now, lets start this again

It's all very well & good writing a diary of ones travels, but the text does need accompanying photos, & unfortunately having to pay for WiFi by the minute whilst travelling & then trying to work out how to upload photos from the iPad onto the blog is like dragging nails down a blackboard. The easiest way, until l work out how to upload pictures, is to write notes, take pictures then post at a latter date.

Day 1 Sunday 22nd September 2013

After a millpond crossing of the North Sea we docked at the port of Zeebrugge at 9.30am, overcast weather but at this hour & with pretty quiet roads we set off in the direction of Rouen / Le Mans which had been penciled in for our first night's stop.

We have a slight aversion to Paris, the Peripherique & the N104, so decided to try the north of Paris route to the south west.  The auto route was almost deserted, though plenty of British cars heading the opposite way.

Passing hedge-less fields of stubble & autumn sown crops, the locals seemed to be enjoying themselves dressed in their luminous jackets with gun dogs at heel taking pot shots atb the local wildlife population.  We didn't observe what they were shooting at as there was no real cover for game to shelter in.

Not being one to 'bray-it' down the autoroute, we stopped for a leisurely lunch just south of Boulogne then continued without mishap onto towards Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy & the place of execution of Joan of Arc in 1431.

Unfortunately a slight hiccup somewhat marred, what had so far been a pretty uneventful drive.  The N28 was closed due to the bridge under-going repairs.  The detour took us along the banks of the River Seine, more than once, lack of signage pointing out the diversion route & a sat-nav that was determined to cross the river by the closed route added to the scenic route!

Eventually, we left the city on the correct road, A28 heading for Le Mans & decided to call it a day.  With a quick browse through the Camping Club's Caravan Europe Guide, it was decided to stop at the Le Camping Municipal La Vallee at Brionne.

The site was a short distance from the motorway, easy to find & an ideal spot for an overnight stop.  The pitches were grass, separated by low hedges.  There was a sports field adjacent so we enjoyed watching the local rugby team in a pre-season match.  The site was pretty quiet,  only about 5 caravans & motorhomes. The price per night with electrics was 14 euros.

Mileage:

Zeebrugge - P & O Ferries to Brionne 242 miles