Here comes the Sun.

After a noisy Friday night of thumping music we left the Mosel and retraced our steps back past Luxembourg, then south on the A31 towards Metz, Nancy & Vesoul. The aire at Vesoul where we intended to stay was filled with some sort of event so we continued a little further towards Besançon and a small campsite a short way off the N57 at Cromary. 

Through narrow winding lanes and a couple of small villages we arrived at a small ACSI site tucked away under trees and in the middle of countryside. Camping Verterive is a pretty basic sort of site but is quiet and OK for an overnight stop. The 4amp electrics won’t allow you to go mad but did manage to drive the coffee maker in the morning so I got a few brownie points for that.

Back on the road again and continuing our dash to the sun we passed Bourg-en-Bresse on our way to Lyon. As usual I was intent on keeping off toll roads and the N436/A46 around Lyon was excellent. When the péage started we went onto the N7 with the intention of stopping for the night just south of Vaence. After a short distance of winding road, narrow streets through towns and 3.5 tonne weight limits I was hacked off enough to bite the bullet and admit that the motorway might be the better option. At the next junction we jumped on the A7, to hell with the cost.

We had already decided that we would head down to Narbonne but first a stop at Carro just west of Marseille, which is where the A7 leads.

We are used to almost deserted roads over much of France so it was a surprise to note just how busy the road was for a Sunday. The motorway was packed in both directions. However, most of the time we were bowling along nicely at 100kph and when we passed a sign saying “Marseille 240km” thoughts of another en-route stop were abandoned and we kept plodding towards the sea.

By late afternoon we were driving through the narrow streets and around the pretty harbour of Carro to the aire. (GPS 43.32932º 5.04050º) We were there in May and liked it very much despite the very strong winds at that time. This time there was just a breeze and wall to wall blue sky.

Payment, €9, is by CC at the entrance and includes water and dump. Pitches are marked out but quite narrow, just enough to open doors and lockers, forget C&MC spacings for fire risk.

Not a lot of space

But room in front

The clue to the appeal of the aire is location, location, location. Right on the rocky shore with views directly out to sea in front, along the shore with lighthouses flashing from the side and overlooking the small harbour at the back, its a lovely spot.

Our view through the screen

 

A tranquil evening

No comment!!!

After two days at Carro we headed west past Arles, across the Camargue and then south west. To save a large detour we once again joined the péage A9 between Montpelier and Narbonne.

Yet again we were arriving at Gruissan and the Aire des 4 Vents (GPS 43.10440º 3.09940º).

We drove round looking for a suitable pitch and became aware of frantic waving from a couple sitting outside their motorhome. It was David and Anne who we had met twice before at Gruissan. What a lovely welcome to one of our favourite places.

It looked like we might be staying for a while.

Sunset at Gruissan

Advance into Germany.

We left Thieu on Monday morning and headed east, then south round Charleroi and on to the N5, leaving Belgium and back into France. Past Charleville Mézières and Sedan then following the River Meuse to Mouzon.

A pleasant enough small town with an attractive centre round a huge abbey church but looking rather run down at the edges, with a number of derelict factories beside the river.

Mouzon Aire de Camping-Car

The aire though was excellent (GPS 49.60690º 5.07707º). There are 9 pitches, separated by shrubs and hedges with 16a electric and overlooking the canal. Beside the aire is a port office, which seems to have erratic opening hours, where you pay. The fee is €8 plus €0.20 tax per person, water and dump facilities are included. It was a peaceful spot to stop for a night.

Next day and we were heading east again towards Luxembourg. Bypassing the city we stopped for fuel at an immaculate  motorway service station where the fuel was the cheapest we have found for a long time. Apparently the fuel prices are the same everywhere in the country with no extra cost on motorways.

We stayed on the motorway past Trier then joined the 53 beside the Mosel to the stellplatz at Mehring. There are two stellplatz side by side, both on the river bank. We went to the first one, Mosel Beach, (GPS 49.79431º 6.81813º)  which has a bar/restaurant attached. The next door one is part of a Wine Cellar/Zellerhoff.

Mehring Stellplatz and cycle path

After our first night in ‘row 2’ we moved to a riverside pitch when someone left the next morning. There were almost uninterrupted views of the river and boats passing up and down until an enormous river cruiser tied up in front and blocked the view completely. After a couple of hours it moved a bit further down and our view was restored. It seems that these cruise ships, with their flat tops I referred to them as ‘aircraft carriers’, tie up there almost every day. Their cargo of ‘wrinklies’ are disgorged to go off on coach tours and trips round the area. However, I suppose we shouldn’t complain too much about them spoiling our view for a few hours. We were paying €11 per night to look at a river cruiser but they were paying well over €1000 a week to look at our motorhomes on the bank.

