The ferry was on time and we were soon onboard and enjoying breakfast. We couldn’t believe how quiet it was on the ship. It was a smooth crossing and in no time at all it was back down to the car decks and on the road in France.
We had a steady 2 hour drive south to Le Crotoy and the caravan site, Camping les Aubepines. The reason for choosing this particular site was that we were checking it out for a return visit with Archie & Aiva in August. It passed with flying colours and is now all booked up for a fun filled fortnight with the kids 😂😍

Breakfast in France, fresh baguette and apricot jam washed down with freshly brewed coffee. Just beautiful 😋😋
We stayed for 2 nights and we visited the towns of Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, both were lovely with lots to see and do when the kids are with us. There is even a small steam train that runs between the two. On site there were both indoor and outdoor swimming pools to enjoy.

We then headed to the east of Paris and a caravan site, International de Jablines.
This site was in an area with a few small lakes, there was a lovely beach with a sectioned off swimming area, pedalos and sailing centre.

The site had very friendly staff in reception and the shop. The facilities were spotless and cleaned 3 times a day.
We had planned a couple of nights here but stayed 4! We spent our time relaxing by the caravan, walking and even managed a shopping day to Carrefour and Decathlon 😂😍 What more do you need in life? 😂😍 Well for some “Disneyland Paris!” It was a very short drive from the site or you could take the campsites shuttle bus that went to Disney or would drop off at the train station for Paris.

Moving south a little on the 16th June had us heading for Mesnil-St-Pere and the caravan site Camping Le Lac D’Orient. On arrival the reception staff were very welcoming, they gave us a pitch number but told us that if we were not happy with it to look for another and let them know. As it was the pitch was good, the caravan was in the shade but we had sun on the pitch all day. It took Andy (and the little old Belgian man from across the road) ages to get the satellite working! But they got there in the end 😂😍👍 England’s first World Cup match could be watched 😃😃

This was another site with very clean amenities. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, water slides and children’s area. Boules pitch and table tennis tables. A lovely bar restaurant, shop and all this across the road from a huge lake with a beach for swimming and a separate sailing school area.
Just outside the restaurant we spotted a swallows nest with little ones constantly wanting to be fed. Andy set up the tripod & camera and took lots of photos as the feeding was going on.

We saw people coming and going, stopping a couple of nights on their journeys south or homeward bound. Others like us stopped on site for a week (or longer) it was a lazy week with walks or cycle rides along the lakeside. The sunsets were lovely. Swimming and relaxing by the pools or just sitting reading.

We met a lovely Welsh couple, they were just a couple of caravans along our little road. They were Ruth & Kev. We shared a few glasses of wine together one evening and obviously caravan stories too 😂😍
Our weekly visit to Carrefour and Lidl was exciting 😂😍 Well it was for me! Andy has to work on his shopping euphoria 😂😂
The most difficult activity of the week was “Find the cash machine!” 🤣🤣 We travelled to the next town after a google maps search the evening before, only to find the bank being refurbished and the ATM not working. We tried the supermarket, the tabac, the Post office only to be directed to the same ATM 😖😖 We were then directed to another town, Bar sur Seine. There we were successful at last 😀 What a journey 😂😂 But we had cash in the purse once more 😀😀

Then it was time to move south once again. We set off on Saturday 23rd June for Saint-Maurice-de-pere, a small town close to Lyon.

 

Not all those that wander are lost.

Carol & Andy