Blogs from Pays-de-la-Loire, France, Europe

Up early to get to Le Mans. Well we had a diversion of what must have been at least 20 miles as the A28 where we needed to get on was closed. To be honest this was quite good for me as it gave me a break from being buffeted on the motorway - I know I will need a back and shoulder massage when we get back to the UK as cor blimey my right shoulder has so many aches due to having to hold the motorhome in the wind. We have to stop at a toll and there are swarms of gendarmeries on the other side so I am thinking get me out of here bleeding quick before I get stopped even though I have done nothing wrong. However when I see a policeman ... read more

Summer has arrived. Suddenly and without warning. Went out in a t-shirt as very cloudy and forecast said that was what we were getting. Came back at the endof the day with a very positive tan having spent the best part of the day in full sunshine under a glorious blue sky. After the last month in England feeling positively chilly this warmth is absolutely wonderful. The day was pretty wonderful too. We had decided to visit Saumur, somewhere we have been a couple of times before, including stopping on the campsite on the island in the middle of the Loire. Bob chose a very scenic route so that we could just wander along and explore as not been this end of the Loire itself before. Super idea. Our campsite is a couple of miles North ... read more

Heute bin ich durch Nantes spaziert. Mein erster Besuch datiert ja aus dem Jahr 1992 während meiner Interrail-Reise. Diesmal ging ich zum Schloss der Herzöge von Burgund und besichtigte dort das Museum über die Stadt. Es setzt etwas spät in der Geschichte ein und behandelt den Seehandel und auch einen Teil zur deutschen Besatzung. Von dort lief ich weiter zur beschädigten und im Moment geschlossenen Kathedrale. Aber Nachwirkungen des Brandes konnte ich nicht entdecken. Anschließend besuchte ich ein Starbucks in der Altstadt. Also mit meiner Karte bekomme ich immerhin 10% Rabatt, kann aber damit in Frankreich nicht zahlen. Die Machines de l'ile (also ein Park mit großen künstlerischen Maschinen auf der Insel in der Loire) habe ich mir gespart, da er zum einen etwas abseits und zum anderen für mich nicht interessant genug ist. Statt dessen ... read more

Saturday 18th May This morning I got up early to go to Angers by train for the day. This was mainly in order to meet my French teacher from Gosford, who moved back to France this year. The train from Guipry-Messac was at 7:54, followed by a 51 minute wait in Rennes for the train to Angers – about twice as long as the train trip from Guipry to Rennes! I arrived at Angers at about 10:45. Angers immediately struck me as a vibrant city, very clean and well looked after, with people in all the public places. I made my way to the enormous and imposing château, built on a bluff overlooking the river Maine. The huge dry moat, walls and towers, and the sheer size of the castle are all remarkable. I went looking ... read more