Normandy - Brittany - Loire

 

2015
 

 

How lucky are we to be back in Europe again after a challenging 2014?

We left our new home in Whangamata early on the 23^rd April and had a great 2 hour shuttle ride (Travel Brokers) to Auckland airport, our host Murray keeping us fully entertained.

Singapore Airlines, arriving early at Heathrow on the 24^th April.

We collected our Hyundai I30 from Europecar (only NZ$223 for 5 days) and  made our way to Stratford-Upon-Avon where we laid Mum, Dad and Sonny the Yorkie to rest in a beautiful spot beside the river Avon, only 100m from where Shakespeare is buried.  R.I.P. Mum and Dad.

Onward to South Newington near Banbury for two nights with Keith, Kirsten, Edi and Sandy.

Lovely pub lunch at the “Pickled Ploughman”.

 

Headed East across to Norwich and another reunion with Ralf and Julie.

Cockles and crayfish tails on Southwold Beach and another lovely pub meal.

South and a brief catch up with Natalie (after 20 odd years).

Hayling Island and back with Paul and Mary (another lovely Pub meal).

Thank you all for looking after us so well and spoiling us rotten, we loved seeing you.

Collected Lefty and spent 3 full days cleaning, washing and disinfecting him (with tea, meals and support supplied by Mary and Paul).

A family of mice had taken up residence and every nook, cranny, shoe and shelf had a nest of paper, pooh and pasta!  Combined with the mess from the workmen, Lefty was a shambles.

3 days later and what a transformation! Lefty has a smile on and we are ready to depart to France.

Up early on Sunday 3^rd May and a short drive to Portsmouth and the ferry to Caen (6 hours).

A 10k drive to our first  ASCI campsite and a reunion with Mike and Jan who we met at Mont St Michel in 2013.

 

 

 

No sooner had we got rid of the mice, we now have an infestation of another pest who we have named F.A.K. (Fat Ass Koala).  A neat reunion over pizza and beer.

 

4.05

A 12K bike ride with Mike and Jan along the river to Caen and a walk around ‘William the Conquerors’ Castle wall and grounds. 

Started to drizzle so nipped in for a coffee hoping for the weather to improve. It didn’t, so decided to head home back along the river and passed the “Pegasus Bridge” and  Café.

This was the first building to be Liberated on the eve of the Normandy ‘D  Day’  Landings, 5^th June 1944.  Raining hard by now and we are quite wet so a shower and Remoska dinner

5.05

 

A short cycle to the Pegasus Bridge and Museum.

The Museum is dedicated to the men of the 6^th Airborne Division who liberated the bridge by stealth, using Gliders with 30 men aboard each one.
 

The pilots, using only compass and maps landed their men within 50m of their target and completely surprised the German guards, capturing the bridge and so providing a route into France for the Allied Force.  The bridge was renamed Pegasus which is the emblem of the 6^th Division.

The museum has a replica of the bridge, remains of the Gliders and Bailey Bridges, Jeeps and all the memorabilia of the day. 

06.05

 

Travel day today with a big grocery shop.

300k of easy driving through Brittany  via Rennes down to La Loire and an ‘Aires’ at
Brissac-Quince just passed Angers, which was completely full with a French Motorhome Club.  We snuggled in and met a Frenchman walking his Scottish Terrier.  I meant to say his dog was cute but instead used a similar French word which called his beloved dog a ‘Pussy’!  Was surprised when he just walked off !!!  Hopefully he thinks we’re English....

 

07.05

A fabulous day on a guided tour of the very impressive Chateau Brissac and grounds. The tallest Chateau in France and the home of the Dukes of Brissac,  still occupied by the current Duke.  King Louis X111 and Marie de Medicis lived here in 1620.

A visit to the dungeons, the cellars and an obligatory wine sampling (took us several to decide our favourite)

A walk along the river and into the village where we were surprised to see two camels, Llamas and donkeys grazing in the centre... Circus in town!!

08.05

 

A public holiday today (a surprise to us) and a short drive to Saumur to our chosen camp on an island on the Loire.

This will be our base for the next 4 days or so as we explore the town and start to find some sort of cycle fitness on the river.

We have a great spot in an uncrowded “Camping Flower” Ile d’Offard.