea that’s where we went for dinner.
    It’s crazy that you can get a semi fresh cooked pizza out of a vending machine and this isn’t our first vended pizza. We had one a couple of years ago when Ben was with us. They are actually pretty good.
    The Pizzas took 5 minutes for both pizzas to be cooked and delivered out of the slot and then we walked back to Wanda. I quite like walking back to Wanda with pizza because by the time we get back it’s cool enough to eat.
    Once the pizzas were finished I put the hot water on and while that heated up we had a cup of tea. Then I had a shower and we both got our Pyjamas on and settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 47

    Domblans

    November 18, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    This morning we were awake at 6am. It was 3°c outside and just 6°c inside. We were warm under the covers but anything exposed was freezing including my nose.
    By 8am Wanda was warm as we had, had the fire in since 6:15 and we were both dressed and the bed was away. Last time we stayed here we remembered something going on in this car park and we nearly got blocked in and we didn’t want that happening today so we were ready incase an army of cars suddenly turned up but at 8am it looked pretty safe.
    Our first job today was to drive 100 meters around the corner and empty the toilet and grey water and top up the fresh water. Once again it was one of those crappy taps so we had to use the bags again and put the water in the top of the water tank. Luckily we didn’t much.
    All we had to do today was drive to another park up 85 miles away. It would all be back lanes as we’re heading up France but still avoiding the toll roads but even the quiet non toll roads are pretty fast in France.
    We left Cremiue at 8:45am and our first stop was around 10am for diesel at an intermarchè supermarket. We still had just under half a tank but this is the cheapest place to get fuel in France. Then we stopped in a little village at a Boulangerie because I had a craving for fresh bread. I also got a cheesy bread slice which was amazing.
    Our next stop should have been for LPG but after finding 2 garages that were both out of gas we gave up. We’re not desperate for gas yet, but tomorrow it will have to be a priority.
    At 1pm we arrived at our little aire in Domblans. It’s just a concrete pad, big enough for 4 motorhomes comfortably with free water and a dump station. It’s also right at the end of the village with Vinyards behind us, huge hills to our left and a forest and it’s unbelievably quiet. We really feel like we’re at the end of the world.
    At 2pm I decided to go for a bike ride. I’d searched through my app, found a nice little route of 25km with 600 meters of climbing and after putting my cold weather clothes on and sorting my bike and gps out by 2:30pm I was ready to leave.
    I left the car park via a little track running around the side of the vineyard and popped out on the main road into the village. I crossed straight over and into a park where the Domblans castle is and stopped for some photos, then I turned left and picked up a gravel track and I was climbing. I didn’t think the climb was that big so I pushed myself to my limit and when I reached the top of the short 10% gradient my heart rate was 181bpm. That’s a new record for me. Then my gps beeped and said I had a climb coming up in 160 meters.
    I reached the start of the next climb and looked at the climb meter. It said I had 8.5km to go. This was going to be a tough climb.
    It started off fine at a gradient of 3%, then 6%, then 10%, then the gravel ran out and I was on mud and it was wet and now the gradient was 14%. To top it off, being a Saturday all the hunters had been out in there 4x4s and the track was really churned up so I really had no traction. By the time I got to the first plateau of the climb I was knackered and I was only 2km in.
    The next section was on tarmac which was much easier and I kept in my lowest gear, rode slow and got my breath back and by the time it started ramping up again I was ready to dig in. I was back on more gravel at 14%, then that run out and I was on double track but luckily there was some stone mixed in with the mud which made traction a little better. Then the track changed to old brick and stone which was super slippery but I could see the ridge line and pushed all the way to the top. Then I had some downhill before getting onto a single gravel track and more climbing. At the next plateau I rounded a bend and about 50 meters in front of me was what looked like a gold backed wolf. These are real animals found in Europe. I don’t know if they have them in France but I thought I was now looking at one. I stopped and as I put my foot on the ground the gravel crunched and the wolf turned a stared at me. I pulled my phone out to take a picture and then thought should I video this. It might eat me. Then the wolf started coming towards me. I stayed on the bike, not really knowing what to do. Only food runs. And I was too tired to do an all out sprint so I stood my ground. Right up to the point where he was next to me I still thought this was a wolf. Then he wagged his tail and put his head in my leg because he wanted a cuddle. It was definitely a dog and I was glad it was.
    The going was really slow and really tough, much tougher than I’d expected and by the time I’d reached the summit of the climb where the viewpoint was the sun had just set. It would be dark in an hour.
    I took my pictures and then started the decent. It started on single track mud winding down the mountainside. Then I was into woods and they were really dark but luckily I had my lights. Then the angle of the decent started dropping rapidly to a gradient of 20%. I thought this was going to be my chance to fly home but the next 3km were on an ancient cobbled stone track that was unbelievably bumpy. By the time I got to smoother ground my arms and wrists were aching from the bumps. Then I came out onto a concrete track and I put the hammer down speeding up to 40kph winding around the mountainside. Just as I was getting into the decent the track ended and the gps said turn left which would take me literally straight down the mountainside. I looked down and could see where other people had walked and ridden there bikes and on a dry day in daylight I would have done the same. But on a wet mountainside in poor light I decided to walk my bike down and two steps in I had absolutely no grip and I slipped on to my arse and slid about 50 meters down with my bike on top of me. My arse and legs were caked in thick mud.
    After the slide I was back onto concrete track and then tarmac. It was now 5pm and almost completely dark and it was just 2km back to Wanda I raced the last part of the ride back, it had taken a lot longer than I thought but it had been a great ride.
    Back in Wanda I got changed into my pyjamas. I was done for the day and Ellie was now hungry and before I’d even strapped my bike back on she had the oven on. Then with dinner done we pulled the blinds down and settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 46

