Lakes and Hills.................

The first day of our 6 week tour around the Lake District and Scotland was the 12th July 2011 and we started at Bowness-on-Windermere. Windermere is the largest of the Lakes - 10 miles long and a mile wide near here.  Touristy in the day but quite in the evenings when the coach parties have left.

Three days of fantastic weather so we were able to walk in the surrounding hills and take two boat trips on the lake - one in the evening sunset .................

and the next day to Ambleside across the water.................................



Waterfalls in Ambleside

On Friday 15th we moved on to Ravenglass in the Western Lakes and the only Lake District village on the coast.  A weather warning was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday so we made the most of checking out the village on Friday afternoon. Ravenglass has a railway station and a narrow gauge railway that goes into the hills.....they use the old ticket office as a pub and restaurant now called The Ratty Arms.

There was a break in the rain for about three hours so we went walking in the hills..........

Ravenglass Main Street. Two pubs one little shop (closed on Saturday afternoon!!!)



An old Petrol pump in the village.  Fuesl @ 1/5 a gallon - 7 pence!

 and, inspite of the severe weather warning, we had a lovely sunny evening over Ravenglass on Saturday........

Sunset at Ravenglass - low tide

France - June 2011

Our longest trip yet in Bessie the campervan (or motorhome as Malc prefers to call it…I don’t think SHE minds!).  Actually, the French have a more appropriate name for them: "Le Camping Car".... We left Dover on the 6^th June and travelled nearly 2000 miles in three weeks, stopping for two nights in some places but usually only one night before moving on. 

Our route:

Dunkirk to Boiry-notre-dame

Bouzy – in the champagne region (very apt!)

Beaune

St Porcain-sur-Sioule

The Lake at Royere de Vassiviere

Abzac

Dunes de Pyla

I’le D’Oleron

Les Sables D’Olonne

Piriac-sur-mer

Challones-sur-Loire

Near Azay-le-ridout

Villaines-en-Juhel

St Valery-en-Caux

Cayeux-sur-mer

Dunkirk

Almost EVERY village we went through seemed to be asleep and shops and businesses didn’t get going until about 10 with a two-hour lunch break…even if it was a restaurant; we were met with indignation in one village when we tried to get lunch at 2:00pm!

France LOVES motorhomes and has many Aires that are for motorhomes only – no caravans or tents – which seemed to add to the strange custom of motorhomers waving to each other (but NOT to caravans) as they passed each other on the road.  We met one lazy couple that had made a paper hand, which had been stuck to the dashboard to save them waving!  

Initially we stayed on campsites, our favourite being at the Dunes de Pyla in the Bordeaux region after staying with our friends Bett and Al at their holiday home in Abzac.  The campsite was in a pine forest next to the dunes and had a fantastic restaurant looking out to sea with the most amazing sunsets whilst we were there.

The dune from Cap Ferret across the water

Paragliding on the dunes

The campsite restaurant - what a view!

Bett and Al spoilt us whilst we left Bessie safely hooked up at the campsite where they have their holiday home.  They took us to Cap Ferret and a fantastic Oyster Bar that only serves oysters, whelks, prawns and lovely bread with white or rose wine.  Simple!

We soon decided to get a bit more adventurous and tried staying at the French Aires.  We had seven nights in a row at amazing places and spent a grand total of 12 Euros as most of them are free to encourage visitors!!  Why can’t we do that in Britain?

BEAUNE:

Beaune campsite

Lac de Royere-de-Vassiviere:

I'le D'Oleron:

Las Sables D'Olonne:

Piriac-sur-Mer:

Challones-sur-Loire:

Villaines-en-Juhel:

St Valery-en Caux:

Cayeux-sur-mer:

Our 15th Wedding Anniversary weekend in Dulverton, Devon

Our wedding anniversary and the test for Bessie's new awning - very posh....!  We spent the weekend at a campsite in Dulverton in Exmoor National Park.

The weather was great on Friday 27th May so we were able to cycle to Wimbleball Lake - it was only 16 miles but very hilly so it took us about 6 hours.  

On Saturday we did an 8 mile walk - the scenery was lovely - full of Rhododendrons, buttercups and foxgloves and most of the route was along rivers and streams.....

It was raining so much the ducks got confused and thought the campsite was their pond!

Our first visitor.....

We had a few glasses of champagne for our anniversary and a great weekend..................

CHEERS!!