first days

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.  I have absolutely no idea who they are but I go over to be polite and tell them they have the right name but wrong person.  One of them then tells me we were at school together  - I didn’t recognise him but then we hadn’t seen each other since a friends wedding 25 years earlier.  Fellow yam yams!!   They had been to a Bruce Springsteen concert the night before and were having a beer before getting the train home. Out of all the bars in Newcastle they had chosen the bar my son works in.  They were also getting the same train as me.  What a strange event!  Had a beer together and a craick - lovely to see them and it made me remember how much I enjoy the black country humour and banter.

Saturday 23rd June

Off to Oxford to rendezvous with Geoff and the camper van.  He had been in London to take part in a ‘Supersonics’ festival at the Natural History Museum and had left the van with friends Patti and Hugh who live in an Oxfordshire village.  (more about Patti and Hugh in the coming weeks).  Had time to kill before heading for the ferry so spent an hour at the village summer fete,which was held in the grounds of the local manor house.  It was great, just like being in an episode of Midsomer Murders - half expected Barnaby and Troy to discover a body in the pond, under the lily pads!  Headed for Dover (via a chinese takeaway in Ashford) and the 1am ferry to Calais.

Sunday 24th June

4am - driving through the dark, raining semi industrial flatlands of northern france with Madonna’s ‘Ray of light’ on the CD player for company.

After a break, head for the Loraine region of eastern France - about 50 miles west of Strasbourg.  Rain doesn’t stop plus we remember that most food shops are closed on a Sunday.  Resign ourselves to the fact that we will have to make do with what is in the van cupboards - then - we come across a boulangerie that has just opened for the evening.  Wonderful fresh cheese bread and butter croissants for breakfast.  Shame they don’t sell wine, but you can’t have it all.  Arrive at ‘Etang de Lachaussee’ and find an interesting place to park for the night.  Still raining.  Oh well - might stop tomorrow.

Monday 25th June

Wake up and listen - its not raining.  Geoff goes out early to record by the lake side and  comes back very very excited - just recorded a bittern flight call.  Not the most exotic of sounds apparently, but a great one for the collection.  Have a wander around, to explore the place.  Its really good - lake and reed beds with an impressive list of birds to be spotted such as normal bittern, little bittern and marsh harrier. Its also a centre where people with disabilities work - about 40 people in all, employed to help look after the environment, oversee the fishing, work in the restaurant and make food produce.  Lots of duck and rabbit products which was a bit lost on a non meat eater like me, but great stuff non the less.  www.domaineduvieuxmoulin.com.

Back in the van and off to the Alsace region - the Vosges mountain range in particular.  Find a large hyper marche - what a total shopping experience! Its huge and light and super clean with an incredible array of food - its a shame the van fridge is so small Also had some rather nice shoes which I valiantly resisted. Picked up some local red wine and found a very pretty campsite by the side of a lake.  Red wine, cheese, mushrooms a la grecque and a text from oldest son.  I’m happy!

Tuesday 26th June

Spend the day exploring the area.  Have some lovely walks across the most magnificent alpine meadows and through woods to some ‘fairie rocks’.  Got a great view of a chamonix.  We are about  1362m high which is like being on top of the Cairngorm mountains in scotland.  Strange to think of that as we are sitting in the van finishing off the red wine and mushrooms a la grecque.

Wednesday 27th June

Up at 4.30am so that we can drive to a high point of the mountain range, for Geoff to go out recording in search of an alpine accentor.  He didn’t come across the bird but did get recordings of Chamonix snuffling around his microphones.  Headed off for a campsite we have visited before, on the bank of the river Doubs.  Get lost going around Lure - must be a new road that’s not shown on the map, can’t be my rubbish navigating skills surely.  Pull up in a lay-by to work out where we are going.  Its getting warm, we are over dressed and hungry so decide to stop for a short break.  Get out of the van to be greeted by the most beautiful purple emperor butterflies.  Apparently they are rare in the UK - found mainly in the New Forest and then they tend to stay in the tree tops.  Had a great look at them - one even landed on my head.  It was worth getting lost for.  Arrive at the ‘camping les pecheurs’ at 5pm and head straight for the bar and an ice cold beer.  Lovely!

Thursday 28th & Friday 29th June

Spend the days around the campsite  as the weather is good.  Its a lovely site - on the banks of the river, excellent swimming pool, bar with a changing menu du jour and a charming campsite owner who has learnt  english from listening to Beatles songs then playing them on his guitar.  The only downside is the mosquito’s.  We have stayed in this area 3 times before and never had real problems with them but this time they are rampant.  The campsite owner tells us its because there has been a lot of rain on and off and the river level has risen and fallen, risen and fallen.  This has made for an ideal mosquito breading ground.  I've been bitten mercilessly!  Geoff has been braving the mosquitos and getting out really early to go off recording and we have been bike riding along tracks in the woods.  Have seen little egrets, loads of magnificent dragon flies some of which were a blood red  colour, black kites, kingfishers and purple herons.  Also listened to a splendid marsh frog chorus. Spending another day here tomorow (as long as I can top up the stores of mosquito repellant and can resist beating Geoff with a large stick for complaining its too hot!) then heading off to the foothills of the Jura mountains on Sunday.