Two Go To Sicily

Could you go back in to the village and let me know the opening hours of the barbers.. It is just on the corner of the street you are on, just opposite the church.. I need a quick make over in time for my holidays...

Plenty of walks from where you are, circuits of different lengths...

if you have time tomorrow you can pop in and help with the decorating, we're not to far near Le Dorat. 15kms to the south..
 
moulin 87 said:
Could you go back in to the village and let me know the opening hours of the barbers.. It is just on the corner of the street you are on, just opposite the church.. I need a quick make over in time for my holidays...

Plenty of walks from where you are, circuits of different lengths...

if you have time tomorrow you can pop in and help with the decorating, we're not to far near Le Dorat. 15kms to the south..
Click to expand...
We walked passed the barbers, coiffure homme I think it is called. It was very quiet, like the village, so I don't think you need to book. :)
The walks are along an old railway track I think. We didn't go far - Charlie sat down after ten minutes, I fear he isn't going to like Sicily apart from the sea! Which reminds me, I've seen reports of dogs dying after swimming in the Loire and other places I think. Apparently, the recent low water levels and high temperatures have created the conditions for a toxic algae to rise to the surface. No swims for Charlie for the moment. :(

We'll be be driving through Le Dorat tomorrow. :)
 
DBK said:
We walked passed the barbers, coiffure homme I think it is called. It was very quiet, like the village, so I don't think you need to book. :)
The walks are along an old railway track I think. We didn't go far - Charlie sat down after ten minutes, I fear he isn't going to like Sicily apart from the sea! Which reminds me, I've seen reports of dogs dying after swimming in the Loire and other places I think. Apparently, the recent low water levels and high temperatures have created the conditions for a toxic algae to rise to the surface. No swims for Charlie for the moment. :(

We'll be be driving through Le Dorat tomorrow. :)
Click to expand...
yes you do have to be very careful if looking for rock pool crabs and mussels etc even by some of the river mouths . there was lots of posters at one time by many of the river mouths . san pol de leon close to roscoff was one of the bad places . mind i,m looking back a few years .
the world is a sort of funny place at times . not ha ha funny.
dordogne much faster river not too bad.
 
DBK said:
We walked passed the barbers, coiffure homme I think it is called. It was very quiet, like the village, so I don't think you need to book. :)
The walks are along an old railway track I think. We didn't go far - Charlie sat down after ten minutes, I fear he isn't going to like Sicily apart from the sea! Which reminds me, I've seen reports of dogs dying after swimming in the Loire and other places I think. Apparently, the recent low water levels and high temperatures have created the conditions for a toxic algae to rise to the surface. No swims for Charlie for the moment. :(

We'll be be driving through Le Dorat tomorrow. :)
Click to expand...

I think 85% of France is on water restrictions at the moment, the river next to us is really low but no algae so the dog loves standing in it.. The better walks aren't along the railway, if you go through the park opposite where you are and turn right and wander off through the farmland, down to the River Gartempe, though I think a group of school kids got hit by lightning there only last week..

A lot of the swimming lakes nearby have been closed in recent years because of the algae and swimming pools built as a replacement.

As for the barber, no booking necessary, 10 minutes and I'm done and dusted...

So where are you headed?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Glandwr said:
If you a planning to cross to Messina one of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Riace_bronzes just before you sail in their purpose built museum in Reggio di Calabria incredible!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riace_bronzes

Dick
Click to expand...
I've read about those bronzes - larger than life I believe. If it's practical for us to see them we will. Many thanks for the reminder. :)
 
moulin 87 said:
So where are you headed?
Click to expand...
Le Dorat is where we turn east, heading for Guèret, Montluçon, Moulins, :) Mâcon then south east from Bourg en Bresse to Lyon and Annecy then over the border via the Col du Petite St Bernard. Looking forward to it, especially the mountains. :)
 
DBK said:
Le Dorat is where we turn east, heading for Guèret, Montluçon, Moulins, :) Mâcon then south east from Bourg en Bresse to Lyon and Annecy then over the border via the Col du Petite St Bernard. Looking forward to it, especially the mountains. :)
Click to expand...

That's our route to Italy.. For a rare treat in France, there's an Indian in Nantua after Bourg en Besse.. Ignore Lyon..

That road across has few petrol stations directly on it, as it is basically a new route..

