Get To Calais Then Chose Turn Right Or Left (or Both)

Get up to a lovely sunny morning, plan to leave to go in search of the bulb fields more or less when ready, however the toilet has beeped last night to confirm our thoughts that is must be nearly full, red light on already. We have a black tank with about 120 litre capacity, but we don't actually know what volume brings the red light on But I am not about to find out wandering round Holland

Now we have used a few aires, but never one with so many on, by half eight there is a complicated multi directional queue of motorhome forming around the dump area. Had it been UK there would I am sure have been a fight, not here, but boy are they slow, some only moved to empty their bloody cassettes, Oh Please! carry them down. The fresh water option requires a friction grip adaptor but luckily the pressure is so low it wouldn't push it off in a week of trying, however said low pressure also means that the obnoxious greedy cases who must fill to the brim were taking about 20 minutes minimum. So unless we go and join this queue we may not leave today as every few minutes somebody seemed to join the end

So the end we joined, just as it started to rain, result, with the tap needing to be pressed every few seconds to keep it going there is less interest in topping the water tanks brim full

However while queuing we get a knock on the window, our MHF name plate (still in from Chester) has been spotted by a new to us funster, now I am confident he said Bobby something, think he is BobbyB, I will try and do some more detective work to confirm (starting with @BobbyT was it you) observant ones will have noticed a possible mistake, but I now know there are no BobbyB's, so lets see

Get to front, we only have to open black and grey valves, cant be bother with water, but did do 2 x watering cans last night and told Bev to go careful on the shower water, so we have 50% left, meaning who knows what to be honest, anywhere from nearly full still to just about to flash 'empty'. It's a holiday for heavens sake, relax everybody

So we have dumped and off we set, really good news, although the barriers have reset to down, they auto open without payment

Off we go with Bev in charge of the map :LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:.........................
 
We know roughly where to go, mainly having been before, 10 years ago, so head in right general direction, decide we will not revisit the garden park at Kuekenhof, worth it once I would say, anyway we got a bit too close toit and joined a monster traffic jam all waiting to get in, we presume. So take a turn off and see where it goes

Fairly soon see a group of three coaches in convoy and decide they must be part of the masses doing the bulb tours and follow them, luckily for us only for about 5 miles to a local sports centre :whistle::whistle: It could have been an awful lot further

So back to map, we know the fields are more or less on the coast south of Amsterdam, but I must say they are nowhere near as prolific as I thought I remembered. But we find a nice little down and have a walk through

While I wait for Bev to return I have a look at map, mainly to be sure we are even on the right page to be honest. On said map I notice lots of red dots, pull out reading glasses, the bloody map is actually marked with little tulips where the fields are, I give up

But at least we now find them, everybody should see this once, don't make a week of it, but do try to get over this time of year once in your lives
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Now all bulbed up, looked at options to run for France, but its half 2, France is 200 miles away, so we opt for Gouda again, now back, free wifi from library barrier working this time, so will need to pay, should be 8 euros, we were too late for electrics, but with the driving around and full sun, we don't need it
 
Another lovely start, bright sunshine although still cold, only 7C

The Gouda aire is massively over subscribed again with at least 50 MH's randomly parked around the car park, got to go and deal with the payment machine in a bit, really not sure how that is going to work out, it was complicated enough choosing which ticket to ask for, will let you know later how we got out, presuming of course that we do

Back to France today, chosen an aire in a northern French town, looks nice on the app, but we hope to be down there for about 2, do some shopping, then have a look, the aire we are aiming for is Boussois. near to Maubeuge, somewhere we have never heard of let alone been to, what better reason to go there
 
We were at Boussois in March.(not our van in photo).

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From Jay's journal,

Boussois. Aire right by river with decent tow path. Space for 4 vans
next to an imposing 5 storey building which turned out to be a school.
Free water and electric although you would need a 100mtr cable to reach
and you have to reset every 1/2 hour!

Pleasant journey to Rocroi where
we were intending to stay the night, but the very noisy geese in an
adjacent garden rather put us off. Interesting town with circular
batelements dating from 1555 which we walked round with the dogs.



