23 April - 30 April 2007
Setting Off
We finally left England on Monday (23rd April), having decided that we could spend weeks getting ready especially when the weather at home was so glorious. Finally, however, it started raining, so we took this as a sign and made a dash for Dover where we caught the first available ferry. It all seemed so unreal leaving a grey and foggy England we were in a bit daze as we crossed the Channel.
We were as vague about our leaving date as we were about where we might end up in France. Even our first night was completely unplanned but to our delight we came across a very beautiful campsite in a small town called Guignicourt, about two hours from Calais. We perched our camp by the edge of a tree lined river, thankfully fenced away from our intrigued children. We spent one night here as the lure and excitement ahead was too great to get the true measure of this site, and so our adventures begin.
Guingicourt
We are writing this from Annecy, a lakeside town at a mere 448 metres high at the foot of the Alps and about three quarters down the east side of France, near Mont Blanc. The weather is amazing, cool nights and blazing hot days, in April, even though we can see snow-capped mountains from our van. It's beautiful, although so busy as today is 'Marathon du luc'. This place is completely action packed. You can do any kind of sailing, rollerblading, cycling, paragliding activities you can imagine and there is a frightening amount of men in lycra! It has a 20km, two lane, cycle track along one side of the lake which boarders our camp site and allows us a quick escape route. We managed about 8km which we thought was quite impressive with two small children in tow. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking with the backdrop of snow-capped mountains down to the lushness of the lake.
Camping in Annecy
This is all in great contrast to Dienville, near Troyes, a sleepy little village where we have spent the last few days. The landscape was completely flat with fields, many golden yellow, as far as the eye could see. Each morning Steve and one of the children cycled to the boulangerie to buy fresh baguettes and croissants - Sainsburys Local is never going to be the same again! It was mostly a 'chilling out' time and we just spent the days swimming (in the campsite pool and the lake), cycling and getting used to living in the van.
Dienville
The kids have been in their element - outside living is suiting them perfectly - lots of action, getting grubby and nature! They've changed so much in just a week, what's 4 months going to do to them?
Cheeky Louis
Dienville
Our greatest pleasures and discovery so far has been cycling with the children - we only really brought the bikes as an afterthought. The children absolutely love it and France has presented us with some really safe opportunities to go out an explore on two wheels. Zach has been as proud as a King wearing his Spiderman helmet as his crown, perched on his bicycle "throne" which attaches to Steve's bike when required, thanks to a cunning device called a Trailgator, a bit like a tandem. (If only we'd brought a suitcase full of them we could have made our fortune the amount of interest it has generated). We could not believe how easily he took to it and managed to peddle/hang on for 25km in one day. As for Louis, he has been seated on the back of Kate's bike equally enjoying his new found elevation and view on life.
Steve and Louis off to buy bread
Top 3 items this week:
1. Satellite navigation/PDA
2. Bikes
3. Sunshine!!
Strangest experience:
Oddly, checking our emails and surfing the net on a camp site in our campervan via WiFi. Oh how I love gadgets!!
Stats:
Distance travelled since UK: 619 miles
Time spent driving: 14 hours 19 minutes (approx.)
Camp sites: 3
Days Away: 7
Where next:
Mountain driving and snow, perhaps, and the seaside!!
Nice, maybe via Turin, a la Michael Caine, without the bank job and "blowing the bloody doors off"!!
Some other favourite pictures of the week
Travelling is just so exhausting!
Cooking
Boys in the van
