Farewell France

Monday 30th May- Happy Birthday, Jens

Well it is not a great day for celebrating your 68th birthday as it has been teeming down all night. The campground is a series of lakes and muddy campsites and there appears to be no respite from the rain. Alice has braved the rain and visited Jens with his present and croissant. Time will tell if we will brave the elements and visit Paris today.

Well we did venture out into the wilds and caught a train at 10:13am. Our first destination was the Delacroix Museum which is where Eugene Delacroix painted his final masterpieces. It was difficult to spot the entrance as there was a large truck parked in the doorway. Turns out they were unloading artwork for a new exhibition and as a result the museum was closed. Ah well, Not to be deterred we jumped back on the metro and headed to the island for a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. We were going to do a tour of the crypt but guess what, it is closed on Monday. We ended up joining a long but quickly moving queue to visit inside Notre Dame. The rain was coming down steadily and was accompanied by a brisk wind. My umbrella had given up the ghost and hung limply above my head offering only the slightest protection from the rain. My patience was wearing thin but Alice kept me positive. Once inside I gave myself a good shaking just like a Labrador emerging from the water after a good swim. The scale of the building is huge but for me not as beautiful as some of the others we have visited such as Bourges. After completing a slow circuit with a horde of other bedraggled visitors we exited out into the rain.

There are plenty of sites to visit on the island so we headed off to the Conciergerie, minus my umbrella which has been consigned to a French rubbish bin. After an excruciating slow security process where only two people at a time could pass through a door we emerged into the cavernous Hall of Men at Arms. It was also a good opportunity to go to the toilet as there was nothing available around Notre Dame. The Conciergerie has been both a palace and a prison. During the reign of terror Marie Antoinette was imprisoned here and subsequently found guilty of treason. Her cell has been reconstituted on part of the actual site of her dungeon. There are also some other cells that endeavour to give you an idea what conditions the prisoners had to endure in this period. Saint Chapelle is next door however it was closed until 2:00pm.

We decided to walk over to Les Halles for lunch and possibly a spot of retail therapy for Alice. This turned out to be a poor decision as Les Halles is a huge mostly underground shopping mall. In the end we departed with nothing and took lunch at a nearby fast food café. My ham and salad roll was okay but Alice’s Quiche Lorraine was a failure. To top it off the coffee although steaming hot had the strength of a new born baby. By this time we were fed up with the rain and couldn’t bear the thought of lining up outside another museum. We ended up on a train back to Versailles a little after 2:00pm.

When we arrived back at the campground the birthday boy was at the café. We joined him and spent a few hours drinking, eating and catching up on our internet administrative tasks.

Tuesday 31st May – Who’ll Stop The Rain

Well Creedence Clearwater Revival asked the question and so do we – Who’ll Stop The Rain. All through the night the rain tumbled down and this morning it isn’t much better. According to television reports this is the wettest May since 1873. If it eases off a bit then we may travel into Paris after lunch for a final visit.

Just prior to midday we ventured out to the railway station en route to the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived the queues to ascend to the second platform were not that long however we decided not to go up as the view would be tainted by all the cloud cover. Nevertheless we had a poke around and marveled at the audacity of the design. It is easy to see why the Parisians wanted to retain this monument after the world fair of 189x. From here we jumped on the metro and headed up to Charles De Gaulle Etolie. From the metro station it was only a few minutes walk to one of Paris’s most famous landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe. This magnificent 1836 monument to Napoleon’s  1805 victory at Austerlitz, which he commissioned the following year. The intricately sculptured triumphal arch stands sentinel in the centre of the Etolie (star) roundabout. Alice and I decided to join the short queue and tackle the 284 steps to the viewing platform on top of the arch. The climb was definitely worth it as we had great views of the Eifel Tower, Sacre-Coeur, Champs-Elysees and the Twelve Avenues.

When we descended the weather had improved enough for Alice to take a stroll down the Champs-Elysees. This wide avenue is a shopper’s paradise as there are wall to wall designer brand shops which are punctuated by tiny boutique restaurants. We were a tad peckish so we took a seat in a very cheap fast food outlet. The coffee this time met our high standards and the tuna and egg roll was passable. After satisfying our basic needs we continued our leisurely stroll down the avenue. To save some time we jumped back on the metro at Franklin D. Roosevelt and headed back towards the island.

On the island we headed over to Notre Dame and visited the archeological crypt. There was no line up which pleased me no end. This dig is laid out very well as there are great information boards as well as some 3D interactive displays. If you are visiting Paris I think it is a worthwhile visit. It was a little after 4:00pm and the weather was still ordinary so we decided to call it a day.

Back at the campground Jens was busy on the internet so we joined him and spent an hour getting up to date. Alice is in charge of dinner tonight and prepared a great meal of meat and three veggies which she followed up with a fresh strawberry tart. This was Jens’ birthday treat which we bought from the local patisserie and was absolutely delicious.

Wednesday 1st June -   Leaving Paris

The rain continues to fall, the Seine continues to rise and so it goes. It is always fun when you have to pack up camp in the rain but eventually we were ready to leave. After settling our account of 255euro for 7 nights we hit the wet ring roads and escaped Paris. The traffic was thick but was moving at a good pace. Our route took us north and then east towards Soissons as we wanted to avoid the dreaded toll.

From Soissons we headed south through the beautiful countryside that comprises the Champagne region. Our destination was the town of Epernay which is in the heart of region with growers such as Moet Chandon. On arrival at the campground Jens kept driving as they had a restriction of 6 metres on campers. Jens van comes in at 7.5m so we had to revert to plan B which was to travel another 40km to the large town of Chalons -en – Champagne. We finally arrived just after 6:00pm and booked into the Municipal Campground for 24.80euros a night. Even though they have had plenty of rain here the sites are in great condition. A firm flat base of gravel, good drainage and plenty of room to setup makes this one of the better prepared sites.

Alice is coming down with a cold and Jens’ breathing is not great so it is an early night for all of us.

Thursday 2nd June – Convalescing in Chalons-en-Champagne

The rain beat a steady tattoo on the camper roof all night and Alice accompanied it by barking out a dry cough from an itchy throat. She has woken up not feeling well so we have decided to stay put for today so she can recuperate. Over at Jens’ we were faced with a different drama. During the night his annex collapsed and tore the arm out of the mounting bracket. At the same time the sharp ends of the arm gouged a small hole in the vinyl roof. On first inspection I did not think that I could reset the arm however between Jens and I we decided to tackle the task. My ladder was a camp chair and my armoury was a small wrench. It isn’t easy standing on the arms of a camp chair undoing bolts and at the same time trying to remember the sequence for putting it back together again.

We did manage to extract the housing attached to the arm and with some gentle prodding was able to get it reset in its track. Next we had to maneuver the arm back into the housing and retighten the bolts. A gentle tap with the hammer and the arm was in position to be bolted back on. Oh how I would have loved a ratchet socket set or a ring spanner to finish the job. I persevered on my perch and eventually had it tightened to a point where we could retract the annex.

With Alice and Jens out of action I took a long walk into the city centre. I did not see much on the way in as I was huddled under my umbrella taking shelter from the rain and wind. There are some beautiful old buildings and a large arch which marks the entrance to the town centre. There is a beautiful cathedral but I’m cathedraled out and gave it a miss. On return we cooked up a roast pork filet with vegetables and relaxed over a glass of wine.

Friday 3rd June – Champagne Road Trip

The rain eased up overnight however there is still plenty of cloud cover so I suspect we are not finished with it yet. Alice had a more comfortable night and may be up for a drive around the region. Jens also is feeling a little better this morning but he may not have enough breath for a champagne visit. David is hunched over the keyboard, sipping coffee and continuing to record our adventures.

