Wednesday 13 October 2010
Moira battled to get the water heater going this morning. She eventually managed to get both the water heater and the air central heating going as well. This was alright as it was very cold this morning and it heated the place up nicely. The water did heat up and it was good to get a hot shower at last. I don’t find the shower cubicle itself very good, it is a bit cramped and if you drop the soap it is difficult to bend down and pick it up again.
When I turned off the gas before leaving I found the level on the gauge had dropped to ¾. I assumed that we must have used a lot of gas playing around heating the water and blowing hot air. When we stopped for lunch the level had dropped further, to just above ½ full mark. When we stopped in the evening I tightened up the connection that was loose before, using a spanner this time, hopefully that was the problem. We spoke to a couple from Scotland parked next to us in the aire, and he said that it might be the gauge and that they are notoriously faulty. I will find a garage tomorrow and fill up with LPG and see what the gauge reads then.
It was another nice day after the cold start; the sky was cloudless and bright blue. When we stopped for lunch I changed from my long track suit bottoms into my shorts, and I felt a lot more comfortable. We got away a bit earlier today, just after 9:00, and we were heading for an aire at Ste-Maure-de-Touraine, just south of Tours. The distance was 233 kays, a lot less than yesterday. We were on the N138 and it led to Alencon, and then to the motor racing town of Le Mans. The route went through the middle of Le Mans but it was a dual carriageway, so fairly fast, except for the innumerable traffic lights and roundabouts.
After Le Mans it was still the N138 all the way to Tours. There were plenty of parking lay-bys all along the route, but close to the road. I was looking for a nice picnic area, but none appeared so we made do with a lay-by. Coming into Tours after lunch, we got into a mix up over directions; the satnav wanted me to turn to the left and Moira to the right, so we got lost. Relying only on the satnav this time, it took us in and out narrow back streets before eventually getting back on track again.
Once through Tours we were on the D910, and just 35 kays to go, but still managed to miss the turn into the road leading to the aire in Ste-Maure-de-Touraine, and had to find a point to turn and come back. The aire was a big car park but with lots of motorhomes, though there didn’t seem to be any service facilities. We weren’t worried as we filled with water before leaving this morning and had emptied out the waste and toilet. There wasn’t much to see here, the village just ran on each side of the main road. Moira had a wander about to see if there was a garage for LPG, but nothing. We will have to find a supermarket with a filling station.
The `van parked next to us had a huge dish on top and I went to talk to them about it and discovered that he was originally from Glasgow, and now living in the south of England. Their holiday was over and they were making their way north for the ferry home. Again it was a quiet location, even with it being busy and we slept well.
Thursday 14 October 2010
The Scots couple told us last night that they got held up in a traffic jam on the highway because of a blockade of striking lorry drivers. They managed to get off at a slip road after moving very slowly for half an hour. The same happened to us today as we came into Poitier. As we crept along the jammed dual carriageway ended and I was able to do a u-turn to the other side and the satnav found a route by-passing the city, we were lucky.
This morning it was very cold and it was good to get a hot shower to warm up. The gas gauge was still showing about half, so it wasn’t a major concern yet, but I would fill up at the first opportunity. We weren’t going far today, about 100 kays, to the other side of Poitier and the village of Moulismes. It was a straight forward route, the D910 to Poitier then on to the N147, which leads eventually to Limoges.
 |
| View from Moulismes Aire |
It was about two and a half hours driving today and the roads were quiet. It warmed up nicely after the cold early morning, and it was very pleasant when we reached the aire at Moulismes. It was just off the main road and we parked beside a lovely little pond. I turned on the gas for tea only to find the gauge showing empty. I found another loose connection where the gas must be escaping and tightened it up. I had assumed that when the new Gasflow system had been fitted it would have been thoroughly tested for leaks.