    Back to Medieval Cremieu

    November 17, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We woken up at 6:30am by the sound of the traffic going past, but luckily we’d had a good nights sleep. I know for a fact we had a better nights sleep in our lay-by than we would have in the car park in Die so we’ll take that as a win.
    We had coffees in bed and then packed up and had another coffee and set the sat nav to leave at 8:45am.
    Our first stop of the day was going to be for fresh water and to empty the grey and black tanks but 20 minutes down the road we came to a Lidl and decided to do some food shopping before going any further.
    Back in the road and now stocked up we made our way 35 miles down the road to a beautiful little aire with free emptying and fresh water. Emptying was easy but filling the water turned out to be a nightmare as they had a big metal collar underneath the fresh water pipe so we needed the exact right fitting to attach the hose which we didn’t have. Luckily we do have bags for just this scenario so we filled them and then decided to empty them into the top of Wandas water tank rather than the pipe. It was a proper faff.
    We had decided to visit some houses hanging off the side of a mountain as our next stop but the easiest route was through les grand goules a set of gorges and balcony roads I had marked off but I knew Wanda would only just fit and I wasn’t really up for any more incidents on this trip. I tried to re-route the route but the next way in was miles out of the way so we scrapped that and I set the sat nav to head for the medieval city of Cremiue.
    It was another 85 miles to get to our park up in a gravel car park on the edge of city and we arrived at 2pm. We’ve been here before with Ben, and last time we visited everywhere including both castles and the town in the day and at night so really this was just going to be a park up for the night. The only thing I didn’t photograph before was the old cloisters at the church because they were closed.
    We had lunch of my leftover leek and potato soup from yesterday and fresh bread from Lidl’s bakery and at 3:30pm we left Wanda and went for a walk.
    Cremieu is a beautiful old city, the old market place is still there with its roof still intact. They even have the original old weighing scales at one end where they would weigh livestock. The medieval parts still look medieval with cobbled streets and beamed houses and old doorways. There are still old archways down ally’s that led from the main thoroughfare to the city’s insides and the whole place is fascinating.
    As we walked past the old 12th century church the gates for the cloisters were open and we went in. This was the only part I hadn’t photographed before and this time I got the pictures.
    As we were heading back to Wanda the sky went black and it started to rain and as we got back to the car park we looked up to see a huge double rainbow over the top of the city. It was quite the sight.
    It was now 5pm and we settled in to Wanda for the rest of the night watching cars coming and going in the car park. Even though it was getting late the town is still extremely busy but overall it’s quiet. Today is our 46th night and we still haven’t paid for any camp spots and we’ve also just hit 3000 miles on this trip.    Read more

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