Around 11:00 Alice was feeling okay so we hit the road north towards Reims and bisected the champagne trail at a small town by the name of Vaudemange. From here we headed south and travelled through some beautiful countryside. There are a lot of monuments in memory of World War1 as this area was one of the main battle fronts. In every town there are a couple of champagne producers but they are generally not open to the public. After all this rain everything is green and the vines appear to be in flower. There are plenty of workers in the vineyards tending the vines and you have to be vigilant when driving as tractors can appear at the most inopportune moments. The towns have names that I cannot get my tongue around however I didn’t have any trouble with Bouzy. One of the highlights of the drive was the diversion into the hilltop town of Mutigny. The view over the valley and nearby Epernay was fantastic. On the drive down Alice became excited as the vineyards were growing grapes for Moet-Chandon.

It was a little after 1:00pm when we arrived in Epernay. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot not far from the Avenue de Champagne but the only problem with my choice is that it was metered parking. Eventually I managed to decipher the instructions and was able to get a ticket to display on the dashboard. The avenue is about 1500metres long and is lined with Champagne’s most beautiful chateaus built by wine merchants in the 19th century. We decided to pop into Moet-Chandon to have a browse in their boutique store. The merchandise was very up-market and had a price tag to match. I thought about purchasing a bottle of their special 1995 vintage but I thought the asking price of 13,000euro was out of my range. Under the avenue there is about 110km of hidden cellars storing 10’s of millions of champagne. At the end of our walk we tried a tasting at one of the smaller growers.

To finish our road trip we headed south from Epernay towards the small town of Bergeres-les-Vertus. After crisscrossing a number of small villages and on the outskirt of Grauves we headed up a steep hill. There were a number of cyclists on the road and it is quite hard to pass as they are often two and three abreast. At the summit we had a great panoramic view of Avize which seems to be the area where the grapes for Veuve Clicquot are grown. At Vertus we concluded our drive on the champagne trail and I would have to say that it was great. You could easily spend a week in this area if you wanted to drive the entire trail and spend some time exploring some of the vineyards.

Saturday 4th June – Farewell France

There were a couple of heavy downpours during the night and this morning the sky is completely grey. We are in no hurry to pack up as our drive north today is only a couple of hundred kilometres.  Eventually we got going and headed out to the D944 and headed north towards Reims. Most of this section was done with the rain constantly falling. The highway detoured around Reims and took us onto the N51 towards a familiar name, Charleville which is near the border with Belgium.

We took lunch at a rest stop which sported of all things, The Big Pig. I reckon it is up there with the Big Banana and Pineapple. When we entered Belgium, the rain had stopped but the hills seem to be shrouded in fog. We had chosen a camping spot on the bank of the Lesse River near Dinant. After navigating our way down a narrow winding road through dense forest we came to the camping ground. It looked fantastic however the authorities had banned the owners from taking campers as a precaution against the river flooding. It was a sensible plan as it was very swollen and was flowing extremely fast. The campground gave us the address of another place which was located on the other side of Dinant. Due to the size of Jens’ camper we had to drive 25km to reach a place that was only 6km away.

The drive however was quite spectacular and as we drove through Dinant we thought it would be a good spot to spend a couple of nights. We ended up at camping ground (21euro) on the outskirts of Dinant which was located on the bank of the Meuse River. The sites are quite generous but you have to watch out for the landmines that have been deposited by the resident goose colony. After setting up we took the chairs down to the riverbank and enjoyed late afternoon beer.

Sunday 5th June – Dinant, Sax in the City

Alice is still not well but she is going to accompany me to one of Dinant’s best museums. We won’t be looking at paintings or sculptures but we will be inside the old Leffe Abbey which is home to the Leffe Beer Museum. Situated on a hill overlooking the town of Dinant and the Meuse River it is the perfect location to learn about the history and techniques used in brewing one of Belgium’s most famous beers. The entry cost is 8euros which also entitles you to a beer and a present at the conclusion of the tour. Most of the displays are interactive and provide detailed information about Leffe and the Norbertine order of monks from the 12th century right through to the present day.  One of the more interesting interactive displays is the smell test. Just push a button and you can get a whiff of cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, wood shavings, leather, banana and pineapple just to name a few. At the end of the tour we adjourned to the bar and decided to taste the signature beers blonde, brun, ritual 9 degrees and a leffe royale crystal. After our newfound knowledge and beer tasting skills Alice and I can probably lay claim to being zythologists.  Sitting back in my antique chair and sipping a beer made me feel like I was lord of the manor.

The sunlight was streaming through the window so we adjourned to the terrace area to finish our beer consumption. The view was great and we really appreciated the warmth of the sun on our backs after the misery of the past week. I even splurged out and ordered a plate of cheese and sausage. We had a bite to eat in the back of the camper and then made our way down to the City centre. Apart from the views the centre is all about sax, Adolphe Sax that is. Sax was born in Dinant in 1814 and invented the saxophone in 1846. We don’t know why but he died destitute on 7th February 1894 in Paris. There is of course a Big Sax, The Anamorphoses trail, Sax Art which is displayed on the bridge and a Sax water clock. This is all complemented by the La Maison de Monsieur Sax (Mr. Sax’s House) which is a small museum with free entry. As we walked back towards the bridge we were accompanied by a Jazz combo featuring of course the sax. We did also manage to visit the local Notre Dame church whose spire is onion shaped and more like a Russian Orthodox Church.

There was still some daylight hours left so we returned to the campground and loaded Jens into the camper.  We followed the river for a few kilometres and then headed inland for the small village of Purnode. There was a reason for this detour as I had heard one of the last traditional Belgian breweries is located here. Sure enough we came upon Brasserie du Bocq which was established in 1858.The company still uses the traditional manufacturing process of top-fermentation beers with secondary fermentation in the bottle. They have a pretty good range so we decided to try a couple of different styles from the Gauloise range. It was a novel experience sipping beer outdoors right next to the brewery. The beers were excellent and the cellar door prices meant that Jens and I walked away with 20 beers. I must have spent too much as they through in a large bottle of Blanche de Namur which won a gold medal for wheat beer at the world championship a couple of years back. After our tasting we headed to the village of Yvoir, bought some supplies and followed the river back to camp.

The rain that was supposed to fall during the day thankfully never occurred. This meant that we could enjoy a couple of hours relaxing by the river. I don’t know if it was the beer or the sun but I nodded off for a few minutes. A nice way to end what was a very good day.

Ahhh, Paris.

Wednesday 25^th May – Fill It Up Jens

Welcome to my cool world by Mondo Rock could easily describe how cold the nights have been here at the Chateau. Our stay here has been great and it has been a fantastic base to explore the region from. The other bonus is that it cost only 60euro for our four night stay. One problem that we have to overcome is to fill Jens’ camper with fuel. There has been a major fuel shortage due to strikes by the union for refinery workers. This was evidenced by the long queues at those stations that still have fuel. There have been reports about fights breaking out as some people are beginning to panic.

We decided to push on and attempt to fill up if an opportunity arose. About 100km down the road there was a service station attached to a supermarket that was open for business. The queues were not too long so we pulled in to top up. I already had ¾ of a tank so I only needed 18.5euro worth of diesel. The irony was that the older lady who was in front of me topped up with 5euro or about 4 litres. There was a limit on how much you could purchase and Jens could only put in 19.5euro. Still it was a start and will definitely help the cause. Another 50km down the road and the same chain was selling so Jens bought another 19.50euro. Now he has half a tank and will probably start singing the old Hollies song, ”Gasoline Alley”. It was well after lunch and we were looking for a place to pull over when we spotted the same supermarket servo open for business. We pulled over in the car-park and prepared lunch while Jens joined the queue for fuel. He managed to get 30euro worth this time which gives him ¾ of a tank and a peaceful mind. While we were having lunch the chain went across the entrance to the servo as they had run out of fuel.