There was a sign for an Intermarche supermarket, 5 kays back at Lussac-les-Chateaux, which we had come through earlier. Back at the aire we packed up again and headed back to this village, and found the supermarket. Unfortunately it was just petrol and diesel, no LPG. We managed to boil water for lunch and filled the thermos flask to have a hot drink later. If the gas ran out the plan was to buy a pizza in the village for dinner. As it turned out the gas lasted out and we had plenty of hot water, Moira cooked dinner, and we drank hot chocolate for supper. Tomorrow, we must get gas.
We set up the satellite dish and managed to get Astra2 right away, reception was very good. Later in the evening we lost sound on the TV when the power in the leisure batteries dropped. I don’t understand this, the reason we put in two leisure batteries was to avoid this problem which we had encountered with the other ‘van. Maybe it’s a fault with the TV set, as the picture is perfect all the time.
 |
| Receiving BBC in France |
The plan for tomorrow is to head for Brantome in the Dordogne, recommended by the Scots couple. Its 130 kays, so it will be another easy day driving.
Friday 15 October 2010
It was freezing last night; we cuddled into each other to keep warm. It was still very cold when we got up and surprise, surprise, there was still enough gas for heating the water and for breakfast. We felt better after our shower but didn’t like this cold weather at all. Moira suggest that instead of spending a few days in the Dordogne as intended we should head south quickly to Spain and the sun. I will skip my cycling along the Canal Midi until spring.
The distance planned today was 200 kays to Souillac in the Dordogne. When we started out there was a thick fog and everyone was travelling with headlights on. Visibility wasn’t too bad and I managed to keep at a nice 50 mph. Our main concern was finding a filling station that did LPG but there wasn’t anything on the N147 to Limoges. I thought we might have to go looking in the city but our route after Limoges was on to a motorway, A20. The Scots couple, again a mine of information, told us that all the service areas on motorways sell LPG. We were on this motorway for 90 km and the first service area was about half way along it.
As we approached the services signposts indicated fuel and GPL, the French equivalent of LPG, for sale there. Unluckily for us this service point was being renovated and the LPG pumps weren’t operational yet. We had a cup of coffee, amazingly still some gas left, and contemplated our next move. The A20 changed to a toll road just before the next service stop and reluctantly we decided to head for it.
The stop was just at the start of the toll section and it had LPG. I thought that we were out of luck again when we couldn’t get the pump to work but Moira found an attendant who helped fill our gas bottle. We came off the toll at the next junction and it cost E0.90 for that short trip. It was only about 15 kays now to Souillac but the satnav took a detour along a narrow farm track for a couple of hundred metres to get on the route.
 |
| Moira sitting at old well, Souillac |
The aire in Souillac was a short distance from the main street and was quite large and all hard standing. There were a lot of campers parked be we found that they were stopped for lunch and the place was empty within an hour. It got busy again later but there was plenty of space. The tourist information was near-by, and we got a map for a route taking us to points of interest in the town. The tour took us to magnificent squares, the Sainte-Marie Abbey and Church, old water wells and narrow streets with ‘bridges’ connecting the houses. The church was interesting though not elaborately decorated. It was 12
th century and was quite vast inside, there were nice carvings and paintings but the stained glass windows were not very impressive. The little streets with their old houses were made more enthralling from the descriptions, in the guide pamphlet, about the people who had lived there and the original uses of some of premises.
 |
| Sainte-Marie Abbey, Souillac |
We had finished the sight seeing, and then we strolled along the main street and looked at the shops. The place seemed familiar, and I thought that we had passed through or maybe stayed here when we walked the ‘Chemin de St Jacques’. Moira found a post office and we went in to cash some traveller’s cheques. The woman went into the computer to check that the TCs were valid, examined Moira’s passport, and then said she had to make a phone call. When she returned there was more ‘computing’, a form was completed on which she wrote a long story. Finally Moira got the money, minus E7.50 for commission. We should have learnt from previous experiences the trouble in cashing TCs causes.
 |
| Sainte-Marie Church, Souillac |
Back at the aire we had a couple of UK ‘vans next to us. They were worse than me for saving money and told us that they camp rough in Spain, sometimes in one spot for two months. I find it is alright doing that when travelling but when we settle somewhere I like some facilities and comfort. The satellite dish managed to get BBC again and we watched TV lying in bed after dinner.
