26th March
We check in at the PAWS office and I take the dog passports and paperwork in to be checked out. They explain I need to bring the dogs. Ahhh. All was well and we proceed to boarding when one of the train guys pointed to a leak under the bonnet. I suggested and hoped it was the coolant which had leaked previously and he nodded and made out a long report during the journey across. Thankfully he didn't throw us off the train.
So we are home, or at least on home soil. It has been a fantastic trip. And now I shall read my blog!
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Friday, 30 March 2012
Sailing white van
25th March
My Birthday today although it would be impossible to tell. There is not much celebratory paraphernalia around other than some emails and texts, but we have decided to eat out tonight at the Hotel Normandy in Wissant where we used to stay regularly when I was a child.
We stop off at Wimereux on the way north to have a break, and walk down to the beach. A crowd has gathered. A poor sole has reversed his white van with large rib on a trailer into the water off the ramp, and then for some reason, followed the boat onto the beach with the van. The sand was soft and before they could pull it up, the tide came in! So now the boat is back on the ramp and the floating van is moored up floating 50 yards out!!
There is an Aire in Wissant so we drive there to check it out first. It is more than a mile from the restaurant, so we head into the village and find a car park which we can just about squeeze Wishstream in, and then go down to the beach. It is freezing here, with a sea fog and bitter wind. Walking back past the Hotel, we see there is a space outside the hotel which would take the van. It is pretty clear they don't want motorhomes in the centre of the village but we are not going to leave the van where it is and the Aire is too far. So we move to the spot outside the Hotel.
Actually it is great, as we can see the van from the restaurant and watch Kicker sitting bolt upright in the passenger seat guarding. He stays awake the whole time we are gone, and then climbs into his bed exhausted when we get back. A very good meal although the place is run down decoration wise.
We drive back to the Aire. It is dark, and late and just park up and go to sleep. A mistake. We are parked right by the road and around 5.00am the traffic starts. We have spent nearly 5 months away and this our last night has been the most disturbed!
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My Birthday today although it would be impossible to tell. There is not much celebratory paraphernalia around other than some emails and texts, but we have decided to eat out tonight at the Hotel Normandy in Wissant where we used to stay regularly when I was a child.
We stop off at Wimereux on the way north to have a break, and walk down to the beach. A crowd has gathered. A poor sole has reversed his white van with large rib on a trailer into the water off the ramp, and then for some reason, followed the boat onto the beach with the van. The sand was soft and before they could pull it up, the tide came in! So now the boat is back on the ramp and the floating van is moored up floating 50 yards out!!
There is an Aire in Wissant so we drive there to check it out first. It is more than a mile from the restaurant, so we head into the village and find a car park which we can just about squeeze Wishstream in, and then go down to the beach. It is freezing here, with a sea fog and bitter wind. Walking back past the Hotel, we see there is a space outside the hotel which would take the van. It is pretty clear they don't want motorhomes in the centre of the village but we are not going to leave the van where it is and the Aire is too far. So we move to the spot outside the Hotel.
Actually it is great, as we can see the van from the restaurant and watch Kicker sitting bolt upright in the passenger seat guarding. He stays awake the whole time we are gone, and then climbs into his bed exhausted when we get back. A very good meal although the place is run down decoration wise.
We drive back to the Aire. It is dark, and late and just park up and go to sleep. A mistake. We are parked right by the road and around 5.00am the traffic starts. We have spent nearly 5 months away and this our last night has been the most disturbed!
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Location:Wissant
The Somme
24th March
Saddlebag 23 c
Last washing day today to prepare us for the week we have ahead travelling around seeing family in the uk. We choose a site near The Somme, and buy a tumble dryer token as we need to get it all sorted. Gorgeous hot day today, although I gather it is hot everywhere.
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Saddlebag 23 c
Last washing day today to prepare us for the week we have ahead travelling around seeing family in the uk. We choose a site near The Somme, and buy a tumble dryer token as we need to get it all sorted. Gorgeous hot day today, although I gather it is hot everywhere.