Over lunch we decided to push onto Versailles as it was just over 100km away. During the drive we have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of land that is turned over for farming and nature. About 40km from Versailles we found another servo on the highway that was open for business. We both topped up our tanks and probably have just enough fuel to reach Belgium if the fuel crisis worsens. There is a lot more traffic on the road as we are getting closer to Paris and it is close to 4:00pm. We have decided to stay at the Huttopia Versailles which is only 3km from the Palace. The campground is on the side of a hill adjacent to a forest which means that the sites are not what you would call level. We managed to get ourselves set up reasonably well however after the recent rain the sites are still damp and sticky. Our friends the mosquitoes are also out in force and over dinner which we took at a camp table quite a few of them were sent off to meet their maker.

Thursday 26^th May – Paris

After breakfast I took a walk to check out the local train station, Porchefontaine to try and work out how easy it would be to travel into Paris. One good thing I discovered was that the ticket machine had an English function and that it was 3.55euro for a trip into Paris. Back at the camp Jens has decided that after a bad night he is not up to a trip to the Palace of Versailles. Alice and I decided to go into Paris and check out the d’Orsay museum. Luck was with us as just after we purchased our ticket from the vending machine we heard a train pulling into the station. We sprinted up the steps and jumped breathlessly into the first carriage. As we took our seats I checked to make sure we were on the correct train, we were. Less than 30 minutes later we pulled into the Musee d’Orsay RER station and were in the queue to enter the museum. After clearing security we thought we would splurge out on a six day Museum pass. At 74euro each it will be good value if we decide to visit al the sites that are of interest to us. The other advantage is that you can queue jump with the pass and come in and out as many times as you want.

The museum is the home of France’s national collection from the impressionist, postimpressionist and art nouveau movements, spanning the 1840’s and 1914. It is housed in the glorious former Gare d’Orsay railway station, itself an art nouveau showpiece. The display is like a roll-call of Masters such as Van Gogh, Gaugin, Monet, Lautrec and Cezzane. For me the highlight was Van Gogh’s, Starry Night and self portrait. It was enough for me to start singing Don Mclean’s haunting song, Vincent. The collection is huge and we had spent a couple of hours inside and still had one more floor to go. The museum pass came in handy as we went outside for lunch and then returned to finish our visit.

Time was marching on but we decided that we could not head back to Versailles without embarking on a Seine River cruise. We walked up to Du Pont-Neuf which is near Notre Dame where we boarded a barge (12euro) for a one hour cruise. The young girl who was providing the commentary in French and English gave us a good description of all the sites and added her own comedic anecdotes. The Alexandre 111 bridge with the Paris coat of arms in the centre and gilded statues is the pick of all the bridges crossing the Seine. The barge turned around at the Eiffel Tower and Tassie jumped out of the bag for a photo opportunity. He really is into selfies! Our tour finished just after 5:30pm so we headed off in search of our RER station which thankfully was only a block away. There were a few trains leaving our platform that were heading to different destinations. It took a few minutes to decipher and we managed to choose the correct train and made it back to Versailles by 6:30pm.

It was nearly 7:00 when we arrived back at camp. Jens wasn’t worried however he was just about to make himself some dinner. No need to worry as the trusty Weber was brought out and soon in action. A couple of beers while I was cooking the beef and pork skewers was a nice way to end my first trip to Paris.

Friday 27^th May – The Louvre

Jens does not want to risk his health so Alice and I will travel into Paris again today. We are going to try and tackle the third largest museum in the world, The Louvre. Public transport should not be an issue however there have been indications that the railway workers may join the strike action. Finally, we got away around 10:30am and managed to catch the same train as yesterday. We must be experts now as we did not have to consult the map once for the entire journey.

The lineup for passing through security at the Louvre is quite long however we were able to join a shorter queue which took about 10 minutes as we had the museum pass. Once inside it was a little daunting due to the huge scale of the museum. Armed with a Louvre plan we went in search of a toilet and the recommended highlights for each section and floor. We were a tad confused as we could not even figure out what floor we were on. In the end we went forth into the unknown area of the Sully section. I figured out later that we were on the lower ground floor and that we had been following the wall of a Medieval moat. In the end we were following the signs that were directing us to Michaelangelo’s beautiful sculpture of Venus de Milo. After admiring the perfect lines of Aphrodite we moved onto another of his masterpieces, Captive (The Dying Slave) which I thought was more emotive. By this stage I was dying for a p… and for the life of me I couldn’t find a loo even though they were shown on the floor plan. After searching in vain for what seemed ages I finally located a set. They were difficult to spot as they blended seamlessly into the wall. There is no need to call me Kenny!

 There are three wings to the Lourve Museum, Denon, Sully and Richelieu and you just about need a cut lunch to traverse one floor. The museum curators are a crafty bunch as they have placed major works of art in each wing on every floor. We now had a purpose and decided to tick off the major works and along the way enjoy all the other offerings of the Lourve. We finished off the ground floor with a look at the statues depicting a Winged Bull that was framed by an archway. From here we headed up to the first floor and joined the masses who were trying to get a look at Da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. We had a reasonable look but you could not get close due to the hordes of Chinese who want to take a selfie with every piece of art. Absolute chaos! On the Daru staircase the headless statue, The Winged Victory of Samothrace had the place of honour for another round of selfies. We finished off the first floor with a slow walk through Napolean 111’s apartments.

Lunch beckoned so we descended down to the lower ground floor for some respite. Over lunch we had an amiable conversation with an Indian Couple who hailed from Chicago. With lunch over we ascended to the second floor in an effort to see the rest of the highlights. Along the way we gazed at works from Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet and a Frenchman who went by the name of David. The major pieces of art on this floor was Gabrielle d’Estrees and Her Sister which was a little risqué for the time and The Turkish Bath by Ingres. By this time I was completely knackered and decided that I had enough art for one day.

A little tip if you are visiting the Louvre and want to reduce the queuing time for the security check you can enter via the underground shopping centre Carrousel du Louvre. The entrance is just to the right and left of the Arch which faces the Grand Pyramid.

We finished our day of with a leisurely stroll through the Tuileries Gardens. It is a significant green space and the gravel paths lead you past a number of ponds where you can take a seat and catch a few rays. It was a bit hot for us so we took the path less travelled and stuck to the edges of the path where there was some shade. We ended up at the Place de la Concorde where there is a huge Ferris Wheel which is flanked by Paris’ oldest monument. You guessed it, an Egyptian Obelisk dating from who knows when (3000BC) sits in the middle of the square and as an added bonus it can also tell the time. This sundial was purloined by Napolean when he ransacked Egypt. A walk across the bridge and along the left bank brought us back to the RER line. Within 10 minutes we were on a train and speeding back to Versailles, happy and tired.

Saturday 28^th May – Versailles Conga Line

Well today we are going to travel 3km down the road for a look at the Palace of Versailles and the Gardens. The guidebook said to avoid Sunday and Tuesday so at 11:30 we all hopped in the camper for the short trip. I had heard that you could park the camper in with the tourist buses and luckily this proved to be true. The 15euro cost was well worth it considering how close we were to the entrance. After clearing the first security line I could not believe the length of the queue waiting to pass through the security for entrance to the room of the palace. We took a seat near the entrance and contemplated going back to the campground. I could not imagine how busy Sunday would be. As I was bemoaning the length of the line a lady with two young girls took pity on us. She said that her husband was in the line and not far from the front and that we could join in with them. I was reluctant to begin with then thought what the heck as it was a chance to save us an hour. I thought that this nice person was French but her family was on holiday from Hungary. After we entered Alice and I thanked them profusely and then headed off to climb the first staircase. The only trouble was that there were hundreds of visitors heading in the same direction.

