Hi guys looks like you are having a great adventure. Stay clear of the Gironde! We nearly took this route On the way back north, looks like areas are being evacuated. Bobby is off for an oil change and a look at his brakes as they have lost a lot of pressure. I think it’s the non return valve as no signs of leaks or. loss of fluid and pipe work and master cylinder seem ok. I’ll update you once I hear from the mechanic. Bobby was very well behaved overall and a real pleasure to tour in again, it had been too long! Keep us updated of your adventures and I hope the laptop turns up!
Avoid anywhere near Paul Ricard next week, my mate works for Red Bull and says all the roads near the circuit are a nightmare
Cheers Chris - will keep an eye on that. Saw lots of Pompiers heading that way on the trip here. BTW have you ever see this NASA thing that tracks open fires from space? What I found astounding is the mass of open fires across Africa - I looked into it and apparently it’s slash and burn farming which contributes to 25% of global greenhouse gasses. https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2022-07-12..2022-07-13;@52.9,-6.5,3z Will definitely avoid that however much I’d like to go to the GP, thanks for the tip Phil.
Yes the adventure continues without you… If Bobby can wait til September then I’ll gladly pop down and help you take a look. See you back in Blighty!
I’ve used La route Napoléon a few times but it might be busy with bikers. https://www.sixt.fr/magazine/voyages/road-trip-sur-la-route-napoleon/
I've been to nearly every region in France, the van coped with everything, just hot brakes mainly down some of the mountains.. Safe trip home the weather is frying all the family, I'm still working outside building, but I'm a bit simple Sent from my ART-L29 using Tapatalk
Shame about the the GP , Bandol and the surrounding area is a fab place to chill . Given a choice I'd stick to the coastal road and just head North around Narbonne, quiet roads up to Sarlat / Perigord and Dordoigne . Hang a left and keeping to the coast there's La Tranche sur mere and lovely quiet beaches all along the Atlantic coast ... The Massive Central up to Grenoble and Lyon will be the main route to the GP so busy but yes , i've driven it a few times - easy ! Another option would be to up past Monaco and head towards Switzerland and over the alps - not as daunting as you imagine .. Enjoy the rest of your trip , not jealous.... at all ..... Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
It's very hot out there indeed. Well it's toastie in the midlands too but France looks proper hot even a sharoot and shrug of shoulders ain't working apparently.
Right now we happen to be in the coolest corner of all Western Europe apart from North Wales where my brother is and it’s always cold. Lots to thinks about for the way home - thanks @Lasty , @77 Westy and @lost-en-france for your suggestions - very much appreciated. I love the idea of the Napoleon route, but first of all we need to return to St Remy to pick up the itinerant laptop that for was delivered to the Monplaisir campsite yesterday (a week late on a 1-3 day delivery ~ worse than hopeless effort by DHL), which wrecks it as an idea. What with the GP and the really high temps a little further west I think we’ll head straight to Grenoble. You’re right LeF, these vans can go anywhere and I should stop worrying about it!
I’d just being been thinking how we travelled the length of France and not seen another van. Where is everyone? Usually there are some other French old-timers on a campsite somewhere or some plucky Brits to flash your lights at going the other way. Then, just as we left the campsite, there was one right there, with its German owners finishing off some road-side repairs using his widow-maker. They’d didn’t need any help and caught up and shadowed us for quite a few miles. A very nice cross-over Westfalia.
Half an hour later - disaster! Bumbling along happily down the motorway when the windscreen completely shattered with a bang. We pulled over safely into a little lay-by and while we were waiting, vaguely panicking and wondering what to next, a motorway patrol guy turned up and insisted we get a tow-truck. It cost us €180 to be taken to the French Autoglass place which was 4.5km up the road. The first place we phoned said it would take 10 days to get a replacement screen. After a bit of fannying about the Autoglass guy said they can do the job on Friday morning, which really isn’t too bad. They kindly gave me a bit of discount on the €1,000 bill down to €860. Here’s how the conversation with Avis went for a rental; ‘We would like a small car’ ‘From the chart showing the types, which type would you like?’ ‘We’ll have one from ‘Group A’ please.’ ‘Oh, we don’t have any of those’ ‘Ok, Group B then…’ ‘Oh, we don’t have of those…’ ‘Do you have any cars?’ ‘Non.’ Well, we got one eventually from somewhere else and carried on back to St Remy to pick up the laptop package that DHL delivered a week late. Just checked into a delightful small hotel that has more than an air of Fawlty Towers and a female stressed Basil on the front desk who is about to do-in some German tourists. As I sit here typing the lights and power to the room have all started flashing and going on and off. Well, there are lot worse places to be stranded for a couple of days!
Sorry to hear your trip has stalled thus! my 70s screen went bang on my inaugural trip home from the seller. It didn’t arf make I jump!!!! I think those roadside prices are a little steep though!
Sorry to hear about this. I hope it works out quickly and the rest of the holiday is good. Out of curiosity, do you know what caused the window to go?
Yes - it was a very specific combination of comments from @paul2590 and @Zed saying From this thread… https://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/what-should-i-take.96448/page-3
I hope your insurance has windscreen cover, that's an eye watering price! Mine's just been replaced for £135+vat inc fitting and sealant. Pretty much every windscreen place has them in stock too.
You are obviously not paranoid enough with your list As said above, I hope the insurance comes through for you.
Hmm - well there’s a discussion to be had with Lancaster - at best it’s limited to £600 so an expensive day!
Back on the road! Carglass took 24 hours to fit the new screen and have charged €735 for the pleasure. Managed to get €113 reduction for re-issuing the (not very) old seal. Hoping my insurance policy will cough up £600 towards without too many arguments as I’m feeling rather ripped-off at the moment. I’m kinda missing the old screen, though. It was certainly old, maybe original, not laminated and had those square rainbow patterns in it when looked through wearing Polaroids. (Were these caused by heating elements during the hardening process?). So we’ve started going north in the direction of Grenoble- first stop is the wonderful Sisteron citadel. Here’s the view through the new windscreen on approach to the town;