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Dog stuff
23rd March
When I went to dog training classes with Gybo the trainer said that sniffing to a dog was like window shopping to us, and if we pulled them away all the time and stopped them, it would be mean. Gybo is a great sniffer and even more so this morning as she probably knows that we are headed for the dreaded. VET, that is. But Jc says, there is only a certain amount of window shopping a girl can do.
So we finally get to Cabinet Veterinaire de l'estuaire, 10 rue de vases. The vet speaks English and we have our ham ready to cover the worming pill. I am concerned that the pills she uses are a one size fits all version. Anything up to 25 kilos will be fine with this pill. Hmm. My Gibby is only 14 kilos. Why not give her 3/4 of it.? No, But she is the vet.
Big boy Kicker Dick, who is in his usual la di da mode, demolishes the ham wrapped pill in a nanosecond. The bestest, brightest girl, Gybo, sniffs it, takes it, swallows the ham and spits the pill out. We try again. More ham for Gybo, and the now slimy pill is sitting in her hair by the side of her mouth. Well, for me, she doesn't need the blessed thing. I wormed her 10 days ago, but the bureaucrats need that form. The vet suggests she tries, and within seconds has stuffed it, ham and all, way down the gullet where gravity would defy its return.
Back at the van, Gybo starts to breath quickly and she is clearly not happy. I look up this pill on the internet and wish I hadn't. Milbemax causes fitting in some dogs! Why doesn't the vet use Drontal like everyone else? Jc drives whilst I keep an eye on my poppet, and we make for an Aire at St. Valerie en Caux. Another sailing trip brought me here in the late 1990's. They have built an Aire right on the headland by the mouth to the river entrance which allows access into the harbour at high water. A really great spot, and the village is typically French. Unfortunately today is very foggy so bad visibility, but sunny and warm.
Gybo is back on form and all is well.
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When I went to dog training classes with Gybo the trainer said that sniffing to a dog was like window shopping to us, and if we pulled them away all the time and stopped them, it would be mean. Gybo is a great sniffer and even more so this morning as she probably knows that we are headed for the dreaded. VET, that is. But Jc says, there is only a certain amount of window shopping a girl can do.
So we finally get to Cabinet Veterinaire de l'estuaire, 10 rue de vases. The vet speaks English and we have our ham ready to cover the worming pill. I am concerned that the pills she uses are a one size fits all version. Anything up to 25 kilos will be fine with this pill. Hmm. My Gibby is only 14 kilos. Why not give her 3/4 of it.? No, But she is the vet.
Big boy Kicker Dick, who is in his usual la di da mode, demolishes the ham wrapped pill in a nanosecond. The bestest, brightest girl, Gybo, sniffs it, takes it, swallows the ham and spits the pill out. We try again. More ham for Gybo, and the now slimy pill is sitting in her hair by the side of her mouth. Well, for me, she doesn't need the blessed thing. I wormed her 10 days ago, but the bureaucrats need that form. The vet suggests she tries, and within seconds has stuffed it, ham and all, way down the gullet where gravity would defy its return.
Back at the van, Gybo starts to breath quickly and she is clearly not happy. I look up this pill on the internet and wish I hadn't. Milbemax causes fitting in some dogs! Why doesn't the vet use Drontal like everyone else? Jc drives whilst I keep an eye on my poppet, and we make for an Aire at St. Valerie en Caux. Another sailing trip brought me here in the late 1990's. They have built an Aire right on the headland by the mouth to the river entrance which allows access into the harbour at high water. A really great spot, and the village is typically French. Unfortunately today is very foggy so bad visibility, but sunny and warm.
Gybo is back on form and all is well.
