The Big France Trip - Summer 2014
It's really difficult to give the details of our visit to France this year as we did so much. As photo's are the main aim of this 'story', and as it is difficult to add photos to the main text, I will add them in the reply boxes below. Look at the date below and scroll down to the reply boxes and look for the appropriate date. Hope some of the photos and comments might inspire someone to visit some of the places on our list. Fingers crossed that this works!!! Add any comments and questions and I will do my best to answer.
20 July SUNDAY Travel from Polesworth to Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal. Train at 10.26pm. Travel through the night to Gueret, La Creuse.
21 July MONDAY (Gueret, France) Travel from Eurotunnel Terminal at Calais to Gueret - arr. Approx 2pm
22 July TUESDAY (Gueret, France) Visit Sous-Parsat Church and Franseches/Masgot
23 July WEDNESDAY (Gueret, France) Visit sister and brother-in-law at Fresselines
24 July THURSDAY (Gueret, France) Visit Benevent-L'Abbaye and Cascade des Jarrauds
25 July FRIDAY (Aubignan) Travel from Gueret to Camping Le Bregoux, Aubignan, France
26 July SATURDAY (Aubignan) Visit Mont Ventoux
27 July SUNDAY (Aubignan) Visit Vaison La Romaine
28 July MONDAY (Aubignan) Visit Rousillion, drive to Bonnieux, Lacoste, Menerbes
29 July TUESDAY (Aubignan) Visit Orange
30 July WEDNESDAY (Frejus) Travel from Aubignan to Frejus: Caravanning L'Etoile d'Argens
31 July THURSDAY (Frejus) Visit some 'old haunts' in the locality.
1 August FRIDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite
2 August SATURDAY (Frejus) Visit Grand Canyon du Verdon
3 August SUNDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite
4 August MONDAY (Frejus) Visit Mons
5 August TUESDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite
6 August WEDNESDAY (Frejus) a.m. campsite; p.m St Raphael beach
7 August THURSDAY (Frejus) Visit Madonne D'Utelle & Gorge de la Vesubie
8 August FRIDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite - picnic lunch out
9 August SATURDAY (Frejus) Day in Monaco
10 August SUNDAY (Frejus) a.m. campsite; p.m St Raphael beach
11 August MONDAY (Frejus) Visit Gourdon
12 August TUESDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite - picnic lunch out
13 August WEDNESDAY (Neydens) Travel from Frejus to La Columbiere
14 August THURSDAY (Neydens) Visit Old Bridge at Cruiselles and La Saleve
15 August FRIDAY (Neydens) Visit Yvoire
16 August SATURDAY (Neydens) Vist Lake Annecy
17 August SUNDAY (Neydens) Visit Geneva & Switzerland
18 August MONDAY (La Rochette, Melun) Travel from La Columbiere to Camping La Belle Etoile, Quai Maréchal Joffre, La Rochette, France
19 August TUESDAY (La Rochette) Carol & Anna visit Paris
20 August WEDNESDAY (La Rochette) Visit Gorges d'Apremont, towns on the Seine
21 August THURSDAY (Chalon-en-Champagne) Travel from La Rochette to Chalons-en-Champagne
22 August FRIDAY (Chalon-en-Champagne) Visit Epernay and Champagne Route (Vets @ 17h.30)
23 August SATURDAY (Chalon-en-Champagne) Day at Campsite - picnic lunch out. Pack up day.
24 August SUNDAY Travel from Chalons-en-Champagne to Calais. Eurotunnel 10.50pm
25 August MONDAY Travel through the nigh from Eurotunnel to Home
Now for the details and photos.........
David
Comments
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22 July TUESDAY (Gueret, France) Visit Sous-Parsat Church and Franseches/Masgot
At Gueret the site was fairly ordinary, but adequate for our needs. We were on their for a few day, but it did feel a little like being in the jungle. Toilets were clean and bread was available on order from reception. Visitors tended to use the site for short stays.
We had heard that the church at Sous-Parsat had unusual internal decorations, so we just had to go and see for ourselves. From the outside it looked like any other church:
......but the painting on the inside were just a bit startling, if not disturbing. Sorry the quality is poor. Camera out of battery, so relied on the phone camera:
The Franseches/Masgot village was notes for one of it's former sculptor residents who thought it a good idea to share his sculptors around the village:
David
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24 July THURSDAY (Gueret, France) Visit Benevent-L'Abbaye and Cascade des Jarrauds
The town of Benevent-L'Abbaye was a quiet place - probably something to do with the fact that we went there at about lunchtime.
The abbey itself was worth a look... and a useful means of getting a bit of shade from the midday sun.
It was a bit of a drive to the Cascade des Jarrauds, but we had a nice stroll down the valley to the waterfall and passed a house who also had a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, so spent a little time in conversation with the residents.
David
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25 July FRIDAY (Aubignan) Travel from Gueret to Camping Le Bregoux, Aubignan, France
26 July SATURDAY (Aubignan) Visit Mont VentouxIt was a long journey from Gueret to Aubignan in N. Provence, but we decided to go for it in one day rather to break our journey.
If you have never been to Mt Ventoux, it is really worth the drive, The views from the top are fantastic, but it is busy up there and sometimes difficult to park.
The memorial to Tom Simpson who lost his life during the Tour de France...
...and back to Aubignan via Sault, to drive through the lavendar fields
David
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27 July SUNDAY (Aubignan) Visit Vaison La Romaine
Vaison La Romaine has had it's fair share of floods in years gone by, but it still keeps its charm...
