Distance travelled: 133km
Total distance: 6388km
Ice cream count: 16
Two short stops and a night by Lake Geneva to break up our journey. Geneva was beautifully sunny and we had a nice stroll round the town and a stop for a drink and some tasty gyoza. Interestingly and unexpectedly, we drove through what appeared to be a red light district with lots of ladies on street corners.. not what we had expected of Switzerland for sure!
Distance travelled: 215km
Total distance: 6125km
Ice cream count: 16
After a few busy days exploring various French towns, we decided to stay put for the best part of a week to relax and chill out by Lake Annecy – as well as catching up on a bit of blog work, Griff working hard on his sitting up, and exploring the towns around the campsite and Annecy itself.
Our first morning set the scene for the week, as we were woken by the sound of a hot air balloon coming into land in the field next to us! It was stunning in the early morning light and against a perfect blue sky backdrop. The day continued to provide amazing views as we walked round a section of the Lake (gorgeous) and took a drive to Talloires where there were scores of paragliders and handgliders buzzing around in the air like insects – so cool to watch, despite us not quite making it to the top to where they launched.
Annecy itself was also amazing – the old town was beautiful and felt almost Venetian, being on a number of small rivers/canals, with buildings surrounded by water and lots of little bridges. We found a beer shop to rival Marple Beer too, so it was a happy Friday all round. Paddle boarding was again scuppered by the wind, but we’ve invested in some shorty wetsuits, so there’s no excuse now!
21-22 May, St Étienne & Lyon
Distance travelled: 266km
Total distance: 5910km
Ice cream count: 13
Having left the torrential rain behind, we arrived after a fairly straightforward journey at Saint-Étienne. The only reason we decided to visit was a tenuous link to a band of this name via something Matt had heard on the radio(!), but it turned out to be a nice town well worth a mooch.
We had lunch (very disappointing to be honest) in one of the town squares and then had a wander round the old lanes and streets. A Nutella and banana crêpe made up for the lack lustre lunch, and we were on our way once again to our next campsite. Arriving just 5 minutes before reception closed we were very happy to find ourselves in a gorgeous location in the hills – this site (Camping Le Daxia) was really peaceful, in a beautiful setting and the staff were super helpful and full of lots of great suggestions for things to see and do. We sadly only stayed one night as it wouldn’t have made sense to double back from Lyon to stay here again, but the lovely guy from reception sent us off with some advice about which direction to travel, and he was spot on, as our route took us through a beautiful mountainside village, Malleval, which was just amazing.
Lyon didn’t disappoint either – we both really loved the feel of this town – it was like a cool Paris with a more bohemian, creative and Manchester-Northern-Quarter vibe which we both loved. Lunch was interesting (there was no choice, we were just given some weird mozzarella salad sandwich with all kinds of veg mixed in) but that didn’t stop us falling in love with the town. Nor did our stroll on the banks of the Rhône, our wander through the old town, our artisan ice cream (ginger flavour – nom), or even the mammoth trek up the hill to see a view back of the city – and the gardens we happened upon (le Design Jardins) were totally gorgeous and a really happy accident. Can you tell we love Lyon?! ️
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18-21 May, Gap and Grenoble
Distance travelled: 296km
Total distance: 5644km
Ice cream count: 12 still!
Just a quick overnight stop on our way north near a town called Gap. Weather was pretty hideous though so it was a lazy afternoon in the van for most of us! Highlight was goats cheese salad for dinner made by toasting the bread and cheese in our little toastie maker. Creative cooking in a camper van!!
This was followed by two more days of torrential rain. We tried to explore Grenoble but it was so wet and miserable! Shame as it looked like it was probably a pretty beautiful town with the mountains as a backdrop, but hard to see through the cloud. Luckily the French are dog friendly as we at least found a little restaurant where we could go inside for some warmth and dry.