Work on the Chateau commenced in 1661 under the reign of Louis XIV and was the royal court from 1682 up until the fateful events of 1789. The revolutionaries massacred the palace guard and dragged Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette back to Paris, where they were ingloriously beheaded. That is what I felt like doing to the Chinese tourists that were blocking everybody’s path whilst they indulged themselves. I had to settle for photo bombing and physically lifting one lady out of my path. The grandeur of the rooms is ostentatious: frescoes, marble, gilt and woodcarvings with themes from Greek and Roman mythology. The only room where we had any space was the huge Battle room which is decorated with large paintings depicting victorious battles. All in all it was a disappointing visit due to the large number of visitors that are channeled into small viewing places. As Alice said it felt like we were in a huge conga line.

We did not visit the Gardens as there was a fountain show on today which meant another 9.50euro admittance fee. It was tempting however Jens was waiting outside and we could also see some large ominous grey clouds scuttling towards us. It turned out to be a good decision as it started to rain before we arrived back at the campground. Alice prepared a very late lunch while I secured the camper. Later in the afternoon we received a large downpour which was accompanied by a bit of thunder. It did however give us some time to do some planning for further visits into Paris over the next three days.

Sunday 29^th May – There Is Such a Thing as a Free Lunch

The French weather has decided to turn nasty. This morning our campground and most of Paris is shrouded in fog and the threat of rain is imminent. With our umbrellas in tow we caught a train that had us in Paris just before 10:00am. After alighting, it was Shanks’ Pony to the Musee Rodin about twenty minutes away. Rodin donated his entire collection to the French state in 1908 on the proviso that it dedicated his former workshop and showroom, the beautiful 1730 Hotel Biron to displaying his works. They are now not only installed in the mansion itself but also the rose-clambered garden. When we walked in the first statue we saw was “The Thinker” and thought what a place to contemplate his famous work. A great museum which takes around an hour to visit.

A short walk past the huge Army Museum which houses Napolean’s mausoleum brought us to one of the many Paris metro lines. In no time we were on the right bank and heading off in search of the Musee Picasso. Along the way we spotted a café doing a brisk business so we decided to try our luck with an early lunch. I grabbed an inside table while Alice bought a couple of rolls at the counter. Only problem was that it was table service however they were gracious enough to let us eat our purchase there. We ordered two cups of coffee which would have had my brother Edward scratching his head in disdain. The coffee itself was great however at $7.60 for a small lukewarm cup you could say it was a tad overpriced. It wasn’t a tourist rip off as the majority of customers were local. When we went to pay it was too difficult for them to work out how to add our lunch to the bill so they gave it to us for free.

The Picasso Museum has a collection of drawings, engravings, paintings, ceramic works and sculptures by the great master, Pablo Picasso. It is housed in the renovated mid 17^th century Hotel Sale. This is another collection that takes around an hour to visit. Some of his works I just don’t get and to me could have been the work of a child. For example some of his metal sculptures would look at home if they were placed next to one of those country letterboxes shaped like a cow or a pig.

With our visit over and a few spots of rain falling from above we headed off on foot in the direction of the Centre Pompidou. The centre makes a radical architectural statement and from the outside my immediate thought was that it was an active construction site. The museum itself houses the largest collection of modern art in Europe. Paintings by Igor Stravinsky, Matisee, Warhol and others lined the gallery walls. Again I just don’t get some of the modern art exhibitions. In one large room you walked to the centre on a boardwalk that resembled a jetty where you could watch fluorescent lights dim from one to another in a prearranged sequence. I have absolutely no idea what the artist was trying to convey. It is definitely worth a visit though if not for the paintings but the great panoramic view.

Alice thought she had enough energy to visit a couple of shops so I gave her twenty minutes of freedom and went grocery shopping. We met again opposite a fanciful fountain that had a heap of water based modern sculptures. As we walking to our next metro station I worked out that Les Halles roughly translated was a market place. We followed the signs and in front of us stood an edifice that should be a shoppers delight. I weakened and asked Alice if she would like to spend an hour here. To my everlasting surprise she said no as she did not have any energy left to shop. We ended up down in a metro maze and after a long walk found our line and travelled two stops to the left bank. We could not have timed our run more perfectly as we boarded our train within 30 seconds of arrival. On our walk back to the campground the rain started to get heavier. We no sooner had reached the camper when it came down in bucket loads.

Tuesday 10th May – TGV Disaster

Tuesday 10^th May – TGV Disaster

There is no action in the camp this morning as Lilian is preparing for her afternoon adventure on the TGV. We had prepared well and arrived at the station at 2:00pm. I dropped the girls off at the front of what looks like the entrance to an airport and went in search of an elusive car-park. After reversing out of a couple of boom gate controlled entrances and clutching a wad of car-park tickets I managed to find a spot at the rear of the station for short term parking. With yet another ticket I took a short walk and quickly found the girls. All the signage was in French but we found a board indicating Lilian’s train number and it matched her departure time of 2:46pm. When the train pulled in just after 2:40 I loaded her suitcase onto the train and watched her as she went upstairs to her allocated seat. The TGV pulled out promptly at 2:46pm and we waved to each other as it pulled out of the station.

Feeling satisfied we drove off to the hospital. After a fruitless search for a parking space we decided to find something off-site. We had a little bit of luck and found a spot about 1km from the hospital. When we arrived Jens was looking fine but had a pensive look on his face. He had just had a text from Lilian that stated “The ticket inspector says I am on the wrong train. This one is going to Paris and not the airport”. I can’t imagine how she felt as she is a stranger in a strange land and surprisingly very few people admit to speaking English. The only positive thing was that she was going to Paris where she could easily connect to the frequent Metro service to the airport or so we thought. On arrival at Paris she would have approximately 4 hours before her flight. The other piece of good news that we received from her was that a young Frenchman was going to assist her when they arrived in Paris.

I was beating myself up for putting her on the wrong train, how could I the Transport Planner have stuffed big time. It turned out that the train she was on was running ten minutes late and that her train would be following. All the announcements at the station were in French and in hindsight I should have checked with someone. I hope Lilian forgives me?

We stayed with Jens for another hour and he said that he would text us any news from Lilian. Back at the camper we waited patiently for any news but nothing was forthcoming. Apparently her troubles were not over as the station in Paris was being renovated and it was difficult to find the right platform. She followed the signage and four times she ended up back in the same spot. She was sweating profusely but eventually she teamed up with an American man and made it to the airport. Her troubles were not quite over as the security line was very long and it took her over 30 minutes to get through. Before we went to sleep we received the text that we had been waiting for – she was at the boarding gate. What should have been a relaxing journey for her had turned into a nightmare. So glad that she got through it.

Wednesday 11^th May – Check Out Time for Jens

After the trouble we have had finding a parking space at the hospital we decided to take the ferry over to Avignon. We decided to spend some time looking around prior to catching the bus to the hospital. Our first priority was to escape the drizzling rain and have a croissant and a shot of coffee. We ended up walking randomly through the pedestrian only laneways gazing into the multitude of shop fronts. At the Place Pie we found that the Halles Market was open so we went inside to see what was on offer. What a pleasant surprise it was as they were selling all manner of Provencal produce. Wandering through the various sections had my taste buds salivating. Needless to say we purchased a few products that should feed us for a couple of nights.

