Wednesday 27th – Thursday 28th July,  Caravan Residentiel du Chateau de Bouafles

This morning saw us with a plan.  We needed fuel and some provisions (wine and beer)  in that order. I have not worked out yet when nearly empty means oh heck we are really empty so with the dial on E we drove into a Carrefour Connect.  A rather cute little baby C the type of which I had never seen before.  Made bit of a mess of driving onto the two pump forcourt which only took credit card.  Had I taken notice of the price more I would have filled to the brim. As it turns out €1.10 per litre is cheap and in such a small village too!Driving through France is a pleasure with wide smooth straight roads with very few roadworks and even those that we came across looked pretty and well organised!  I know sad muppet time.

Beavois loomed ahead and as we drove along we watched a Ryan Air jet flow fly past to our front, presumably to land at the airport although  we never saw it. Heading for the city centre and after numerous roundabouts and signs saying only 5 mins to Auchan we found it. But it was on the other side of a dual carriage way.  Turning off at the next roundabout I drove into the Auchan Click and Collect!  A not so quick reverse from their found us in the fuel station lane with exit barriers meant for cars!  Zygie is taller than that by a long way.  Managing to reverse yet again into another non barrier lane I did find a way out and into the main car park.

Leaving The Boys in their travel cave listening to Classical Music on the ipod off we strolled to take battle with our shopping. The last time I was in Auchan was in Cherbourg all those years ago when I had a mobi-home in Carteret.  This one brought back pleasant memories and there was still the same red vibrant colours and similar layout.  We both enjoyed the shopping experience, so different from the UK, or was that just me.

In the carpark we made the decision not to try and travel down to Le Mans but just go a travel a few more km south.  So with maps and books out we chose an ASCI site in Bouafles, some 48km away.  It was also here I discovered how to use the Tom Tom “En France”.  I had not pressed the English flag in the top right corner of the screen to turn it into the French one – et voilas, I can now find French destinations.

So here we are in Caravan Residentiel du Chateau de Bouafles. After leaving Auchan we travelled across really beautiful countryside, through pretty villages and passed many huge wind generators.    Must mention the twisting bendy narrow roads just outside Bouafles which showed up on Tom Tom before K could.  The thing is Tom Tom (to be renamed) is set up for a car not a 7.6m long by 2.3m camping car!

We have been here only a short time and are thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet (apart from when the dogs kick off). After watching the video The Revenant it was a late bed time. We both thought it should have been rated more than a 15…..perhaps its an age thing.

Thursday 28th July

When we walked the dogs last night we came across the River Seine at the end of the site so The Boys had there first paw dip.  It is truly a mix of residential accommodation here mainly chalets or Mobi Homes with a few spaces left for travellers like us. The hedged off plots are really big compared to the Uk with each one having electricty and water to it.  Does remind me so much of Carteret but better and well laid out in avenues.

During the night it started to rain and it was the noise on the metalled roof that only rain can make that woke us up into action – close the roof vents!!  Thankfully all inside was saved from a huge dousing.

Had a chat over breakfast and we have decided to stay here yet another day.  We both felt that their had been a lot of driving lately, perhaps not for some, and that we wanted to take a more leisurely pace, after all France is a big place with much to see and enjoy.

So this morning saw us walk the dogs towards the river path and watched a long barge travelling down The Seine to who knows where.  Found plenty of wild fruit growing  but do not know what they were.  Will look out for them when next in the supermarket.

Zygie has had a K an inside spring clean makeover. I just tackled the garage.  So both of us have had a busy but productive day. Of course we had to make use of the little on site bar in the main building and the wifi too  Incidently who would have thought that lights in a loo only go on after you have closed and locked the door behind you.

Tonight we had BBQ crevettes and tomatoes on our new Barb. Now The Boys are curled up asleep and K is reading and I have just caught up on the blog.  Tomorrow on our way to Chartres.