The drive to our next stop was breathtaking! From green lush hills as we climbed from the coast up to Grasse, to an enormous gorge through the mountains as we entered les Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; it was a beautiful (and a little nail-biting!) journey. Thanks to a road closure and detour we arrived at the lake next to our campsite from the mountain road and it was stunning! So blue and bright against the orange sandy mountainside. The campsite was another little gem and only a short stroll from both the water’s edge and the small, rarely open, village! Despite this we had a lovely time exploring the lake on foot and paddleboard, and had a tasty dinner out in the village. Matt even managed to get a haircut.
We also had a day out at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie which is a small village in the mountains said to be one of the most beautiful in France. ‘Some claim’ we thought, but it turned out to be pretty on point! It was totally gorgeous with lots of winding streets, steep inclines, a chapel on the side of the hill, and beautiful waterfalls and a river running through. We also had a tasty lunch despite the chilly weather, and Matt and Wilf braved a steep walk up the hillside to the chapel to get some photos.
Distance travelled: 402km
Total distance: 5084km
Ice cream count: 12
After dropping Gran Jan at Marseille airport, we drove onto our next campsite which was a short drive from Nice, and close to the hilltop town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Another lovely little site with lots of space for Wilf to roam and some nice walks nearby, this was a great base for exploring and gave us lots of opportunities for some nice days out.
We had a wander round Monte Carlo and drove the Grand Prix circuit in the van (!) which was fun – it was all set up for the main race in a few weeks time so we explored town driving through a maze of tunnels to get there.
We also drove the coast route which was beautiful, going as far as Antibes. Last stop was for a gorgeous lunch sat under the trees in Saint-Paul village. This was a really stunning old walled village with lots of small streets and ramparts to explore, as well as more art shops than I’ve ever seen in one place! There was a really traditional feel to the town with a crowd of local French men playing pétanque in the village square; with the sun shining, it was certainly a beautiful spot.
Distance travelled (in the UK): 243 miles
Ice cream count: 0
After a late start from Twyning, we made good time to Portsmouth, managing a quick stop at Decathlon and Tesco for last minute supplies, whilst still getting to the port by the boarding time. Sadly the ferry was delayed an hour, so there was a bit of waiting around and entertaining Griff but once loaded on and, despite some issues with getting Wilf to the kennel and moving our bags and baby in parallel, we were on our way. Wilf’s kennel was pretty grim, so Matt spent a fair bit of time with him walking on the deck and meeting a few new poochy pals.
The cabin was very compact and bunks made it feel a bit claustrophobic, but it was an OK home for 24 hours or so. Griff slept amazingly well, and didn’t seem to notice the engine issues that delayed us, or the sometimes rough seas that had Matt almost rolling out of his bunk. We made it though, and got into Santander only 2 hours late… which was just enough to make us arrive at our campsite near San Sebastián at 11:20pm so that we couldn’t get in! First night of wild camping in rain and high winds in the car park opposite didn’t put us off, and we all slept pretty well despite the unexpected change of site.
Distance travelled: 727km
Total distance: 4682km
Ice cream count: 11 still – a whole week without one!
After collecting my Mum (Gran Jan) from Marseilles airport we headed to our rented property for a week in Provence. We totally lucked out as it turned out to be a beautiful apartment in a quaint French farmhouse a mile outside Tulette, surrounded by vineyards and fields. It was just the place for a spot of rest and relaxation – not to mention luxury in terms of space and – best of all – an en-suite all to ourselves! Griff was having a tough week as was cutting his first tooth, and also sampling some first foods – he was loving the fruit mixes, but definitely less keen on the veg. His sleep was also a little disrupted, so a couple of rest days around the house and fresh air were also well received.
Gran Jan’s main objective was to spend as much time as possible with Griff, but we managed to drag her out a few times – days out in Aix-en-Provence and exploring around Tulette and Nyons, as well as a day at the Grotte Chauvet in the Ardeche – a museum that included a replica of a cave that contained some examples of art from 36,000 years ago. Griff snoozed through most of the tour, but Matt liked all the pictures! We also stopped at Pont d’Arc which was a really beautiful spot and an amazing natural bridge in the mountain-side, along with some gorgeous views as we drove back.
A blog about walking, travelling and not letting experiences pass us by... 