Camping de Nevers - Aquadis Loisirs

Armed with a family sized baguette we made a dash for it early. We had forty plus miles to cycle and would need to stop for quite a while at lunchtime because of the heat. A welcome shaded path for the first few miles on route to the medieval town of La Charite-Sur-Loire where the temperature was already a whopping 37c.

It was going to be a hot one! Even the normally basking lizards sought out shade. Shopping done and restorative jaffa cakes eaten with a determined mindset we carried on soon finding ourselves up on the levee in full sun with very few pockets of shade.

Oh no, this was a repeat of yesterday afternoon when after miles and miles of liquorice tarmac softening in the heat we finally found shelter with a man who was worried where his wife might be. Under a tree a few miles back with no intention of moving was the answer. We'd passed her a while ago. Sometime later when we felt ready to set  off again she appeared. Who wears platform clogs to cycle in? Inappropriate footwear at the highest level, and she wasn't even Dutch! Our afternoon went from bad to worse. Angela made a bad call, suggesting we follow a marker sign rather than the map which resulted in us cycling on undulating roads in full sun with the temperature nudging 40c. At last back on course by the canal we both felt very unwell. Drink. Drink. Drink. By six o'clock we had somehow reached Nevers. This was our third time of staying at the campsite and it would be our last. The two female members of staff were rude and uncaring. John asked for us to be squeezed onto a pitch in the shade. No chance. We should have arrived earlier! Believe us, we'd have loved to. If we waited two hours our pitch would be on the shade as the sun would be down. We waited and a French couple decided it suited them. Tempers frayed, the French staff obviously anti English became confrontational. We'd had enough. Could we carry on with this trip what with the heat and the animosity?

Camping Les Portes Sancerre, Saint - Satur

Just after nine we were away leaving our new friend Pierre sleeping off the bottle of wine he was well into when we went to bed last night. We hoped today he might address his personal hygiene. He'd been paddling for three weeks and his T-shirt we didn't think had left his  body in all that time. As we cycled passed the marina we spotted a small Dutch barge from Brighouse, Scotland named Grace. What a coincidence.

Today would have been John's mum's  99th birthday. Her name, Grace, born in Scotland. Passing the magnificent engineered aquaduct we found a shady path, but the heat was building and by midday we were suffering. 36c is not a great temperature to cycle in. What were we doing. Were we mad? Most definitely. We drank litres of tepid water to stay hydrated and ate crisps to take on salt. Determined not to be beaten we battled on like zombies.

Was this a holiday or test of endurance? As tonight's campsite neared we stopped in one of the riverside towns for shopping. Ate two chocolate and double caramel ice creams each and full of hype from the excess sugar intake set off once again. Just seven more miles, we could do this.

So here we are. Showered, full of barbecued burgers and yet more fluid.

Tomorrow we will do it all again. We hope to be able to reach Nevers. It will be a week since we left home and our beautiful garden which we now fear may be suffering from the heat. Anyone fancy a watering holiday at the coast?

Camping Municipal Le Martinet, Briare

Is it just us? Are we a magnet to these people? At ten o'clock last night a large French hire van arrived on the site. Bearing in mind, the campsite was fairly quiet, why did the couple decided to park about a metre from our tent? Angela gestured they move further over, which they did. They were now two metres away. We had hoped for an early quiet night. It was not to be. The couple crashed, banged, put on the television and set and reset the van alarm until just before one this morning. Thanks! This morning just after seven John shouted 'good morning' loudly towards the bedroom window of the van. The occupant soon emerged and was told in no uncertain terms he was a noisy b.....! We had to avoid the sweltering heat so by nine-thirty we were pedalling alongside the canal Briare. Just us and alone heron to enjoy this special time in the morning.

Our cycle today should have been around twenty miles, but bad signage meant we rode around in a large loop adding a few extra miles.

Briare on the Loire was our destination. The cycle from Paris to thee was something we'd been looking forward too but to be honest we found it quite underwhelming. We are happy now. In our comfort zone the familiarity of the Loire river and it's towns. The heat today has been sweltering and despite drink copious amounts of fluid we cannot quench our thirst. Tonight's campsite, popular with the Dutch, we have stayed at before. We met a young French maths teacher called Pierre who is paddling the river Loire in his inflatable kayak. John and he gave plenty to discuss, whilst Angela is happy to sit on the side lines and listen whilst drinking her allowance of a quarter bottle of wine. At the washing up area the Dutch men dressed in just speedos put the world to rights. Perhaps the next size trunks next year lads! 

