Day 2 Eaux Pisseaux to Cyrat (Near Clermont Ferrand) – 330 miles

The farm was the perfect place for us to initiate our overseas overnight experience.  Quiet and almost empty.   The night was very peaceful and everyone had a good night's sleep other than the 16 year old who 'had the worst night's sleep in the world ever and couldn't manage to get up for the breakfast we had ordered.   A simple but nice breakfast with very hot coffee which was welcome against the thick frost.

 

The dunny was easily emptied into the chemical room and the grey water fell out straight into the pit as I drove over it.   Unfortunately, there was no water and as I had previously put too many tablets in the tank and made even the tea taste and smell like bleach, I had ordered Mrs.F to empty the water tank so we could start again.   Won't do that again.  We had to wait until the end of the day until we could even flush the loo.  I wasn't surprised that the pitches didn't have water; the place was minus 5 after all.  However, I was very surprised that there was nowhere at all on site to top up the tank.  I asked the lady who coiffed something that sounded like 'hat on day are Vienna'.  I hung around a bit and got rid of the condensation (there was a lot), cleaned the windows and mirrors outside and also cleaned the reversing camera.   Eventually I gave up waiting for whatever might have happened and set off, slightly dissappointed that the showers weren't available either.

 

We headed for Chablis and stopped there for a while.  Parking was a bit of a trauma but we risked leaving the van poking about a bit and wandered off to buy some cheese and wine.   Then we went to Clamecy and whilst on the way to refuelling (again) nearly had a massive prang.  Our system of 'clear left' let us down which meant I ended up pulling straight out into the path of a very cross French man.   How he missed us is anyone's guess, but thankfully he did.  The refuel stop here was a bit of a challenge.  I tried to pay at the pump but eventually had to rely on Mrs. F trying at a booth with a very bored French attendant.  There appears to be a conflict between the French and UK chip and pin systems, but after 5 minutes, it sorted itsef out.

 

After Clamecy we followed the N151 towards Nevers and straight on to Clemont Ferrand.  On the way we bought a map and some French Jaffa Cakes and tried very hard to find a place to stay for the night.   With the 3 books we have, we thought it would be easy, but, it wasn't.  In fact, we are really struggling to understand how these books work.   I can (just about) work out whre we have been, but I can't work out where we need to go to next.  Mrs. F found an entry in the Aires de Service book which she thought might be near where we need to be.   She was right and, what's more, it was open.  We put the village's name in the Tom Tom and when we got there followed the signs to Camping.   Fortunately we got here just before it closed and just before it got dark.  Again, we had the problem with re-filling the water, but this time, we were able to ferry water from the toilet block using a large bucket and pour it into the tank with the use of a converted juice bottle for a funnel although, at 600metres above sea level the air and therefore my hands caused a bit of a chill.   I wish I had invested in that pump now.

 

The van is, so far, proving to be perfect for us.  Having two areas (kitchen/lounge) means everyone can have their own space albeit a little one.   This afternoon, for example, we were able to have a movie show on the lappy at the back with all the blackouts closed whilst me and Mrs.F were able to have a chat and complain about the site books on our own up front.

 

The roads have so far been as empty as we could have hoped.  Most of the time, the roads have been very interesting, taking us through small villages and, other times taking us through wide open countryside.   I am now ignoring the Autoroute for directions sticking only to the TomTom mostly because of the conflicts they create but also because I only have the main roads of Europe installed on the TomTom which means I am less likely to be taken down an unsuitable road like I was last week in the UK.

 

The site we are on in Ceyrat is very good and the showers very warm.  It's high up in the mountains so the views are spectacular although we don't like the look of that snow...