Lenny's Search for Winter Sun

[Lenny HB]

Now at Lens, quite a nice Aire for a town centre one, free of course.

 

[pjay]

You'll be dining out at Maccy D's tonight then?

Pete

 

[Lenny HB]

You'll be dining out at Maccy D's tonight then?

Pete

Funny should say that, can't be arsed to cook so we will suffer tonight.

 

[Allanm]

Your not far from Vimy. Have you been to the Canadian Memorial?

 

[Lenny HB]

Your not far from Vimy. Have you been to the Canadian Memorial?

Did that a few years ago.
On our way to Campirama for a few bits of warranty work and Goldschmitt full air suspension.

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[Hellski]

Did that a few years ago.
On our way to Campirama for a few bits of warranty work and Goldschmitt full air suspension.

Loving your trip
I had thought you already had full air fitted or have I got that wrong??

 

[Lenny HB]

Loving your trip
I had thought you already had full air fitted or have I got that wrong??

Did have VB air fitted but rear end sat too low and VB didn't have an answer so SAP took it off & refunded us.

 

[Hellski]

Did have VB air fitted but rear end sat too low and VB didn't have an answer so SAP took it off & refunded us.

Thanks Lenny, will be interested to hear your valued comparison

 

[john lillie]

help me please I am confused, put the coordinates of your last photo in to google earth, and it's nowhere near Lens, what am I doing wrong?

 

[Lenny HB]

help me please I am confused, put the coordinates of your last photo in to google earth, and it's nowhere near Lens, what am I doing wrong?

Typo I expect, works for me.
I just put the coordinates into Google and put a link in for you below.
50.43228,2.82029

Edit:
Not by any chance putting a dash between your coordinates so it see it as West instead of East

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[john lillie]

think I can see where I am going wrong, your format is decimal(?) where google earth is degrees/minutes/seconds, I put in Lens and that's where I am seeing that format

 

[john lillie]

yep, just tried it again, got exact location. Need to know as I hope to use a few of your locations on my next trip, many thanks for your help

 

[Lenny HB]

think I can see where I am going wrong, your format is decimal(?) where google earth is degrees/minutes/seconds, I put in Lens and that's where I am seeing that format

I would have thought Earth would be the same as Google maps, in which you can enter any format.

 

[Clarky]

I would have thought Earth would be the same as Google maps, in which you can enter any format.

If you go into ‘Preferences’ on Google Earth you can select which format you prefer for co-ordinates.

Richard.

 

[john lillie]

I am sure you are corect, but I was just entering the place name, and then looking at the coordinates as they appeared in degrees minutes form, anyway, now all sussed, just have to alter format on my garmin as that is in degrees and minutes at the moment.

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[Lenny HB]

"The Drama of Campirama"
A company called VanQuip just down the road are actually doing the install, looks like the Belgium equivalent of SAP.
Anyway we were told yesterday afternoon they couldn't start the install until 2pm today that was fine until this morning. Turns out they haven't got the kit yet (was supposed to be there on March 6th). Goldschmitt apparently stopped shipping out suspension kits as there was a problem with the wrong compressor been supplied to them. Kit won't shipped until Thursday so wouldn't be able to start work until at least Friday lunchtime.
Normally wouldn't have been a problem a few more days wouldn't have worried us but this time we have to be back in the UK for the start of next week.

Now arranged to have it done on 6th May I'll pop over on my own while the boss is in Thailand. They are going to ask Goldschmitt to pay my ferry & fuel costs.

Anoying we could have had another week in Spain

 

[Lenny HB]

Went for lunch at the local furniture store that had a cafe.
Brain couldn't have been in gear, if I'd looked at the furniture prices and in the cafe the specials board didn't have any prices, you can guess the rest.

A small beer each and a main, various fish in cheese sauce with mash for me, salmon tagatelle for the boss.

Just ordered a coffee with milk.

And now the painful bit.
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Add insult to injury they only took Belgium cards. Lucky I had enough to cash on me.

 

[Lenny HB]

Now at Saint Venant in France.

 

[Jagtazman]

. They are going to ask Goldschmitt to pay my ferry & fuel costs.

Better service than most in UK, doubt they would even think of asking them for compensation for you.

 

[Lenny HB]

Had a wander around Saint Venant, it was completely unscathed until 7th July 1918 and then bombed and the whole village completely flattened.

This is the Marie, which was rebuilt exactly to its original form.

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[Lenny HB]

yep, just tried it again, got exact location. Need to know as I hope to use a few of your locations on my next trip, many thanks for your help

If you go to Lens be careful, look at the screen on the Hymer in the background.

The entrance to the Aire is a bit confusing you have to turn right through the first carpark. If you carry straight on there is a height barrier across the road at the time we went in the right hand side was swung out of the way I was was trying to find out how to get into the Aire and got deafened by a shout from the boss I nearly hit the eaft hand barrier that was across the road with my mirror.
The other Hymer wasn't so lucky and hit it full on. I caught up with them at Campirama. They had just come across the channel and were on there way to their house Spain, they were insured with Safeguard who use Autoglass. Autoglass point blank refused to do anything in France or Belgium said had to be done in the UK and would take 3-4 weeks to get a screen. Campirama said they can get one in 10 days but they often arrive broken. The van was only just drivable as flakes of glass were falling down all over the dash when driving.

 

[Poutie57]

Our daughter lives in Antwerp and we find Belguim very expensive for non food items like DIY stuff especially paint (2.5ltr emulsion €50 )so we bring her paint etc over from Britain only thing that seem to be cheaper is automotive stuff ie. Motorhome’s

 

[Lenny HB]

Our daughter lives in Antwerp and we find Belguim very expensive for non food items like DIY stuff especially paint (2.5ltr emulsion €50 )so we bring her paint etc over from Britain only thing that seem to be cheaper is automotive stuff ie. Motorhome’s

Seems a lot cheaper than it was 30 years ago but still expensive. C&A just round the corner from Campirama that's cheap as they have standard Euro prices and always has a 50% off sale. Bought a pretty T shirt for grandaughter €1.25 my sort of price.

 

[JonP]

Pity they don’t have cafeteria for your lunch.

 

[Lenny HB]

Surprised Mi this morning wished her a happy birthday at 8am last year she had to wait until 6:30pm before I remembered.
And today I even splashed out €2 on a bunch of tulips from Lidl, I'm in the good books today.

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[Just smiffy]

Wish her a from us Lenny...

 

[Lenny HB]

Now at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, bleeding hell it's expensive, €12 for 24 hours and no discount with the electric out of order. I'll never hear the last of it when my wallet finds out

 

[Manic]

Now at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, bleeding hell it's expensive, €12 for 24 hours and no discount with the electric out of order. I'll never hear the last of it when my wallet finds out

View attachment 293125

Should have gone up the road to Le Hourdel, no service but it’s FREE.
Walk across the road and view the seals.

 

[Lenny HB]

Should have gone up the road to Le Hourdel, no service but it’s FREE.
Walk across the road and view the seals.

According to Park4night 2 m height barrier and only free 7pm - 9am.

 

[Manic]

According to Park4night 2 m height barrier and only free 7pm - 9am.

There’s a car park but don’t think that’s got a height barrier and a motorhome parking, in August 2018 there was 40 vans in the motorhome parking part and they still kept coming.
We stayed several days no problem.

The first part in video is the car park.

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