Over at the hospital Jens was sitting up and almost ready to be released. It is not a prison and he could have easily walked out without settling his account. They did have his contact details so we had to find a counter on the ground floor where he could pay. I went to reception and although there was a language barrier I managed to convey something which got us some assistance from an English speaking staff member. She was fantastic and her accent sounded like she was schooled at Downton Abbey. With her help Jens was able to pay his 990euro account for seven days accommodation and have all his records sent to Denmark. The cost of the stay was very reasonable considering the care and CT scan he received. I can’t imagine what this would have cost if it had occurred in the USA. We should have enlisted her help in organizing a taxi as this proved to be the most difficult part in getting Jens off the hospital premises. I had meanwhile caught the bus into Avignon to get Jens’ prescription filled and some much needed cash from the ATM.

The good news was that they eventually got a taxi and Jens managed to walk a considerable distance from the front gate to his camper. Hopefully this will continue to be the norm and he can finally enjoy himself. I know that he will miss Lilian’s company but Alice and I are not a bad support act.

Thursday 12^th May – On the Road Again

Well we are on the road again but it did not occur until about 11:30am due to our slow effort in packing up. After a week in Avignon it is time to say goodbye to what is a very beautiful town and camping area. We are going to travel on some minor roads to avoid the dreaded tollways and enjoy some of the French countryside. Our trip will take us north through the small towns of Bagnols and Barjac. There are plenty of roadside stalls selling fresh strawberries and asparagus and some of the scenery is breathtaking. One thing we have noted with the GPS is if you select the shortest route then there is a strong chance that you will be taken along some very narrow roads. At Barjac for example we were saved 200 metres off our route by being diverted through the centre of the old town. We just managed to get through.

We then travelled through Vallon-Pont d Arc where there is a plethora of camping grounds situated in close proximity to the river. Judging by the number of canoe operations there would appear to be a booming trade in river activities when the season warms up. Our destination is the Caverne Du Pont D’Arc which is situated on the Plateau du Razal about 10km further on from Vallon. The car-park had plenty of room for campers so whilst Alice was preparing lunch I went and bought our tickets (13euro)for the Caverne. I managed to secure a booking for 3:30pm which gave us plenty of time for lunch.

The good news is that Jens is able to join us for this excursion into the cave. Now here is the twist, it is not a cave but a replica not far from the original cave. I have to say that once we entered you felt that you were in the original cave. The paintings are said to be from the first artists in the history of humanity and have been carbon dated to 36,000 years ago. The detail in the charcoal paintings is amazing as they captured animals such as horses, rhinos, lions, mammoths, bears and bison in action and running. Given that we are in southern France Alice and I pondered the fact that lions and rhino were predominant in the paintings. There was plenty of walking involved and Jens pulled up fairly well after his excursion. He just has to remember the old nautical term “Dead slow ahead” and he should be fine.

As it was getting close to 5:00pm we chose to stay in Vallon at the International Camping Ground (23euro) on the banks of the L’Ardeche River. Sitting in our deck chairs, sipping wine and in my case guzzling beer as the river flowed swiftly below us was a great end afternoon. None of us felt like cooking so it was off to the restaurant for some steak and chips. At 9:30 we hit the sack and the last sound I heard was the thundering sound of the river as it crashed over the weir. It reminded me of the sound of crashing surf at Double Island Point, sweet memories.

Friday 13^th May – Aven d’Orgnac

We have really enjoyed this location so we have decided to stay an extra night and spend the day exploring the local region. About 20km away there is the Grand site Aven d’ Orgnac which is a huge limestone cave. Arriving just before 11:30 we were lucky enough to secure tickets for a tour at that time. Jens decided not to descend into the depths of the earth as there are over 700 steps. A lift has been installed that conveys visitors back to the surface. Did I say lucky our group consisted of another couple and about 30 excited school children. We descended down a flight of very wet steps to 55m where we could see the opening for the natural passage into the cave. It was discovered in 1935 by a team of speleologists led by Robert de Joly. We then climbed back up to 50m where we had an overall view of this huge chamber: it is 125m long and 90m wide, giving a surface area of over 1 hectare.

Our guide must have taken pity on us as he yelled out to the guide ahead of us if we and the other couple could join his English speaking tour. An affirmative reply was received so we quickly descended down to the next stop and joined his large group of two. This was an excellent result as the guide gave us some could information about the cave system. The formations in this section were formed by different flow rates and the best were a 10m tall ‘pine cone’ stalagmite and a ‘palm tree’ stalagmite more than 15m high. A series of stalactites and stalagmites grew together over time, forming a group called the ‘organ pipes’. In a niche there rests the funeral urn of the cave’s discoverer.

We descended down into another chamber and to a depth of 100m. There were formations of jellyfish and draperies which had a red colour and stood in strong contrast to the uncoloured white calcite. Our last stop in the third chamber was at a depth of 120m. Our guide promised a surprise and as we stood on a platform admiring the chamber he turned out the lights. It was pitch black and then we heard the strains of classical music before being treated to a sound and light show. It really highlighted the stupendous beauty of this natural spectacle.

Back on the surface we found Jens relaxing over a cup of coffee. He had spent his time visiting the Cite de la Prehistorie which was an exhibition of prehistoric man. It is an interactive display in French that take you on a voyage of 350,000 years. It is a good display which in English would have taken over an hour to visit. With the help of an English cheat sheet we sped through in 15minutes. After lunch we headed back to Vallon for a spot of shopping.

Alice and I decided on another drive which followed the route of the L’Ardeche River. There were some great views and we were constantly stopping to take photographs of the amazing scenery. After driving through a couple of tunnels that had been driven through the rock we came out at a fantastic site that lends its name to everything in the area. It is a natural limestone arch that spans the river and is simply called Pont d’ Arc. There were plenty of cars stopping in the car-park to get up close and personal with this natural phenomenon. We decided to continue on and after a series of switchbacks we were at the top of an escarpment. There was an opportunity to turnaround and after parking the camper we took in the panoramic view. Below us the river snaked its way through valleys and gorges, you could even see the bright shapes of the canoes that sped along on the current of the river. Going down was much easier than coming up as Alice wasn’t scared that I was going to drive off the edge.

Back at the camp we both raced into dynamic action. I quickly set up the camper while Alice started the preparation for tonight’s dinner. With the preparation done it was time to relax down by the river on our now dried deck chairs. The Weber was out and our pork filet and grilled vegetables were slowly roasting to perfection. A nice cheeky red that we had purchased earlier from the Lidl supermarket which seems to be modeled on Aldi complemented a great meal and the end to what was not a Black Friday.

Saturday 14^th May – Clermont – Ferrand

Today we are off to an early start and were travelling up route D579 just before 10:00am. Well by our standards it is an early start. I’m leading the way today and using old style navigation. Yes I am consulting a cartographers dream by using the road map of France. It is not a fast drive as there are heaps of roundabouts and small towns to drive through. It is like travelling between Brisbane and Sydney on the Pacific Highway prior to the bypasses being built. The road in general is following the river and passes signage indicating that there is no shortage of camping spots in this area.