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Location:Honfleur
Honfleur
22nd March
WHERE is that water coming from?? Leaking out from under the units as it did before. Hopefully it is just my bodgeit tape that held the pipe in place just needs renewing. NO, there is a leak in the sink tap. We try to remove it to have a better look, but because we have spent hours organising everything domestically to the finite detail, we have completely left out the tools we might need for the trip. Monsieur, avez- vous une spanner comme ca. I show him the size I need with my finger and thumb. He lends me a plumbers tool, which won't work. I phone The dealer in England. He says: have you left the pump on all the time. Me: Well yes, we are living it all the time and need water all the time. Him: well it's not designed for that blah, blah, could have had a flood, blah blah. When you leave the van blah, etc. Probably need a new tap. Me: Thanks very much. Bye. We now keep the water pump OFF, and it is a two man job to get water. One of us stands at the tap and says GO, the other flicks the switch, we get 3/4 of the water needed, and then switch off the pump and drain the rest of it into the basin. What a Pallaver. The quality of these fittings is really poor. Luckily we are nearing the end of the trip after which poor Wishstream will go to the dealer in Norfolk for a make and mend session I fear.
It is very hot today, and Jc and I take it in turns to go and have a look round the town. Lots of expensive clothes, and jewellery and I like it.
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WHERE is that water coming from?? Leaking out from under the units as it did before. Hopefully it is just my bodgeit tape that held the pipe in place just needs renewing. NO, there is a leak in the sink tap. We try to remove it to have a better look, but because we have spent hours organising everything domestically to the finite detail, we have completely left out the tools we might need for the trip. Monsieur, avez- vous une spanner comme ca. I show him the size I need with my finger and thumb. He lends me a plumbers tool, which won't work. I phone The dealer in England. He says: have you left the pump on all the time. Me: Well yes, we are living it all the time and need water all the time. Him: well it's not designed for that blah, blah, could have had a flood, blah blah. When you leave the van blah, etc. Probably need a new tap. Me: Thanks very much. Bye. We now keep the water pump OFF, and it is a two man job to get water. One of us stands at the tap and says GO, the other flicks the switch, we get 3/4 of the water needed, and then switch off the pump and drain the rest of it into the basin. What a Pallaver. The quality of these fittings is really poor. Luckily we are nearing the end of the trip after which poor Wishstream will go to the dealer in Norfolk for a make and mend session I fear.
It is very hot today, and Jc and I take it in turns to go and have a look round the town. Lots of expensive clothes, and jewellery and I like it.
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Thursday, 22 March 2012
Memory Lane
21st March
Normandy is clean, smart and in the sunshine looks like a great place to live. The houses are all different and very attractive.
I am on a bit of a wild goose chase today again going down memory lane. When I was young our father organised a two centre holiday. Trouville and Houlgate, staying in hotels. I remember the hotels, the first had an enormous single story restaurant attached to the hotel, and the food was disgusting. Apparently, although I don't remember, and probably wouldn't have noticed at 12.
So my Dad complained about his pork chop and said it wasn't cooked. They took it back. When they brought it back, it still wasn't. My Dad was a great bloke and a good father, known for his war stuff and all that, but he was quite moody and could get quite angry. When this happened you didn't really want to be around. In fact, you would know pretty quickly when this mood was likely to happen, and I think all the family started looking around for some space under the table. Within a few seconds, my father was standing on his chair, holding the pork by its chop end, and shouting. Can't remember exactly but questioning whether this food was edible in this restaurant and what a disgrace. We then left the restaurant and I assume ate elsewhere during our stay there.
From Ouisterham we pass through these places on our way to Honfleur. Houlgate is a delight. I remember the look of the hotel we stayed in, a typical Normany hotel, and there are now many of them lining the street, so it was difficult to identify exactly which one.
On to Trouville. A large town centred on the river Touques. We drove across the bridge and right into the town alongside the river until we reached the sea and then turned right. The riverside road is delightful with restaurants, shops and fish stalls.
