After an enjoyable weekend in Suffolk with the OGA, we set off for France on Sunday 26 January, 2025.
We’d booked a non-flexible overnight crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo but the arrival of Storm Herminia, close on the heels of Storm Éowyn made us think of alternatives – so we booked a ticket on le Shuttle, Folkestone to Calais. Given the weather on shore, both sides of the Channel, we’re not sorry about spending the extra £220 for a calm 35 minute ride under the tunnel.
Having crossed the Thames on the Dartford Bridge in a huge storm we decided against spending the evening in Folkestone and upgraded to an afternoon crossing (for the princely sum of £2), arriving in Calais at 1556. Passports, immigration, Customs and the Schengen stamp are all done in Folkestone so we were on the road south from Calais with rain and wind still wild, blowing the van about in the squalls. As it gets dark later, we headed for Rouen taking the toll free route. It all got a bit stressful when, getting lost looking for an overnight stop we missed the 2.6m warning sign and had a close shave with a low underpass. As darkness closed in we headed for Aire Bosgouet Nord on the A13, only costing €2.30 toll for the short bit of Autoroute. Returning to the van with a huge portion of ham and chips from the cafe, we noticed the bike cover had been shredded in the storm and retrieved the remains with the warning sign which isn’t a requirement until we reach Spain. A repair job for later . . .
Monday dawned warm, bright, clear and no more storms. We drove the long straight tree-lined roads of Normandy through the sites of 1944 battles now stretching away as endless farmland. We’d decided to visit le Mans and spent an enjoyable couple of hours at the Museum and walking alongside the circuit until it was too cold and we retired to the municipal Aire at Arange. Deciding to eat out we found an excellent Lebanese restaurant and the proprietor explained that the main street of the town was indeed part of the le Mans 24 hour circuit with speed limits of 80 kmh.
As the weather looks more promising for the end of the week we defer the dash south to Spain and head for les Sables d’Olonne with two objectives:
1. In 1955 ‘Cachalot’ spent a night here en route to the Gironde and her passage to the Mediterranean from Scotland (we visited Sète a couple of years ago, the end of this voyage). We’d like to see more places she visited on this trip.
2. Two Vendee Globe participants are due to arrive this week.
Our toll-free route took us on the D307 and D767 to Saumur and after a big shop at l’Eclerc, fuel, LPG and a new bike cover from Decathlon we were pleased to find a small municipal Aire near les Sables d’Olonne.