After about one hour we took national road N102 and continued our journey north. It is interesting to note the different stores as you pass through the towns. Most have a patisserie, small fromage and a butcher. The butchers tend to cater for different types of meat. For instance if you want pork look for a picture of a pig and the large range of hams hanging in the window. At one of the legume stores Alice loaded up with fresh asparagus and sweet strawberries. The scenery however on this section of road was the highlight, mile after mile of jaw dropping landscape. The road continued to climb through a series of switchbacks which kept our Fiat in third gear. Near the summit there was a small waterfall which indicated that this was the source of the L’Ardeche River. Not long after this we emerged onto a plateau where we took a break for lunch. There was an abandoned restaurant nearby that had promised a Montana style dance. The epitaph for the restaurant should have read, American mid west comes to France and dies a natural death. As is always the case all the rest stops after ours were fantastic and sported picnic tables with great views. The countryside which is very green is awash with dairy farms and very fat, contented cows.

The last 50km of the journey was on the motorway and for once it was devoid of tolls. Our destination of Puy de Dome which is an old volcano is a little southwest of Clermont-Ferrand. We have chosen a site called Camping Indigo Royat (22.5euro). The facilities here are excellent and Alice is looking forward to a long hot shower. She wasn’t disappointed and even managed to wash and blow dry her hair. The little things do make a difference. Dinner tonight was again cooked on the Weber and the hamburger patties that we had purchased at the market in Avignon were delicious. The cold was starting to set in and I needed to don my parka whilst slaving over the barbeque. I watched in amazement as a young French girl clad in shorts and singlet happily played boule.

Sunday 15^th May – Bourges

I think last night would have been the coldest so far on the trip and this morning it is a chilly 8 degrees. Alice bless her heart has come to the rescue and made us all a spinach omelet. Jens is still feeling good and is raring to go on the next leg to Bourges. At the front of the park I was waiting on Alice and Jens to come out and lead the way. The camper soon appeared and pulled over in front of me. A couple of minutes later they started off and I dutifully followed. At the first intersection Alice came on the walkie talkie and instructed me too turn right. I replied that Jens had his left indicator on so when the light turned green I followed him left. Alice came on and said I told you to turn right. I was perplexed and couldn’t figure out why she was giving me these counter intuitive directions when I was right behind them. She gave me another instruction to take a particular exit at the next roundabout to which I agreed. Halfway down a steep hill the penny dropped, I was following the wrong camper and in the rear vision mirror there was Alice and Jens. I have been following him for nearly 4000km so I should know his camper is white and has bicycle racks. To add insult to injury the van I was following was grey with no racks. I’m lucky they came out of the park when they did or who knows where I would have ended up. The upside was that we did get a scenic tour of Clermont-Ferrand.

We made it out to the motorway and after about 10km the dreaded “T” word appeared, Tollway. After getting our ticket we spent the next 170km travelling at a comfortable speed towards the Bourges exit. The countryside is still green but it is mostly farming pastures. At the toll booth exit I had trouble once again. My credit card just would not work, after trying all combinations several ways and in two different slots. In the end I stuffed a 50euro note into the poker machine slot and was rewarded with 17.20euro in coins. Jackpot, the boom gate lifted and we were on our way to the Robinson Camping Ground. For 21.62euro a night this is a cracker of a campsite. The sites are wide, well planned out and close to a very clean amenities block. The real bonus is that it is only 1.5km to the city centre.

After a late lunch we all piled into our camper and drove a short distance to a large parking lot adjacent to the city centre. From here it was only a short walk to the main attraction, the Cathedral St. Etienne. As the symbolic figurehead of Capetian France against rival Plantagenet occupations in the south, The Cathedral of Bourges had to be a unique and grandiose monument. The Master of Bourges chose a floor plan without a transept and plastic effects that were revolutionary for the time. We had a tour inside and had the pleasure of listening to a singer whose voice was enhanced by the great acoustics. The stained glass windows were works of art and the huge organ dominated one end of the cathedral, the widest in France. Next to the cathedral is the Archbishop’s 17^th century garden with flower beds and immaculate borders. The weather was good so there was plenty of activity with children playing on the merry-go-round and adults sipping coffee and beer near the music pavilion.

We did not have a lot of time so to explore the old city quickly we boarded the “Petit Train” for a 45 minute excursion. The route took us past the majority of the attractions and the English audio guide explained the history. One of the highlights was travelling down Rue Bourbonnoux whose timber framed houses date back to 1487. It is a charming district with old book shops and antique dealers helping to preserve the medieval air of this street. There were Gallo- Roman ramparts, palaces and squares for us to admire. With our tour over Jens decided to take a coffee in the square as he declined to join us in a jaunt to climb the north tower of the cathedral. It was a good decision as the spiral staircase had 396 steps and rose to a height of 66 metres. The north tower was nicknamed the “Butter Tower” as it collapsed in 1506 and had to be rebuilt. I was out of breath when we emerged on to the rooftop but the view of the City made the effort worthwhile. We could even see Jens who was now sipping a beer.

It was getting late in the afternoon so we headed back to the camp ground and the last of the sunshine. When the sun was out my jacket was off but as soon as it disappeared there was a dramatic drop in temperature. On and off, on and off seemed to be the norm for my jacket this afternoon. Alice is having a wi-fi fix and after a beer Jens joined her. Me on the other hand braved the elements and sipped on a couple of cold Heinekens.

Monday 16^th May –  Villandry Chateau

Jens’ wi-fi time has been put to good use as he has found what appears to be a good campground on an island on the La’ Loire River about 250km away near Saumur. We are heading towards Tours and will take some minor roads to avoid the tolls and enjoy the scenery. Just prior to our departure we struck up a conversation with an Indian gentleman from Keil in Germany. He was a real character and said if he had known that there were fellow travelers from the Commonwealth then he would have been over for a beer. He was travelling towards Tours later in the morning and as we were going in the same direction he strongly suggested that we visit the Chateau and Gardens at Villandry.

With this in mind we set off on our journey that was supposed to avoid the tollway. Would you believe Jens did not set the nav man correctly and as a result we were back on the dreaded tollway. This time at least we were only on for 60km but that still cost 9.10euro. Once again I had trouble, this time it was Alice’s credit card that caused me grief. We had a few coins left over from yesterday’s debacle which was enough to open the gate to freedom. Once we were off the tollway it was a relaxing drive that took us past vineyards, farmland and through many small towns. In the distance we would occasionally spot the remnants of old buildings and chateaus. We did stop to try and buy some supplies but all the stores were closed after 12::30pm. About an hour later we pulled into Villandry and judging by the number of visitors it was a place that should not be missed. For 10.50euro each Alice and I were granted the pleasure of visiting the chateau and extensive gardens.

We took the suggestion of the ticket seller and did a tour of the chateau first. Villandry was built in 1536 and many of the 14 rooms we visited have been restored to their original elegance. The highlights for me were the art gallery which holds a good collection of Spanish art from the 17^th century. Most of the paintings on display are of religious works. The other highlight was the keep. After climbing the steps which have a slant of nearly 30 degrees you are rewarded with a birds eye view of the gardens, as well as a panoramic view of the valley.

After exiting the chateau we spent a delightful hour in the magnificent gardens that were restored by Joachim Carvallo in the early 1900’s. You could easily spend a couple of hours here looking at the many of the features including the ornamental, sun, water, herb gardens as well as the maze. We enjoyed the vegetable garden which is made up of nine squares of equal size but with different geometric patterns in each. The squares are planted with vegetables of alternating colours (the blue of the leeks, the red of the cabbages and beetroot, the jade green of the carrot tops) to create the illusion of a multi-coloured chess board.

