The tale of the root canal that began in August is now over. Praise be to the deity or whatever space books you believe in!
So the trip is back on for the booked dates and no problems are envisaged.
A week today and we will be at Dover hoping to be aboard the 0945 Liberte to Calais.
Hopefully I haven't spoken too soon. Touch wood in English!
View attachment 957766
I am now back to checking the maps and the apps and whatever I can to work out a route to the south and across into Spain.
I do like the municipal aire at St Cyprien-Plage. It's right on the marina and there are bars and restaurants nearby. I am hoping to be there in time for the fourth night on the road and the last before we head across the border to Spain and the longish run down the AP7 to Alcoceber.
So where on the way down between Calais and St Cyprien? CCP aires or free aires? it's always a question and when I suggest that I prefer CCP or Aire Parks aires on certain FB travelling and motorhoming pages, the amount of comments from the "if it's not free I ain't going" fraternity simply gets tiring and boring.
After our regular overnight stop at the CCP aire at Formerie I have decided to try the A77/N7 route this time. It's one we haven't done before as we often previously travelled to Spain by the western route on the N10 and crossing into Spain by Hendaye/Irun. SO that's what I have programmed into Max (my TomTom Go Camper Mat satnav).
I have seen many blogs and vlogs where people spend 12 hours a day on the road. Then look for a free parkup as it's getting dark. I suppose it does add a little "edginess" to the vlog, the same as the title pages that cry out that something might have gone totally pear shaped. When in fact someone actually forgot to fill their fresh water tank!
Google Maps shows the route going around the east side of Paris on the non-toll roads to be 612 miles to St Cyprien. So 200 miles a day on non toll roads seems reasonable? Yes? No?
I am think that a second night stop around Bonny sur Loire where there is a free aire and nearby a CCP aire should do the trick. After that free or CCP in St Flour for the third overnight? Mmmmmm.
Then there's always the dog's food to consider. Do we risk it and take some of his usual raw food in the freezer? Do we stop as usual at Picard in Coquelles for "dogador" raw food? Do we look at pet shops that sell "Easy-Barf" raw food on the way down?
Does anyone with personal knowledge of feeding raw food know of a supplier in Spain? And I mean dog food. We can easily get mince and checked from Supermarkets.....
So the trip is back on for the booked dates and no problems are envisaged.
A week today and we will be at Dover hoping to be aboard the 0945 Liberte to Calais.
Hopefully I haven't spoken too soon. Touch wood in English!
View attachment 957766
I am now back to checking the maps and the apps and whatever I can to work out a route to the south and across into Spain.
I do like the municipal aire at St Cyprien-Plage. It's right on the marina and there are bars and restaurants nearby. I am hoping to be there in time for the fourth night on the road and the last before we head across the border to Spain and the longish run down the AP7 to Alcoceber.
So where on the way down between Calais and St Cyprien? CCP aires or free aires? it's always a question and when I suggest that I prefer CCP or Aire Parks aires on certain FB travelling and motorhoming pages, the amount of comments from the "if it's not free I ain't going" fraternity simply gets tiring and boring.
After our regular overnight stop at the CCP aire at Formerie I have decided to try the A77/N7 route this time. It's one we haven't done before as we often previously travelled to Spain by the western route on the N10 and crossing into Spain by Hendaye/Irun. SO that's what I have programmed into Max (my TomTom Go Camper Mat satnav).
I have seen many blogs and vlogs where people spend 12 hours a day on the road. Then look for a free parkup as it's getting dark. I suppose it does add a little "edginess" to the vlog, the same as the title pages that cry out that something might have gone totally pear shaped. When in fact someone actually forgot to fill their fresh water tank!
Google Maps shows the route going around the east side of Paris on the non-toll roads to be 612 miles to St Cyprien. So 200 miles a day on non toll roads seems reasonable? Yes? No?
I am think that a second night stop around Bonny sur Loire where there is a free aire and nearby a CCP aire should do the trick. After that free or CCP in St Flour for the third overnight? Mmmmmm.
Then there's always the dog's food to consider. Do we risk it and take some of his usual raw food in the freezer? Do we stop as usual at Picard in Coquelles for "dogador" raw food? Do we look at pet shops that sell "Easy-Barf" raw food on the way down?
Does anyone with personal knowledge of feeding raw food know of a supplier in Spain? And I mean dog food. We can easily get mince and checked from Supermarkets.....
