Wandering again, this time in France

[Jane And Rog]

We were up with the lark this morning, well 8am after a cup of tea in bed. The day brought beautiful blue skies and it was going to get hot. In the end we decided to catch the bus into Arles because the guy in reception battled with my French to explain a route he wanted us to take that would not be "dangeroux", the only problem was it added about 10 miles. The bus worked well, we had to cross a busy road but the stop was not far. It also had a number of surprising features, it was on time, air conditioned and very comfortable all for €1 each, but cash only.

History is my thing but I'm not sure how to describe Arles. It is very old (there's a top historian for you) and looks like the pictures you see of France with quant streets and restaurants. The first stop for us is always tourist information to get a map and find out the best sites and a walking route then we find a cafe and discuss what to do.

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Apart from being one of the places where Vincent Van Gogh worked, Arles is best known for its Roman buildings. Today we decided to visit the amphitheatre first. Built around 90CE only the top floor is missing and it is still used for concerts. Until the 1800s it was lived in as a small town, which probably saved it. Today it is surrounded by honey coloured shops, restaurants and houses.

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We decided to give the Roman theatre a miss, it looked good but for those who have been to Plovdiv in Bulgaria or Merida in Spain, it is not as well preserved. Instead we decided to head to Les Alyscamps which was once one of the largest and 'most famous' cemeteries in the world apparently. Today there is just one avenue lined with sarcophagi dating back to the Roman era with an abandoned necropolis at the end.

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Then it was time for lunch, moules provincial for Claire and a piece of beef for me. Followed by strawberry tarte.

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In the afternoon we headed for the Cryptoportiques, essentially the subterranean foundations built to support the buildings in the forum. Nice and cool after the heat of the day.

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Finally we went to the cloisters for the Eglise St. Trophime built around the C12th. Much restored they were still impressive.

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After all that it was time to go back and sit by the pool for a few hours before a 'picky tea'. A phrase I have never heard of but my wife assures me everyone knows. You can be the judge.

Reddit used

We were up with the lark this morning, well 8am after a cup of tea in bed. The day brought beautiful blue skies and it was going to get hot. In the end we decided to catch the bus into Arles because the guy in reception battled with my French to explain a route he wanted us to take that would not be "dangeroux", the only problem was it added about 10 miles. The bus worked well, we had to cross a busy road but the stop was not far. It also had a number of surprising features, it was on time, air conditioned and very comfortable all for €1 each, but cash only.

History is my thing but I'm not sure how to describe Arles. It is very old (there's a top historian for you) and looks like the pictures you see of France with quant streets and restaurants. The first stop for us is always tourist information to get a map and find out the best sites and a walking route then we find a cafe and discuss what to do.

View attachment 914546View attachment 914554

Apart from being one of the places where Vincent Van Gogh worked, Arles is best known for its Roman buildings. Today we decided to visit the amphitheatre first. Built around 90CE only the top floor is missing and it is still used for concerts. Until the 1800s it was lived in as a small town, which probably saved it. Today it is surrounded by honey coloured shops, restaurants and houses.

View attachment 914533View attachment 914534View attachment 914535View attachment 914536

We decided to give the Roman theatre a miss, it looked good but for those who have been to Plovdiv in Bulgaria or Merida in Spain, it is not as well preserved. Instead we decided to head to Les Alyscamps which was once one of the largest and 'most famous' cemeteries in the world apparently. Today there is just one avenue lined with sarcophagi dating back to the Roman era with an abandoned necropolis at the end.

View attachment 914537View attachment 914538

Then it was time for lunch, moules provincial for Claire and a piece of beef for me. Followed by strawberry tarte.

View attachment 914541

In the afternoon we headed for the Cryptoportiques, essentially the subterranean foundations built to support the buildings in the forum. Nice and cool after the heat of the day.

View attachment 914542

Finally we went to the cloisters for the Eglise St. Trophime built around the C12th. Much restored they were still impressive.

View attachment 914544View attachment 914545

After all that it was time to go back and sit by the pool for a few hours before a 'picky tea'. A phrase I have never heard of but my wife assures me everyone knows. You can be the judge.

Fantastic photos as ever, thanks. Must visit those cloisters.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

We have had a more relaxed day today and got a few jobs done around the van. In between jobs, reading and swimming we cycled to the nearby town of Tarascon. It seemed much more of a working town, unremarkable in many ways apart from a huge castle.

Tarascon is situated at the point the River Gard meets the Rhone. On the other side of these two is the town of Beaucaire accessed by a bridge crossing both rivers. Beaucaire is still walled and curiously has its own bullring. There is also a castle, this time partly in ruins. The day has been very hot but at this point clouds gathered so we headed back.