After our tour we found Jens sipping a cup of coffee at a table on a narrow footpath. We could have stayed the night here as it is a free camp however Jens is out of gas which means he cannot cool the refrigerator or heat water. We decided to stick to our original plan and travel down the road for another 55km to Saumur. This section of the drive was excellent as we mostly followed the very wide Loire River. I suspect that flooding is an issue here as the road was built on top of a huge levee. There were many beautiful stone houses nestled below the protecting hulk of the levee. Just after 5:00pm we came to the outskirts of Saumur and crossed a bridge which deposited us on an island. We are staying at the rather hippie sounding Flower camping Ile d’ Offard which is supposed to be a four star park. We took a site for 19euro a night which has all you need, close to the swimming pool and the amenities block. For a couple of euro more we could have taken a site which would give us a view of the river and the imposing chateau on the far bank.

Avignon, City of the Popes and Hospitals

Wednesday 4^th May – Avignon, City of the Popes

Jens is a little better this morning so we bid him adieu and took a short walk down to the Rhone. It is a bright sunny day but the wind is still howling. There is a free boat shuttle that operates from Barthelasse Island where we are staying to the promenade beneath the city walls. After navigating our way through the narrow streets we emerged into a large square, the Place Du Palais.  Adjacent to the square was the imposing Palace of the Popes. It is the largest Gothic Palace and was home to the Sovereign Pontiffs in the 14^th century. The tour was one of the more enjoyable ones so far on this trip. The crowds were low so we could take our time and get a good feel for all of the 25 rooms including the chapel, cloister, ceremonial rooms and private papal apartments with faded but priceless frescoes. We finished the tour with a trip up to one of the castle towers which gave us a great view of the old city of Avignon.

The tummies were rumbling so we took lunch at one of the many restaurants that cling to the edge of the rectangular Place De L’Morloge. The mixed grill and omelets were just what we needed to fuel us for the remainder of the afternoon. We took a good ramble around the pedestrian only cobblestoned alleys and saw plenty of old churches. There were also plenty of restaurants doing a reasonable trade. The more busy streets were lined with high end fashion stores such as Zara, Jennyfer and Hermes. Lilian decided she had seen enough and went back to Barthelasse Island to spend time with Jens.

Alice and I climbed a few steps and visited the Cathedral adjacent to the palace. The frescoes on the roof were great but the stained glass windows were outstanding works of craftsmanship. Afterwards we continued our upward journey to the highest point of the old city, the Rocher Des Doms. I have no idea what the translation means but it is a beautiful garden that was commissioned by one of the popes. It is a tranquil location and there are of course great views looking out over the Rhone Valley.

One of the last sights we visited for the day was the Pont Saint-Benezet which is a major part of Avignon history. The bridge was built in the 13^th century and has been damaged several times by floods of the Rhone River. It was rebuilt several times up to the 17^th century. The stone bridge still continues to stand the test of time by jutting out halfway into the fast flowing Rhone. About a third of the way out there is a small chapel that you can visit. After our tour we decided to take a punt and try a river cruise on one of the grand boats of Provence. We had no idea where they departed from so we headed off in the direction where some river-cruise boats were tethered to the bank. It turned out to be a good choice as all the boats depart from Allees De L’oulle. We made it just in time to catch the 4:15pm departure (9euro) for a one hour outing. On another boat a disco cruise was just finishing. The empty wine bottles on the table and tired looking septuagenarians who could not get up and dance to the strains of Patrick Hernandez belting out “Born To Be Alive” was testament to a great afternoon out. We on the other hand boarded our slightly older vessel and headed up river to the accompanying smell of diesel fumes that were soon carried away on the back of the wind. Our cruise took us past the base of Pont Saint-Benezet and the Rocher des Doms gardens before heading downstream to Fort Saint-Andre and Philip the Fair’s Tower. The English audio guide which was free gives you some good information about the river and the sights. It was a great little detour but we were slightly envious of those souls who were ensconced aboard those luxurious riverboats. We caught one of the last ferries back to the island and rejoined Jens and Lilian.

Thursday 5^th May- Blazing Sirens

It is another beautiful day but not unfortunately for Jens. He had a bad night and this morning he is having even more difficulty breathing. It is impossible for him to even manage a few steps without gasping for air. We have made a decision to try and get a doctor to visit him at the camper. I went off to reception to try and organize some help for him. Even with the language issues I was able to convey the seriousness of the issue. The staff were very understanding and contacted a doctor (I think). With sign language and the help of the female manager we figured out that the doctor needed to ask Jens some questions rather than getting it secondhand through me. The manager came with me to the camper and acted as a translator between Jens and the doctor. The conclusion was that an ambulance would be called to transport him to the hospital. Fifteen minutes later the manager was guiding the ambulance to the camper and once again assisted with translation. I have to say that without her help we would have been up the creek. The three strapping para-medics took one look at him and could see that he was not well. After strapping him in a wheelchair they carried him to the ambulance. I accompanied him and with sirens blaring we headed off through the streets of Avignon to the hospital. Fifteen minutes later Jens was wheeled into emergency and I was wheeled into the waiting room.

Around 11:00am I was able to speak to a male nurse who had some English. He told me that Jens was on oxygen with medicine and it would be about 4 hours before I could see him. I decided to work out the public transport from the hospital and take a trip into the old town for lunch. When I found the bus stop I figured out that I could catch the route 2 and 6 from the hospital for the princely sum of 1.30euro.  I was a bit lucky as a number 2 bus turned up unexpectedly. Would you believe it today is a public holiday celebrating the end of World War 2 and of course the route 6 isn’t operating and route 2 is on a 50 minute headway. The driver was very helpful and pointed out where to get off and catch a return bus. Given the limited headway I took the precaution of checking the timetable for the bus back to the hospital.

I wandered around the old town for a bit hoping that I might run into Alice and Lilian. No luck with that but I suspect that we crossed paths a few times. I ended up settling on a restaurant in a square lined with trees and restaurant tables. The salad and white wine was just what I needed after such a hectic morning. I was just finishing off my wine when I felt something wet on my head. When I touched it my fingers came away painted white and green with pigeon poo. I looked up and there perched on a light pole was the rear end of a large grey pigeon whom I could swear was cooing with delight. As I finished wiping the mess from my balding scalp I could see some couples at another table grinning in my direction. It also brought a smile to my face for the first time today.

I caught the bus back to the hospital and was eventually allowed in to see Jens just before 4:00pm. He was sitting up in bed hooked up to oxygen and a drip, looking a lot better than this morning. After storing his clothes, setting up his phone and chatting for a bit it was time to catch the 5:10pm bus back to the City. It is about a twenty minute walk across the old town to the ferry and I made it in plenty of time before the last departure at 6:15pm.

After such a hectic day we decided to have a meal at the camping ground restaurant. The waitress had a bubbly personality and made up for the short comings of the meal.

Friday 6^th May – Visiting Hours

Jens is a new man now that he has access to his mobile phone. Lilian has been bombarded with requests and instructions and as a result I have a full backpack of goodies to deliver. Just before we left he advised us that he had been moved to another room. What room, I guess we will try and figure that out when we arrive.

It isn’t public holiday today so there are plenty of trips on the two routes travelling to the hospital. We arrived just after midday and alas the reception counter was unattended. Lilian found a ticket machine and after a couple of minutes we were called to a counter. The gentleman who attended me was kind but unable to understand English so he asked one of his female colleagues to help. After a few minutes she was able to give us Jens’ new room. When we got there he was with his doctor having a consultation. I was allowed in as I had his bag which was full of his medicine. This was handed to the doctor who must have gotten writer’s cramp as she catalogued his prescription medicine. After the doctor left we all sat around his bed and discussed his health and general business. He is still on oxygen and now has a drip feeding him penicillin. On Monday he is scheduled for a chest scan so that means that Lilian will have to take the TGV train to Paris. After annoying Jens for a couple of hours we left him to his own devices.