...the market place....
and some of the Roman remains.....
If you are into colourful pots, Provence is the place to go...
David
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28 July MONDAY (Aubignan) Visit Rousillion, drive to Bonnieux, Lacoste, Menerbes
We just had to visit some of the villages frequented and written about by Peter Mayle in his book A Year in Provence...
Roussillon, famous for it's ochre
- a really busy tourist destination
and Bonnieux
David
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Went to a Peter Mayle book signing once in Stanfords in London. Still got my signed copy of Toujours Provence.
David
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29 July TUESDAY (Aubignan) Visit Orange
When we visited the amphitheatre in Orange they were preparing for an opera performance in the evening. Certanly worth the visit, and the dog was allowed to go in the main area (but not the inside museum) - plenty to see, but we had a little rain while
we were there....
We really enjoyed this return visit to Camping Le Bregoux in Aubignan, and the pitch we had was really big. Time for one final photo before we pack up and get on our journey to Frejus tomorrow
David
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30 July WEDNESDAY (Frejus) Travel from Aubignan to Frejus: Caravanning L'Etoile d'Argens
A short journey today, but that gave us chance to relax and set up the caravan slowly for our two weeks stay ay L'Etoile Argens, just outside Frejus.
31 July THURSDAY (Frejus) Another quiet day, but we did have a drive out up into the Bagnols Forest for lunch and a wonderful view over the beautiful Argens Valley
Roquebraune in the distance
David
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Went to a Peter Mayle book signing once in Stanfords in London. Still got my signed copy of Toujours Provence.
David
Wonderful! To be honest, I've never read Toujour Provence, but enjoyed A Year In Provence. Do you remember the mini-series that the BBC did of 'A Year...'? Fun to watch, but not John Thaw or Lindsey Duncan's finest hour!!
David
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Wonderful photos David. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
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Brilliant photos - thanks for sharing!
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Some wonderful pictures here...... good show David
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Hi David,
I liked to see the photos with some description as well, it adds to the whole story so well. Mont Ventoux looks high, would you get a motorhome up there?
Regards, Roy
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Thanks for all the comments folks.
The Rollaway awning was just great, Oneputt.
Roy: I reckon you could get a motorhome up Mt. Ventoux, but i reckon the road from the south would be the best to take. We went up the North side and down the South side. The last mile or so tends to get just a little on the narrow side the N. side. I think I would try and get a second opinion though Roy.
Chasncath: It would be a good idea to have a follow option, but I guess the story section wasn't envisaged to be used in quite this way. I'll put a note up in my original thread in discussions when I add more.
Best wishes and thanks,
David
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2 August SATURDAY (Frejus) Visit Grand Canyon du Verdon
Saturday was a big day out. Verdon is a longish journey inland from Frejus, but worth the effort. Near to the Verdon gorge is the river Artby and the famous bridge which gives me goosebumps just to walk across. Why is is some have the urge to jump off
it....
It's really difficult to try and capture exactly how high it is on camera..
After the Pont D'Artby we rejoined the Verdon gorge and travelled down to the very blue Lac de Sainte-Croix..
David
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6 August WEDNESDAY (Frejus) a.m. campsite; p.m St Raphael beach
Although Frejus is right on the coast, we vary rarely went anywhere near the beach. Not are we not really 'beach people', but there are so many restrictions, it makes it really difficult to 'beach' for anyone with a dog. The beach at St Raphael does have
a section where dogs can be taken just the other side of the beach wall. We were generally happy to sit on the grass overlooking the beach, but the beaches which were suitable for dogs on the grass were not the best beaches in the world....
David
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7 August THURSDAY (Frejus) Visit Madonne D'Utelle & Gorge de la Vesubie
Another long day out today to the Gorge de la Vesubie, inland from Nice..
One of the reasons for going to Vesubie was to visit Madone D'Utelle - Le Sanctuaire de Notre Dame des Miracles, after following a high and twisty road above the gorge...
The church itself was not a spectacular piece of architecture, but the views were:
The thing I didn't quite get...... Why did someone go to the trouble to struggle against the odds and all common sense to tow a small caravan to the top and then abandon it?
A room with a view.....
David
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9 August SATURDAY (Frejus) Day in Monaco
We picked our date to visit Monico to coincide with one of the days for the International Firework competition in the evening. As my camera is only a basic point and shoot effort, there didn't seem much point in taking actual firework photos.
However, we did do a detour into Italy, before settling in Monaco for the afternoon and evening...... San Remo:
The ride down to Monaco.....
I wouldn't gamble on them letting me into this place.....
Interesting mirror outside the Casino at Monte Carlo...
Just before the fireworks (after eating a pizza) on the harbour front...
David
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12 August TUESDAY (Frejus) Day at Campsite - picnic lunch out
13 August WEDNESDAY (Neydens) Travel from Frejus to La ColumbiereTuesday was our last full day at L'Etoile D'Argens. Just time for a final photo of our pitch...
......and a final session in the Jacuzzi......
.....time to pack up. Moving on to La Columbiere near to Geneva (Neydens - still in France) the next day.
David
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More wonderful photos. It looks as though you had such a great time. Thanks for posting them David - it gives inspiration to the rest of us.
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More wonderful photos. It looks as though you had such a great time. Thanks for posting them David - it gives inspiration to the rest of us.
Thanks Millie. I'm no great photographer, and only have a point and shoot camera, but at least if gives folk some idea of what places are like and what we've been up too.
Next time: photos of Geneva from Mt Soleve, an old bridge, Lake Annecy and even a view of Mt Blanc.
David
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