Saturday 16 October 2010
It was freezing this morning when we woke up. I made a cup of tea then got back into bed with my fleece on, while I read and had my warming drink. Moira has the hang of heating the water now and it takes only 15 minutes to get it hot for our shower. She has hers first, then goes for the bread while I have mine.
The weather was miserable this morning when we got away. There was fairly thick fog again and it was also raining. The route was up and down as we went through the Dordogne region; some of the climbs were long and steep. I could imagine the riders in the Tour de France battling up one side and zooming round the hairpins on the descent. The first major town was Cahors, this was certainly one of our stops on the ‘Chemin de St. Jacques’ with the beautiful bridges over the Dordogne, so it is very probable that we did visit Souillac on the walk.
The next big town was Montauban and we more or less went through the centre of it. Now there were plenty of supermarkets with filling station and LPG, even roadside garages had gas pumps. It is always the way that after searching for something lots crop up when you don’t need it anymore. The weather was still miserable and our destination for the day was Venerque, just the other side of Toulouse. I thought that it wouldn’t be much fun stuck in an aire all afternoon and in the rain, and suggested we go a bit further. The trouble with this area was the lack of aires, but there was one just before Carcassonne at the village of Montreal. I drove for another hour and this got us past Toulouse when we stopped for lunch. On the outskirts of the city I stopped at an Intermarche supermarket, the diesel was E1.12/litre the cheapest yet.
After lunch it was a direct route on the N113 towards Carcassonne, but there were lots of villages and small towns to go through, as well as the numerous roundabouts which made the going slow. The rain had gone off but it was still cloudy and the countryside full of vineyards and in the fields rows and rows of grape vines. It was about 20 kays before Carcassonne that I pulled off on to some minor roads which took us over the Canal Midi, which I should have been cycling, to Montreal. The book didn’t give a GPS for the aire and we had to ask for directions. We had difficulty with the language but eventually found that it was a car park on the main street of the village. It was full of cars and no designated area for campervans. The place didn’t look very inviting to spend the night, and as it was still early, 4:00, we decided to carry on.
The aire we intended making for tomorrow was at Narbonne Plage so we made for there. It was 85 km away but once we got going changed our mind and made for Leucate Plage, a further 25 km, as this one had electricity, according to the book. It was a pleasant drive on good quiet roads running between more fields of vines. The sky was beginning to clear and brighten but there was a very strong wind blowing. It took an hour and a half to get to the aire at Leucate Plage and we were now only about 50 km from the Spanish border.
The aire was big; it holds 200 motorhomes and was on the beach and would have been a beautiful spot but for the weather. The sky was blue but the wind was now gale force, the ‘van was rocking from side to side and there was no hope of erecting the dish for TV tonight. Also there were no electric hook-ups. We had intended to stay here for a few days but with no electricity we decided to stay tomorrow then head down into Spain on Monday. It had been a long tiring day having covered 380 km but with this cold weather the sooner we get to the south of Spain the better.
Sunday 17 October 2010
There was a glorious sun rise this morning which we viewed through the front windscreen, while lying in the warmth of our bed. The sky was a multi-colour of reds just before the sun burst above the Mediterranean horizon. It was cold this morning but not as bitter as the last couple of days. The wind had died down during the night but now it was blowing full blast again. Moira reckoned it was the mistral, the cold wind from the North West that heralds winter for the south of France. I think she is probably right.
Moira went out for bread while I showered and got the rest of the breakfast ready. All the shops in town were closed but when she arrived back at the aire a bread van was there and she got a baguette. While we ate our breakfast we watched the smokers, barred from contaminating their ‘vans lining the edge of the beach. They were all well wrapped up against the cold wind. Moira said it was cold out and when we prepared to go for a walk she got me to put on my heavy fleece. It was a wise move; it was very cold into the strong wind.