Blocking our view

We strolled into the village and found the small supermarket to top up our supplies. After years of going to France with its rather scruffy and run down villages, the smart and well ordered state of the German one was quite a contrast. Modern and well designed houses, each with its very well cared for small garden, usually low maintenance with lots of gravel and ornamental grasses. It was all one expects of the orderly Germanic state of mind.

Wine production

A Mosel ‘Aircraft Carrier’

We were still uncertain about the weather. The early mornings were very chilly and the wooded hillside across the river was starting to visibly turn autumnal. Along the river bank contractors had been setting up a series of large marquees in readiness for a wine fest. On Friday night the fest got under way, but instead of the traditional German ‘oompah’ music we expected, pop music blared out. The constant ‘boom, boom, boom’ was still going strong at 2am. At 06.30am there was still music coming from somewhere.

What with cool autumn weather and blaring music most of the night,, we decided that our Mosel adventure could wait until another time. What we wanted was to extend the summer for as long as possible, so the obvious plan was to head, once again for the Med.

Germany Calling, Germany Calling.

For several years we have thought we would like to return to Germany, a country where we had several holidays in the early years of our marriage.

I remember driving our red Ford Corsair with its ‘go faster’ mat black bonnet, all the rage on rally cars in those days. We camped in a tiny two man ridge tent and cooked on a small Camping Gaz single burner. A few years later we went in a little more style in our rather luxurious silver Rover SD1, this time staying in hotels and Gasthof’s but still with a small tent in case of good weather. I don’t think the tent got used for more than a couple of nights. That must all have been over 40 years ago.

In the last few years, each time we have thought we might return, the weather looked better further south in France so that’s where we usually end up.

Another motorhomer on a forum had spent some time on the River Mosel earlier this year and enjoyed it so much they went back in August. He suggested a ‘rolling‘ meet with other forum members dropping in as and when their routes crossed. The Mosel has a huge number of stellplatz, similar to French aires de camping-car, all along its length and combined with lovely scenery is a popular destination. This was as good a reason as any to return to Germany after such a long time.

Right up to our departure we weren’t sure about the weather. After a lovely summer at home we weren’t ready to go into autumn yet and wanted to extend the sunshine and warmth as far and as long as possible. The winter months drag on far too long and any excuse to shorten them is fine with me.

After our usual late afternoon crossing through the tunnel we stopped the night at Cite Europe, stocking up on a few essentials, mostly of the liquid variety, at Carrefour. The following morning we headed north up the A16 before turning south east onto the A25, past Lille and crossing into Belgium. 

With all the current chatter and moaning about Brexit and border controls I was surprised to see that all the trucks were diverted off the motorway and into the large area that was once the border post and customs. I was under the impression that with Schengen there were no customs or border checks so why was every truck having to go through a check-point? All very strange and it makes you wonder why there is all the fuss about borders after Brexit.

Anyway, enough politics, back into holiday mode.

The A25 became the A27 and then on to the A16. We left the motorway at J29 and into Peruwelz and the Jachthaven Aire beside a canal (GPS 50.51893º 3.60754º).

Entrance to the Aire and Capitainerie

Peruwelz Aire

It is a rough gravelled area with canal on one side and boat moorings on the other and a very popular bar/restaurant next door. The friendly fellow from the Capitainerie looks after the site and collects the fees and will connect lecky if you want it. There is no drive over waste dump, the loo can be dumped down a manhole by the toilets and water is available if paying extra for electric hook-up. The chap has to open a cabinet for access to the tap. At €6, including hook-up, it was excellent value and a pleasant spot.

Those Vulcans get everywhere

Having heard horror stories about the state of Belgian roads we were pleasantly surprised at the smooth state of most of the motorway. There were one to two short potholed sections but when we went into Peruwelz we knew what people had been saying. Even with our air suspension we crashed and banged along the streets.

Next day it was back onto the A16 for a very short hop to the far side of Mons and the small town of Thieu. It’s an unexceptional town apart from it being on the Canal du Centre where the canal need to rise up over the hills. The engineers devised a series of four boat lifts to take barges up to the higher level.

Proper heavy engineering

Old lift No.1

At the top of the old lift No.1

These spectacular pieces of engineering are still in operation but now only for pleasure boats and tourist trips. Some years ago the canal was diverted and a new lift built to take the much larger modern barges up in one lift. It is a magnificent and spectacular piece of engineering.

The new lift

The caisson that holds the barges. The tiny boat moored at the side is actually a good sized cabin cruiser.

The free parking is on the canal bank on a large concrete apron close to the first of the old lifts.

Free parking at Thieu

It’s not an aire and has no facilities at all but is very popular all the same. There is excellent cycling beside the new and original canal. We found it to be a very pleasant spot and stayed for 3 nights.

Our view