France 2022

 Our last shop at Intermarche this morning, then continued on our journey towards Calais.  It's several years since we've driven over the Pont de Normandie over the River Seine, but we remember how spectacular it is. Then over the Grand Canal du Havre. Afternoon tea on our pitch - we felt we had to have a mille-feuille before we left. Too hot to walk this afternoon,so strolled by the lake this evening. Some interesting houses. This one on the hillside just looks planted in the trees. The fence is because there's a railway line in between. And so we've come to the end of this super trip to France.  We feel we've had 2 holidays - the first 2 weeks with Graham touring through the wine regions and the second 2 weeks exploring northern Normandy. All been really great. Thank you for being our loyal blog-readers once again.  Until the next time .....

 First stop this morning was to the Museum of the Battle of Normandy in 1944 in Bayeux.  Spot the slightly out-of-place item in the picture! It was a very interesting and well-layed out museum, but after a while of reading the stories, looking at artefacts and models in uniforms, a film put together of lots of the action and umpteen tanks and heavy equipment, we felt rather depressed and in great need of a cup of tea! The place didn't have a cafe, just a drinks machine that took only cash and didn't give change.... so opened up all the windows in the van for some fresh air and made our own hot drinks before we moved on. We had the first camping place disappointment this afternoon - we aimed for a France Passion that looked beautiful online, in a grassy orchard at Beaufour-Druval.  We went several miles on a single track very hilly road to get there, then found the farmyard deserted and the track into the orchard impassable as it was newly laid with hardcore.  So, Pl...

 Not so much to report today as we spent the morning 'at home' doing a few jobs, reading and puzzling.  Quite glad we did the day this way round as we had a very heavy shower during the morning.  But after lunch the sky cleared and we set off for a little walk along the lanes.   We picked up 2 large cooking apples from outside someone's garden and then John climbed onto a grassy bank to pick a few blackberries.  Pudding sorted. This black cloud passed us by. So the sun was still shining when we got back to our campsite. Near the entrance is a small lake and an English chap we'd met earlier in the day, asked us to urgently  get his wife to bring his phone.  He needed a camera to record the huge carp he'd been hanging on to for 15 minutes! John went to fetch her while her husband hauled in his catch, then it was into his net and out for the photo. He told us that over the last couple of hours, he'd caught ever increasing sizes of fish.  But thi...

 Thursday 8th September We left the coast this morning and drove south, first to Ste-Mere-Eglise.  On the night on 5-6 June 1944 troops from the American 82nd Airborne Division landed by parachutes to assist the 101st division in clearing the exits from Utah Beach.  Hanging from the church steeple is a 'body' and his parachute as a reminder of Private Steele's alarming experience. Scared out of his wits by the events happening below him, he pretended to be dead for 2 hours a few feet from a bell which never stopped ringing.  He was eventually unhooked by the Germans.  Outside the Mairie is the 'Borne O de la Voie de la Liberte'.  This is the first of the 12,000 symbolic milestones (bornes) planted along the Road of Liberty.  We have seen many of these on our travels over the last few days. After a good wander around the town and visiting the small market, we travelled on to a Camping-Car Aire on a farm at Englesqueville.  It's like a small campsit...