Day 1 – From a Family Wedding to France: Our Adventure Begins

There’s something quite surreal about how quickly life can change.

Just 48 hours ago we were celebrating at the wedding of some very good friends in Rainford. Fast forward to today and we’re sitting outside our motorhome on the French coast, enjoying a glass of Bordeaux in the warm evening sunshine after our first full day of touring.

The adventure has officially begun.

A Whirlwind Start

Sunday morning started with a drive home to Plymouth after the wedding celebrations. Before heading for the ferry, we squeezed in a visit to our daughter, her husband and our three grandchildren. It was the perfect way to say goodbye before disappearing across the Channel for a few weeks.

Later that evening we arrived at Plymouth Ferry Port for the overnight crossing to Roscoff.

Like many people travelling post Brexit with dogs, we were slightly apprehensive. We’d double checked the pet health certificates, worried we’d forgotten a stamp or signature somewhere, and prepared ourselves for lengthy inspections.

In reality?

It couldn’t have been easier.

Customs were straightforward, staff were friendly and before we knew it we were driving onto the ferry.

First Impressions of the Ferry

For some reason I’d imagined the ferry being a little different. Maybe a larger cabin or a slightly different layout. It certainly wasn’t a problem,just different to how I’d pictured it.

The crossing itself couldn’t have been calmer.

Our two dogs, Tilly and Frankie, weren’t quite as relaxed as we were though. We took them outside shortly after boarding, hoping they’d settle, but they were clearly nervous. Tails tucked firmly underneath them, they couldn’t wait to get back into the cabin where they quickly claimed the beds as their own.

Naturally, Tilly decided my wife’s bed looked much more comfortable, leaving me sharing half a bed with Frankie… and very little duvet!

Needless to say, it wasn’t our best night’s sleep.

Lesson Learned

One thing we’d definitely do differently next time is breakfast.

We’d set an alarm, but after losing an hour overnight and having a broken night’s sleep, it was very easy to ignore it.

Looking back, one of us should have taken the dogs outside while the other grabbed coffee and breakfast before disembarking. A simple lesson, but one we’ll definitely remember for future crossings.

First Stop in France

After around half an hour clearing customs in Roscoff, we headed towards Morlaix hoping to stock up on supplies.

In truth, we were exhausted.

We wandered around the supermarket throwing random items into the trolley without much thought before deciding what we really needed was strong coffee and fresh croissants.

That little café stop was exactly what we needed.

Sometimes travelling isn’t about rushing from one attraction to another,it’s simply taking time to recharge.

Heading South

Originally we’d planned a much longer drive, but tiredness quickly made the decision for us.

Instead, we aimed for the Vendée coast, around 130 miles away, which felt like a comfortable distance after the overnight ferry.

Apart from one rather over-enthusiastic lorry driver who seemed determined to occupy the same bit of road as us,twice,the journey was enjoyable.

Using Campercontact, we searched for somewhere to spend the night.

What we found was an absolute gem.

A Fantastic Overnight Stop

Our overnight aire cost just €13.20, which included:

Electric hook-up

Fresh water

Grey waste disposal

Toilet emptying facilities

Spacious pitches

For the price, it was excellent value and in a lovely peaceful location close to the coast.

Exactly the sort of places we love discovering.

Exploring the Coast

Once parked up, we fancied stretching our legs.

Using the Outdooractive app, we found a local walking route that looked perfect.

Well… almost.

Low tide had transformed the shoreline into a vast mudflat, which Tilly and Frankie interpreted as the greatest playground ever created.

Within minutes both dogs had disappeared into thick black mud.

They emerged looking like two completely different dogs!

Fortunately, later in the walk they found a pond where they happily washed most of it off before we headed back through beautiful woodland towards town.

Despite the muddy start, it turned into a lovely walk.

Evening Rewards

After all that exercise,and very little food all day,we deserved a drink.

We stopped for what we thought was a lemon beer, which turned out to be Desperados.

Not our usual choice, but on a warm evening after a long day of travelling, it was surprisingly refreshing.

Back at the motorhome we fired up the barbecue.

The supermarket chicken skewers turned out to be an excellent purchase, and after dinner we finished the evening exactly as holidays should be finished:

• Dogs cleaned off again!
• Washing up done
• Chairs outside
• Glasses of Bordeaux poured

At nearly 10 pm it was still around 24°C, with the last of the evening sunshine fading over the aire.

Not a bad way to end Day One.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow brings something completely new for us.

We’re continuing south towards the Atlantic coast, just beyond Nantes, where we’ll be trying a style of travelling we’ve never attempted before.

Whether it turns out to be a brilliant idea or a complete disaster… you’ll have to read tomorrow’s blog to find out.

Until then…

Happy touring! 🚐🇫🇷