Ugh! I thought as I dragged Tanya from her warm bed & headed out to 'Saltdean' playing field for a very early morning dark cold and wet walk. The early rise and doggy toilet walk was a necessity as the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry would see Tanya back in her warm bed for a few more hours.
"Aww. Your Tanya is a really old doggy isn't she". Said the ferry check in lady as she scanned both our passports.
Bump, bump, bump as we entered the large yellow DFDS ferry up the severely corrugated metal ramps. At least there was no cramming us in like sardines on this trip. The car / motorhome deck was not even a quarter full. I'm sat in the restaurant at present and although it isn't quite the 'Marie Celeste' it is certainly the emptiest ferry I've been on.
About an hour to go till we fetch Dieppe and the sky is brightening with no rain. Looks like we may have a pleasant drive ahead to start off our slow meander South.
'Routot' a small Normandie village, of no special significance, is where I've settled for the night. On a level car park outside what, at one time, was the Mairi and opposite the large Norman Church with its hourly bells. You get used to 'the bells' here in France. I escape them more on my return trip when country/wood areas are drier and more suitable for true 'wild' camping. For now though, I'll forgo the cold wet & muddy fields and tracks for some level tarmac albeit it comes with bells. At least I know the correct time.
.........
'Chateuroux' tonight after a pleasant days driving across expansive agricultural plains. I am always awed by the sheer size of France and its vast interior criss crossed as it is with silky smooth and Roman straight roads. There is a nerd in me who loves nothing more than cruising sedately along these gorgeous roads while surveying the terrain from a comfy, warm and 'high up' seat.
This year there is an added bonus in the form of the 80k speed limit on all 'non dual carriageway' roads recently introduced by the Macron government. 80k (50mph)is a very pleasant speed to wander the 'D' roads of rural France. This year everyone else is doing the same speed and apart from the odd 'sod this new Macron law' renegade it seems most drivers are towing the line and sticking to the speed limit. All in all it gives a very pleasant relaxed driving experience.
The only Downside is that many villages & hamlets have also reduced their speed limits from 50k (30mph) to 30k (20mph) which, in many cases, is emphasised by hefty speed humps. If the 'Gillet Jaune' protestors do not get government to change the speed limits back to what they were it will be interesting to watch the statistics on RTA deaths to see if indeed it reduces them. Personally I would like to see the same limits introduced in the UK. Not only in respect of reducing accidents but also as an environmental enhancer. Simply put, less speed means less fuel used.
What is not quite so pleasant is the bitter cold. Our early morning walk around 'Bonneval' this morning noted that several parts of the historic moat surrounding the town had a thin crust of ice on. Brrrr! Good job my van is warm & cosy.
Ken and Joyce enjoyed some of that cosyness last night. The leisure battery in their Moho was flat so I invited them round to watch 'Les Miserable' on my TV. Yes. My TV. I actually got it working as we were still just within range for my satellite dish to pick up UK TV. We all had a very pleasant and very late evening. I'm going to miss the last episode though as I will definitely be too far South by next Sunday.
Right I'm off for a shower. A nice hot campsite shower in a heated shower block. I'm in a campsite as I missed the free Aire and couldn't be bothered to go back to find it. So I parted with €16.00 in exchange for electric hook up (saves gas) & of course the previously mentioned hot shower. Plus Chatearoux seems a very nice place & Tanya thoroughly approved of the lakeside walk with all its accompanying doggy sniffs. She may be getting old, and going blind, and just now got a bit of a limp, but she still loves her sniffy walks.
Brrrr.... it's still damm cold out there!
Nb. No piccy's as am having probs publishing/uploading.