For Montlucon either pay the toll to bypass it or follow the ring road, head to Cosne D'Allier then take the D22 to get to the N79..

I'll wave as you pass our gate... From the top of my ladder...

If you like mountains, from Annecy go via Ugine to Beaufort to Bourg Saint Maurice.
 
A little even more local knowledge.

The N145 from Guèret (E62 Route Centre Europe Atlantique, locally called the Express Way) turns into the A714 as it by-passes Montlucon and it's free until the eastern side of Montlucon, it's a problem free good modern motorway quality dual carriageway. The exit before the Peage (well signed) is for Vichy - Moulins - Cosne - Bourbon, this avoids the section of toll as described by Moulins above.
You follow Cosne/Moulins signs using the D94 until you reach a roundabout on the edge of Cosne where Bourbon and Moulins are signed first exit.
Cosne D'Allier should really be one way as it's a rare small French town where all the shops etc are open and busy. Cars park the length of the 'High Street' which narrows it somewhat. Patience is the key but it's only about 400m long where the commerce is. If you want to stay a little turn left at the traffic lights in the high street by a right, there's a bandstand and a large open car park behind the high street.

There are also a couple of obvious speed bumps on this route which are the real McCoy on one side of them, treat them with respect.
As you exit the edge of Cosne there is another full size roundabout it's the second exit. After about 50m the road forks TAKE THE RH FORK onto the D11 signed Moulins etc etc.

After 11km another roundabout with 2 choices, straight ahead for Moulins or ahead and after 30m a left turn into the forest to Bourbon, both will bring you to the same roundabout at the edge of Moulins.

If you drive this route via Bourbon you will have driven through some of the Bourbonnais Bocage, a relatively unknown forgotten area. Bourbon still has much of the castle which was the power base for the Bourbon kings, nearby Souvigny Monastery was the Exchequer for the said Kings.

Bourbon has a small free aire with most facilities directly on the route to Moulins on the RH side, it also for some bizarre reason has a large Casino (looks a bit like Las Vegas from outside!) and is a spa town. The aire is about 200m from a decent Carrefour supermarket with fuel. All this within a very small medieval town.

Moulins has a lovely aire right on the river Allier, if you travel via the D11 or via Bourbon it's signed right at the roundabout at the start of the large stone bridge. Moulins has all facilities close to the aire, but not on Sundays. If you stay there a while you have to have a coffee at the Grande Café in the main shopping area, wont say more.

Last thought. The roundabout you come to from either direction on the edge of Moulins has a sculpture, it's signed from there into Moulins. About 250m towards the town there is a road from the right that has priority from the right, totally inexplicable as you will be on the obvious main road, but be careful as drivers from the right will insist on their right of way!

If you want to know a secret about visiting Annecy then pm me...

ps: if you travel the D11 and turn left through the Grosbois forest after the roundabout give us a wave too. About a km through the forest as it opens out on the left we are the first cottage you'll see going into a RH bend, the kettle is always on.
 
veevee said:
A little even more local knowledge.

The N145 from Guèret (E62 Route Centre Europe Atlantique, locally called the Express Way) turns into the A714 as it by-passes Montlucon and it's free until the eastern side of Montlucon, it's a problem free good modern motorway quality dual carriageway. The exit before the Peage (well signed) is for Vichy - Moulins - Cosne - Bourbon, this avoids the section of toll as described by Moulins above.
You follow Cosne/Moulins signs using the D94 until you reach a roundabout on the edge of Cosne where Bourbon and Moulins are signed first exit.
Cosne D'Allier should really be one way as it's a rare small French town where all the shops etc are open and busy. Cars park the length of the 'High Street' which narrows it somewhat. Patience is the key but it's only about 400m long where the commerce is. If you want to stay a little turn left at the traffic lights in the high street by a right, there's a bandstand and a large open car park behind the high street.

There are also a couple of obvious speed bumps on this route which are the real McCoy on one side of them, treat them with respect.
As you exit the edge of Cosne there is another full size roundabout it's the second exit. After about 50m the road forks TAKE THE RH FORK onto the D11 signed Moulins etc etc.

After 11km another roundabout with 2 choices, straight ahead for Moulins or ahead and after 30m a left turn into the forest to Bourbon, both will bring you to the same roundabout at the edge of Moulins.