Well worth a visit. As we got to the sea, the road climbed and I can't figure out where our pork chop episode might have happened as there were no buildings near the water. Further on towards Honfleur there is another village called Villerville, which looked to have hotels near to the sea, but the roads were too narrow for the great Wishstream. Or at least we decided they were, now that we are in wimp mode over narrow lanes. So, I failed in my quest, but just being there and writing this has brought it back.
Honfleur is gorgeous and the Aire is located on the edge of the town by the river, minutes walking to the hub of the place. With shops and restaurants galore, and great dog walking we will stay for 2 nights, and I have found a vet to do the dog cross channel stuff for Friday morning.
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Normandy is clean, smart and in the sunshine looks like a great place to live. The houses are all different and very attractive.
I am on a bit of a wild goose chase today again going down memory lane. When I was young our father organised a two centre holiday. Trouville and Houlgate, staying in hotels. I remember the hotels, the first had an enormous single story restaurant attached to the hotel, and the food was disgusting. Apparently, although I don't remember, and probably wouldn't have noticed at 12.
So my Dad complained about his pork chop and said it wasn't cooked. They took it back. When they brought it back, it still wasn't. My Dad was a great bloke and a good father, known for his war stuff and all that, but he was quite moody and could get quite angry. When this happened you didn't really want to be around. In fact, you would know pretty quickly when this mood was likely to happen, and I think all the family started looking around for some space under the table. Within a few seconds, my father was standing on his chair, holding the pork by its chop end, and shouting. Can't remember exactly but questioning whether this food was edible in this restaurant and what a disgrace. We then left the restaurant and I assume ate elsewhere during our stay there.
From Ouisterham we pass through these places on our way to Honfleur. Houlgate is a delight. I remember the look of the hotel we stayed in, a typical Normany hotel, and there are now many of them lining the street, so it was difficult to identify exactly which one.
On to Trouville. A large town centred on the river Touques. We drove across the bridge and right into the town alongside the river until we reached the sea and then turned right. The riverside road is delightful with restaurants, shops and fish stalls.
Well worth a visit. As we got to the sea, the road climbed and I can't figure out where our pork chop episode might have happened as there were no buildings near the water. Further on towards Honfleur there is another village called Villerville, which looked to have hotels near to the sea, but the roads were too narrow for the great Wishstream. Or at least we decided they were, now that we are in wimp mode over narrow lanes. So, I failed in my quest, but just being there and writing this has brought it back.
Honfleur is gorgeous and the Aire is located on the edge of the town by the river, minutes walking to the hub of the place. With shops and restaurants galore, and great dog walking we will stay for 2 nights, and I have found a vet to do the dog cross channel stuff for Friday morning.
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Mont st. michel
20th March
We step carefully through the sludge to the Mont in the morning. Very touristy and expensive. But an amazing place architecturally and now a World Heritage Site and we are pleased to have gone.
Decide on a camp site next so we can uck out, laundry and charge up. We choose one at Ouistreham which means we go straight across the bottom of the Cherbourg peninsula. The site is right by the river and has really nice grass pitches. BLISS. I am straight into the laundry and use the dog tethering rope to make a line. It is a glorious day and most of the washing is dry by the evening. Kicker has found rabbits on the riverside and wants to visit them whenever he is let out. And JC goes in search of provisions. A relaxing afternoon and a bit of sunbathing thrown in.
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We step carefully through the sludge to the Mont in the morning. Very touristy and expensive. But an amazing place architecturally and now a World Heritage Site and we are pleased to have gone.
Decide on a camp site next so we can uck out, laundry and charge up. We choose one at Ouistreham which means we go straight across the bottom of the Cherbourg peninsula. The site is right by the river and has really nice grass pitches. BLISS. I am straight into the laundry and use the dog tethering rope to make a line. It is a glorious day and most of the washing is dry by the evening. Kicker has found rabbits on the riverside and wants to visit them whenever he is let out. And JC goes in search of provisions. A relaxing afternoon and a bit of sunbathing thrown in.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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