Camping de la Lanciere, Chatillon-Coligny

Despite retiring to bed around nine last night, we were kept awake until one in the morning by loud bassy music and shouting from the nearby sports hall where a party was obviously being held. So we struggled to be up and away this morning at a reasonable time. Today being Sunday, and us being beside a canal where shops to buy food from are limited and expensive we resorted to purchasing two containers of vegetable cous cous, some tuna, a melon and two litres of fruit squash to replace that we had already drunk. The official holiday season has come to an end now, and there are very few people about. A few walkers and parents teaching children to ride bikes. Not sure alongside the canal is the right place for this activity. A few days ago we stopped at a community run bike place where the car park had been painted to resemble a minute road layout. We were told the lessons given there were not just for children, but adults as well. So dust off your passport Chris Webb we've booked you in! Despite the debilitating heat we pressed on, stopping regularly to rest, take in fluid and snack.

With each mile that passed we neared the end of the canal Briare. Our bicycle tyres disintegrated the crisp brown leaves that carpeted the towpath, a sign of an approaching change of season. Tonight's campsite, right on the euro velo 3 route is run by the town and despite the sanitaires being a little dated it is clean and serviceable.

We are the only tent here, but everyone is friendly and it feels safe and quiet. Today we have pedalled our way over forty miles of gravel and tarmac. Almost given upon the heat and wished we had electric bikes. On the plus side we are ahead of our schedule and will be in the Loire tomorrow.

Camping La Riviera Doree - Fountainebleau

Another late start this morning which we regretted as the heat of the day built quickly. By mid afternoon Angela was suffering badly from the heat. We changed upon an Aldi supermarket purchasing ice lollies and other supplies. A fellow cyclist, a young woman from Paris bought spinach, olives, lemons, sparkling water and an alternative milk drink. Us. Bread, crisps, eggs, fruit and a large packet of pain chocolates. Proper cycling food. Lots of carbs, fat and sugar to power us up. Yesterday John picked a bunch of table grapes from a vine overhanging the wall of a front garden. An elderly couple walking nearby laughed. It was probably their grapevine! This evening the mosquitoes are driving us mad, biting with a vengence.

The campsite is a little quirky with little hobbit houses and pods you can star gaze from. Another warm day tomorrow. We must leave early without fail.

La Rochette, Melun

After talking with a German couple who were on their way home after cycling from Dover to Bristol via the Channel Islands. They'd really enjoyed their trip unlike the German couple we met on the train yesterday who didn't like to be away from home for more than ten days as they became homesick. The thought of a two week holiday horrified them. Wasn't a lot we could say to them after that, they thought we were mad to be away camping for six weeks. Hotels all the way for them. Today was suppose to be an easy day, just a short cycle. Of course it wasn't. The cycling through the built up areas stressful and uninteresting. Eventually we found ourselves alongside the river Seine, swapping concrete for countryside.

Yesterday at the Beautiful Village campsite we'd seen parakeets, today multiple squadrons of swans. Our day turned out to be long. The first campsite static caravans only. The second just didn't feel right, the full time residents had the look of travellers. So on we cycled. Our bodies not yet fully tuned complaining.

Now we are on a nice campsite just past the town of Melun. The river Seine is opposite, and the view beautiful. Our neighbours of from various parts of Europe, two from England. We have cycled thirty five miles today, and are on course to arrive in the Loire in about four days.

Villiers sur Orge

As if train travel in France is not stressful enough, we were informed after standing for some time in the queue to buy tickets that person's travelling with bicycles must book tickets online. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? No, it wasn't. At 12.47 today we were on the train to Paris.

Throughout the journey nobody checked out tickets! The journey just over three hours seemed long, especially as the coffee machine we were sat next to was out of order. A late arrival in Paris, just after four is not the ideal time to begin cycling. We were tired and reliant on Google maps to take us out of the city to tonight's campsite. Traffic around the Louvre was light, but a taxi still managed to almost knock John from his bike. Our route out took us along undulating paths through wooded parks. Then onto roads, steep and long. We still felt as fit as fleas, from our cycle over here a few weeks ago, well as fit as fleas with dodgy knees and hips!