Back at the camp site the clouds came to nothing and the sun snuck back out. So off for a swim and then a bit of frustration watching England play football.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Started heading north to meet up with friends today. We are now in the small village of Conjux on the banks of Lac du Bourget. Still very hot, 38C at one point. This is the most beautiful spot with a simple site run by the local community. The scenery is stunning.

It’s been a day of mishaps first I managed to get confused at the toll because there were two barriers in the lane, both up. So I started to drive past the first one and it came down on us. By good fortune as it hit the mirror the blip went and it lifted again. In hindsight the light was red but by then I was confused. We just had to stop and adjust the mirror. Very lucky.

The camp site is quite tight and the envelope with our pitch details wasn’t there. A lot of faffing ensued trying to decide where to go so we could be next to our friends. As I was reversing in a tight spot Claire said ‘don’t worry it’s just foliage at the back’. True but hidden in the middle was a no entry sign which I duly bent over. We also bent the bike rack. Bit of grunting and hammering later the sign it almost straight and the rack is a bit happier. No long term harm done and all part of travelling.

This is a small and immaculately kept village with a restaurant, a few houses and a small harbour for sailing boats. Soon after setting up we went down to the lake for a swim and cool down. Then steak hache on the bbq and catching up on our friends with each other’s travel stories.

 

[Jane And Rog]

What a lovely spot!

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Not much to report today, it has been very hot until the last hour when clouds came over and it has started to rain, hopefully taking some of the heat out of the air. Around Lac du Bourget is a beautiful and we would thoroughly recommend a visit here. It is much quieter than nearby Annoy and so more restful.

This morning we cycled to nearby Chanaz for bread and coffee. A delightful town on the banks of a short canal cut out of the Rhone. We plan to come back tomorrow evening after more friends messaged to say they are passing through and did we want to meet up. It seems half the people we know are in France. Anyway pictures of Chanaz....

After a lunch eaten under the awning to avoid the sun - unusual for us - we cycled to the Abbaye Hautecombe where many of the kings and counts of Savoie are buried. While there the skies went very dark and so I cycled off ahead to make sure the awning is pinned down properly... it is now.

As I type blue skies are appearing and it feels little cooler.

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[bellabee]

Chanaz look beautiful .
Thanks for posting your trip.
We're always on the lookout for new places to visit

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Chanaz look beautiful .
Thanks for posting your trip.
We're always on the lookout for new places to visit

Thanks, we are the same and done other people’s trips interesting. There is a campsite at Chanaz, no idea what it’s like but it looked okay.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

On Friday we decided to try and cycle around Lac du Bourget. The first section to Aix les Bains was on the road along the side of the lake. There was some traffic and at times it felt a little narrow, the scenery though was gorgeous. We had hoped to go to the Faure museum but French opening times were against us and so we might try to get a train there later next week from Annecy. The museum holds a decent collection of C19th and C20th art including some impressionist work apparently. Overall Aix les Bains was a little disappointing apart from the impressive looking casino.

Maybe we missed the best part of the town, but the lake side was as stunning as ever with a cycle path separated from the road. It was good fun and very safe to cycle along.

Just as it started to get very hot the path started to climb up the mountain on the opposite side of the lake to Aix. At the top a road tunnel cuts through the Col du Chat and looked decidedly dodgy for bikes. Fortunately there is a separate tunnel for bikes, 1.5 km long and gloriously air conditioned.

The last part of the ride weaved up and down through the vineyards and was possibly the most beautiful cycle we have done. It works its way through a few villages with Jongieux a high point (well a low point actually as there was a hill to climb afterwards).

In all it was around 37 miles and a great ride, we would thoroughly recommend it. In the evening it began to gently rain but we cycled into Chanaz anyway for dinner on the banks of the river. We chose a French version of whitebait which I think they called fritteries, but I am not sure. On Saturday we travelled to Annecy ....... more on that later.

 

[MikenPauline]

Cinéscénie is fantastic. There’s so much going on, on such a large scale it’s difficult to take it all in. All in French of course, but the story isn’t that hard to follow. We had a dodgy weather forecast for our night, but apart from a few rogue drops it was fine. Fingers crossed for your weather.

I believe you can get headphones with it translated to English. We have never bothered though, even with our limited French we manage.

 

[Ingwe]

Thanks for sharing your trip. Lovely photos and interesting narrative. Looking forward to our next trip in September.

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[Wanders from Glos]

I believe you can get headphones with it translated to English. We have never bothered though, even with our limited French we manage.

We can get by in French but we did use the translation. You connect your phone to their network and then listen through your own headphones. It worked well and we found it quite amusing to listen to.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Thanks for sharing your trip. Lovely photos and interesting narrative. Looking forward to our next trip in September.