Back in the old town of Avignon prior to taking a late lunch in the main square I managed to purchase Lilian a train ticket (90euro) on the TGV from Avignon to Charles De Gaulle airport. Given the time of day there were not many tourists in the restaurants. We chose one that had a reasonable menu and were soon scoffing down a very good salad and some pasta. Our campervan supplies are running low and luckily Alice spotted a supermarket that was cleverly hidden next to a McDonalds. When we descended into the store we were hit with a blast of cold air. The air-conditioning was set at a temperature to make an Eskimo shiver or to get you out of the store quickly. In our case that is what happened, Lilian and Alice motored around the aisles in record time. Time was marching on and by the time we had caught the ferry it was nearly 6:00pm.

After the late lunch all we needed was a light meal and a glass of wine. Lilian whipped up some Bruschettas which we complemented with a couple of cheeses.

Saturday 7^th May – Wine and Culture Tour

I bid the girls farewell just before lunch as I am off to visit Jens for the afternoon. They are off on a wine appreciation tour and a trip through the countryside to Orange in the heart of Provence. They visited a large Imperial Roman Theatre, built in the first century under the reign of Augustus. The amphitheatre is still used for performances. Beside the theatre there is also the magnificent ruins of a temple where Romans used to worship their Emperor. Their trip was rounded off with a visit to a chocolate factory. Judging by the bag full of chocolate treats that Alice brought back, I would have to say that they enjoyed it.

My trip to the hospital is getting to be straight forward as there are plenty of buses on a Saturday. Jens is looking a lot better but he is very tired. It isn’t from his illness but from a patient in the next bed who would be your worst nightmare in a public hospital. Apparently he screamed for most of the night and kept the nurses on their toes. Jens thinks he managed about three hours sleep. The only problem is that he has slept most of the morning. Whilst I was there I witnessed about three episodes where he started yelling for people like his Mama. Good luck tonight, Jens! We chatted for a while but Jens lost concentration when he was given authority for internet usage. Only problem was that he could not decipher the internet code. It was eventually solved when we got a doctor to translate the document. In the end all Jens had to do was send me down to reception and they would give me the codes. By 2:15pm Jens was surfing the net and looking like he had just had a fix of cocaine, a very happy patient. I stayed for a couple of more hours before catching the route 6 back to the old town.

I picked up some supplies, including beer, for dinner tonight. With a heavy backpack I decide to visit the Petit Palais Museum. Due to the lateness of the day there were only a couple of people in the museum. In fact there were more staff than visitors.  The museum has an outstanding collection of Italian and Provencal paintings from the late 13^th to the early 16^th centuries. As you move through the various rooms you can see the style of the paintings subtly evolving. The major theme is of course religion and Mary with her Infant takes centre stage. In the early rooms there is a good collection of Romanesque and Gothic Avignon sculptures.

I just missed the ferry and was the last one allowed on when it returned for another crossing. Alice and Lilian returned from their tour around 6:30pm. I was in charge of dinner tonight so the Webber was dragged out, hamburgers with roasted vegetables was the Chef’s choice.

Sunday 8^th May – Pont du Gard

This morning we have decided to start the camper up and take a 25 km drive to visit the Unesco World Heritage site of Pont du Gard. I had a rough idea which way we had to travel but I trusted the GPS to do the job for me. Instead of taking me on the faster highway route it saved me a few hundred metres by taking me through the suburbs that had more speed bumps than a street that has been traffic calmed by the Brisbane City Council. Eventually we pulled into the parking lot (18euro for a car and five passengers) and took the short 400 metre walk to view this three tiered aqueduct. It was once part of a 50km-long system of water channels and built around 50AD to transport water from Uzes to Nimes. The engineering is audacious and the scale huge: 48.8m high, 275m long and graced with 35 precision-cut arches. Each block was carved by hand and transported here from nearby quarries and some of the largest blocks weigh over 5 tonnes – no mean feat. The river which the bridge crosses is crystal clear and ideal for swimming in the summer months. We took a walk over the bridge to get a feel for the scale of it and then took a walking trail that winds upstream. It takes you through typically Mediterranean scrubland and offers some of the beat bridge views. There was also a 50 metre long tunnel that had been hewn by hand through the mountain.

Back behind the wheel again and we set the GPS to take us to the Avignon TGV station and then the hospital. This was a trial run so we knew what to expect when we drop Lilian off. For once everything went smoothly. Jens had been moved to another room just after midnight as his bed mate was playing up again. He had been given a few sleeping tablets but they only slowed him down temporarily. From what Jens said it was a hectic few hours. He is looking good but it is still too early to tell if he has shaken off what is ailing him. Around 3:00pm the nurses moved him to another room where he gets the prime position next to a window that has a decent view of a park. Jens has nothing but compliments for the professionalism and kindness of the nurses and doctors.

We eventually left and headed down to the car-park for the short trip back to the camping ground. The GPS took a route that looked dubious to me but I followed it until we reached the city walls. When it told me to turn right into the old city I ignored the so and so as I knew what that honeycomb of narrow lanes would do to the auto-camper. It kept trying to turn me into the City and I kept on ignoring it. By sticking to my guns I eventually found a bridge that would take us onto Barthelasse Island and the camping ground.

It looks like II am in charge of preparing dinner so the Masterchef is whipping up a signature dish, Spaghetti Bolognaise. Just before dinner we received the first sprinkles of rain that has been predicted for the next couple of days. The meal of course was delicious.

Monday 9^th May – Nimes

As predicted the weather today is overcast with intermittent showers. Nevertheless we thought a trip to Nimes which is 55km south would be worth the effort. We set off a little after 10:00 and by ignoring the Nav B… made very good time to Remoulains before diverting off to Nimes. On the outskirts of this rather large City I keyed in the Costieres Stadium which is supposed to be good for Campervan Parking. There is also a trambus (about the size of an articulated bus) that we can catch right to the Roman Arena. Only problem with this idea is that most of the parking was taken up by a large market and the only area had a high boom gate which was okay for cars but would have taken the roof off the camper. I ended up mounting the footpath and executed a pretty reasonable ‘U’ turn. We had to continue down the road to find a roundabout to head back out again. There was a roundabout however there was a large shopping centre on the right so I parked up on a clear piece of bitumen whilst the girls attacked the shopping centre. 

Eventually they emerged with a trolley full of goodies which included a carton of Heineken beer. One thing about the beer over here is that it is generally sold in a 250ml bottle. It would be interesting to know the reasoning behind this. Anyhow it is past lunch but we don’t want to have it in this particular car park as the spaces are filling up quickly. There is no time left to visit the Roman Arena so we hit the road and headed towards Avignon. About 10km out of Nimes we found a good spot to pull over for lunch. After a bite to eat we hit the road again and I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of other campers pulled over for lunch.

When we reached the hospital I thought like Sunday that there would be plenty of options for parking. No way, it was like trying to get a park at Garden City to buy your Christmas presents. Given our size I didn’t even try to hang around the lot in the hope of snagging a spot. I dropped the girls off and headed up the road to look for a quiet spot. I found it on the edge of a cycle-way, outside the auspicious doors of a crematorium. At 4:00 I picked up the girls who gave an update on Jens. He is now off the oxygen but is still taking soluble penicillin that he says tastes like sh… His chest x-ray is now scheduled for tomorrow afternoon so we don’t expect him to be released for at least a few more days.

I decided to try a new tactic with the GPS and entered a furphy address to get me to the bridge which will give us easy access to the campground. In the end I ignored most of the directions and had a hassle free trip back. Dinner tonight was grilled asparagus, potato and pork schnitzel with a béarnaise sauce. The food was excellent however the girls turned their noses up at the sauce.