 Camping Beautiful was our destination. We arrived just before eight when the reception closed. We'd been cycling for three and a half hours, and it felt like it. Camping Beautiful was run by an oriental lady who was more than happy to relieve us of almost thirty euros. We were a mere thirty minute metro ride from Paris, hence the cost. We ate salads whilst the mosquitoes ate us. Tomorrow our holiday would begin, two long days of travelling had taken its toll, but we thought for a couple in their sixties we'd started well. Should be a doddle from now on!

Cherbourg

French trip part 2. Let's hope we manage the full 6 weeks this time after having to return home early in July.

On the plus side we now have a smart new balcony attached to the back of our house and a very smart garden to go with it. Angela's worried about her plants whilst we're away as a heatwave is forecast the first week of September. The twenty five watering cans full of water she administered yesterday should suffice.

Unusually we were waved straight onto the car ferry so bagged a prime comfortable seat by the onboard charging facility. 8.30 am and the Barfleur sounded a short blast to signal it was leaving the berth.

Most days this is Angela's 'time to rise' alarm! 

Tonight we are once again staying at the campsite in Cherbourg before taking a train to Paris tomorrow and then cycling 20 miles south to camp before our proper journey starts. It's still the French holidays here, so fingers crossed we can book a train. (post script, train is booked!) 

Poole

This morning the forest bathed in sunshine. A drove of donkeys quietly appeared. The young ones adorable. They were quite happy to be stroked and photographed whilst their parents watched over them. Ah...so sweet. Yesterday evening we decided to go back to Burgess Hill to view the VW Club Joker, so we telephoned the garage to make an appointment to view it this afternoon at two. Just over an hour into our trip the garage telephoned to say it had been sold. The decision had been made for us. Marge, you're safe. 

Sadly, we must now stop jollying around and return home. Wednesday our balcony begins, hopefully. Some of our rental houses need work, hedge trimming and fence painting and our own house has jobs to be done as well before our August visitors. But before all that, and before the school holiday begin and it's difficult to get around locally, we decided to drive over to Swanage for fishcakes and chips and a walk before we're invaded by holidaymakers.

How long before we can't resist to sneak off for a night or two? Who knows. Watch this space.

Brockenhurst (Day 2)

We've decided to stay another night as it's so peaceful here. Angela tired from driving suggested a walk down to Brockenhurst village which according to the lady in the site office was two miles each way. Really. More like a round trip of six miles! On reflection we wondered why we hadn't returned our Brompton bicycles back under the table in Marge. Two legs and two wheels suits us better than just two legs. 

Our reward for completing the walk locally produced venison burgers and sausages cooked on our outside grill. Delicious! This is the life, Marge. Today should have been the day we officially returned from our cycle tour in France. We are still upset about having our trip cut short, but we mustn't dwell. Instead, we enjoy the evening. The cows that roam the site are very vocal and the horses frisky, running through the site to free themselves from the flies. How lucky are we to be here in natures palyground? 

Brockenhurst (Day 1)

The small parking area beside the river was full last night. Two vans which arrived after ten ended up parking alongside the road. Sadly, we think the popularity of this spot so close to Chichester will result in a 'no overnight parking' sign going up.

The festival of speed at Goodwood has been cancelled today due the high winds. Above Marge the tree shook off the last drops of rain and the rays of a determined sun found its way through fast moving clouds. We decided to head to Hayling Island. John has never been there before, and Angela last visited with her sons twenty-eight years ago. As we drove over the bridge the wind whipped up the high tide into a frenzy tossing the moored boats in every direction. The clouds raced across the sky casting dark shadows over the ground. The weather did nothing to enhance the area. As for campervans and motorhomes, forget it. You're not welcome as most of the seafront car parks allow them not to park. if you feel you must spend time here, parking by the kite surfers beach is allowed. Fifteen pounds! Whether you stay five minutes or all day. What's wrong with these councils? Perhaps they should consult with the local trades people as to whether they'd like some of our money spent in their shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants. 

We are now heading back towards home so have decided it would be nice to stop at a campsite in the new forest. The hollands wood site was over £30.00 a night, so we drove a couple of miles away from Brockenhurst village to the round hill site which was £15.50. That'll do nicely. We have spent all day discussing the VW van we viewed on Saturday and even though we'd discounted it, we couldn't forget it. Oh, dear Marge. You're not safe yet.