Thanks, where are you headed? We are thinking Portugal in September. We have a ferry to Santander on the 11 th.

 

[Ingwe]

Thanks, where are you headed? We are thinking Portugal in September. We have a ferry to Santander on the 11 th.

We will probably amble our way down through France to Beaulieu sur Dordogne, towards Marseillan and explore that coast a bit more. We spent a lovely few weeks there last year in September. Portugal may be too hot for SWMBO in September. We like it in Jan/Feb.

This is the first year for some time when we won’t feel obliged to visit Burgundy so this pemits more freedom as to where to bimble. Maybe Brittany? At this stage, still undecided.
Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks for posting.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

On Saturday we went to join friends at a house their son had resented for them. It is on Annecy Lake water front and is rather splendid. Certainly out of our price range. But does this count as motorhome travels while we stay here? Should I even post details of bricks and mortar events dear reader? It was definitely good fun watching the football in a big group regardless.

Who knows what the rules are about these things, anyway a few discreet photos of where we are staying.

.

 

[Jane And Rog]

What a fantastic place!

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[Wanders from Glos]

What a fantastic place!

It's fabulous... he has done very well for himself.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

As we are a bit static and the motorhome is parked on the drive of the house we are staying at I am doing an abridged blog. We are in Annecy all week enjoying the company of friends. We have mostly been touring on our bikes and going for lakeside or mountain walks. All very outdoorsy. In between we have borrowed the paddle boards provided by the house. A new activity for us. Standing up seems easy enough, but the lake has been a little choppy and staying up, or worse turning, has been less successful. The weather over the next few days looks like it will be better so will get some practice in.

On one of the sunnier days I had to work on the draft for the fourth and final chapter of my PhD. Sat outside by the lake it didn't seem too bad as offices go.

We have cycled into the old town of Annecy, about 12 miles. Not many pictures because we have been before but it is still a beautiful place, built around the waterways leading into the lake. Lunch was at a patisserie and then back to the house for more paddle board experience. The main skill I am learning at the moment is how to get back on!

Annecy's great strength apart from the dramatic scenery are the bicycle lanes around the lake. These are often separate from the road and in places right beside the lake. It allows you to travel quite a long way on the flat and with little effort, but beware they are busy. This is taken on the cycle lane.

We have also walked up to the spectacular Angon water falls. These have a significant drop and the walk to them involves a bit of a scramble, but the reward is incredible. It was about 3 miles into the hills, but well worth it. Remarkably people were abseiling down the falls.... looks good fun to me.

Today the plan is to do a via ferrata, an easier form of rock climbing were the lines and footholds are already fitted to the rocks. Or so I am told! We will see.

 

[Lenny HB]

There's also a very nice, private aire opposite the river at Cénac. It's a fairly steep but easy climb (on foot!) up to Domme from there.
Cénac also has a lovely Thai restaurant.

Been there done both, the Thai restaurant is very good.

 

[bellabee]

Been there done both, the Thai restaurant is very good.

Yes, I know. We saw you trying to get up the slope out of the aire!

 

[Jane And Rog]

I’ve only tried paddleboarding once, but loved it. Down a quiet river not long before sunset. Magical!

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[Wanders from Glos]

I’ve only tried paddleboarding once, but loved it. Down a quiet river not long before sunset. Magical!

It’s great fun but tricky on waves.

 

[Stonemags76]

I loved paddle boarding when we tried it, but as a very short, overweight older woman, getting back on proved too much in the end! Envious of your via Ferrara - absolutely love them!

 

[Wanders from Glos]

It’s definitely hard work getting back on The via ferrata was incredible, I will post pictures tomorrow but in summary it was at least 1000 foot drop pretty much the whole time. Terrifying to begin with if I’m honest.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

We chose the via ferrata on the Col du Chat above Lac du Bourget. I am familiar with using harnesses and lanyards from my time in the fire service, but I was still surprised how high it was especially as it was designed as an 'initiation' to the routes. For those that don't know them these are climbing routes built into rock faces. They are unsupervised but you can hire a guide if you want one. Shops will rent harnesses and helmets for about €20. The rock face has a strong guide wire attached so you can follow the route and where there are no good foot or hand holds metal ones are fixed onto the rock. You simply clip on and walk through the gate onto the rock face. The views were incredible and the system worked well, but it was challenging and not for the fainthearted.

Here's me.....

We are back on the road tomorrow heading towards Coquelles over three days.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Our last day in Annecy was hot and calm so we spent it relaxing and swimming. We ate outside again and watched the sun go down over the lake. It has been a nice stay, but are quite looking forward to getting back to the motorhome, even though we are heading home.

