{"id":269,"date":"2018-09-21T16:05:08","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T16:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=269"},"modified":"2026-08-17T06:31:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T06:31:42","slug":"france-2018-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=269","title":{"rendered":"FRANCE 2018. 14"},"content":{"rendered":"

You will be relieved to hear that this is the last in this series.\u00a0 Probably!<\/p>\n

Our campsite at Mosnes – La Poterie – is right on the Loire. \u00a0But there are no actual views of the water from the pitches. \u00a0Daft really. \u00a0However, it’s only a two minute walk to the river bank and we managed to carry chairs, books AND a bottle of wine.<\/p>\n

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The site continues to be attacked by Les Montgolfiers on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

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The first we know is when they fire up their bonfire right overhead. \u00a0A real roaring noise followed by silence repeated several times. \u00a0I bet it’s not as peaceful on board as the tour operators make out!<\/p>\n

When we arrived we must have scraped a tree…<\/p>\n

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Yes. \u00a0That’s mistletoe all right! \u00a0Kiwi Cathie – that’s good for sept bissous. \u00a0For those of you not in the know (and that’s more or less everyone apart from Cathie) – it’s a long story.\u00a0 Best left untold here!<\/p>\n

After a seven mile cycle along the river, we went for lunch at the peculiarly named “Le Pied Dans Le Plat”. \u00a0A “restaurant troglodyte” located in one of the many caves excavated into the cliffs hereabouts. \u00a0It was “interesting” to see the 75 bolts driven into the roof (presumably to keep rocks out of the soup) and the tensioned wires along the surface of the ceiling (presumably to give the patron advance warning of a rock-fall so he can get out ahead of the rush!). \u00a0The food was good though and very reasonably priced.<\/p>\n

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Highly recommended – but take your hard hat with you. \u00a0Even if only to stop you hurting your head on the low rocky outcrops as you walk to the buffet station!\u00a0 If the bolts give way the hat won’t actually help, but it may improve the subsequent insurance claim your heirs will make.<\/p>\n

Now, before we get to Amboise a few kms downstream, here’s an experiment. \u00a0It’s a little clip kindly forwarded to me by Mad Mary. \u00a0(I’ll call her that, affectionately, to distinguish her from Contrary Mary in Silverdale!). \u00a0I’ve no idea if you will be able to access it from here. \u00a0Please let me know!<\/p>\n

5b9a31b2-f665-4ab5-87c4<\/a>-983792c9bf5d<\/a><\/p>\n

That’s Japanese marketing for you – although you might think it a spoof. \u00a0At short notice, I haven’t been able to think of a sensible way to link it to our exploits – so I’ve just plonked it in! \u00a0Who wants sensible anyway?<\/p>\n

OK back to the Loire. \u00a0We made a VERY brief visit to Amboise. \u00a0We saw the bridge…<\/p>\n

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… and the chateau …<\/p>\n

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We saw some odd statues of giraffes, we saw huge numbers of visitors (and this explains why the countryside is so deserted – everyone’s in town!), we found the supermarket, we re-fueled for tomorrow’s drive and we went home exhausted. \u00a0It’s hard work doing so little for so long!<\/p>\n

We relocated northwards on Thursday to a site near Dinan. \u00a0The distance we covered was 10% further than expected.\u00a0 It was VERY windy!!! \u00a0As we approached the site, Glenda was convinced we had been here before. \u00a0It transpired that we had indeed been here for two nights in 2009 – the 20 and 21 September – exactly the same dates as this visit. \u00a0Coincidence, or what?<\/p>\n

And we’ve got HOT showers at last!<\/p>\n

I think it should be compulsory for campsite owners\/managers to take a shower in their facilities at least once a week. \u00a0They would soon get the water temperature up (even if only for the days of their showers – let’s say Tuesdays) and they would get adequate hooks on the walls in places where their clothes don’t get saturated. \u00a0And while they were at it, they would probably get the movement-sensor-controlled lights to stay on for more than 10 seconds of relative inactivity. \u00a0Furthermore, the silly press buttons which set the shower going would be adjusted so they didn’t need pressing at 5 second intervals. \u00a0I wouldn’t mind betting that the cubicles would all be magically increased in size and cats issued all round for swinging.<\/p>\n

While on the subject of site owners, if they post signs to say “chiens sur laisse” they should ruddy well enforce the rule. \u00a0But probably best keep off the subject of dogs on campsites. \u00a0A bit political. \u00a0Like the Chequers Plan for Brexit.<\/p>\n

Oh yes, and here I may upset some people … why do French people (it’s mainly the French) take their dogs into restaurants, feed them scraps off their plates and then be surprised that the animals won’t lie down and behave. \u00a0 I say tie them all up outside – but I’m not sure what I’d do with their dogs though! \u00a0Sorry about that little rant!<\/p>\n

On Friday we went to Dinan. \u00a0A bit of a departure from our normal town visits which normally coincide with Sundays or Mondays when all good French shopkeepers lock up their stores and go to the beach to fish for tiny shell fish or rock oysters or under-sized crabs – or indeed anything living that can be cooked and eaten!<\/p>\n

For those of you unfamiliar with the town of Dinan, it’s an old fortified hilltop place with narrow streets, extremely limited parking and lots of American tourists (plus at least two Brits that day).<\/p>\n

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It is also situated at the only bridging point over the River Rance for miles either way (photo above taken from said bridge looking down at the Port de Dinan). \u00a0So the road which meanders through town is basically THE main road from A to B. \u00a0A very slow and tortuous main road …<\/p>\n

The historic centre is very historic with lots of half timbered houses and, as I mentioned, some very narrow streets…<\/p>\n

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… and (at least) two magnificent churches. \u00a0There’s the Basilique Saint-Sauveur which appears to date from the 12th century but with additions made in at least six of the following centuries:<\/p>\n

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… and the Eglise Saint-Malo …<\/p>\n

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Known to be a good example of Gothic Flamboyance in Brittany.\u00a0 Built in the 15th century – much later than the other place down the road. \u00a0Almost last week, even. \u00a0I’ve \u00a0put this stuff in specially for Geoff the cathedral man. \u00a0Hope he’s reading this guff!<\/p>\n

Well that’s more or less the trip finished. \u00a0This morning we visited the town of Combourg a few miles west of our base at La Chapelle-aux-Filtzm\u00e9ens (where do they get these posh sounding names from? – not at all like Hull or Poole or Newquay). \u00a0The most memorable thing about the town was the un-memorable lunch – sadly our last of the trip.\u00a0 Bad planning!<\/p>\n

Another wobbly drive took us the last 120 miles to Roscoff where we joined the ferry queue 13 hours early. \u00a0We are fifth in line – so if we miss the ferry from here it will be worthy of another episode!<\/p>\n

We hope you have enjoyed following our travels in France. \u00a0I you have, please send us a message and we’ll let you know when the next foray starts – probably in about three weeks when we set of for a tour of the UK!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You will be relieved to hear that this is the last in this series.\u00a0 Probably! Our campsite at Mosnes – La Poterie – is right on the Loire. \u00a0But there are no actual views of the water from the pitches.… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-france-2018"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=269"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8097,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions\/8097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}