Day 36 - Rugles to Mailleraye Sur Seine

Monday 12th October

We set off north again this morning heading to the vets in Bourg Auchard near Rouen.

No dramas there thankfully, Louis took his worming medicine and got the vital stamp in his pet passport.

We stopped on the way to top up the diesel, so I've enough to get home now.

The best place to buy diesel over here is Total Energies garages, which I believe is owned by the French Government and they subsidise the price of fuel to 2.250 euros per litre.

Still a lot, thank you tangerine turd 😡, but other filling stations are up to 2.450 euro per litre so it's worth seeking out a Total garage if you can.

The downside is theirs often a queue and somtimes they've run out.

Only one ocassion I had to use another garage and had to pay 2.320, so I've been pretty lucky there.

2.250 euro converts to £1.90 which I think is a little less than current UK prices so better to fill here than in Newhaven.

We've come to Mailleraye sur Seine which is a favourite aire overlooking the Seine, I usually enjoy being here but it's rather dull, grey and damp this evening.

There aren't even any, so far, of the huge barges to watch making their way along the river.

And I don't think we'll be seeing moonlight on the Seine tonight either.

So we walked along the river this afternoon and back through the town, but it really feels flat as the holiday is over now 😕

Ah well, we've had a great five weeks driving through France, fantastic scenery, fantasic weather, blue skies and sunshine almost every day, the only bit rain we've had has been overnight, so I definately can't complain.

I really enjoyed being on the lake in Annecy for a few days, the cable car up Mont Blanc was awsome, the Vercors National Park with the  gorges, waterfalls and balcony roads was amazing.

Not forgetting the picturesque villages of Provence and Luberon, lovely.

I'm only about 50 miles from Dieppe now but I'll find somewhere close to the port for tomorrow night as we have an early start on Wednesday.

Day 35 - Another day in Rugles

 

Sunday 11th October 

I decided we'd have a lazy day in Rugles today, it's a nice comfortable place to be, a nice park with the river and the water wheels, good walks nearby and we've got free services and electric, so I thought we may as well make the most of it.

I got a few jobs done after a lie in, then we had a wander around the open air flea market on the common behind the motorhome aire.

It was mostly the usual sort of car boot sale stuff, so I wasn't tempted by anything.

Not even by a pair of hoof hooks  !

More bra's strung up on the high street

Oh BROXAP - The railings are made in Newcastle under Lyme !

Louis has an appointment at the vets in Bourg Auchard tomorrow for his worming treatment and the all important stamp in the pet passport.

When that's sorted out I think we'll go to another favourite aire on the Seine and spend the night there before driving over to Dieppe on Tuesday for our early ferry crossing on Wednesday morning.

Day 34 - Bonneval to Rugles La Risle

 

Saturday 10th October 

After another walk around the lovely little town of Bonneval, in the sunshine this time, we set off for another step north.

Today's destination is Rugles, another lovely town on La Risle river.

La Risle waterwheel

The ladies decorate the trees of Rugles There are lots of trees in the town decorated in this way must be a cancer awareness theme I think

I've been here a few times now, most recently in October 2023, and it's always a pleasure to come back here.

It has a fantastic motorhome aire with free services including electricity, as well as nice walks nearby.

There's a Flea Market on in town tomorrow so I'll probably have a look around there, see if I can sniff out a bargain.

Day 33 - Villefranche sur Cher to Bonneval

 

Friday 9th October

First stop on another leg north today was in a small town called Chateaudun.

It's a town with some interesting buildings and so we took the tourist office recommended walking route around the historic centre which was a nice way to spend an hour.

Student protests in Chateaudun

Next stop was our parkup for the night in the lovely little moated town of Bonneval located on La Loir, as opposed to La Loire.

We walked the ramparts and saw the old defensive towers protecting the villagers from the attacking British troops who it seems we're frequent visitors here. 

The most notable attack was during the 100 year war. 

In 1360, Edward lll led his troops through Northern France advancing through Chartres and Bonneval. This campaign pressured the French into signing the Treaty of Brétigny.

The Lancastrian War & Siege of Orléans (1420s): During the later stages of the war, English forces heavily targeted the town due to its strategic fortifications. English military campaigns in the region led to Bonneval being almost entirely destroyed as the English advanced toward their historic siege of Orléans.

There's lots of history here and it's a really lovely place to spend an afternoon.

We're parked up on the towns free motorhome aire, all services included except electric, so they don't seem to hold any grudge against the Brits thankfully.

Today is cool and overcast, trousers and fleece weather for sure today, forecast is for a few dry days and getting warmer.