Headin' Down the Highway

Greyrocks set off on 1st October on a mission! The schedule had been planned with military  precision. First we shared a taxi up to Chania airport as  Ruth  would struggle with luggage on the bus and the timing was unhelpful. We flew into Gatwick on a full Easyjet flight and took a train to Balham where we were to stay in the Travelodge which is very convenient for everything and was nearing completion when we left the country eight years ago.

 

Feeling the need for a good old British Indian and it being Curry Night at Wetherspoons, we visited The Moon under Water and partook of their offering and some longed-for real ale. The pub has not improved at all with the years, but it was a rich re-entry into British culture! Next day we walked down to the old house and met up with our helpers to get a lot of stuff out of the loft for transporting to Chloë 's new house in Bristol. She was most interested in the boxes of vinyl albums and the hi-fi system, but we also took kitchenware, bedlinen and small items of furniture. Fortunately the weather was being kind so as we found things we stacked them outside the house and kept an eye on then until we had collected the hired van from Putney. There were some hitches with this - the most important of which was that we had to accept a longer and taller model than we had booked, with consequent increased road fear! The next morning Bob was back outside the old house doing a six stage manoeuvre to get the van out of its parking spot. We then set off map-less but confident at 6.20 am to get to the A4 by a hump-less route. Something went wrong in Fulham and we found ourselves heading back over the Thames at Putney. It was still dark! Several other navigational errors happened culminating in us being at the south end of Hammersmith Bridge facing width restrictors. We diverted down a residential road to effect a turnabout and found an Ocado delivery van flashing its lights. Another challenging manoeuvre to get us out of that! Then it was plain sailing down to Easton, Bristol, where CandJ had attempted to save a spot outside for unloading, but it wasn't going work, so Bob took the van round to the back gate and everyone including lodger set to in unloading everything from teddy bear, through guitar to massive floor speakers.

 

Inevitably there were errors:- we had inadvertently brought part of a hated set of crockery, most of the baking tins had rusted, heirlooms we wanted to leave behind had travelled, and a music centre had arrived without its mains lead, but there was much excitement, and it felt like a watershed moment in family life. Bob went with Jack to take the van to the nearby depot, and later J's mum came to help and also drove us to the field near the airport (in some shocking Saturday afternoon traffic) where we found Yvette waiting for us and ready to start first-time. Definitely a good service!

 

We drove back to the hotel at Cribbs Causeway, sorted out the car and collapsed so that all plans for exotic dinners were abandoned in favour of standard English grub next door

 

On Sunday morning we raided Morrisons for the winter's specialist goods, and then took  a bus to Horfield to meet the niece, her partner (our project manager chez Chloë) and kids, plus CandJ for lunch at their chosen pub with play space. It was a fine, long meal with plenty of common interests, and the sun shone so the kids could be let loose outside. Chloë reported that after we left her house the household reconnected the turntable etc and had tried it out on an old Manfred Mann album. She is cherishing her heritage!

 

By next morning the weather had broken, and Greyrocks was due to drive to Hampshire to take Ruth's father out for lunch. It was a straightforward route, but conditions were awful - especially on the A34. This wasn't helped by a deteriorating windscreen wiper! It didn't stop raining all day, but we had a good meal in a local pub, and also later met Ruth's sister and brother-in-law, and then stayed overnight locally before setting off for France. 

 

But, first, we had to get to Dover, and it was still pouring, so we used the motorway-based route and resisted through torrents. Fortunately it had stopped by Dover, we were allowed onto an earlier ferry and had our easiest crossing ever! During the drive down to Rouen we had spells of rain again, but not so heavy. Once near the city Greyrocks began another run of navigation problems finding a hotel. It happens repeatedly despite printed maps. In this case the issue was references to an Intermarche supermarket and we were circumnavigating (during the rush hour) the wrong one!

 

This was an unremarkable overnight stop in a standard unmodernised Premiere Classe. We thought we would be able to walk to neighbouring Campanile as we often do in other places, but it was too far so drove round the area and found a very good Chinese buffet:- not our expected first French meal for more than five months, but some nice dishes!

 

The route to Tours via Le Mans is now familiar - including the easterly wide sweep round Rouen that we now prefer, and it is largely toll-free and quiet so this was an easy day with good weather and we could walk to the Campanile for dinner, and find a place that would fit new wipers next morning.