If you drive this route via Bourbon you will have driven through some of the Bourbonnais Bocage, a relatively unknown forgotten area. Bourbon still has much of the castle which was the power base for the Bourbon kings, nearby Souvigny Monastery was the Exchequer for the said Kings.

Bourbon has a small free aire with most facilities directly on the route to Moulins on the RH side, it also for some bizarre reason has a large Casino (looks a bit like Las Vegas from outside!) and is a spa town. The aire is about 200m from a decent Carrefour supermarket with fuel. All this within a very small medieval town.

Moulins has a lovely aire right on the river Allier, if you travel via the D11 or via Bourbon it's signed right at the roundabout at the start of the large stone bridge. Moulins has all facilities close to the aire, but not on Sundays. If you stay there a while you have to have a coffee at the Grande Café in the main shopping area, wont say more.

Last thought. The roundabout you come to from either direction on the edge of Moulins has a sculpture, it's signed from there into Moulins. About 250m towards the town there is a road from the right that has priority from the right, totally inexplicable as you will be on the obvious main road, but be careful as drivers from the right will insist on their right of way!

If you want to know a secret about visiting Annecy then pm me...

ps: if you travel the D11 and turn left through the Grosbois forest after the roundabout give us a wave too. About a km through the forest as it opens out on the left we are the first cottage you'll see going into a RH bend, the kettle is always on.
Click to expand...
Many thanks for those tips. We went unscathed through Cosne d'Allier this morning. And yes, it looks a lively place. :)
From there we turned south east to Le Monte and then took the N79 to Theil sur Acolin where we are now sitting in a very good aire. Sadly, the town, which is in walking distance is another one without a bar.

But we will probably come back through this area on the return and then we can give Moulins and the Bourbons the attention they deserve. :)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
May I ask a technical question please John?

If Mrs DBK and Charlie are traveling with you, shouldn't the title of the thread be 2.5 go to Sicily?
 
DBK said:
Many thanks for those tips. We went unscathed through Cosne d'Allier this morning. And yes, it looks a lively place. :)
From there we turned south east to Le Monte and then took the N79 to Theil sur Acolin where we are now sitting in a very good aire. Sadly, the town, which is in walking distance is another one without a bar.

But we will probably come back through this area on the return and then we can give Moulins and the Bourbons the attention they deserve. :)
Click to expand...

Meant to add earlier it is easier to bypass Macon by going one junc. on the A406 ( toll)... Saves masses of time if Macon is busy especially if the roadworks are still in place.
 
Robert Clark said:
May I ask a technical question please John?

If Mrs DBK and Charlie are traveling with you, shouldn't the title of the thread be 2.5 go to Sicily?
Click to expand...
It should be 2.1 I think as Charlie is not a happy dog at the moment. :( We think he has hurt his front paw somehow, possibly a thorn but nothing is obvious. He is going around very gingerly on three legs and even refused to eat a bit of courgette created during lunch preparations - a treat he normally looks forward too.
There's nothing obvious to see and he is very protective of his "foot", our normally very placid dog gave me a nip sharp enough this morning to warn me off further investigation today.
We'll see how he gets on but if necessary we will find a vet on Monday.
Children and dogs, who would have them? :)
 
moulin 87 said:
Meant to add earlier it is easier to bypass Macon by going one junc. on the A406 ( toll)... Saves masses of time if Macon is busy especially if the roadworks are still in place.
Click to expand...
Didn't see any house decorating this morning. :) But a nice town, well spread out I think, but that will keep you fit. :)
 
DBK said:
Didn't see any house decorating this morning. :) But a nice town, well spread out I think, but that will keep you fit. :)
Click to expand...

If you would have been passing along the route a little later around lunchtime, perhaps 4kms after Le Dorat you would have seen me at a crossroads, in my decorating attire, trying to stop my neighbours loose cows from wandering onto the main road... My decorating had been disturbed by two young ladies at my door shouting 'Les vaches sont sur la route'..

My farming skills have improved greatly over the last 15 years, shame about my French!!

Last weekend Le Dorat was buzzing, 600 people for the village BBQ and some French national showjumping championships, now calm has returned... Plenty of bars but the two best restaurants have closed...