Today we did nearly 300 miles, dodging the Tour de France and heavy rain storms. This is the first tour I have missed since 2008, and it seems strange not to go with it so close. We even drove through towns soon after it had passed through. We decided to stop at Lac du Der which looks like it has quite a lot to offer, there is even a casino, although that is not our thing. It is a man made reservoir that covered three villages during the 1970s. Lakes seem to have been a theme for us on this trip and this one needs a return trip to explore further.

England were on the TV and that meant scaring a few fellow Motorhomers by shouting quite a bit, especially during the penalty shootout.

After the game an evening walk and another sunset picture, this time Lac du Der.....

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[Wanders from Glos]

Set off fairly early for Arras. This is the aire at Lac du Der.

We got to the aire at the centre of Arras at lunchtime. It is well laid out and very near the old town. It has large pitches and cost €12 including electric whether you want it or not, and weirdly an extra €2 if you want water. At lunchtime there was lots of space, but it was full by 6pm.

We wandered into the town and went straight to one of the large squares to find a restaurant. After a week living with mostly vegetarians and vegans it was essential we found a meal based around steak. Success... steak with salad and as many frites as you want. The food was good, the service was surly. The first poor service we have experienced in France, to be fair the manager realised and told the waitress off.

After wandering aimlessly for a while we went to the splendid Hotel de Ville for a tour of the tunnels under the city. It was well done and the guide repeated everything he said in English, just for us. Later we realised why.

The tunnels were first carved out in the C9th and were used for all sorts of things from mining to storage. In 1916 the British Army took over responsibility for the front line near Arras and built a further 15 miles by hand so as to surprise the Germans. The battle of Arras killed or injured 150,000 British soldiers and a further 120,000 Germans, for almost no gain. What a waste. They were later used to shelter civilians from the Luftwaffe during WW2, and again during the allied bombings leading up to D Day. A fascinating trip.

Back at the van, there is a rock festival nearby. We can hear it but it is not too loud. Already enjoyed Tom O'Dell, now listening to Avril Levine, but really looking forward to Lenny Kravitz later. Heading to the tunnel tomorrow after stocking up on French food.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

. There is a campsite at Chanaz, no idea what it’s like but it looked okay.

We went to the site a few years back but it was later in the season, October I think.
Site was ok but a bit tired and a load of full time caravans with normal crap outside you are able to park overnight just up from the campsite in the car park opposite the water…
Village is ok with a few shops and cafes/restaurants…

 

[suavecarve]

Set off fairly early for Arras. This is the aire at Lac du Der.

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We got to the aire at the centre of Arras at lunchtime. It is well laid out and very near the old town. It has large pitches and cost €12 including electric whether you want it or not, and weirdly an extra €2 if you want water. At lunchtime there was lots of space, but it was full by 6pm.

View attachment 920298

We wandered into the town and went straight to one of the large squares to find a restaurant. After a week living with mostly vegetarians and vegans it was essential we found a meal based around steak. Success... steak with salad and as many frites as you want. The food was good, the service was surly. The first poor service we have experienced in France, to be fair the manager realised and told the waitress off.

View attachment 920301View attachment 920303

After wandering aimlessly for a while we went to the splendid Hotel de Ville for a tour of the tunnels under the city. It was well done and the guide repeated everything he said in English, just for us. Later we realised why.

The tunnels were first carved out in the C9th and were used for all sorts of things from mining to storage. In 1916 the British Army took over responsibility for the front line near Arras and built a further 15 miles by hand so as to surprise the Germans. The battle of Arras killed or injured 150,000 British soldiers and a further 120,000 Germans, for almost no gain. What a waste. They were later used to shelter civilians from the Luftwaffe during WW2, and again during the allied bombings leading up to D Day. A fascinating trip.

View attachment 920304

Back at the van, there is a rock festival nearby. We can hear it but it is not too loud. Already enjoyed Tom O'Dell, now listening to Avril Levine, but really looking forward to Lenny Kravitz later. Heading to the tunnel tomorrow after stocking up on French food.

View attachment 920300

You were lucky. We left just prior to your arrival and had to put up with rappers til 0100. It was tempting to stay for Lenny Kravitz

 

[Wanders from Glos]

We went to the site a few years back but it was later in the season, October I think.
Site was ok but a bit tired and a load of full time caravans with normal crap outside you are able to park overnight just up from the campsite in the car park opposite the water…
Village is ok with a few shops and cafes/restaurants…
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We had a closer look a couple of days later and I agree, it was very tired. We wouldn’t stay there. I much prefer the site at Conjux. To be fair we thought Chanaz itself was lovely.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

You were lucky. We left just prior to your arrival and had to put up with rappers til 0100. It was tempting to stay for Lenny Kravitz

It was loud towards midnight, so I’m told. I was asleep!

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