If Boussois doesn't work out for you try Eppe Sauvage, one of our favourites.
Northern France No. 62 in Aires book, photo doesn't do it justice.
 
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Boussois is perfect for us, just the kind of aire we would hope to find, very close to town, have wandered round already will be popping back up for beer / frites and whatever else takes our fancy later, just on first 1664 now


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you are right about the electrics, but a French MH has got round that by parking down closer to the service point @jay I am starting to feel slightly troll like, I do promise I did not know about your secret places
 
David, could you give more info about the Aire in Gouda ? We will be near there in Sept and could give it a try.

Thanks
 
I'm loving your travels David, thank you for posting, but I think you should of gone before the wedding..you and Bev could of stolen armfuls of flowers for it..
 
Have you spotted the bakery opposite the top of the road? Only time I've ever seen a bread vending machine for when it's shut!
 
so, we left Gouda this morning, we never did get to the Gouda cheese place on Tuesday, but did find a great Gouda cheese shop in Gouda. Bev bought me a rather nice piece and for herself quite possibly the worst piece of cheese I have ever seen or tasted. Bright purple, still prepared to try, immediately felt my eyes stinging but couldn't associate the flavour with food, so had to ask, to be told Lavender

We have a steam room at home which Bev likes to muck up with lavender oils, good for something apparently, making my eyes smart is about all, but it tastes even worse

now then, I haven't mentioned the aire / car park exit yet, this morning for reasons I will probably never understand (being a man) most of what I did was wrong / badly timed / badly put etc etc) so when Bev said shall I go and pay the parking, that was a result, me not paying and some distance between us for a few minutes. Now I think I said OK I will not go up to the barrier until you walk away from the machine, Bev says she told not to move anywhere, no idea where that difference came from :D:D

SO as I get ready to move Bev reappears beside the MH with one of those faces, so what happened to not moving? she says, I say nothing, too wise after last beating. She has paid already, broomsticks give amazingly quick transport. 8 euros 60 cents. So we approach the barrier still not too sure how we get out, the ticket points are far too low or too high, as we approach the barrier goes up. Now I will never know if we needed to pay or not, there just might be some clever system of camera recognition, when Bev paid there was no bay number, no number plate entered, we never put or paid for receipt into the machine, it just opened. Anyway under 10 euros for the night even without electricity isn't bad (y)(y)

Gouda is a lovely little town, canals everywhere, mostly drainage but a few with boats, quite a few house boats, but quite a pretty place, till the outskirts when there is suddenly a lot of industry right alongside the last houses

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Geordies said:
David, could you give more info about the Aire in Gouda ? We will be near there in Sept and could give it a try.

Thanks
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we found it by googling aire Gouda,

the address is Klein America off Fluwensingel, Gouda (I think Klein is car park)

not an obvious place to turn in, trust the signs they are right

approach barrier, tickets like most French tolls are too high or too low, we could just reach up from our A class

you need to be there to understand, but it looks like a regular car park, with some bays with extra orange markers, but basically it is first come first served. There are about 12 electric points, but we were not early enough for them, good value for town centre parking @ 8.60 euro payable by cash or card at machine prior to leaving, or blag it drive to barrier as above post, I think it might just open :)
 
just taken Lola for last walk, seen my first water vole for years, no camera, but it swam right across the river towards me with a load of weed in its mouth, I love nature :)
 
jay said:
Have you spotted the bakery opposite the top of the road? Only time I've ever seen a bread vending machine for when it's shut!
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Bev had spotted the boulangerie, but not noticed the vending option, nice little town, but just been bitten to bits by biting helicopters down by river :mad:

maybe I should say I love 'most' nature
 
If it is going to rain during my holidays I actually don't mind when it is overnight, the noise on the MH roof is rather soothing, last night we had gentle rain on and off, woke to it still the same at 8, but since then it has got brighter

Just about to set off on a possibly ambitious journey to Sully sur Loire, not using tolls, it maybe too far for us in a day we are at holiday pace, only commitment is to be at Twin Lakes on Saturday

