The great escape ...

sapto · Sep 16, 2016

@GrannyJen are you heading back home already? Great to read your story!

calimera · Sep 16, 2016

Many thanks for your entertaining write ups of " The great escape ...."
We are heading from Plymouth to Roscoff on Sunday for 2 wks , our first trip abroad in Grace . So excited . Have a vague plan , contacted some campsites to check still open . Heading where the sun is ...
Have a good & safe journey home x

Hotel California · Sep 16, 2016

Leave some for us , we leave home this sunday heading France .
Probally in thru Luxembourg and then head south thru the pre-alpes , don't know how high up the mountains we will go , until Beaumes-de-Venise, close to the Mont Ventoux (Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'azur) visiting my wife's brother who lives there.

The fact lots of (free)aires are busy or even full is due the end of the summer on the westcoast as now the retired people head of south for winter .
Some in the big whites travel up to Marrokko , south Spain , travelling for weeks in etappes trough France not using Campsites but only free aires to save money ....some stay south until april/may when the season starts up again.
Met a Belgian once on the way in France , he travelled allone up to Marrokko in his campervan .

Profitez de votre derniere jours en France , GJ , buvez un bonne verre a votre sante ...et prenez quelques boutielles pour a la maison!

Skylark2.0 · Sep 16, 2016

It's lovely to read something so jolly (joli Wim?!) on the forum.
Thanks!

GrannyJen · Sep 16, 2016

sapto said:
@GrannyJen are you heading back home already? Great to read your story!

I am starting, or mostly finished the trek home.

Sadly a hospital appointment was brought forward to next Wednesday, (so that I could escape the following week

) so I have had to sacrifice a couple of days off this trip to squeeze everything in.

GrannyJen · Sep 16, 2016

hotel california said:
Leave some for us , we leave home this sunday heading France .
Probally in thru Luxembourg and then head south thru the pre-alpes , don't know how high up the mountains we will go , until Beaumes-de-Venise, close to the Mont Ventoux (Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'azur) visiting my wife's brother who lives there.

The fact lots of (free)aires are busy or even full is due the end of the summer on the westcoast as now the retired people head of south for winter .
Some in the big whites travel up to Marrokko , south Spain , travelling for weeks in etappes trough France not using Campsites but only free aires to save money ....some stay south until april/may when the season starts up again.
Met a Belgian once on the way in France , he travelled allone up to Marrokko in his campervan .

Profitez de votre derniere jours en France , GJ , buvez un bonne verre a votre sante ...et prenez quelques boutielles pour a la maison!

Merci Wim, et je vous assure que Albert est plein avec des bouteilles! Bon voyage pour votre journée!

Your explanation of why the aires are full is a brilliant one. I now have images of the migration of Sperm wales to tropical waters in the winter!

I researched the movement of peoples in the western world as part of my thesis. Sadly I stopped at the 19th Century as the winter migration of Great whites from Northern Europe to Southern Iberia could have been a nice finish

briwy · Sep 16, 2016

When we first went to the Pyrenees many years ago we went out walking with a guide.
He said that September was called the 'string vest' month because that was when all the old folk arrived

GrannyJen · Sep 16, 2016

briwy said:
When we first went to the Pyrenees many years ago we went out walking with a guide.
He said that September was called the 'string vest' month because that was when all the old folk arrived

The pyrenee's must be like the Rockies and Sierra ranges were to the pioneers who emigrated westwards over the Oregon trail.

They had to get through the Sierra before the winter snows and if held up would either have to turn back or risk life and limb.

I am now conjuring up images of a modern day Donner party all stuck in their great whites on top of the pyrenees because they spent too long stocking up on cheap booze in France.

Hotel California · Sep 16, 2016

briwy said:
When we first went to the Pyrenees many years ago we went out walking with a guide.
He said that September was called the 'string vest' month because that was when all the old folk arrived

Thats why this old guy is leaving sunday....but only for two weeks.

Not saying all campers heading south Spain , but there is a migration.
I visit a Belgian camper forum also frequent , and i read lots of post on "overwintering in Spain"

sapto · Sep 16, 2016

hotel california said:
Thats why this old guy is leaving sunday....but only for two weeks.

Not saying all campers heading south Spain , but there is a migration.
I visit a Belgian camper forum also frequent , and i read lots of post on "overwintering in Spain"

Look forward to your review and lots of pictures!

sapto · Sep 16, 2016

GrannyJen said:
I am starting, or mostly finished the trek home.

Sadly a hospital appointment was brought forward to next Wednesday, (so that I could escape the following week ) so I have had to sacrifice a couple of days off this trip to squeeze everything in.

So I hope everything is going to turn well next Wednesday and Albert is patiently waiting in front of the exit to start your escape 2.1

GrannyJen · Sep 17, 2016

So, with a slight sadness in my heart we set off back for home.

The Aire at Neufchâtel provided a break from the driving, which was uneventful despite the heavy rain that fell all day.

We arrived at Eurotunnel this morning, did some shopping, got on the train.....

And am still on the train :sad

Signalling problems in the tunnel..... Been sat on this train for an hour so far having boarded an hour late due to problems last night

briwy · Sep 18, 2016

hotel california said:
Thats why this old guy is leaving sunday....but only for two weeks.

Not saying all campers heading south Spain , but there is a migration.
I visit a Belgian camper forum also frequent , and i read lots of post on "overwintering in Spain"

Hope you remembered your vest Wim.
Mines packed ready for the Pyrenees next week.

GrannyJen · Sep 18, 2016

sapto said:
So I hope everything is going to turn well next Wednesday and Albert is patiently waiting in front of the exit to start your escape 2.1

The week after I am going to the hugely exotic industrial north-west of England, to see Mum and also to see other family, and then to the more pleasant rural Somerset to have two nights visiting old friends. Another superb use for Albert, he will be my bedroom parked on someone's drive, then again in someone's field and then on to another drive