At the end of stage 1 you were promised excitement and the last 72hours have certainly provided that!
We decided to stay just the day in Peronne. The First World War museum was depressing beyond words. My grandfather was mustard gassed during the final days of the First World War pretty close to here. He eventually died when my mum was only three from his lung damage, ten years after the end of the Great War. There was nothing great about it. I felt as though I owed it to his memory to look. I'll post some photos, but after I wanted to get away.
War,
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Enough of that. Fabulous steak tartar for lunch before setting off for the Champagne region.
On the drive we found two villages sandwiched together in the Picardy countryside called Brie and Ham. Genuinely I tell you.
We found a very small champagne producer on our route using the Park for the Night App.. Their wonderful garden is available in exchange for a champagne tasting and a very low pressure sales pitch. Monsieur appeared shaken when I agreed to buy 6 bottles from him.
On the drive there, annoyingly a superglue flavoured mint removed a dental crown.
Should have known it was a "disaster day". We always have these in the van. One day everything is fabulous, then the disaster day hits. Here in Champagne I would have expected the missing crown and stumbling drunkly into a dog turd on the walk back from the wine tasting would be enough. But oh no! With dog poo to extract from between my flip flop toes we decided to turn the hot water on. Nothing. No lights, no fridge, no water pump.
Rhys the van guru https://www.leisure-proltd.co.uk/ was on the other end of WhatsApp within seconds - remember this is Sunday night. I genuinely love him. He talked me through disassembling the switch panel for the electrics and interestingly we did find a disconnected wire. But still no power. After an hour or so, several brandies and liberal use of wet wipes on my feet we had to give in! Bed.
We have back up lights etc... but the prospect of several weeks reliant on a cool box, camp site showers, and battery driven candles had me considering the drive back to Dunkirk and paying for Rhys to grab a ferry over. He would, if asked.
The next morning we had very little confidence in the local garage, google translate and a wad of euros to fix the issue.
After twenty minutes of very French air sucking between teeth, and several short bursts of laughter at the home spun wiring, we narrowed the problem to the solar panel. He said we needed a new one. I said it was working perfectly. He smiled again, this time he had the answer. He leant forward and switched it back on. Nessa burst into life! I hugged him, after asking his permission. He quite enjoyed the embrace I think, although perhaps the smell of last nights residual dog shit wasn't all he expected from my perfume.
I am officially an imbecile. Anyway, generously and out of character, Mrs W made surprisingly little mileage out of the fact that the fault was so easily fixable.
However, she had already embarked on a rich new vein of humour. My exercise routine. Apparently after a gym session, I start glancing in the mirror and flexing.
Lies.
But her impression does ring a very loud cringe bell. I shall concentrate on not doing it again.
The journey through the champagne region to Vittel was relatively painless. Our planned stop for lunch was not serving food on a Monday, but another local café did dish up great Salad of duck gizzard and a Tuna quiche.
We were in Lorraine region of France and I'm guessing Quiche hails from here? It was on the menu everywhere!
Vittel is a thermal spa town presumably owned by Nestlé. The camping area was adequate and the thermal park was pretty, not spectacular. Our meal was ok and overall the thought of Switzerland with lakes and mountains and swimming and Heidi and all, was too much. Pig tails and toblerone won. We moved on! Although I know the way the world works and almost certainly Nestlé also own toblerone.
The drive to Switzerland was truely unpleasant. By early afternoon temperatures outside were reaching 38*c, and Nessa is effectively a large mobile greenhouse. Louise decided that Reg was hyperventilating to keep cool. Dogs die in the heat she pointed out. I may have been less than sympathetic, probably due to the mirage of pineapple trees in the distance we never seemed to reach. I slugged from my water bottle as we continued on past giant cacti. I missed a couple of turnings in my urgent desire to get to a lake side oasis. It was probably right to viciously berate me under the circumstances. Our first cross words were exchanged. Too hot for too long. The healing waters of Lake Lucerne did their job.
We arrived at Lake Luzern and flopped into the lake. Reg had survived. Sudden thunderstorms arrived. If you've never slept in a wind rocked campervan with rain lashing the roof and the sky ablaze with lightening, it's like a festival without the music. Liberating and awe inspiring.
The rains persisted next morning. After morning yoga, my missing crown was re-fixed by a local teenage dentist. Confidence would have been greater if she hadn't kept reading through the leaflet that came with the dental glue. In the end, who am I to judge, she seemed to do a good job. £250 for 20 minutes, most of which was reading the instructions and glancing anxiously at the nurse for reassurance, seemed steep. But this is Switzerland. Later we had two pints and two G&T's for £52.
Absolutely loved Luzern and we had been so hot the day before, that the intermittent deluge and thunder storms were also welcome. The place is incredibly dog friendly, and the buses are all free, which wasn't simply a function of my great age in this case.
On a final point, Switzerland produce great wines but reserve it mostly for local consumption. This Cornalin D'Aosta grape was one we were recommended by restaurant in Luzern. It was terrific. Smelled of newly mown grass, or maybe that was Reg under the table? The wine itself was pure cherries. Delicious.
Tomorrow we head for Italy!!
Great pics. Particularly love the upward dog, downward dog. Keep ‘em coming. X