 

Greyrocks is also familiar with the route down past Poitiers to the land of our old friend George. Since selling his business and following a failed house purchase he has moved into a rented property in the nearby village of S Germain de Confolens. We had suffered some difficulties in finding accommodation nearby for the two nights, but had then settled on chambre d'hote very close:-La Grange Terrou. Karen the owner had said she knew G's house and it was at the end of the road, so we hadn't done enough locational research - knowing that there is not much in the village, but we failed again, hindered by a closed bridge and eventually found ourselves close to where we had stayed last spring. Suddenly into view, speeding on his racing bike, came one of the owners of that property, who remembered us and knew both places were sought. Sorted!

 

First we located the chambre d'hote, and it was magnificent, although rather remote! We were the only guests and had a beautiful room. The communal lounge and dining room are also classically and opulently furnished. We were very happy with the choice. We then found George's place, which is indeed at the end of the road! This is an old watermill, with a bizarre interior including bare rock. We stayed for an early meal and arranged a lunch out for the next day. We were told that a number of restaurants we have visited over the years have closed, so we were taken to the small village of Mouterre-sur-Blourde. Greyrocks' Trip Advisor review says it all! In the evening we retuned to base and were plied with sloe gin during a fireside conversation with Karen and Robert. This covered a great deal of ground and rounded off a very pleasant (and sunny) couple of days. The only downside was what happened to Yvette reversing out of George's very steep driveway. The smell of burning clutch was with us for many days!

 

The next stage had been planned to be to Rodez. No real navigational problems, but a planning one:- Ruth had miscalculated the distance and the second part of the journey was unexpectedly long and tedious! We didn't get to see much of the town, but had a relaxing night both staying and eating at the Campanile. We are still smarting at the restaurant bill, however, as an expected discount didn't happen, so no more Campanile for Greyrocks unless staying at cheapo P Classe!

 

Sunday morning is a good time for serious journeys in France, so even though we started on the gruelling N88, we were soon crossing the Millau viaduct but without the views as it was misty. We made it to Lattes in time to visit the small Carrefour beside the market place, and wander through the huge range of stalls of the Sunday market. Then could check in to the mobile home and partially unpack. The weather was beautiful, so we spent a few hours at Port Ariane.

 

 

The nine day stay at our favourite mobile home site was planned - in part - to compensate for the truncated one in April when Ruth's Mum died. We knew the weather was likely to be dodgy, and it was! Several days and nights saw dramatic rain :- not as bad as the inondation of a previous time. Nonetheless Bob did a few bike rides, and we had a trip to the seaside at Palavas. We took a tram into Montpellier one evening - and it wasn't raining! We wandered round a little at the Oeuf then had dinner at one of the brasseries near Comedie then came home, but as we still had valid tram tickets did a morning visit the next day in very pleasant sunshine. On a wet Saturday it was Montpellier again by tram to go to the Diagonal cinema after a lunch at L'Assiette Au Bouef  which qualifies for  cheap tickets (It's a good meal, too!) We saw the new Woody Allen film "Irrational Man" in English. Pretty good! This video catches the flavour of Central Montpellier.

Looking back this doesn't seem much activity for more than a week, but with Ruth's mobility and tactile problems plus the rain the scope was limited, but we did really relax and we had to deal midway with a techy crisis after the laptop would not connect to the internet (whilst the Hudl would). After hours spent on fruitless self-help we looked up a suitable repair place, took it in and left it for two days, but it came back in better shape than before and at an acceptable cost. Should you ever need IT repairs in Herault Greyrocks recommends!

Towards the end the weather was grim once again and on Sunday when we ventured out we were reminded of the "charming and egalitarian" French practice of closing everything by lunchtime or not opening at all. Even the two restaurants at the hypermarket, which should have been open, weren't and we had to resort to Buffalo Grill for our Sunday dinner!

During Monday there was a major re-packing and washing of Yvette and a good last meal. Next day (20th) we drove straight to the parking place at Girona airport in good conditions, and got an earlier train than planned to Barca airport, where we saw a bus that looked as if it had done the same journey in rather less time! This didn't use to be possible:- a bit of research needed for next year! Bob was reluctantly out of shorts and sandals at this point and this was wise given the chill during the wait for the hotel shuttle, but we had a quiet evening, great value meal, good breakfast and took the shuttle back next morning for the Vueling flight. There was a huge and badly managed bag-drop queue, the plane was full and included badly behaved French and the ubiquitous Italians, and we suffered an hour of serious turbulence, but we are home now and all is well!