If there is one key lesson we have learned on this trip, it is this: never, ever let Steven trust Google Maps.
Welcome back to the blog! We are Steven and Suzanne, traveling across Europe in our trusty motorhome alongside our two favorite furry copilots, Tiley and Frankie. Today marked Day 22 of our adventure, and it was a proper whirlwind of alpine views, unintended side-quests, and full-blown insect warfare.
The Great Google Maps Detour
Our day in Bourg-Saint-Maurice started innocently enough, we just needed to pick up a few bits from the shop. Simple, right? Not when Suzanne is in charge of navigation.
Armed with a dropped pin, upside-down maps, and an unwavering refusal to centre her screen, Suzanne led us on a grand 5-kilometer march across bridges and along busy roads. The punchline? The shop was actually only about 300 meters from where we started. The poor dogs were absolutely parched by the time we circled back, but Steven finally took charge of the phone, and we miraculously found civilisation.
Pastries, Funiculars, and Off-Leash Freedom
To reward ourselves for surviving the morning trek, we stopped for a well-earned midday beer and some local patisserie treats, a salmon quiche for Suzanne and a chorizo one for Steven, followed by an apricot tart and a ridiculously good chocolate mousse eclair.
Suitably stuffed, we scrapped our initial plans and took the (free!) funicular up to Les Arcs around 2:00 PM. Seeing a famous ski resort in the dead of summer is completely surreal. Instead of packed snow and ski lifts, it was an overgrown, peaceful green paradise.
We let Tiley and Frankie off their leads, and they had absolute best time. We found a freezing cold glacial brook with a little waterfall where Tiley practically laid down to cool off. After a quick drone session and a couple of beers at our favourite winter haunt, we caught the train back down just as the afternoon clouds started rolling over the peaks.
The Great Flying Ant Invasion & Toilet Traps
By evening, the forecasted thunderstorms finally broke over the mountains. We grabbed dinner at a local pizzeria, tagliatelle for Suzanne, pizza for Steven and back in the motorhome, spent a nice, relaxed 45 minutes silently scrolling through ridiculous Facebook videos while the rain poured outside. Sometimes you just need to space out!
Then things took a chaotic turn:
- Insect Warfare: We stepped into the van only to realise we were being invaded by a swarm of flying ants that had settled inside the light fittings. Cue an all-out battle before bed.
- The Chemical Toilet Drama: Steven went to empty the cassette, managed to wedge the disabled cubicle door shut, and almost trapped himself in the toilet block for the night.
Onward towards 'our' Brittany!
Despite the 19,600 steps logged today, we’re packing up early tomorrow morning to hit the road toward Clermont-Ferrand. We’re aiming for a solid three-day stop at a Naturist campsite before heading toward Brittany and Roscoff to get the girls their mandatory vet tapeworm tablets (and yes, Steven, they are tablets, not injections!) for the journey home.
#TouringIdeas #VanLifeUK #DogsOnTour #BourgSaintMaurice #LesArcsSummer #GoogleMapsFail #MotorhomeAdventures #TileyAndFrankie #TravelEuropeWithDogs
SEO Keywords: Bourg-Saint-Maurice motorhome trip, Les Arcs summer funicular, traveling Europe with dogs, motorhome travel blog UK, Les Arcs off-leash dog walks.
Add comment
Comments