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
DBK said:
It should be 2.1 I think as Charlie is not a happy dog at the moment. :( We think he has hurt his front paw somehow, possibly a thorn but nothing is obvious. He is going around very gingerly on three legs and even refused to eat a bit of courgette created during lunch preparations - a treat he normally looks forward too.
There's nothing obvious to see and he is very protective of his "foot", our normally very placid dog gave me a nip sharp enough this morning to warn me off further investigation today.
We'll see how he gets on but if necessary we will find a vet on Monday.
Children and dogs, who would have them? :)
Click to expand...
Hope you get Charlie sorted asap so you can travel again.
 
Anthea M said:
Hope you get Charlie sorted asap so you can travel again.
Click to expand...
This incident has highlighted deficiencies in our first aid kit. We have any number of potions for insect bites but nothing like a bottle of iodine or a spray antiseptic. :(
We've washed his foot but still can't find anything wrong - but the patient is a bit difficult.
But on the positive side he is getting better at walking on three legs. :)
 
The reluctant patient. Even refusing to eat a bit of cucumber. He probably thinks his paw deserves steak.

He's tied up to discourage him from jumping down onto the gravel after we had washed his paw.

LRM_EXPORT_20170826_192602.jpg
 
Our steady progress south east continues and we are now on a campsite at St Étienne du Bois. According to the ACSI book this is run by a gentleman who at 19 is the youngest campsite owner in France. Once he learns to greet guests with a smile and hires someone to clean the showers I'm sure he will do well.
We came here to do some laundry but they don't have a washing machine - a study of the guide before we arrived would have told me this but it never occurred to me there were campsites without washing machines but apparently there are. :)
We are staying just one night then moving to another site on the shores of Lac d'Annecy tomorrow for probably a couple of nights. We will have been driving for six days when we arrive so it's time for a halt I think.

LRM_EXPORT_20170827_175342.jpg


Just before lunch a somewhat battered looking purple emperor butterfly turned up. It seemed to be thirsty so I dipped a finger in my rosé wine and it drank it quite enthusiastically. Afterwards it spent a few moments sitting on my hand before flying away to sleep off the booze on the van roof.

LRM_EXPORT_20170827_175347.jpg


There are damselflies here too but they are teetotal I think. :)

LRM_EXPORT_20170827_175344.jpg


Charlie is a bit better today so if his recovery continues we may yet escape a visit to the vets. :)
 
Just discovered why this place doesn't have a washing machine - it is an ex-municipal. Busy place though, but it is close to a main route to Switzerland and Italy. :)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
DBK said:
Just discovered why this place doesn't have a washing machine - it is an ex-municipal. Busy place though, but it is close to a main route to Switzerland and Italy. :)
Click to expand...

You should have gone to Nantua for a curry. The campsite there was fully equipped..(y)(y) though I think it was an ex municipal.. Though the aire is right on the lake..
 
moulin 87 said:
You should have gone to Nantua for a curry. The campsite there was fully equipped..(y)(y) though I think it was an ex municipal.. Though the aire is right on the lake..
Click to expand...
Nantua looks nice - I've made a note of it for the future. Thanks. :)
 
We spent most of today driving through the Haute Savoie region and are now close to the Italian border, which we will cross on Wednesday. The flag of the Haute Savoie seems identical to the Swiss flag - a white cross on a red background which was a bit confusing at first and made me almost wonder if we had committed some grave error of navigation. :)

On the map of France we are now here:

LRM_EXPORT_20170828_190258.jpg


Zoomed in closer:

LRM_EXPORT_20170828_190304.jpg


Our route ahead from here will head north east from through Bourg Saint Maurice and then over the Col du Petit St Bernard into the Aosta Valley in Italy.

We are staying at an ACSI site called Camping de Montchavin at La Plaigne Tarantaise. The views from the site are impressive.

LRM_EXPORT_20170828_190302.jpg


The white clouds on the horizon in the middle of the picture conceal a big mountain, Mont Blanc, which through a longer lens looks like this:

LRM_EXPORT_20170828_190255.jpg


I think to be be pedantic that isn't Mont Blanc but a summit on the south west side of the Mont Blanc massif, possibly part of the Aiguille des Glaciers. But a big hill anyway.

