The overnight at Confluents in Migennes was the worst overnight of the trip so far.
The site itself isn't bad, it's just this weekend the event on the neighbouring rugby club ruined the stay.
The incessant inane chatter and shouting of the DJ's and loud music went on until 1130pm. The fridge in the van just across the hedge was on/off all night.
Then this morning... Before 8am it started all over again. More shouting but less music.
Not the best €19 spent.
We packed up and set off as soon as we could. The next stop was to be a Camping-Car Aire at Bray sur Somme. At €13.60 for the night including EHU it is a bargain.
We plugged along on the non-toll routes and arrived around 4.40pm. Stops for Reggie to stretch his legs and lunch mean it takes longer than ever to get anywhere...
The aire is situated right on the Somme river amongst some fishing lakes. When I saw it on the map I thought "mozzies". Luckily there weren't any....
The pitches are large and each pair share a bollard for power. Despite the "rules" all the vans on site all had their awnings and chairs out. I backed in to be able to see the view out of the front window.
When it rained. It poured. We managed to wind in the awning before it got too wet.
The night was peaceful.
Day 13 saw us up a little later. Most of our neighbours had already gone. It meant we had a relaxed visit to the motorhome service area and away across the Somme battlefields.
At Bray we weren't far from a regular visit for us to Corbie. This is where my grandad Charlie's uncle William is buried. He died of wounds during the second phase of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
On the way north we passed to the east of Albert basically following the line between British and German entrenchments.
To our left is Bazentin where William and the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry were headed when they met uncut wire and were mown down like the wheat that grows there today.
On the Peronne Road we stopped at a large cemetery. Beautifully tended as usual by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission workers.
So many white stones. So many young men's lives wasted. And what for?
My stop on the way to Ypres was at le Pilly.
Here there is a memorial, and a recent one, to the men of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment who were wiped out by the enemy here in late October 1914. I brought us here as this is where Claire's grandmother's eldest brother Timothy O'Leary was killed. Many of the battalion have no known grave after being surrounded and slaughtered by German guns. Timothy has no known grave.
Irish Times - Le Pilly
We had lunch parked nearby before heading to our overnight in Ypres.
I chose this campsite as it was near to the town centre. It's also near the Menin Gate.
We arrived around 3.40pm. The reception was closed but there is an electronic check-in. As we had pre-booked we used our paper work and were on A005 pitch. Finding it with no site map and hardly any signage was annoying.
Camping Jeugdstadion
Luckily the place was full of other British vans and so after some toing and froing we went in front first to an unmarked space...
This means we didn't need the leveling ramps.
Once set up we had a rest. It was around 25°C all day. The van provided some shelter.
The site is noisy. Not from the site itself but from the neighbouring works. It sounds as though they are recycling the metal waste from the entire continent 24/7!
The crashing and banging of trucks unloading is constant.
Stay here again? No way José. It's served its purpose.
It was convenient for the short walk into Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony. It's about 15 minutes out the back of the site down to almost within sight of the Gate. We left Reggie in the van.
The Gate is being renovated and so the ceremony takes place outside on the side away from the city center.
As usual the event is very solemn. Since the invention of the mobile phone it seems for many it's just another tourist event to tick off and film...
I took one photo before it started.
Once it was over we hurried back to Reggie to let him out.
Dinner? French chipolatas with coleslaw. Very nice.
Overnight we had water dripping from the roof light. It hadn't rained for quite a while and so it was getting in from somewhere... I dried it with a j-cloth. I checked the seal at the leading edge and it seems okay...
Tomorrow? We take Reggie into Bruges to have his Pet Passport sorted at Lieve's vets surgery. It's not until 6pm though.
Then back and another night amongst the scrapyards!
The site itself isn't bad, it's just this weekend the event on the neighbouring rugby club ruined the stay.
The incessant inane chatter and shouting of the DJ's and loud music went on until 1130pm. The fridge in the van just across the hedge was on/off all night.
Then this morning... Before 8am it started all over again. More shouting but less music.
Not the best €19 spent.
We packed up and set off as soon as we could. The next stop was to be a Camping-Car Aire at Bray sur Somme. At €13.60 for the night including EHU it is a bargain.
We plugged along on the non-toll routes and arrived around 4.40pm. Stops for Reggie to stretch his legs and lunch mean it takes longer than ever to get anywhere...
The aire is situated right on the Somme river amongst some fishing lakes. When I saw it on the map I thought "mozzies". Luckily there weren't any....
The pitches are large and each pair share a bollard for power. Despite the "rules" all the vans on site all had their awnings and chairs out. I backed in to be able to see the view out of the front window.
When it rained. It poured. We managed to wind in the awning before it got too wet.
The night was peaceful.
Day 13 saw us up a little later. Most of our neighbours had already gone. It meant we had a relaxed visit to the motorhome service area and away across the Somme battlefields.
At Bray we weren't far from a regular visit for us to Corbie. This is where my grandad Charlie's uncle William is buried. He died of wounds during the second phase of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
On the way north we passed to the east of Albert basically following the line between British and German entrenchments.
To our left is Bazentin where William and the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry were headed when they met uncut wire and were mown down like the wheat that grows there today.
On the Peronne Road we stopped at a large cemetery. Beautifully tended as usual by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission workers.
So many white stones. So many young men's lives wasted. And what for?
My stop on the way to Ypres was at le Pilly.
Here there is a memorial, and a recent one, to the men of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment who were wiped out by the enemy here in late October 1914. I brought us here as this is where Claire's grandmother's eldest brother Timothy O'Leary was killed. Many of the battalion have no known grave after being surrounded and slaughtered by German guns. Timothy has no known grave.
Irish Times - Le Pilly
We had lunch parked nearby before heading to our overnight in Ypres.
I chose this campsite as it was near to the town centre. It's also near the Menin Gate.
We arrived around 3.40pm. The reception was closed but there is an electronic check-in. As we had pre-booked we used our paper work and were on A005 pitch. Finding it with no site map and hardly any signage was annoying.
Camping Jeugdstadion
Luckily the place was full of other British vans and so after some toing and froing we went in front first to an unmarked space...
This means we didn't need the leveling ramps.
Once set up we had a rest. It was around 25°C all day. The van provided some shelter.
The site is noisy. Not from the site itself but from the neighbouring works. It sounds as though they are recycling the metal waste from the entire continent 24/7!
The crashing and banging of trucks unloading is constant.
Stay here again? No way José. It's served its purpose.
It was convenient for the short walk into Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony. It's about 15 minutes out the back of the site down to almost within sight of the Gate. We left Reggie in the van.
The Gate is being renovated and so the ceremony takes place outside on the side away from the city center.
As usual the event is very solemn. Since the invention of the mobile phone it seems for many it's just another tourist event to tick off and film...
I took one photo before it started.
Once it was over we hurried back to Reggie to let him out.
Dinner? French chipolatas with coleslaw. Very nice.
Overnight we had water dripping from the roof light. It hadn't rained for quite a while and so it was getting in from somewhere... I dried it with a j-cloth. I checked the seal at the leading edge and it seems okay...
Tomorrow? We take Reggie into Bruges to have his Pet Passport sorted at Lieve's vets surgery. It's not until 6pm though.
Then back and another night amongst the scrapyards!
