Through Northern France

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28 September 2009

We caught the 8.30 ferry without any trouble and arrived in Calais in continuing fine weather.

For this trip we plan to travel around France without using the motorways. Although this will take us longer to make progress we hope to see more of the country. It will also save us the cost of the tolls!

Consequently today we were guided by the satnav southwards via St Omar and St Quentin and stopped just south of Soissons between Paris and Reims. The roads went through many villages and were quite quiet. We covered about 280k but still have a lot of France to go through before we reach the south.

The route must have followed the line of the fronts during the first world war because we went past many cemeteries. We stopped at one called the Manchester Cemetery which included graves of British soldiers killed in late August and early September 1918. Only two months before the end of the war!

There is an organisation called France Passion which has arranged small campervan stops on vineyards and farms throughout the country. The best thing about them is that they are free. We have bought the guide and intend to use them on this trip. We have stopped on a farm tonight and enjoyed our supper sitting outside admiring the local views.

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