We walked along the prom; it was a pleasant stroll beside the beach and good views of the sea. There were holiday homes all along the front but they were now all boarded up for the winter. Some other people were out walking on the front and the beach but it wasn’t busy and the few restaurants that were open were empty. I don’t think it is a popular place in the winter. The road took us to a dead end with two small car parks on the cliff top, presenting good outlooks up the coast. We turned back and now the wind was at our backs and it felt quiet warm in the sun.
When we were in the ‘van and relaxing with a cup of tea the man came for the money. It was E6.50 for the night, a bit expensive for what you get. Where we were parked was at the edge of the beach and we were getting buffeted by the strong wind. We decided to move back a bit and get some shelter between other ‘vans. Before settling in the new position we topped up the fresh water and emptied the waste and toilet. Everything was now ready for a quick getaway in the morning.
Monday 18 October 2010
We had breakfast, packed up, and were away just after 7:30. The wind had been strong through the night and it was still blowing a gale now. It was also cold and our plan to head further south was making sense. At that time of the morning it was still dark and I had the headlights on for an hour before the sun was up. The route was a sweep around the saltpans for nearly 15 km to get on to the main road to Perpignan. The area was flat and the wind blasted across the surface buffeting the ‘van, at times it was difficult to hold steady and quite frightening.
When we reached Perpignan the route took us through the city centre and it was rush hour. The going was slow, with queues at all the crossings and traffic lights. Once through the city, we found that new roads had been constructed, and the satnav got confused, but the signposts showed the direction to Gerona and Barcelona, so we followed them happily. When we were over the Spanish border at Le Perthus the satnav got on track again. The route followed the N11, which was slower than the toll road that ran parallel, but obviously cheaper. It ran through the towns with numerous roundabouts, as in France, but it was interesting getting feel of the Spanish atmosphere again.
Not far over the border, we had travelled 120 kays in two hours, we stopped at a piece of waste ground for a break and a cup of tea. The wind had dropped and the sky was blue but there was still a chill in the air. On the go again it was towards Barcelona where we used the toll road to get round the city. It cost in total E8 and you pay for different sections as you go along, but on what basis it is calculated is a mystery. There are no signs indicating the charges, and there is no information about them in the guide books. You just drive up to the window and then find out what it is going to cost, praying it wont be too much
The ring road round Barcelona was busy and took us beneath a number of underpasses that required our headlights on. We stopped at a service area for another drink of tea, then on to Sitges. The last section of toll was the most expensive, and took us through a number of tunnels cut into the mountains; Moira suggested that the engineering and construction costs would put up the toll charges even though they were subsidised by the European Community. We reached Sitges by lunch time, and the campsite was on the outskirts of the town. It was very nice and we found a pitch near the entrance as we intended to only spend a night here.
After we had lunch we had a chat with the caravanners next to us. They were from Falkirk and had recently retired. They were only here for a couple of weeks then heading back to Scotland. I felt it was a long way to pull a caravan for two weeks not even thinking about the cost. It would be better to fly here and rent a flat like we did some years ago, when we went with Suzy to the house near Valencia.
First thing we wanted was to have a walk, and look around. It was lovely and warm, so we changed into shorts, and headed for town. It was a straight road into Sitges, and about 4 km to the centre. The main road wasn’t very attractive and not many shops; there was a Mercadona supermarket, where Moira can do some shopping but not much else. At the end of the main street we cut down to the beach, this was a lot better. The esplanade stretched all the way back to a large hotel on a rocky point. There were people on the beach sunbathing and some even in swimming. Further along a few surfers rode the tiny waves that were breaking, you don’t get big surf on the Med. The sun was shining and it was pleasant strolling along the prom. We decided that if we managed to get anything on the TV we would stay here for another day at least. I fancied having a run along this beachfront in the morning. When we came to the large hotel on the point we cut up a side road that came out near the roundabout close to our campsite.
At the ‘van we had a cup of tea, and then began setting up the satellite dish. Moira got Astra2 right away and the signal was fairly good. BBC 1&2 were about 50% strength and the radio stations at 66%. So after dinner we washed up at the site sinks then got to bed where we watched TV. Now we are settled with everything we need, we will stay another day.
rofile 
