Homeward Bound ...

06.10     

We’re making our way to Le Havre where we’ll catch the ferry to Portsmouth, approximately 10 hours driving.

Up early and ‘hit the road’ heading towards Trier, a pretty countryside drive through the autumn coloured woods and over the hills to Prum.  It’s raining hard as we cross the border into Belgium and the Ardennes region, very green and picturesque.  In World War 11, the German army twice used this region as an invasion route into Northern France and Southern Belgium in the Battle of France and the later Battle of the Bulge.  After a stock up at La Roche-en-Ardenne we’re headed towards Givet, a very rural drive on narrow roads through farms and forests, over rolling hills and ridges into the Valley of the Meuse River. 

We saw a couple of camper vans parked at an Aires on the River Meuse in the little town of Haybes near the Belgium border.  We crossed the bridge and joined the campers.




07.10

Went for a recce of this elegant old martyr town and walked along the river cycle path.  There is a memorial dedicated to those who died in 1914.  There were 60 martyrs massaced.  The Battle of the Ardennes was one of the opening battles of World War 1. The river has an 'eerie feel'  covered in mist surrounded by hills partly hidden by low cloud.  Decided to spend another night here as the weather is not playing ball. 

In the evening we walked the cycle path in the opposite direction  to the pretty town of Fumey, 3kms away.  Two camper vans have joined us for the night.

 




08.10   

It’s cloudy but the rain has stopped.  We drove inland through the hills catching a glimpse of Fumey, passing farmlands and agricultural villages. Fields of good cattle winter fodder, turnips and maize.  The weather cleared as we by passed Quentin, into the Valley of the Somme, war memorials and cemetaries dedicated to the Brits and Aussies, towards Amiens where the cathedral dominates the landscape in the distance. 

After 280kms we arrived at our chosen campsite situated 100kms from Le Havre, ‘Camping Sainte Claire’ in the small town of Neufchatel-en-Bray (14.40 euros inluding tax).  We stayed here three years ago and remembered the friendly owners, large grassy pitches with hard standing and clean, well organised facilities.  The location is perfect to catch ferries to and from England and there are a lot of GB campers here.  The town is also on the cycle route that was the former railway track which used to link Dieppe and Paris, it’s  the longest greenway and provides the most services to cyclists along the way.  We’re yet to do!

09.10 and 10.10

A big clean, wash and tidy up before Lefty is put into storage in Chichester.  Packed our back packs and got organised in readiness to catch the ferry to Portsmouth tomorrow!

So this brings to an end our adventure for 2015!  It’s been spectacular and Lefty has performed brilliantly again.  We’ve had great fun, great weather, great biking and met some amazing people. 

We look forward to doing it all again in 2016!