We are going to stay two nights here, it is a very relaxed and relaxing place and uniquely in my experience for a campsite, when we arrived we found the Reception closed and a notice saying it was always closed on Mondays. So we just drove in and found a pitch. €13 a night now we are on ACSI rates. :)
 
Last edited:
We had a fairly lazy day today though Mrs DBK did the laundry and I cleaned the solar panels and put the silverscreen cover on as the van is facing almost due south. After these exertions I made myself two cups of expresso using my new coffee machine running off the inverter. The site does have electricity but I haven't bothered to connect up. This is partly because when we arrived here we found the office was closed on Mondays - a unique thing in my experience. So we just found a spot but the EHU points are in locked boxes so we couldn't connect even had we wanted to. :)

The lady who runs the place is very friendly and speaks English. The facilities are spotlessly clean too and the communal room they have even has a microwave should you want to use one.

The lady also confirmed the hill we can see is Mont Blanc which put in an appearance today without clouds.

LRM_EXPORT_20170829_192115.jpg



What was frustrating today was the bird watching. We had a very brief glimpse of a large bird late yesterday afternoon but it suddenly shot off at great speed. At the same time this afternoon I heard what sounded like a buzzard so I ignored it for a few moments but when I did turn the glasses on it I realised it was no buzzard and probably the same bird from yesterday. No sooner had I focused on it when it suddenly folded its wings and went off on a shallow and fast dive into the valley. Booted Eagles make a noise like a buzzard but was it one? I don't know and can only take some comfort from the words in my bird book: "raptors can be very hard to identify in the field". They are. :)

This is a great site, it's on CamperContact as #51735 as well as in ACSI. The field below the campsite entrance has goats in it wearing bells - another first for me, I've seen them on cows, horses and sheep but not until now goats. How can you not like a place which hangs bells on its goats?
 
great pics .
quite frightening seeing snow like that this time of year.
mind spain can still have snow all year in the mountains .
have fun .

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
We are now in Italy having crossed what the Italians call the Colle del Piccolo St Bernard (2188m) this morning.

It was quite a drive, almost endless hairpin bends both going up and especially coming down into Italy.

This is looking back into France as we approached La Rosière, a ski resort on the French side near the top.

LRM_EXPORT_20170830_160551.jpg


The town in the valley is Bourg St Maurice and the campsite we'd been on for the last two nights is beyond it and on the left hand side of the valley.

At the Col itself there were bare, treeless hills.

LRM_EXPORT_20170830_160543.jpg


You may just be able to see a figure running beside the stream bed - there were probably hundreds spread out in a long line, all running with walking poles. Whatever it was it was a major event. The French/Italian version of fell running. :)

Unexpectedly, the road on the Italian side was superb, having been very recently resurfaced. However, it was lined by concrete blocks in places and where there was no concrete there was a very substantial wood-faced barrier. The bends were very sharp in places and I had to check no one was coming up before swinging out left before the tight right-hander.

We have stopped at an ACSI site at Sarre in the Aosta valley. There is a good aire further on but I was worried (probably needlessly) it might be full because good aires become a bit thin on the ground according to my research as you approach Milan. I'm also trying my UK Vodafone sim card and after having to manually select the network (I don't know why) it has a 4G connection - the first ever for me in Europe. :)

Tomorrow we will head towards Parma. :)
 
Last edited:
Quite a bit of driving today, or at least by my standards it was. :) We are now not far from Parma at a free aire (CC6468) in Soragna.

LRM_EXPORT_20170831_163722.jpg


I've no idea, why Google maps is offering me the phrase "Try work" in the search field in the image above. I did but not any more thanks! :)

The aire is just a normal car park with no dedicated MH bays but folk just seem to park anywhere. This is after all Italy and having watched the total disregard for speed limits on the autostrada today I doubt the owners of the Concorde on the left of the photograph below, which is taking up three or four bays, will be troubled. :)

Fortunately, there is water available from the tap at the service point - something I checked fairly quickly by giving Charlie a quick shower to cool him off - it was 34°C mid-afternoon when we arrived. But we a lot of brown grass on the way here. The rivers where we started in the mountains were fairly full and the River Po, which we crossed at Piacenza, seemed to have a reasonable amount of water in it too. Things might be different further south.

LRM_EXPORT_20170831_163720.jpg


The tree behind us is a Ginkgo Biloba which has curious little green fruit on it which I don't remember seeing before. It's leaves are wilting so we will donate the tree our grey waste before we leave. :)

LRM_EXPORT_20170831_163718.jpg


Tomorrow we will drive towards Bologna then turn due south and head off past Florence towards Rome and places beyond.

What has come as a surprise is the cost of diesel in Italy - €1.36 is typical which given the current exchange rate makes it more expensive than the UK. :(

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top