janesadventures

Tuesday 10th July Spend the morning by the pool then head to a local creperie for lunch.  Really delicious savoury and sweet crepes and a lovely place to eat.  Basic menu but done really well.  Fantasise again about new plans - maybe we should  set up a bar with good food and good acoustic music.  Maybe some DJs.  Discussion gets stuck when we try to think where this should be - France? if so where as its a massive country or Ibiza?? which is the choice of my boys.  Back to the house and 2 people have already left for england and work.  Its the start of the exodus! Wednesday 11th July Can’t believe its been a week since our boys arrived and they are off today.  They are getting a lift back to London with a friend who is leaving in his car.  Head to the local village for provisions to make them jambon beurre sandwiches for the journey.  Say goodbye and off they go.  Then - 30 mins later they are back as one of them has forgotten their mobile phone!  Off they go again

staying put Thursday 5th July   Weather not brilliant - cool and drizzly so spend the day around the farmhouse and have a walk around the village.  Its very pretty, with a lovely church and bells that chime every hour, (twice!)  and 2 very sweet donkeys in a field. Long lunch and supper followed by musical entertainment provided by Geoff and Hugh on the guitars.  Really good. Friday 6th July Visit medieval town of Noyes.  As we drive over it seems as if the clouds are breaking up and we can see clear sky.  Try not to get too excited that the weather is improving and try not to keep talking about it.  Lovely long lunch with discussions ranging from how we should buy a french chateau and set up activities with all our varying skills through to reminiscing about greek bathrooms in the 1980s.  Sun comes out so spend time in the garden and pool then head into Avallon for a  meal out in the evening .  Lovely french restaurant with something for everyone which is pretty goo

moving on ... Looking over my last posts realise I have called chamois chamoix! Apologies.  Chamois are animals that are mix between deer and goats and are really lovely, chamoix is a place -  it is chamois I was talking about. Saturday 30th June Its been a hot day.  Head into Pierre de Bresse for mosquito  repellant supplies and to find an internet cafe.  On the way back it starts to thunder, which  isn’t surprising given the heat then it starts to rain.  Sit in the van in the rain listening to John Martin’s Solid Air  when we hear loud thuds on the roof of the van.  Really loud.  It sounds like branches from trees are falling on the van but it can’t be.  Look out and realise it is hail stones - some as big as golf balls.  It is still warm and it must have been 30 degrees today.  What is going on?  I need a geography student to explain to me what has occurred! Sunday 1st July Steady rain.  All day.  Rather like last sunday. Head to the foothills of the Jura mounta

This is the second instalment of ‘Travels in a camper van’ (mind you, the first instalment written 12 months ago was only read by 1 person) We are travelling around France for 3 weeks - myself and my partner Geoff Sample who is a wildlife sound recordist and author.  It is part holiday, part work trip for Geoff and an adventure for me.  It is also the longest time I have ever had off work for over 30 years.  I am very excited.  I hope it doesn’t rain all the time. Friday 22nd June The adventure begins.  Head to Berwick upon Tweed to get the train to Newcastle, then on to Birmingham (well the black country to be precise) to spend the night with my parents in my home town.  Arrive in Newcastle with 50mins to spare before the Birmingham train so decide to say hallo to younger son who is working in a bar nearby. Couldn’t see him in the bar and he doesn’t know I’m dropping in so turn to leave when I hear someone shouting my name.  I see 3 men drinking beer and calling me over