Will see how we get on, got to refill and dump yet and it is already gone half 9

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These blogs certainly make me jealous. Aaah well all the more knowledge I learn for when we do finally get overseas.
Happy travels and keep up the posts. :-)
 
we are going nowhere (again) I have only gone and left a lead plugged into the front 12V connector, so we have fully charged mifi, tom tom, camera, phone, ipad, but flat cab battery

no problem I bought a set of jump leads for just this occasion, get them out of garage, go to external battery box (habitation batts) cant get to positive terminals, they are right up under the charger, not looking good

we do have a solar panel, so voltage is creeping back in but oh so slow, Bev has gone into the town to see if she can find a garage who will turn out
 
DavidG58 said:
we are going nowhere (again) I have only gone and left a lead plugged into the front 12V connector, so we have fully charged mifi, tom tom, camera, phone, ipad, but flat cab battery

no problem I bought a set of jump leads for just this occasion, get them out of garage, go to external battery box (habitation batts) cant get to positive terminals, they are right up under the charger, not looking good

we do have a solar panel, so voltage is creeping back in but oh so slow, Bev has gone into the town to see if she can find a garage who will turn out
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I think you are in trouble again @DavidG58 .
 
Oh dear David, not the best start, but at least everything is charged up so you've toys to play with. Course I wouldn't want to point out that it's not the first time you've done this:whistle: lucky you are with Bev, if you were with me that lead would be around your neck by now:rofl:

Hope your day gets better
 
DavidG58 said:
we are going nowhere (again) I have only gone and left a lead plugged into the front 12V connector, so we have fully charged mifi, tom tom, camera, phone, ipad, but flat cab battery

no problem I bought a set of jump leads for just this occasion, get them out of garage, go to external battery box (habitation batts) cant get to positive terminals, they are right up under the charger, not looking good

we do have a solar panel, so voltage is creeping back in but oh so slow, Bev has gone into the town to see if she can find a garage who will turn out
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:(:boxing:::bigsmile: Hi David I think you may need a new starter battery -all the things you mention should not have taken that much out of the battery :D

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Oh dear David........hope you survive the day......did Bev have one of those 'faces' on when she went to find a garage??? although to be honest I think I probably would've had too:ROFLMAO:
Loving reading about your trip again though, thanks :) x
 
Do you have RAC etc David if so give them a call -it's what you pay for :whistle:
terry
 
When you get back David I know a man who may have a starter battery to fit that old Hymer of yours ;)
terry
 
Yep oops, sure Bev will get it sorted for you ;), perhaps a warning red cross sticker next to the socket. As usual loving the blog.

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So there is an advantage to having cab sockets that only work with the ignition on after all
 
Terry said:
Coming close to 4 hrs since David posted -does that mean it's sorted or has Bev put him in hospital :)
terry
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Bev reappeared in the passenger seat of a Peugeot, she had asked a group of road workers where there was a garage, they asked what for, then offered their boss with his car to jump start us

Now the jump start bit, following an identical situation in France last year I bought 5m heavy duty jump cables to reach from habitation batteries to engine, trouble is I never thought to check if I could get access to the terminals, I can't, hence Bev disappearing to get help. I would need to physically remove the battery to get access and need more tools than I carry

So jump started first time, never really any doubt there, and off t0 the dump and fill area, with Bev nagging don't you dare turn it off

We are now south of Reims, 100 miles into the 280 miles for today, so will have to go and update you further later

So far Bev has been amazingly calm and not shouted at or hit me, feels a little like the eye of the storm though, far too calm, unnatural :):)
 
Terry said:
:(:boxing:::bigsmile: Hi David I think you may need a new starter battery -all the things you mention should not have taken that much out of the battery :D
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I think you might be right, but one of the 'things' is our iBoost, I think that might be the offending beast, will plug it into hab end tonight and see on controller how many amps it draws, cant tell when on cab battery

But yes, I have got my eye on one of those batteries of yours :D, just need to find out where ours is :)

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